Top Ten Beers I Want To Try at Brewvival 2012!

Well the countdown is on the Charleston Brewvival 2012!!!  Just one day away from what has got to be one of the best beer festivals in the country.  With just a little more than 24 hours away from the start of Brewvival, I sit here looking the Brewvival website contemplating my strategy for tomorrow.  I have decided to come up with my top 10 beers that I must try tomorrow!  I will prioritize and do all I can to taste these 10 beers first.  With so many awesome, big, bold, burly, bodacious, strong, high gravity, barrel aged goodness to choose from, this was certainly no easy task.  So here it is:

1) Bell's Brewery- Hopslam (cask)   This an is Imperial IPA that gets a 99 on Beer Advocate and a 100 on Ratebeer.  This is one of my favorite beers, and it's being served out of a Cask (Bonus)!!!

2) Foothills Brewing- 2010 Sexual Chocolate.  This is an Imperial Stout that is very highly rated and sought after.  It's a cocoa infused Imperial Stout. Mmmm...this is better than any dessert!  Loved the 2009 Sexual Chocolate at last years Brewvival.

3) Stone Brewing- 2008 Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Russian Stout.  This beers weighs in at a whopping 10.8 % alcohol.   This one should be pretty special!


Tip 1: This is where I take a few chugs of water to stay hydrated!!!

4) Coast Brewing- 2011 Barrel Aged Blackbeerd.  This is local beer at it's finest!!!  This is an Imperial Stout.  50% aged in Buffalo Trace Bourbon Barrels and 50% aged in Jack Daniels Whiskey Barrels.  I may line up more than once for this one!

5) Sweetwater Brewing- 15 Years of Heady Beers.  This is a Extra Special Strong Bitter, weighing in at 10.0% alcohol.  This beer was brewed in celebration of the breweries 15 year anniversary.   They took their original ESB recipe and injected it with Steroids!  This will be my first experience with an Imperial ESB!

6) Westbrook Brewing- Mourvedre Barrel Aged Quadrupel.   This is a Belgian Quadrupel that I got to try months ago in Westbrook's tasting room.  I remember thoroughly enjoying it, so I am really looking forward to tasting it after it's been aging in a Mourvedre wine barrel for awhile.  Loving how Westbrook is aging their beers in wine barrels.  See my reviews of their wine barrel aged Tripels here.

Tip 2:  This is where I find my lawn chair that I set up when I first arrived and take a break to hydrate and maybe grab some food from Coleman Public House or maybe some pizza from D'Allesandro's Pizza.

7) Great Divide Brewing- Oaked Red Yeti (Cask).  This is their imperial stout that has been oak aged and blended with rasberries from their Wild Raspberry Ale.  Sounds pretty damn interesting to me!

8) Holy City Brewing- Tripping Brick.  This is an Imperial Pilsner these local boys brewed up special!  I love their regular Holy City Pilsner, so I have been dying to try the imperial version of this local classic!

9) Brooklyn Brewery- Brewmaster's Reserve Mary's Maple Porter.  This is an English Porter with New York State Maple Syrup from Cedarvale Maple Syrup Company.  Sure hope it's as good as it sounds!

Tip 3: Back to my lawn chair for some more water and to listen to some of the music as well as the keynote speaker (Rob Tod, Founder of Allagash Brewing Company).

10) Terrapin Beer Company- Cabernet Barrel Aged Monk's Revenge.  This is a hoppy Belgian IPA that was aged in Cabernet barrels from North Carolina's Shelton Vineyards.  Sounds like a good combination to me!

Tip 4: When it's all said and done, I plan on getting a safe ride home by my pregnant wife.  She was able to purchase a designated driver ticket for just $10.  Get home safely!

Now let me hear what beers you are most looking forward to at Brewvival 2012.  Check out the list of breweries and beers here.

Cheers!

Posted in: Beer Festivals