Max's Belgian Beer Fest 2017


After another great Cross Street Irregulars breakfast at Jimmy's, we waited in line for about an hour. Upon entering everyone got a sample from a "yuge" bottle of RaR's Lawn Ornament.

We took our spot in the middle room and sampled all day. I sampled the following (with no guarantee any sort of accuracy):

  1. Alvinne Cuvee Freddie Feddie Sofie
  2. Alvinne Wild West Sauternes
  3. Cantillon Fou Foune
  4. Verzet Oud Bruin Oak Leaf
  5. Kerkon Bink Bloesem
  6. De Glazen Toren Saison Erpe Mere Gerookt Fume
  7. Vliegende Paard Brouwers Prearis Belma
  8. Fantome Vertignasse
  9. De Halve Maan Straffe Hendrik Heritage 2013 (nice)
  10. Oud Beersel Bersalis Sour Blend
  11. Alvinne Cuvee d’Erpigany Sauternes
  12. Hofbrouwerijke Anakriek
  13. Verzet Oud Bruin
  14. Kazematten Wiper Times 16 (nice)
  15. De Brabandere Petrus Sour Quad
  16. De Dolle Oerbier
  17. De Dolle Dulle Teve
  18. Het Nest Schuppenboer
  19. Lefebvre Blanche de Brussels
  20. Troubadour Magma Special Maris Otter
  21. B.O.M. Bling Bling Imperial King
  22. Het Nest Schuppenboer Grand Cru Cognac (nice)
  23. Alvinne Cuvee de Mortagne Piment d’Espelette
  24. Alvinne Gentleman Sour Red Wine
  25. Brewer’s Art Eight and a Half with Elderberries
  26. Brewer’s Art Eight and a Half with Rose Hips
  27. Van Steenberge Piraat Rum (bad)
  28. Hanssens Oude Lambic
  29. Rodenbach Alexander
  30. Blaugies Darbyste
  31. Struise Blue Monk Special Reserve 2013
  32. Hof Ten Dormaal Zure Van Tildonk
  33. Van Steenberge Gulden Draak Brewmaster Reserve
  34. Vanderghinste Cuvee Jacobins Prestige (nice)
  35. Alvinne L’Anti Batch 3
  36. De Brabandere Petrus 40/40/40 (nice)
  37. Hanssens Experimental Raspberries
  38. Van Eecke Kapittel Winter
  39. Van Eecke Kapittel Prior
  40. Slaapmutske Kerstmutske
  41. De Glazen Toren Jan de Lichte
  42. Het Anker Lucifer Blanche
  43. St. Bernardus Triple
  44. De Glazen Toren Ondineke
  45. Het Anker Gouden Carolus Triple
  46. Bosteels Triple Karmeliet
  47. Van Steenberge Ertvelds Wit
  48. Van Steenberge Gulden Draak aged in whiskey barrel (bottle)
  49. Alvinne Wild West Sour Plum Edition
  50. Urban Family Clouds of Pale Gold
  51. Urban Family Gentleman Caller (nice)
  52. Urban Family Imagined History
  53. Crooked Stave Colorado Wild Sage
  54. Crooked Stave Origins
  55. Crooked Stave Petite Sour Raspberry
  56. Struise Black Albert (bottle)
  57. Crooked Stave Burgundy Sour (bottle)
  58. RaR Lectar Nectar (nice)
  59. De Ranke Hop Harvest
  60. De Ranke Saison
  61. Blaugies La Moneuse Special Winter
  62. De la Senne Bruxellensis (bottle)
  63. Alvinne Omega
  64. Alvinne/Guineau Borinage Grisette
  65. Fantome Noel

The main bar was mayhem as usual:

At about 8 p.m. Les and I Ubered back to our respective domiciles. We returned the next morning with Mike and Chris for Brian Strumke's 7th annual Stillwater tasting event. There were also a number of beers from Oxbow. All the beers were quite good. Our tastings included:

  1. Oxbow Mr. Sparkle
  2. Oxbow Professor Plum
  3. Stillwater Gose Gone Wild
  4. Stillwater Money Trees
  5. Stillwater Nu Tropic
  6. Stillwater Pineapple Fields
  7. Stillwater Toats Gone Wild
  8. Stillwater / Cervejaria Way Amazon Gose (nice)
  9. Oxbow / Perennial Returnof the Max
  10. Oxbow Phosphorescence
  11. Oxbow Domestic
  12. Oxbow Bobasa
  13. Stillwater Fear of Ghosts
  14. Oxbow Infinite Darkness
  15. Stillwater / Casita Cerveceria On Fleek
  16. Stillwater Gose Gone Wild Phuket
  17. Oxbow Barrel-Aged Farmhouse

After that we spent the day sampling beer. Other friends trickled in during the afternoon. It was a fantastic day of friends, food, and libations. The beers I sampled, not including about a dozen that I had already sampled the day before, were:

  1. De Ranke Saison de Dottignies (nice)
  2. Burley Oak Mango Blood Orange J.R.E.A.M.
  3. Cantillon Gueuze
  4. RaR Marylan
  5. Chimay Doree
  6. Struise Danko Power
  7. De la Senne Saison de Meyboom
  8. Fantome Biere de Saison (bottle)
  9. Drie Fonteinen Oude Gueuze (bottle) (nice)
  10. Hof Ten Dormaal Brew #13 (bottle)
  11. De Halve Maan Straffe Hendrik Triple (bottle)
  12. Lindemans Cuvee Renee Kriek (bottle) (nice)
  13. Cantillon Bruocsella 1900 Grand Cru (bottle)
  14. Left Hand Wekken Sour (bottle)
  15. Fantome Biere de Saison (bottle)

The weather warmed up nicely during the day, and would remain warm for the rest of the long weekend. My streak of missing Sunday and Sour Monday remained unbroken. One of these years...