New England Beer Festival 2005

Okay, so here are my belated notes on the beer fest form a few weeks back. Oct ‘9th to be exact. I’m simply going to write exactly what I jotted down in the book – no editing going on here.



12:10 – Inside the Cyclorama. Get glass & 15 beer tix & food vouchers. Slide into swag line.

12:15 – Get swag bag (t-shirt, bottle opener, stickers, coupons)

12:18 – Newport Porter – nice start, smooth, light not heavy porter, tasty

12:20 – Cambridge Brewing Co. Olde English Porter – too light, too smooth, airy, hollow, not bad tasting, not good

12:30 – Ipswich Winter Ale – Nice smell, coffee, tastes good, like it, toffee & biscuit

12:38 – Watch City Boston Bruin – refreshingly bubbly after the porters, bit of an aftertaste but not too bad [sip of Allagash Interlude had at this time – weird fruity apricot taste to it, will not try again]

12:53 – John Harvard’s Instigator – very nice, equal parts bite and drinkability, 7.8% is felt but not overwhelming… supposedly found after 2.5 years in basement… caramel? intimidating smell…

1:05 – Sam Adams Colonial 375 – smells exactly like beer should, nice foggy unfiltered, "dirty", beer supposedly made as colonials would, earthy, beer tastes exactly as beer should in some instinctual way

1:25 – Cambridge Brewing Co. Colonial Beer – supposedly the same idea going on here as 375 but quite different in look, smell, but taste is somewhat similar, darker heavier taste… not as good

1:35 – Pittsfield Brew Works Smoked Porter – A bit like the CBC’s light porter but much better, nice toasted taste, not bad at all

2:00 – Milly’s Tavern Hopnoxious – Excellent IPA type beer, snaps in flavor, refreshing, powerful [had sip of Millie’s Manchester IPA – like the Hop’s small cousin, more drinkable but not as crisp]

2:30 – After a bit of a line have some actual good food from Sunset, a place I haven’t had much luck from food wise but chalk it up to the fact that they opened a new location, the Cantina. Had chili with a cheese filled pretzel – excellent.



2:45 – Shed Restaurant & Brewery’s Saison de Shed – recommended from 3 dudes asking for our own recommendation, not really in the mood for a Belgian white type but good nonetheless, more enjoyable towards end of glass… recommended the Sam Colonial, Pittsfield smoked, and Newport to the dudes.

2:50 – Offshore Brewing Co. Inkwell – 10% going on here, not very drinkable at all, similar to a stout but chalkier and thicker than it should, bad pour as well so I got it for free, not ticket, so not that bad.

3:00 – Harpoon Munich Dark – an excellent beer, glad to be drinking a good beer again, unexpected from Harpoon.



3:20 – Berkshire Brewing Co. Coffeehouse Porter – even better than the Harpoon, loving the wintery beers going on here, chocolate and coffee…

3:50 – Stone Coast Brewing Co. 420 IPA – good, straightforward and tasty [was pretty drunk here]

4:00 – Smuttynose Winter – Last beer of the fest and one of the best – everything you'd want in a winter brew – halfway between an IPA and an ale, warming, excellent, love Smuttynose...

Last entry – had waffles, so damn good, so damn tasty