2010 Belgianfest Report
In summary, Belgianfest was beyond expectations. I did have some reservations about the beers, not that they would be bad, but that some would not fit my personal taste. I was pleasantly surprised to find that nearly every beer I tasted I found myself saying out loud, “mmm… this is good”. And it wasn’t just me, my wife and brother-in-law, Brian, had the same reaction. It was addicting, we ended up having to try each others beers when one would hear the other make a remark, and with the 4oz tasting glasses there was enough for each of us to get a good taste. Between the three of us we tasted at least 15 different beers.
From the start of the event we were in smiles as we handed over our tickets and each exclaimed over the 4oz snifter tasting glasses we received, nicely done! From there I was intrigued by each of the brewer’s setup with many having small bars and taps, or serving from cask.
There was a good size crowd in the room, but no lines (except to the bathroom). The brewers were standing waiting to greet you and welcomed your questions. A nice change from other festivals I’ve been to with lines and breweries swamped distributing beer and replacing kegs. We chatted with many of the brewers and it gave the event a more personal feel.
I completely forgot to bring or even print out my tasting list I had made prior, but I was able to remember both the beers and order in which I planned to taste. For the most part I stuck to this list, but changed a few and also the fact I tasted several of the beers my wife and Brian tried.
Of the beers I tasted there were definitely a few that stood out. Brian and I both enjoyed the IPA Port Townsend brought that was not on the list. The Donkey Deux from Georgetown Brewing was also really good and not what I expected and the bottle conditioning was a neat feature. The Snipes Mountain Brewery “Dark Matter” was the most interesting and really grew on you the more you drank it. The Pour Les Oiseaux from Black Raven seemed very refined, an orange hazy color with crisp taste of spices and a peppery finish.
I definitely plan to return next year and have already marked my calendar for the March 27th Cask Fest. If it’s anything like this event you will not want to miss it.
Here is a link to pictures from Belgianfest
http://trav.smugmug.com/Other/Beer/2010-Belgianfest/11049502_oeTr2
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