Field Trip: 2017 Craft Brewers Conference Welcome Reception

On the first night of the conference, the organizers - the Brewer's Association - threw a Welcome Reception at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History and the American History Museum. I discovered when I picked up my credentials at check-in that as media, I was automatically registered for the reception. Who can say no? Dozens of breweries were in attendance, with tap stations sprinkled throughout both museums, and I did my best to try as many interesting and unique beers as I possibly could. I didn't even make it to the Natural History Museum, where a whole 'nother set of taps awaited.

I think almost all the beers I tried were from Virginia breweries, and each pour was generous - about four to six ounces per pour. 

First up is a light Vienna lager from Winchester, VA-based Escutcheon Brewing Co. Fizzy and soft, this is really true-to-style and has a host of flat cereal notes that makes it really refreshing and enjoyable. A good session ale!

Next up is Virginia Beer Company's "Elbow Patches", a 6.2% ABV oatmeal stout billed as a "year-round oatmeal stout." It's lighter than expected, with some grittiness and grain flavors that was pretty nice. There's a savory element on the finish and aftertaste that sets it apart from other oatmeal stouts I have had, which lends a bit of "sessionability" to it, so keep an eye out for this one. Good year-round, and all-day too!

This one is called "Siren's Lure" and it's a dry hop saison from Fairwinds Brewing Co. out of Lorton, VA. It's probably one of the driest saisons I've ever had; good mix of Belgian yeasty flavors and sour (and oaky) notes. Not perhaps my first choice when reaching for a can in the fridge, but just hit the spot and damn this would go great with some Thai food. I had three of these, they were so good. 

I'd never heard of Old Bust Head Brewing Co. before, but they had a special sour saison which was pretty interesting. I forgot the actual name of it, and recall it something like "Sour Mash," but a call to the brewery confirms its their "Sumerduck Saison".

Forget what you know about sour, this beer is as sour as those old Atomic Warhead candies. I'm getting super tart and lime-esque flavor notes here and a dryness like the Sahara. So far I have been digging the dry saisons and am looking forward to trying more of Old Bust Head's stuff in the future.

Here's Beltway Brewing Co.'s "Black Snake", a  ABV bourbon barrel aged imperial vanilla stout. Yes, it's as strong and powerful as one might expect. The vanilla bean hits you like a Chuck Norris punch to the face, followed by a strong wave of heavy alcohol sweetness and woodsy flavors. Not for the faint of heart, and while it's not super oily or thick, it's pretty heavy and like the "Colossal 6" not something you slug back hour after hour.

Ah yes, here we have one of my most favorite beer styles: the venerable barleywine. This is Adroit Theory Brewing Co.'s "Tenebris", a 10.70% ABV barleywine aged in Heaven Hills bourbon barrels. I immediately knew I was in for a ride when I saw that placard!

But - I stand surprised, actually. I was imagining a really strong, heavy beer, like a lot of the barleywines I have had, but the "Tenebris" is remarkably light. It seems more milky, maybe approaching nitro milkiness, with some of the earthy, sweet flavors coming through towards the middle of the "sip." The aging is hard to pick out, and while there are some oak notes, nothing super overpowering. I'll have to read more in Dick Cantwell's barleywine book I bought at the gift shop, as this barleywine defies much of what I have come to know about the style. 

OK, this is where I started to feel the effects of the last half an hour or so. Next up is Port City's "Colossal Six", a  10.20% ABV Russian Imperial Stout made for the brewery's sixth anniversary. The beer was heavy and thick, as you'd expect, and texture-wise is more like molasses than beer. There's a strong current of sweet malts and dark, oily alcohol flavors that mix with roasted malt. While I thought this was really tasty, it's just too dark and heavy to have more than a couple ounces at a time. 

And now, for something completely different - Starr Hill's "Hop Buzz", a 7.0% ABV IPA made with coffee. It's hard not to draw immediate connections to Fort George's "Java the Hop", being the only other coffee IPA I've seen. Today's entry, while similar in some ways, isn't as flavorful in my opinion...but it also is more of an IPA than a coffee beer, which is good in its own right. I find the "Hop Buzz" to be clean and hoppy with a tangy burst of hops, which the "Java the Hop" did not have. 

According to the website, it's available on nitro at the brewery, so THAT must be interesting. But what I got was good, too, and would be happy to try it again. I actually had two pours of this, just to make sure I was tasting it properly. 

And speaking of Fort George, I ran into the Fort George guys at this event! They're cool dudes and super friendly, which echoes the way I was treated at the brewery. Seriously, if you're ever in Astoria, Oregon - look these guys up. Also, turns out one of these guys knows Robbie Bessey, the brains behind Edison City Alehouse in South Tacoma, WA, so the world of craft brewing is small indeed.