This year the first guy in line for the 9th annual festival got there at 6:00 a.m. -- five hours before it would begin. Belgian beer has a way of stirring up that kind of passion.

A bunch of Cross Street Irregulars (CSI) folks had our annual breakfast around the corner at Jimmy's Restaurant. I managed to wolf down three meals. Hey, you've gotta lay a base...

At 9:40 we got in line, where we were about 50 people back. The line got longer and longer as 11:00 approached. We stood there in the cold, chatting, and enjoying some of the local sights.

About the first 100 folks to enter got free samples from a 9-liter bottle of Stillwater Artisanal Ales "Jaded".

It was crowded as usual, but this year it seemed that Max's allowed fewer people in at one time. Hundreds of people waited in line outside as the earliest arrivers enjoyed a plethora of Belgians.

I tried the following beers. Us usual, accuracy cannot be ascertained due to the chaotic nature of this event.

1. Alvinne Melchior Zymatore - a nice wood aged sour ale
2. Alvinne Wild Undressed
3. Blaugies Darbyste
4. Kerkom Bink Bloesom
5. Cazeau Saison (w/elderflowers)
6. Van Steenberge de Garre Tripel
7. Silly Titje - a good lemony witbier
8. Bavik Petrus Red - a nice sweet, sour, cherry beer
9. Dilewyns Vicaris Triple Gueuze
10. Tilquin Gueuze - a very nice complex sour ale
11. De Struise Black Albert
12. St. Helene Black Mamba
13. Het Nest Turnhoutse Saison
14. Dupont Biere de Beloeil
15. Blaugies Saison d'Epeautre
16. Hof Ten Dormaal BA Blonde (BA = barrel aged)
17. Timmermans Blanche Lambicus (wit lambic) - nice
18. Cantillon Fou' Foune (bottled apricot lambic) - a great beer
19. De Proef KO
20. Dupont Posca Rustica
21. Palm Steenbrugge Tripel
22. Viven Blonde
23. Van Steenberge Piraat
24. Jandrain Jandrenouille IV Saison
25. Rulles Triple
26. Duvel Maredsous 10
27. Rulles La Grande 10
28. De Dolle Dulle Teve
29. Lefebvre Floreffe Dubbel
30. Glazen Toren Canaster
31. Viven Imperial IPA - a nice hoppy/malty beer
32. Van Steenberge Gulden Draak Quad
33. St. Helene Gypsy Rose
34. Musketiers Troubadour Westkust
35. Timmermans Pumpkin Lambicus
36. Timmermans Faro Lambicus
37. Timmermans Peche Lambicus - quite good
38. Hof Ten Dormaal BA Series (cognac barrel)
39. Vapeur Cochonne
40. De Dochter Embrasse (peated whiskey barrrel)
41. Van Steenberge Grand Cru
42. St. Sebastiaan Golden Ale (bottle)
43. De Ryck Arend Triple (bottle)
44. De Halve Maan Straffe Hendrik Brugs Quadrupel
45. Smisje Catherine the Great (bottle)
46. St. Feuillien Belgian Abbey Ale Speciale (bottle)
47. Van Steenberge Waterzooi Grand Cru
48. Viven Blonde
49. De Struise Cuvee Delphine
50. De Struise Rio Reserve
51. Cantillon Rose de Gambrinus (bottle)
52. Petrus Aged Pale Ale - a nice sour ale
53. Cantillon Vigneronne (bottle)
54. Westmalle Dubbel (bottle)
55. Musketiers Troubador Blonde Ale
56. De Halve Maan Brugse Zot
57. De la Senne Band of Brothers
58. Hof Ten Dormaal (sherry barrel)
59. Jandrain Cerise
60. Jandrain Jandrenouille V Cense
61. De Proef Flemish Primitive Wild Ale
62. Alvinne Balthazar
63. Drie Fonteinen Oude Gueuze (bottle) - an excellent sour ale
64. Affligem 950 (bottle)

Afterward some friends and I went out for pizza, then took a cab out of the city. That's the last thing I remember.

Saturday February 16. Brian Strumke, maker of Stillwater Artisanal Ales, held his third annual private tasting upstairs before the festival. On tap were Stillwater Classique, which was nice and refreshing; and a cask of Stillwater Debutante (dry hopped with Sterling hops), which was sweeter.

I hadn't planned on staying very long or drinking very much, but a bunch of friends were there and, well, beer geeks will be beer geeks. I sampled the following:

1. Alvinne Cuvee Freddy Zymatore (bottle)
2. Boon Kriek
3. Cantillon Fou' Foune (bottle)
4. Timmermans Pumpkin Lambicus (bottle)
5. Musketiers Troubadour Westkust (bottle)
6. Gaverhopke Singing Blonde
7. Viven Imperial IPA
8. Kasteel Cuvee du Chateau (2010)
9. Dilewyns Vicaris Triple Gueuze
10. Timmermans Blanche Lambicus
11. Tilquin Gueuze
12. Dochter Belle ????
13. Cazeau Saison
14. Huyghes La Guillotine (bottle)
15. Smisje Catherine the Great
16. Chimay Cinq Cinquante (150th anniversary triple w/coriander) (bottle)
17. Silly Scotch (barrel aged)
18. Viven Blonde (bottle)
19. St. Sebastiaan Grande Reserve (bottle)
20. Blaugies Darbyste
21. De Struise Black Albert
22. De Struise Black Damnation
23. Drie Fonteinen Oude Gueuze (bottle)
24. Green's Gluten Free Dubbel Dark Ale (bottle)
25. Dubuisson Cuvee des Trolls
26. Lefebvre Floreffe Dubbel

By the way, I noticed a window in the floor that allowed us to see some of the kegs in the basement.