As my first ever bottle sharing event, I was excited to try some beers I’ve never had my chance to try and very likely may never try again. For those who are unfamiliar, the premise is simple; you bring some bottles of beer to share and so does everyone else. With a focus on some harder to find beers, any beers are welcome. When it was all said and done, there were I’d guess in the neighborhood of 100 different types of beer bottles for sharing – a quite amazing feat.

Fortunately for me, I was able to seek out some of the beers I’ve been waiting months or years to try. Here’s a sampling of what I thought were some of the absolute top beers I’ve tried, most of which are quite hard to find:

• East End Gratitude ‘05 – ‘09 vertical
• The Bruery Black Tuesday ‘10
• Surly Darkness ‘09
• Three Floyds Dark Lord ‘10
• New England Imperial Stout Trooper
• Lost Abbey Cuvee De Tomme ‘09
• Troegs Splinter Blue
• Troegs Splinter Red
• Troegs Splinter Black
• The Alchemist Heady Topper
• Victory Dark Intrigue
• Ithaca LeBleu

A lot of those beers have been eluding me for quite some time and it was nice to be able to sample them before seeking out an entire bottle for myself. I took some notes on the “big” (R)IS that were in attendance and after careful thought and review, here’s the order of preference I determined, a bit to my surprise:

1. Black Tuesday ‘10
2. Dark Lord ‘10
3. Splinter Black
4. Dark Intrigue
5. Imperial Stout Trooper
6. Darkness ‘09

The biggest shock was my displeasure with the Darkness ‘09 – and considering I’ve almost dropped a nice amount or traded a lot for a bottle – I’m glad I waited. The flavors of the Darkness ‘09 seemed completely non-blended and unbalanced; that coupled with a thin body and comparatively weak flavor profile, made me happy I didn’t seek out a bottle. The Black Tuesday ‘10 absolutely lived up to its hype, as of all the (R)IS I tasted that day, this topped the bunch. For being so young, its careful crafting of flavors, body and aromas make this beer one every craft beer lover needs to try.

Now, while the Black Tuesday ‘10 was outstanding, the Lost Abbey Cuvee De Tomme ‘09 was my favorite beer of the day. Surprisingly, this beer was well carbonated, unlike many of the other 2009 Lost Abbey beers, and absolutely delicious. It was tart, well carbonated, fruity and finished dry and sweet — an absolute treat for anyone who enjoys anything in the “sour” realm of craft beer.

With my first bottle sharing event under my belt, it would be an understatement to stay I cannot wait for the next one. A day full of craft beer lovers, quality food, phenomenal beer and a lovely hotel to host it all in, it was an amazing first impression. Thanks for everyone at The General Sutter Inn for hosting the event and Jeff for coordinating everything!

Title photo courtesy of: Wayne

From my perspective, it was great to finally meet most of the #PhillyBeer group for the first time as well as the three others from out of state. I’m going to fill this article with some photos from the event, courtesy of Stephen, and names/Twitter handles for everyone that showed up. So, first up is the #PhillyBeer group that showed up:

• Ethan (@PhillyBeerSnob)
• Sarah (@sarah_maria)
• Stephen (@lyfords)
• Rob (@Rob_Peters_82)
• Caitlyn (@caitada)
• Helene (@phillybeergirl)
• John (@jfmullen)
• Kelly (@Snow2BeerChick)
• Brendan (@mccartyb03)
• Jym (@brew_thusiast)
• Sorry if I missed anyone else!

And of course we all showed up from Passion Beer: Shane (@kabaa), Mike (@crashmaster007) and Nick (@typhoon19468). Visiting from Florida was Amie and enduring a painful 5.5 hour drive from NYC was Lee and Stevie. All three of which we were happy to have join us all! There’s really not much more to say in words; it was an amazing time enjoying some craft beer with some craft beer enthusiasts.

Before we get to the pictures, here is a pretty cool video shot by Mike using the Lazy Susan from the Brewer’s table we were sitting at. Take a look. As for the rest, I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves. Enjoy!

Back to Front: Ethan, Mike, Shane, Nick, Lee, Stevie, Amie, Sarah, Jym

Caitlyn, Nick, Shane, Jenna, Mike

Mixing and mingling

Helene, John, Stephen

Brendan, Kelly, Sarah

The full set from Stephen can be found at his Picasa gallery. Once again, thanks to everyone who came out, and it was nice to finally meet everyone! We must do this again.

Cheers!

Nick, myself and Caitlyn attended this year, representing Passion Beer. Included in your $30 ticket is a branded Stoudt’s Brewing Company 2010 6oz glass, which is your ticket to all the beer you can drink. Also, a full German-style “Best of the Wurst” buffet and live music are provided.

Nick, Kyla, Caitlyn, Shane

Having attended this past October in 2009, I can say there were more breweries present with their beer this time. A total of fourteen were in attendance including:

• Stoudt’s
• Odell’s Brewing Co.
• Captain Lawrence
• Deschutes Brewery
• Yards
• Troegs
• Avery Brewing Co.
• Iron Hill Brewery
• Brooklyn Brewery
• Moylan’s Brewery
• Union Barrell Works
• Boston Beer Company (Sam Adams)
• Berkshire Brewing

As always, the beer was delicious, the food was great and the live music set the mood for an awesome night. We also got to meet a fellow Twitter follower at the event, Jacob and his wife, Michelle. Jacob is a great person who knows what he likes in the craft beer world. Head over to his Twitter and check him out!

Nick, Jacob, Shane

I’m not really a Stout guy but one Stout stood out from Moylan’s Brewery; Dragoons Dry Irish Stout. I mean seriously, this was amazing. I was reluctant to try at first, but this is what being a beer geek is all about, right? It was dry, roasted, chocolaty with some sprinkles of coffee beans which all blended for an incredibly rich, full and delicious beer. Another one that was amazing was from Union Barrel Works called Wobbly Bob Doppelbock. It was full, rich, malty with a creamy and smooth finish.

Being at Stoudt’s Brewery, they had all of their beers on tap, which was incredible. You could indulge in their priciest and biggest beers (i.e., Old Abominable Barleywine, Double IPA) as much as you wanted! Can a craft beer drinker ask for more?!

Overall, another great Microfest from Stoudt’s, as I look forward to going to their August and October ones as well. The breweries are always changing at each event, so stop by, drink beer and eat well!

Myself and Nick (staff writer), along with my girlfriend Caitlyn and our friends Steve and Dave went along to check out their brewery. We arrived a few minutes early and were invited to sit at their bar and have a drink while we waited. The first thing that was impressive was their awesome draft selection. They had almost their entire collection of beers (despite some seasonals) available. Personally, I had their Double IPA (review to come) and their Pils. Both great beers. Others had their Barleywine, Stout and Tripel.

Dave, Caitlyn, Shane, Steve

The tour was pretty impressive, due to the fact that the tour guide was Ed Stoudt himself! He has been in the business since the 60’s and has a wealth of knowledge, expected as a brewery tour guide. As the owner, Ed was able to share a lot of the history behind Stoudt’s which made the experience that much better. See below for a picture of Nick and I with the man, the myth, the legend.

Ed Stoudt, Nick, Shane

A lot of the tour dealt with the history starting in the Renaissance, moving to Prohibition and then into the modern brewery they have today. It was impressive to see how much investment was put into the brewery and the philosophy Ed adheres to. He wants to remain small and remain a craft brewery. Unlike the big guys that are always finding new ways to make their beer cheaper by using adjuncts like corn and rice, Ed believes firmly in brewing beer how it’s been done for centuries. And you can definitely taste it in the crafts they produce.

This is what it comes down to, support the craft breweries. I cannot stress it enough and visiting a place like this reassures my belief is good. The time, history and passion these people put into their beer is incredible. Head up to Adamstown on Saturday or Sunday afternoon, enjoy a pint of their delicious brews and learn the history from the man himself.

Breweries attending:

• Allentown/Bethlehem Brew Works
• Lancaster Brewing Company
• New Holland Brewery
• Boston Brewing Company (Samuel Adams)
• SlyFox Brewing Company
• Stoudt’s Brewing Company
• Troegs Brewing Company
• Weyerbacher Brewing Company
• Woodchuck/Strongbow Hard Cider
• Yuengling Brewing Company

For a complete list of wineries, please visit the FriendFest 2010 website.

This contest has ended.

Title photo from: http://westchesterdish.com

Title photo from: http://westchesterdish.com