Today is the second (and final) day of the 2017 Cheers to Belgian Beers festival at the North Warehouse. We went yesterday and while we only had 17 of the 70+ beers we're happy to share recommendations based on the things we drank.
We, along with a majority of the folks we compared notes with at the festival, easily put pFriem Abrikoos and Crux In the Pocket on the "don't leave the festival without having these" list. Abrikoos was new to us and is a fantastic Lambic-style beer that’s a very drinkable 5.5%. In the Pocket, a red wine barrel aged Saison with Brett and a beer we'd had recently (bottles of it are around town) is also very drinkable...but with nearly double the ABV at 9.9%.
Two others that hit high notes with us were Baerlic Black with Two Sugars and Migration Quinn and Juice. Coffee is our second favorite beverage and Baerlic's masterfully crafted beer drinks like a cold version of it, with a luxurious splash of heavy cream (although there isn't actually any in it) and a touch of sugar. The hook on the Migration beer for us is that on the rare occasions we drink hard liquor, gin is our go-to. This beer displays the aroma of those botanicals and is accompanied by a surprising mouthfeel to create a dangerously drinkable package weighing in at 9.2%.
We happened to be drinking with one of our friends who is supremely talented when it comes to blending beers. Yes, that may be blasphemy to some but if you're game we highly recommend blending, in a one-to-one ratio, Baerlic Black with Two Sugars and Migration Quinn and Juice. It doesn't sound like it would work but trust us here, it does.
The other blending might be a little more intuitive but it's the ratio that is important here. Start with Ex Novo Are You Afraid of the Dark?, a Saison fermented with boysenberries and black currants, and add just a splash of Gigantic The City Never Sleeps black Saison. Start with a small splash and add another if needed to get to that perfect black beer base that's complimented by the berry flavor of Afraid.
With that, get on with the drinking and cheers!
Cheers to Belgian Beers
North Warehouse, 723 N. Tillamook
Saturday, June 3 Noon - 8pm
$20 (glass + 8 tickets)
This Friday and Saturday Cheers to Belgian beers takes place at the North Warehouse, 723 N Tillamook Street. For those who may have heard about the closing of Metalcraft Fabrication that used to be housed there, that closure will not effect the festival as the business and the physical facility had been separated previously. It now functions simply an event space it is once again hosting this unique festival that will feature the B45 Gnome Belgian yeast strain.
Per our usual pre-festival routine we have scoured the list of over 70 beers, identifying the ones we're most excited to try. Since Belgian beers can be hit or miss with us, our preference skews to those with fruit, those that have been soured and those that have been barrel aged. The result is a hit list of 17 beers and we'll do our best to report back on them (but feel free to cyber-stalk us on Untappd).
Yachats Blackberry Sour - A fruited sour? Right up our alley!
pFriem Abrikoos - Just reading the description, a Lambic-inspired ale with 2.7lbs of fresh apricots per gallon, has us salivating.
Thunder Island Gnome de Plum - We're looking forward to see how the use of plums and Lactobacillus influence the Belgian Dark Ale base.
Ex Novo Are You Afraid of the Dark? - A dark fruited Saison, it's fermented with boysenberries and black currants, and sounds fruity-nummy.
The Commons Blackberry Saison - With their overall farmhouse take on beers, we expect them to be on the money with this beer and its "tart, dry, bright fruit profile."
Little Beast Dutchy - This festival is right in Little Beast's strike zone and we're eager to see what brewer/owner Charles Porter's Dark Belgian ale with Montmorency cherries and cacao nibs tastes like.
Culmination Pinot Evil II - To start, that's a great name. Hopefully the 9.5% Tripel that is barrel aged with wine grapes tastes as good as the name sounds.
Back Pedal Prismatic Passion - We're a fan of the more-hoppy-than-Saisony base beer, Prism, and excited about the addition of passion fruit to it.
Migration Quinn and Juice - When we're drinking liquor instead of beer our go-to drink is a gin and tonic so it's no surprise that gin barrel aged beers tend to hit the right notes with us. We hope this Old Tom Gin barrel fermented Belgian Strong Pale follows suit.
Deschutes Death by Brunch - Absinthe is a liquor we're divided about here at Beer Musings. One says yea, one says nay. Should be interesting to see how the Absinthe botanicals and spices used in this Strong Gold fare with our collective taste buds.
Mt Hood Soundgarden Gnome - Our experience with Mt Hood beers is zero but this one has us intrigued. Why? Well, there were no hops and no fruit used but it does contain organic hibiscus flowers and five strains of Lactobacillus. If their claim of "super juicy" is true we suspect it will be a hit with us.
Sasquatch Babarella - A rhubarb Belgian? It might work or it might not but we're game to try it and weigh in.
StormBreaker Kumite IPA - IPAs are definitely in our wheelhouse and this one, described as one with tangerine citrus and tropical aromas reminiscent of pineapple, with a hint of pine sounds lovely.
Baerlic Black with Two Sugars - Another great name and featuring our second favorite beverage - coffee! This may be the first Belgian Dark Strong Ale we've had with cold-steeped roasted wheat and cold brew toddy coffee. Even though we generally take our coffee black, this might be the equivalent of our twice-a-year coffee drink we indulge in.
Three Mugs Lewd Garden Dude - Belgian Strong Dark Ales aren't necessarily in our wheelhouse but points must be given for using the phrase "cockle warming" in the description.
There are a couple beers on the list that we've had previously but one in particular that we may have to have more of at this festival. That beer is Crux In the Pocket. A red wine barrel aged Saison with Brett, it drinks so smooth and so good that you'd never guess it's 9.9%. If you haven't had it, you definitely need to.
Cheers to Belgian Beers
Friday, June 2 1-9pm
Saturday, June 3 12-8pm
North Warehouse, 732 N Tillamook
Tickets, in advance or at the door: $20 (glass + 8 drink tickets)
