I had the pleasure of visiting the beautiful city of San Francisco last weekend (and for the first time, I might add). Had a phenomenal time seeing places and people, but the primary reason I went was for the BevMo Holiday Beer Festival at Fort Mason. The event was held in the Herbst Pavilion.
Herbst Pavilion, Fort Mason
The festival was centered around the concept of breweries exhibiting their winter seasonal beers, although many breweries brought much more than that. I wasn’t one to complain, as some of my favorites are available in select markets year-round.
One of my favorite parts of the festival was getting acquainted with some beers that aren’t distributed in my beautiful location of Lawrence, KS. We are fortunate enough to get a solid mix of east coast and west coast beers, as well as many of the specialty beers from Colorado. However, we don’t have ready access to wonderful breweries such as Napa Smith, or even Full Sail or Stone Brewing Co. I had the pleasure of trying some of these, and more.
A unique thing about this festival as compared to other ones I’ve attended is that a vast majority of the booths were not done by volunteers as they normally are, but by people associated with the breweries themselves. Lots of sales staff, brewers, and in one case (Buckbean Brewing Co), the president of the brewery himself (Mr. Doug Booth). With actual brewery staff present at the event, it’s tremendously easier to get information about the brew you happen to be enjoying. I took advantage of such.
My top 5 favorites of the festival:
5. Malheur Brut Reserve – Brouwerij De Landtsheer NV (Belgium)
Tastes like a Belgian Prosecco if there ever was such a thing. Think of a super-refined Belgian Witbier that is, of course, fermented with champagne yeast in the bottle. Absolutely wonderful beer, and would go great with anyone who claims they “don’t like beer” – come on, we’ve all heard that one. This one is solid, if you can find it. (91/100)
4. Okocim Porter – Browar Okocim S.A. (Poland)
Dare I say it? Perhaps one of the better porters I’ve ever had. Super rich – this porter fits the meal-in-a-glass definition of the style. Hailing from Poland, I’m not quite sure where to find it around where I live, but you can guarantee that I’ll find out. Also check out their Double Bock. (92/100)
3. Bonfire Imperial Porter – Napa Smith Brewery (Napa, CA)
Producing only 2,000 barrels a year, Napa Smith is a super exclusive label from the heart of California wine country. I had the pleasure of spending some time with craft brewing legend Don Barkley (of Mendocino fame) and brewery president Steve Morgan, and was completely impressed with the time and effort put into the two beers they brought with them. I’m not one to pass up a porter, as you’ve probably guessed, and immediately jumped on the opportunity to taste the Bonfire Imperial Porter. With a richness and balance that rank right up there with any porter I’ve ever enjoyed, this one was truly a gem. The packaging, the people, and the care that go into their brews make them worth your time if you happen to be in the Napa Valley area. Mr. Morgan mentioned they have some serious market share in restaurants around Napa, so Napa Smith shouldn’t be too tough to find assuming you’re in the area. (93/100)
2. Palo Santo Marron Brown – Dogfish Head (Rehoboth Beach, DE)
An absolutely delicious rendition of a strong brown ale, Dogfish Head strikes again with their Palo Santo Marron Brown Ale. You wouldn’t believe that it’s a lofty 12% alcohol just by trying it – I was blown away after discovering such. The balance and richness in this beer (two qualities I obviously admire) were marvelous, and the style was still true to the best of brown ales. Perfect on a chilly day, this beer fit right in at the festival. In fact, you probably don’t need food should you choose to drink this one as a meal replacement. (94/100)
1. Double Bastard – Stone Brewing Co (San Diego, CA)
I always hear buzz about Stone Brewing Co from San Diego. I’ve heard they have an ‘attitude’ of sorts about how awesome their beer happens to be. I don’t know how true that is, but if so, I can tell you that they walk the talk. The Double Bastard carves out its own niche as to what an American Strong Ale should be. And let me tell you – it lives up to its name. It’s a busy beer, with notes of brown sugar, raisin, prune, roasted caramel malt, all hopped in a west coast style that brings a bit of familiarity back to those who aren’t perhaps used to such an intense style. Aged in oak, the character imparted from it definitely underscores the whole experience. This is something I’d love to have a vertical of – that is, as many different vintages as I could collect. (98/100)
So, quite an experience as you can see. To be honest, there were SO many great beers at the festival – it was quite difficult for me to narrow it down to just five of my favorites. Others I enjoyed were the Juniper Ale from Rogue and Alaskan’s winter seasonal. Among the best technical beers at the festival were, previously unmentioned, those from Karl Strauss. I’ve got reviews of their Amber as well as their Red in the que. You should be seeing them both shortly.
Cheers!
If you enjoyed this post, please consider to leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
Thanks for pulling out these great looking beers. I look forward to tasting them.
Hey just for your information on the Okocim Porter. it is not available in KS but si available in MO at one of the Chain Liquor stores (sorry can’t rmember the name and I am not promoting boot legging)