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):
- Alvinne Cuvee Freddie Feddie Sofie
- Alvinne Wild West Sauternes
- Cantillon Fou Foune
- Verzet Oud Bruin Oak Leaf
- Kerkon Bink Bloesem
- De Glazen Toren Saison Erpe Mere Gerookt Fume
- Vliegende Paard Brouwers Prearis Belma
- Fantome Vertignasse
- De Halve Maan Straffe Hendrik Heritage 2013 (nice)
- Oud Beersel Bersalis Sour Blend
- Alvinne Cuvee d’Erpigany Sauternes
- Hofbrouwerijke Anakriek
- Verzet Oud Bruin
- Kazematten Wiper Times 16 (nice)
- De Brabandere Petrus Sour Quad
- De Dolle Oerbier
- De Dolle Dulle Teve
- Het Nest Schuppenboer
- Lefebvre Blanche de Brussels
- Troubadour Magma Special Maris Otter
- B.O.M. Bling Bling Imperial King
- Het Nest Schuppenboer Grand Cru Cognac (nice)
- Alvinne Cuvee de Mortagne Piment d’Espelette
- Alvinne Gentleman Sour Red Wine
- Brewer’s Art Eight and a Half with Elderberries
- Brewer’s Art Eight and a Half with Rose Hips
- Van Steenberge Piraat Rum (bad)
- Hanssens Oude Lambic
- Rodenbach Alexander
- Blaugies Darbyste
- Struise Blue Monk Special Reserve 2013
- Hof Ten Dormaal Zure Van Tildonk
- Van Steenberge Gulden Draak Brewmaster Reserve
- Vanderghinste Cuvee Jacobins Prestige (nice)
- Alvinne L’Anti Batch 3
- De Brabandere Petrus 40/40/40 (nice)
- Hanssens Experimental Raspberries
- Van Eecke Kapittel Winter
- Van Eecke Kapittel Prior
- Slaapmutske Kerstmutske
- De Glazen Toren Jan de Lichte
- Het Anker Lucifer Blanche
- St. Bernardus Triple
- De Glazen Toren Ondineke
- Het Anker Gouden Carolus Triple
- Bosteels Triple Karmeliet
- Van Steenberge Ertvelds Wit
- Van Steenberge Gulden Draak aged in whiskey barrel (bottle)
- Alvinne Wild West Sour Plum Edition
- Urban Family Clouds of Pale Gold
- Urban Family Gentleman Caller (nice)
- Urban Family Imagined History
- Crooked Stave Colorado Wild Sage
- Crooked Stave Origins
- Crooked Stave Petite Sour Raspberry
- Struise Black Albert (bottle)
- Crooked Stave Burgundy Sour (bottle)
- RaR Lectar Nectar (nice)
- De Ranke Hop Harvest
- De Ranke Saison
- Blaugies La Moneuse Special Winter
- De la Senne Bruxellensis (bottle)
- Alvinne Omega
- Alvinne/Guineau Borinage Grisette
- 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:
- Oxbow Mr. Sparkle
- Oxbow Professor Plum
- Stillwater Gose Gone Wild
- Stillwater Money Trees
- Stillwater Nu Tropic
- Stillwater Pineapple Fields
- Stillwater Toats Gone Wild
- Stillwater / Cervejaria Way Amazon Gose (nice)
- Oxbow / Perennial Returnof the Max
- Oxbow Phosphorescence
- Oxbow Domestic
- Oxbow Bobasa
- Stillwater Fear of Ghosts
- Oxbow Infinite Darkness
- Stillwater / Casita Cerveceria On Fleek
- Stillwater Gose Gone Wild Phuket
- 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:
- De Ranke Saison de Dottignies (nice)
- Burley Oak Mango Blood Orange J.R.E.A.M.
- Cantillon Gueuze
- RaR Marylan
- Chimay Doree
- Struise Danko Power
- De la Senne Saison de Meyboom
- Fantome Biere de Saison (bottle)
- Drie Fonteinen Oude Gueuze (bottle) (nice)
- Hof Ten Dormaal Brew #13 (bottle)
- De Halve Maan Straffe Hendrik Triple (bottle)
- Lindemans Cuvee Renee Kriek (bottle) (nice)
- Cantillon Bruocsella 1900 Grand Cru (bottle)
- Left Hand Wekken Sour (bottle)
- 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...