Baltimore Beer Week Opening Tap ceremony - Baltimore Museum Of Industry

Well, last night was the first night of Baltimore Beer Week 2010, and I was at the "Opening Tap" ceremony at the Museum of Industry in south Baltimore. Here's a little write up of the things that went down while there.

Walking into the museum was interesting, as i had never been there before and didn't know what to expect. In the main door, to the left sign in and pick up my tasting glass along with a BBW passport to use throughout the weekend. Go into the main show floor where there was a nice buffet style spread furnished by Mother's Bar in Federal Hill(salad, meatballs, and pasta). After the buffet there were Brewery after Brewery offering up the beers to the waiting masses. I will try to mention all of the Breweries that were there: Flying Dog, Leinenkugels, Red Brick Station, Magic Hat, Sierra Nevada, Evolution, Dogfish Head, Duclaw, Spaten, Stella Artois, Oliver ales, Samuel Adams, Saranac & Heavy Seas(Flagship Sponsor).

Baltimore Beer Week 2010 Opening Tap Ceremony from Jason Fellon on Vimeo.

I walked around for a while trying as much of the harder to find brews that were there. After the beers I settled in front of the "Tapping Table" so I could get a good view of the ceremony. At about 7pm they started it...A squire read from a scroll, bringing up to stage the orginizers and founders before the Firkin Tapper Duff Goldman, was brought up. He said a few lines, then proceeded with one swing to drive the tap without any trouble. After that we all got to try the Heavy Seas firkin that was finished with hops that were grown near Mount Airy Md. and also had Wye Oak tree chips involved in it's creation. It was very tasty and was completely enjoyable.

Once the tap was finished, i walked around and talked to some of the fellow beer people I know before heading to a few more opening night events around town.

Victory Brewing Co. - "Moonglow" Weizen Bock Review

Brewery: Victory Brewing Co.

Type: Weizen Bock

ABV: 8.7%

Sight: Deep dark amber-brown, that is opaque to an extreme. It pours with a thin head of off-white, that disappears quickly, leaving the surface naked to the elements.

Aroma: Lotsa malt that bleeds dark fruit and nose tingling spices. Alcohol is there in abundance, but not to an extreme that I don't want to inhale more and more of it. Sweetness is the main part and it is very attractive.

Taste: Sweetness and alcohol are in the forefront and are brutal on the tastebuds. Raisin, prune, plum, and grain make this, a very flavorful brew. The malt fades and lets the yeast come in near the end. The finish comes up blah, with a tad tart that I could take or leave.

Overall: I like the originality of the style, the lighter flavors of the dark-fruit are nice, instead of being to overpowering. The mouthfeel is medium, and there is a nice sweet, slightly tart aftertste that is uneventful. I wish there were more carbonation, to give this brew a more attractive tingle to the mouth.

Score: 8.1/10

Magic Hat Brewing Co. - HI.P.A. Pale Ale Review

Brewery: Magic Hat Brewery

Type: India Pale Ale

ABV: 6.7%

Sight: It pours a dull cloudy golden-yellow with clearing towards the bottom of the glass. A decent bright-white head almost fills the top of the pint glass, but fizzes out quickly, leaving a spotty-film on the surface.

Aroma: Very friendly nose, that is strong but not too overwhelming. Citrus of orange fronts everything with a very light malt sweetness that blends well and keeps the flow from front to end balanced.

Taste: Nose and tongue don't quit match. It has a more floral taste than the citrus, not bad though. The initial sip brings a very good dryness that leads to the florally/slightly citrus sweetness that is cradled in a very light malt body. It flows very well from front to back...dry hangs throughout, and finishes with a little warmth of alcohol and a mild sour aftertaste.

Overall: Not bad. Not great. I was a little skeptical of getting this when I saw it on the singles shelf due to the recent takeover by North American Breweries. I became a little dis-enhearted with a good Craft Brewery being taken over by a Macro entity. I thought though, nothing has really changed but who gets the $2.00 I spent on this single, so i grabbed it. Glad I did...I love hops and this seemed like it would be right up my alley. A light to medium mouthfeel that keeps more of the dryness of hops active than the bitterness. I still might by one if I'd see it again.

Score: 7.8/10 

Tuppers Brewing Co. - Hop Pocket Ale Review

Brewery: Tupper's Brewing Co.

Style: American Pale Ale

ABV: 6%

Sight: Very cloudy dark-orange brown main body with light highlights on the bottom that have hints of gold. The head pours an off-white and is ridiculous in the aggressiveness...overflowing the glass and then some.

Aroma: A sweet citrus tone bounces off of the pleasant lightly roasted malt body. Floral notes run crazy throughout this brew, with a modest tingle of orange-zest near the end of the inhale.

Taste: The first sip is very in-your-face with sweetness that is overpowered by a tremendously dry-hop bitterness. A little orange and lemon come to the front, but can't break completely through the intense hop presence that is still dominate from the beginning.

Overall: It's hit or miss for me...I do like the hoppiness it brings and continues throughout the whole drink, but the way the hop is presented isn't the way i dig it. There isn't as much floral distinction it the taste...they are all melded together. The body is medium, that leaves a slight dryness on the tounge for a while after the drink is finished.

Score: 7.1/10

Weyerbacher Brewing Co. - Autumnfest Review

Brewery: Weyerbacher Brewing Co. - Autumnfest

Type: Seasonal/Oktoberfest

ABV: 5.4%

Sight: Medium toasted brown body with a half-fingers thick pure white head. Light carbonation continues from the bottom, until the first sip.

Aroma: Sweet caramel and roasted malt are the big scents coming from the glass. A little tingle of alcohol, with an underlying, very distant hop.

Taste: Very sweet up front as the malt comes across as candied sugars and dark fruit(maybe plum)...Whatever it is, it is good. Clean and refreshing up from with very little aftertaste. The body flows very well and the front is comparable to the finish where a slight tingle of alcohol hides.

Overall: Very easy drinking from front to back. Sweet and subtle with a creamy medium body that coats the tongue nicely. Malt dominates throughout in a good way where some fall seasonals fall short with the malt fronting of closing things out. Sweeter than most Oktoberfest, and that is what makes this one original.

Score: 8.9