SF Beer Week: Toronado Barleywine Festival
I’ve made peace with the Toronado Barleywine Festival. It is in some ways everything I can’t stand about some beer festivals: crowded to the point of claustrophobia, and attracts people who may not be 100% familiar with the nature of quaffing 10-13% ABV beers. Yet, on the other hand, it presents a fantastic showcase for a beer style with incredible depth, and a chance to try a lot of offerings from breweries that aren’t anywhere near here, and even if we could get their beers here, wouldn’t get this. Barleywines are expensive to brew, and require a long time to finish – so you really only see them on the tap menu in the places they’re brewed,. Add in the extreme nature of the beer and that it’s in this area that craft brewers really try to show off. So in spite of the crowd, this event also attracts many serious craft beer drinke, even more of whom are judging the event.
A few favorites and tasting notes:
Elysian Old Cyclops – light amber flavor, impressively smooth
Lost Abby Angle’s Share – this is such as great beer – dried fruit, balanced with a dark brandy like depth
Sacramento Brewing’s Old Pappy – What a great, off style equivalent to a barleywine. The oak barrel really shows through, and smoothes over the wheat wine’s rough edges, and there are barley any phenolic notes, only a hint of clove, and strangely enough, the aroma of dried coconut, but it works.
Firestone Walker Abacus Blend – It was interesting to taste this, having just had their Double Double Barleywine, Firestone Walker XII and other beers the night before. The Double Double seems like it’d be a major part of the blend, but they’ve introduced a lot more dark malt notes (Parabola perhaps?) and shows off the creativity of Mat’s blending program, especially taken in contrast to their XII.
Valley Brewing’s Old Inventory – I’ve heard it mentioned before, and I’ll agree – Valley brewing is the best brewery you’ve never heard of. This aged ale, from ’95, tasted like a perfectly crafted english ale, with striking smoothness, and nearly no hints of alcohol. Dangerous stuff.
Nodding Head’s Old Sot – Like Old Pappy, this takes a light route, and with it’s supper fizzy carbonation and light citrusy notes, it really reminded me of a Pinot Grigio wine.
On the other hand, boy is there some dreck to wade through occasionally. As a result, copious notes are required by serious tasters:
The winners of the day were:
- 1st Place: Big Woody, Glacier Brewhouse
- 2nd Place: Arctic Devil, Midnight Sun Brewing
- 3rd Place: Lower De Boom, 21st Amendment Brewery & Restaurant
- Honorable Mention: Abacus Blend, Firestone Walker Brewing
The Midnight Sun had way too much smoke for me, but I liked Big Woody well enough. It’s aged in Jim Bean Barrels, and the they seem to impart hints of dried tobacco. I know, I seem to be all about the flowery descriptions, but this style of beer, especially when served at room temperature, has extremely distinct aromas, and nice depth. Add in the creative interpretations of the barleywine theme, especially the lighter “summer barleywine” style entries, and the barrel aging options, and there is an amazing range of flavors available in one spot. There is a lot of common ground in most – the light carmel, dried fruit malt with some sweetness, and often time a decent hop bite if they’re fresh. Barleywines are reflection of the English style of ales, turned up to 11. I thought the 21A offering was a good example of something really in style, but also as a result, not particularly distinctive. As a result of all this commonality, what stands out are the differences.
Speaking of off-style Barleywines, Shamltz Brewing was on hand with Donnie, since they were pouring Human Blockhead. As it turns out, he takes very little prodding to perform, even standing on the street in Lower Haight. (NSFWB: Note Safe for Viewing Without Barleywine)
Tags: barleywine, SF Beer Week, toronado
February 18th, 2009 at 10:01 am
Damnit. Just when I thought I’d take a break, I end up at someone’s house for a 5-year vert tasting of World Wide Stout, followed by a few others… and polished off w/ AVBC Brother David’s Dubbel. That’s barleywine, dangit.
February 20th, 2009 at 11:09 pm
Jesse,
Just noted the words “Flowery descriptions” is linked to my home page of my blog. I just wanted to explain that you and I joke about Flowery beer descriptions. There are “Detailed” beer evaluations and then there are “Flowery” beer descriptions.
A ‘Flowery” beer description is what you might read from the breweries PR people. It’s not always an “EXACT” description of the beers flavors, nuances and character, but a description that describes a beer in it’s best light…. maybe to increase sales production or possibly to entice the reader.
Jesse’s beer descriptions are not “Flowery,” they are his honest gut descriptions of the beer flavor characters. An honest evaluation if you will. He’s not using any hyped up corporate “Flowery” descriptions. I think Jesse has a great palate for beer evaluation….. although he could use for more flavor study and experience… ;-}
I just didn’t want readers to think I write FLOWERY beer reviews… ;-} I actually provide brutally honest beer evaulations…
Keep up the great job Jesse!
BTW, how much was each BW sample at the BW fest, Jesse??
October 15th, 2009 at 5:24 pm
[...] place was definitely crowded, but not at capacity (unlike their signature event, the annual barleywine festival). the lone bartender was grinding through over half a dozen patrons at the bar, but it [...]