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| IAN'S 2007 COLUMBUS ALEFEST REVIEW |
My jolly fine fellows,
Last weekend saw the return of the Columbus AleFest. This year the event was held at the Aladdin Shrine which meant the parking was
a piece of cake; also, each table had a jug of water and a bowl which enabled the erstwhile ale tasters to clean out their glasses (the
organisers obviously listened to my complaint last year). After all, one simply cannot switch from a pilsner to a stout without cleaning the
glass -- it wouldn't be cricket !
As in 2006 the notable trio of Lord Pat of Beaconsfield, Lord Ian of Bath and Lord Tim of Gelsenkirchen attended the 2007 event (Tim's
dad also attended last year).
All sorts of beer glasses, t-shirts, sweatshirts, caps were on sale -- and, there was a particularly fine silent auction for three seperate
magnums of Stone's Double Bastard Ale. I put in a couple of bids, but some bastard beat me.
If you're all sitting comfortably, I'll begin...
1) Sam Adams Boston Lager -- not exactly the most daring start, but I wanted to begin in somewhat "safe" territory. I've really taken to
Sam Adams Pale Ale this summer, so the Boston Lager seemed logical. Good hoppy taste, nice bitter afterfinish, and rather refreshing.
Not sure I'd call it a lager though. 9/10.
Pat began with Great Lakes Blackout Stout (9%); clearly going for the jugular at an early stage !
2) Duval (8.5%) -- some geezer called Michael Jackson rates this as a world classic, and it's not hard to see why. This is a delicious
Belgian Strong Golden Ale; very pale to look at, but fragrant with a clean apple-like finish. I later learned that Duval features a Scottish
yeast from McEwan's. This ale was a winner with Tim as well. An easy 10/10.
3) Stone Pale Ale (5.4%) -- From one of the best independent breweries in the U.S, this pale ale was refreshing, lightly hopped, and
bright. 8/10.
4) Dogfish Head 90-minute IPA (9%) -- Yes, I'm trying to cut down on IPAs this year, but I couldn't resist this gem, which like last year was
"wet-hopped" on site. This means there was a huge metal vessel which was infusing extra "wet" hops to the keg. The result being a
totally refreshing ale, albiet a little on the wild side with all those bloody hops ! Another easy 10/10.
What an excellent start -- four fabulous ales, with appropriately high ratings. Could it last....
5) Columbus Brewing Co. Barley Wine (10.5%) -- Answer, NO ! I like a good Barley Wine (cue Stone's Old Guardian), but this
monstrosity from the Columbus Brewing Co. was absolutely rank. It tasted like stale Christmas cake soaked in cheap whiskey. Ghastly !
An easy 0/10. Pat liked it though !
6) Southampton Publick House IPA (5.2%) -- located on Long Island, Debby and I visited this brewery in the late 1990s. Their IPA is
pleasant enough, a little on the light side and lightly hopped. There are supposed to be 5 different hop varieties used in this IPA, but they
must have been hiding somewhere. 5/10.
7) Westmalle Trappist Ale (9.5%) -- The abbey from which this ale originates is Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in West Malle, near
Antwerp, Belgium. It's worth mentioning at this point that Pat and Tim both saw service (Airforce) in Germany and therefore had
exposure to the classic European styles such as Bocks, Doppelbocks, Dunkels, Marzenbiers etc. All rich, malty, strong, and on the dark
side. We at Roberts Manor tend to describe these styles as shite. Thus, Westmalle Trappist Ale was tart, malty, bitter, chocolatey and
thoroughly hideous. I would rename it Liquid Plumber. A classic 0/10.
8) Piraat Ale (10.5%) -- A deep golden delicious Belgian ale with a subtle haze to it. A little spicy with a tangy fruity finish. Packs a punch
too ! 9/10.
9) Moyland's Tipperary Pale Ale (5%) -- From California, a completely forgetable Pale Ale that thinks it's an IPA. Bland and over-hopped.
2/10.
I'm a big fan of Otter Creek's Pale Ale and Copper Ale, so it came as no surprise when Pat said he'd just tasted the Otter Creek Copper
Ale and thought it was horrible. Pat's description was "it tasted like sucking on pennies".
This clearly demonstrates that one bloke's ale is another bloke's Liquid Plumber !
10) Gulden Draak (10.5%) -- why I kept persisting with the Belgian dark ales remains a mystery to me. This is a malty, dark "Tripel" ale
with a sickly toffee-like sweetness. Totally vile ! Apparently, it won "Best Beer" at the Holland International Beer Festival at Haarlem, in
1995 -- at which point they should have stopped brewing this horrid liquid. Mind you, it comes in a very nice white bottle. 0/10.
11) Celis White (4.9%) -- one of my firm favourites from AleFest 2006, I just wanted to try something that wasn't going to make me feel ill.
The Belgian brewer Pierre Celis established his Belgian White (wheat) Ale in Texas before the brewery was taken over by SAB Miller. He
then took the rights to his beer up to Michigan where it has been brewed ever since. Celis White is your classic white ale: cloudy, tangy,
citrusy and fruity. A perfect refresher for that hot summer's day. 11/10.
12) Lion Stout (8%) -- surely the surprise of the festival, this stout from Sri Lanka was a little ripper ! It has a mocha aroma, with a
smooth taste of roasted oats, which did not overpower the taste buds. There was some chocolate in the slightly bitter finish. The only
beer that myself, Tim and Pat all agreed on ! 9/10.
13) Goose Island 312 Urban Wheat Ale (4.2%) -- The girl serving the Goose Island beers was actually from Chicago -- home of Goose
Island -- and she made it perfectly clear that all of the Goose Island beers are "terrible", with the exception of the 312 Urban Wheat Ale. I
echo that thought -- the 312 is an unfiltered wheat ale; crisp, fruity and smooth. Perfectly balanced. 9/10.
Pat had Flying Dog Double Pale Ale (10.5%), which he was not too happy about. He showed to to me -- it smelt like an overdose of hops
and tasted like an overdose of hops. We went to the table where this was being served and protested to the serving bloke that this was
not a Double Pale Ale, but a Double IPA. He looked at us and said "I agree with you, it is a Double IPA !". The high-gravity ale business is
all about using trendy recipies and using trendy names -- hence Double Pale Ale. Jim Royale from The Royale Family would have said
"Double Pale Ale MY ARSE !!"
14) Pennsylvania Brewing Co. Penn Pils (9%) -- This was a sprightly little pilsner with a kick to it. A sort of Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold
with more muscle. Rather tasty. 8/10.
At this stage, events took a disturbing turn -- Tim presented me with the Elevator Brewing Co. Procrastinator Doppelbock. I thought I was
going to be physically sick. This, to my mind, is without any shadow of doubt the WORST beer in the entire world. Even worse than the
hideous floral Goose Island Honkers Ale, and that appalling fag-ash classic, Mackerson. The Procrastinator Doppelbock is all of the
dark Belgian shite encapsulated into one ale, with the result being this grotesquely bitter, malty, dark, sickly sweet etc etc....the most
thoroughly repugnant "thing" I've ever tasted, which also demands a new low rating. Dare I say -10/10.
Tim, on the other hand, thought it was excellent, and he was supported by Pat. All I can say is it's not the first Elavator Ale that I thought
deserved to be poured down the bog !
15) Duchy Original English Ale (4.7%) -- with a taste in my mouth reminiscent of sucking an unwashed sweaty sock that had been worn
on a 60-mile route march, I had to try one last ale, just to take that taste away. Duchy Original English Ale is an organic ale, using the
rare Plumage Archer barley, which is harvested from Prince Charles's Home Farm at Highgrove. It's a pleasantly rich, spicy ale with a
touch of caramel, and an orange fruity finish. A fitting way to end an entertaining AleFest ! 7/10.
The Aladdin Shrine will be hosting the next three Columbus AleFests. Hope to see you there for an afternoon of ale tasting -- Cheers !
Last weekend saw the return of the Columbus AleFest. This year the event was held at the Aladdin Shrine which meant the parking was
a piece of cake; also, each table had a jug of water and a bowl which enabled the erstwhile ale tasters to clean out their glasses (the
organisers obviously listened to my complaint last year). After all, one simply cannot switch from a pilsner to a stout without cleaning the
glass -- it wouldn't be cricket !
As in 2006 the notable trio of Lord Pat of Beaconsfield, Lord Ian of Bath and Lord Tim of Gelsenkirchen attended the 2007 event (Tim's
dad also attended last year).
All sorts of beer glasses, t-shirts, sweatshirts, caps were on sale -- and, there was a particularly fine silent auction for three seperate
magnums of Stone's Double Bastard Ale. I put in a couple of bids, but some bastard beat me.
If you're all sitting comfortably, I'll begin...
1) Sam Adams Boston Lager -- not exactly the most daring start, but I wanted to begin in somewhat "safe" territory. I've really taken to
Sam Adams Pale Ale this summer, so the Boston Lager seemed logical. Good hoppy taste, nice bitter afterfinish, and rather refreshing.
Not sure I'd call it a lager though. 9/10.
Pat began with Great Lakes Blackout Stout (9%); clearly going for the jugular at an early stage !
2) Duval (8.5%) -- some geezer called Michael Jackson rates this as a world classic, and it's not hard to see why. This is a delicious
Belgian Strong Golden Ale; very pale to look at, but fragrant with a clean apple-like finish. I later learned that Duval features a Scottish
yeast from McEwan's. This ale was a winner with Tim as well. An easy 10/10.
3) Stone Pale Ale (5.4%) -- From one of the best independent breweries in the U.S, this pale ale was refreshing, lightly hopped, and
bright. 8/10.
4) Dogfish Head 90-minute IPA (9%) -- Yes, I'm trying to cut down on IPAs this year, but I couldn't resist this gem, which like last year was
"wet-hopped" on site. This means there was a huge metal vessel which was infusing extra "wet" hops to the keg. The result being a
totally refreshing ale, albiet a little on the wild side with all those bloody hops ! Another easy 10/10.
What an excellent start -- four fabulous ales, with appropriately high ratings. Could it last....
5) Columbus Brewing Co. Barley Wine (10.5%) -- Answer, NO ! I like a good Barley Wine (cue Stone's Old Guardian), but this
monstrosity from the Columbus Brewing Co. was absolutely rank. It tasted like stale Christmas cake soaked in cheap whiskey. Ghastly !
An easy 0/10. Pat liked it though !
6) Southampton Publick House IPA (5.2%) -- located on Long Island, Debby and I visited this brewery in the late 1990s. Their IPA is
pleasant enough, a little on the light side and lightly hopped. There are supposed to be 5 different hop varieties used in this IPA, but they
must have been hiding somewhere. 5/10.
7) Westmalle Trappist Ale (9.5%) -- The abbey from which this ale originates is Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in West Malle, near
Antwerp, Belgium. It's worth mentioning at this point that Pat and Tim both saw service (Airforce) in Germany and therefore had
exposure to the classic European styles such as Bocks, Doppelbocks, Dunkels, Marzenbiers etc. All rich, malty, strong, and on the dark
side. We at Roberts Manor tend to describe these styles as shite. Thus, Westmalle Trappist Ale was tart, malty, bitter, chocolatey and
thoroughly hideous. I would rename it Liquid Plumber. A classic 0/10.
8) Piraat Ale (10.5%) -- A deep golden delicious Belgian ale with a subtle haze to it. A little spicy with a tangy fruity finish. Packs a punch
too ! 9/10.
9) Moyland's Tipperary Pale Ale (5%) -- From California, a completely forgetable Pale Ale that thinks it's an IPA. Bland and over-hopped.
2/10.
I'm a big fan of Otter Creek's Pale Ale and Copper Ale, so it came as no surprise when Pat said he'd just tasted the Otter Creek Copper
Ale and thought it was horrible. Pat's description was "it tasted like sucking on pennies".
This clearly demonstrates that one bloke's ale is another bloke's Liquid Plumber !
10) Gulden Draak (10.5%) -- why I kept persisting with the Belgian dark ales remains a mystery to me. This is a malty, dark "Tripel" ale
with a sickly toffee-like sweetness. Totally vile ! Apparently, it won "Best Beer" at the Holland International Beer Festival at Haarlem, in
1995 -- at which point they should have stopped brewing this horrid liquid. Mind you, it comes in a very nice white bottle. 0/10.
11) Celis White (4.9%) -- one of my firm favourites from AleFest 2006, I just wanted to try something that wasn't going to make me feel ill.
The Belgian brewer Pierre Celis established his Belgian White (wheat) Ale in Texas before the brewery was taken over by SAB Miller. He
then took the rights to his beer up to Michigan where it has been brewed ever since. Celis White is your classic white ale: cloudy, tangy,
citrusy and fruity. A perfect refresher for that hot summer's day. 11/10.
12) Lion Stout (8%) -- surely the surprise of the festival, this stout from Sri Lanka was a little ripper ! It has a mocha aroma, with a
smooth taste of roasted oats, which did not overpower the taste buds. There was some chocolate in the slightly bitter finish. The only
beer that myself, Tim and Pat all agreed on ! 9/10.
13) Goose Island 312 Urban Wheat Ale (4.2%) -- The girl serving the Goose Island beers was actually from Chicago -- home of Goose
Island -- and she made it perfectly clear that all of the Goose Island beers are "terrible", with the exception of the 312 Urban Wheat Ale. I
echo that thought -- the 312 is an unfiltered wheat ale; crisp, fruity and smooth. Perfectly balanced. 9/10.
Pat had Flying Dog Double Pale Ale (10.5%), which he was not too happy about. He showed to to me -- it smelt like an overdose of hops
and tasted like an overdose of hops. We went to the table where this was being served and protested to the serving bloke that this was
not a Double Pale Ale, but a Double IPA. He looked at us and said "I agree with you, it is a Double IPA !". The high-gravity ale business is
all about using trendy recipies and using trendy names -- hence Double Pale Ale. Jim Royale from The Royale Family would have said
"Double Pale Ale MY ARSE !!"
14) Pennsylvania Brewing Co. Penn Pils (9%) -- This was a sprightly little pilsner with a kick to it. A sort of Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold
with more muscle. Rather tasty. 8/10.
At this stage, events took a disturbing turn -- Tim presented me with the Elevator Brewing Co. Procrastinator Doppelbock. I thought I was
going to be physically sick. This, to my mind, is without any shadow of doubt the WORST beer in the entire world. Even worse than the
hideous floral Goose Island Honkers Ale, and that appalling fag-ash classic, Mackerson. The Procrastinator Doppelbock is all of the
dark Belgian shite encapsulated into one ale, with the result being this grotesquely bitter, malty, dark, sickly sweet etc etc....the most
thoroughly repugnant "thing" I've ever tasted, which also demands a new low rating. Dare I say -10/10.
Tim, on the other hand, thought it was excellent, and he was supported by Pat. All I can say is it's not the first Elavator Ale that I thought
deserved to be poured down the bog !
15) Duchy Original English Ale (4.7%) -- with a taste in my mouth reminiscent of sucking an unwashed sweaty sock that had been worn
on a 60-mile route march, I had to try one last ale, just to take that taste away. Duchy Original English Ale is an organic ale, using the
rare Plumage Archer barley, which is harvested from Prince Charles's Home Farm at Highgrove. It's a pleasantly rich, spicy ale with a
touch of caramel, and an orange fruity finish. A fitting way to end an entertaining AleFest ! 7/10.
The Aladdin Shrine will be hosting the next three Columbus AleFests. Hope to see you there for an afternoon of ale tasting -- Cheers !