2010 Classic Moth Nationals; Beer Tasting Friday

In the past year, the Mid-Atlantic Mothboaters have instituted a post-race ritual at the major Classic Moth regattas. We have a beer tasting. About four of us bring a craft beer (or two). This may be a beer that is one of our favorites or it may be a beer we know nothing about. We start by discreetly sipping and then pontificating. Not unlike the most effete wine snobs, we wax lyrical on the malts vs hops, the finish, the floral or citrus notes...... stuff we really don't know anything about. This seriousness rapidly degenerates when we then we ask for seconds and thirds and slurp it down....you get the idea. Great fun. At this years nationals the beer tasting extended over two nights and featured a wide assortment of craft brews.

Friday night........

Ed started us out with Smashed Pumpkin Ale from Shipyard Brewery of Portland Maine. This is one PUMPKIN beer! The most pumpkin flavor of any pumpkin beer I have ever tasted. A real surprise and one I'll try to track down locally.

Mike and Barb switched gears with a Triple IPA, Hop'Solutely from Fegley Brew Works . I'm more of malt man than a hop head but you could tell this was one powerful hoppy beer.

Your humble scribe followed with a black IPA, Dogzilla by Laughing Dog Brewing of Idaho . I had chilled it which didn't do it any favors. Following the fruitiness of Mike and Barb's triple IPA, the heavy malt of Dogzilla seemed severe almost bitter. Maybe not the best way to showcase one of my favorite but different beer tastes going.

Finally John Z brought Three Philosophers from Brewery Ommengang of upstate NY . Following my black IPA, Three Philosophers had a distinctly cherry syrup sweetness (it's blended with cherry lambic). You could almost say this is a desert beer.

I'll cover Saturday's tasting in another post.