The list of breweries was pretty impressive, at the Friday session, there was:

• Union Barrel Works
• Stewarts Brewing
• Allagash Brewing
• Unita Brewing
• Old Forge Brewing
• Troegs
• Boston Beer/Sam Adams
• Riverhorse Brewing
• Smuttynose Brewing
• Climax Brewing
• McGillins
• Lagunitas Brewing
• Great Divide Brewing
• Clipper City Brewing
• 21st Ammendment
• and of course Stoudts Brewing

There were a few other breweries that were supposed to be there, like Flying Dog Brewery but there table was empty on Friday, I don’t know if they were there on Saturday.  I had great intentions of interviewing breweries and writing up intelligent reviews on the beers I tried.  Unfortunately, it didn’t work out like I had planned, the music was loud so interviews were out and after trying so many different beers it was really tough to come away with a lot of clear thoughts on individual beers.  Not that it really matters, in the end, I had more fun not having to worry about getting all the details down.

Fortunately, I did manage to at least keep a record of what I tried.

• Lagunitas Little Something Extra
• Stewarts Highlander Stout
• Stewarts Octoberfest
• Stoudts Brewery Reserve Bock
• Climax ESB
• Old Forge Pale Ale
• Old Forge Ludwigs Anniversary Lager
• Troegs Dead Reckoning Porter
• Allagash White
• Allagash Abbey Ale
• River Horse Double Wit
• River Horse Unfiltered Lager
• 21st Ammendment Hell or Highwater Watermelon Wheat Beer
• Great Divide Samurai
• Smuttynose Old Brown Dog
• Heavy Seas Loose Cannon Hop Ale
• Great Divide Hibernation Ale

As you can see, it was a pretty impressive selection of beer and I had quite a bit of fun.  Keep in mind the sample glasses were only 6 ounces so we were only drinking 3 to 5 ounces at a time so I am not as much of a drunk as it may seem.  There were a few beers that really stood out that I went back for seconds and thirds but I can’t say they were my definitive favorite as there were others I would have liked to gone back and gotten more of.

I had never heard of Stewarts before but their Highlander Stout was really good, as was their Octoberfest.  They are pretty close to me, they are in Bear, DE which is only an hour and half or so from where I live.  Definitely a place I am going to have to check out.  I also couldn’t get enough of the Allagash Abbey Ale and the River Horse Double Wit.  The great news is, I didn’t drink a single beer that I didn’t enjoy.  It was a really fun night and I can’t wait for the next one.

]]> http://www.yearlylesson.com/2009/year-of-beer/beer-festivals/stoudts-brewery-microfest/feed/ 1 http://www.yearlylesson.com/2009/year-of-beer/breweries/5th-year-anniversary-at-stoudts-brewery-and-steakhouse/ http://www.yearlylesson.com/2009/year-of-beer/breweries/5th-year-anniversary-at-stoudts-brewery-and-steakhouse/#comments Sun, 04 Oct 2009 21:05:22 +0000 Brian http://www.yearlylesson.com/?p=230

Stoudts Brewery

Stoudts Brewing Company is the closest Microbrewery to my house, it’s about 15 minutes away.  The place is really impressive, it’s much more than a brewery, it’s more like a compound.

Ed and Carol Stoudt started the business and surrounded themselves with things they loved that they couldn’t find readily available in the area.  In addition to the brewery, they have the Black Angus Restaurant and Pub, the Wonderful Good Market, and the Stoudts Antique Mall.   Everything is done with the the care and attention of someone that is passionate about what they do.

I have always enjoyed their beer and the restaurant is amazing.   This past Friday was my 5th year wedding anniversary so my wife and I went out to Stoudts on Saturday to celebrate.   We both had steaks with a side of spaetzle and vegetables.  The bread they serve in the restaurant is baked fresh daily in their Wonderful Good Market and all the vegetables come from either their own garden or are sourced locally from surrounding farms.  The food was simply delicious!  But of course, this blog is not about food, it’s about beer and Stoudts is after all, a very good brewery.

When I go to Stoudts I have always been partial to either the Scarlet Lady (an Extra Special Bitter) or their Fat Dog Stout.  However, I recently found out about the Stoudts Brewers Reserve line and was anxious to try it.  The brewers reserve label gives the Stoudts brewers the freedom to experiment and brew something new.  Each brewer get’s a shot at coming up with a beer to brew.  The beer is brewed in limited quantity and is only available at the brewery.  It’s not on the menu and we had to ask our waitress if they had any.  I don’t think that’s typical but they certainly didn’t seem to feel a need to push it.  They make some of the Brewers Reserve beers available just on draft, others are available on draft and in 750 ml bottles.

I was excited to try one of these craft beers so I asked the waitress if they had any available and they had the Stoudts Brewers Reserve Bock.  Score!  It was delicious, the best Stoudts beer I have ever had.  I was lucky enough to get a few on draft with dinner and to snag a 750 ml bottle to bring home so I can actually do a proper review of the beer.

I should probably mention somewhere in this writeup that I also enjoyed spending time with my wife.  Afterall, she does occasionally read this blog and it was our anniversary dinner   Thankfully she is a good sport and is enjoying my year of beer right alongside me.