Holiday Ale Festival 20017 Recommendations!
I have been attending the Holiday Ale Festival since 2014 and it is one of my favorite Portland Beer Festivals!
We Drank ALL 55 Standard Beers!
Yesterday – Wednesday November 29, my good friend Don Scheidt and I drank ALL 55 of the standard beers being poured at the 2017 Holiday Ale Fest – www.holidayale.com/the-beers-standard-release.php
We also had a wonderful lunch, and enjoyed some terrific food!
If you would like to see listen to the Portland Beer Podcast episode that Don and previewing the 2017 Holiday Ale Festival see this link here – www.portlandbeerpodcast.com/holiday-ale-festival-2017-preview-portland-beer-podcast-episode-52
Ezra’s Best and Worst 2017 Holiday Ale Festival Beers
I always appreciate the recommendations of my friend Ezra Johnson-Greenough here is link to his 2017 Holiday Ale Festival best and worst beer – www.newschoolbeer.com/2017/11/best-worst-2017-holiday-ale-festival.html
Here are my recommendations for your visit to the 2017 Holiday Ale Festival!
Food!
Make sure to plan on having a meal or two while you are at the Holiday Ale Festival. They have some terrific options.
Urban German Grill is always a great choice – I had their Schwienebrater (pork roast) and it was amazing as always!
City Slickers PDX is new this year to the Holiday Ale Festival this year. I had their pulled pork nachos and they were fantastic!
Family Nut Tree Company is back again with their wonderful nuts! Yesterday Don and I had their sesame roasted trifecta – filberts, cashews, and peanuts – so good! However I do wish that they had used hazelnuts instead of filberts. I just like the taste of hazelnuts better. 😉
On to The Beer!
I love what I call “Christmas beers” – dark, rich, complex, high ABV beers. While there is plenty of beer like that available for you to enjoy, there is also a number of other great styles there as well including – bocks, IPAs, sours, and more!
My very favorite beer was the Eel River Brewing Co. Conspiracy of Ravens Chocolate Coconut Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Oatmeal/Milk Stout.
Goodness that was an amazing beer! I predict that it will be one of the first standard beers to blow!
My second favorite beer was Don’s very favorite beer – Golden Sour Ale aged in White Wine Barrels with Mulberries, Candied Ginger, Orange Peel, and Muscat Raisins. A stellar holiday sour beer!
Here listed in alphabetical order are the other beers/ciders/mead I recommend that you try while you are at the 2017 Holiday Ale Festival.
2 Towns Ciderhouse Bourbon Barrel Nice & Naughty Imperial Cider. A perfect holiday cider!
54°40′ Brewing Co. Restoration Bock Dopplebock. There are a couple of Bocks at the 2017 Holiday Ale festival and this is one of the good ones. Don said it was of a maibock, but he enjoyed it nonetheless.
Base Camp Brewing Co. Barrel Aged Imperial S’more Stout Bourbon Barrel Imperial Stout. I love the regular S’more Stout and have for many years. Getting to have a barreled aged version was awesome!
Bear Republic Brewing Co. Olive the Other Reindeer Dark Sour. A fun name and a great sour!
Drake’s Brewing Co. Vin-Drak Wine Grape Fermented Imperial Stout. I do loved beer that have been aged in wine barrels. Perhaps Ezra should do a beer festival with that theme…
Fremont Brewing Winter Fuego Imperial Winter Ale. A lovely “Christmas beer”, if you like beer with cacao nibs – this one is for you.
Hopworks Urban Brewery Yule Only Live Once Imperial Dessert Beer. This beer is sweet as fuck. It really is a “dessert” beer and something to try, because well – YOLO!
Lagunitas Brewing Co. Gin Sally AKA Gin Barrel Aged Aunt Sally – a Barrel Aged Blend. I love gin, and if you love gin, get a taster pour of this beer! Please note – Don was not wrong when he said that this beer is a “over the top, gin bomb!”
Lompoc Brewing Top Shelf Dubbel, Old Sport Belgian Dubbel. If it raining while you are drinking this beer, look up through the see-through tent and imagine that you sitting in front a fireplace while a storm rages outside. Its that kind of a beer.
Modern Times Beer Black House Vanilla Macadamia Nut Latte Oatmeal Coffee Stout with Vanilla and Macadamia Nuts. Wow! A complex beer that really delivers.
Montavilla Brew Works Severe Concussion IPA Triple IPA. If you like IPAs, get this beer!
Nectar Creek Top Bar Coffee Session Mead. Who would have thought the best coffee beer at the Holiday Ale Festival would be a mead.
pFriem Family Brewers Juicy Winter Ale Winter Ale. The best IPA at the 2017 Holiday Ale Festival.
Portland Cider Co. Cranberry Sauced Spiced Fruit Cider. I love cranberry in both beer and cider, and this cider nails it!
Reverend Nat’s Hard Cider Warm Abbey Spice with Cranberry Cider. A warm cider that is not to be missed!
StormBreaker Brewing Barrel Aged Kilt By Death Barrel Aged Scotch Ale. By the time we got this one, Don and I had sampled a number of beers in a row that were not to our liking. When he took a drink of this beer, he smiled broadly and said “actually this is really good” If you like Scotch Ales this one you need to try.
Three Mugs Brewing Co. Mrs Claus’s Peppermint Desire White Chocolate Ale Blonde Ale with White Chocolate and Peppermint. OMFG. As Don succinctly described this “beer” – “It’s like drinking a God damn candy cane!” This “beer” is too crazy to pass up.
If you are with a group, only have once person get a taster and pass it around. Just a sip will be all you will need.
Wayfinder Beer Rotorvator Doppelbock Doppelbock. The best Bock at the 2017 Holiday Ale Fest and a overall wonderful beer! This beer was named for the second album from the group Coil – Horse Rototvator 1986.
I hope to see you at the 2017 Holiday Ale Fest!
Cheers,
Steven
