The week is upon us, Holiday Ale Fest in sight, a few days, a bus ticket, a mug, and some tokens and I’ll be all set. I’ve checked the list twice and pinned down my strategy. With a beer list as daunting and alcoholic as this you better have a plan. It really is about having a plan isn’t it? Well, not according to my INTP preference, but not sure Jung or Briggs ever took beer festivals of this magnitude into account, maybe another letter is needed.

I know I’m leaving out a lot of great beers, but when winter hits my desire for hops goes right out the window, so my list will be skewed towards the maltier offerings. Here is my bucket list of sorts.

1. Hair of the Dog Jim 2009 – The first beer I try every year, and usually my favorite of the fest. Alan and Preston seem to pull of the unthinkable, blending a bunch of Hair of the Dog beers and a few other offerings into one super beer… and have it not only be drinkable but delicious. I never was able get those level of results blending all the flavors from the soda fountain or all of the syrups at the Slush Puppy bar. The site claims this years as a hoppy Old Ale. There is also mention of toasting the beer with some Cantillon St. Lamvinus, Orval, and a few other beers. Not sure if that means they added them to the barrel or not… but that could lead to some interesting sour notes if so.

2. Cascade Sang Noir – One of the highlights of last years fest. Ron blends up another batch of this “double Flanders red” with bing cherries. After trying a few of the individual components of this beer at Cascade I’m really looking forward to how this all comes together.

3. Firestone Walker Velvet Merkin – Another favorite from last year. A much more sessionable oatmeal stout for tiding you over between all the high ABV beers with all the flavor of the big offerings. I wish this beer were available here year round, wait, I think I said that already last year.

4. Upright Brewing Holy Herb – I had a glass of this at the Upright tasting room this weekend and was hooked. True to the  malt forward Biere de Gardes, the hyssop and eucalyptus leave it herbal and woody in the finish. Overall this beer slightly reminds me of a rye beer with the fruitiness at first, but you start to get more and more of the herbal subtleties as you pick the beer apart.

5. Laht Neppur Waitsburg Winkle Warmer – I haven’t heard much about this brewery, so I’ve got to give them a shot. Hopefully the spicing isn’t over the top. “Take your time and share it with a close friend or a complete stranger.” Are they suggesting to share the 4oz sample with a stranger? Spreading the pork flu needs no encouragement thank you.

6. Fort George North III – The description gets a bit confusing, something about jolly yeast, elves, and fruit cake. But the words I did understand like Belgian yeast, sugar plums, and oak are tempting enough to get this beer on my list.

7. Block 15 Oaked St. Nick – I’ve been impressed with a lot of beers from Block 15… with that said the last two barrel aged offerings fell short of my expectations. But seeing as how over the top excellent the Pappy’s Dark was they will again my the list, grandfathered in, in hopes of something brilliant.

8. Vertigo Brewing Arctic Blast – Hopefully another treat from the Mikes at Vertigo. I noticed they used Madagascar vanilla beans in this Robust Vanilla Porter and after having just used them myself in a recent homebrew I know how great these taste.

9. New Belgium Rotating Tap – La Folie, Dandelion Ale, Tart Lychee, NBB Love, Le Terroir, Trip II, Trip III, Fall Wild Ale, Biere de Mars, Transatlantique kriek and Eric’s Ale. Need I say more? Ok, I will. I had the Tart Lychee last week and it was fricken incredible. The Eric’s sour peach ale I haven’t had in a few years but was in awe when it first came out. Heck, I’ve been impressed with all of them that I’ve had, so hopefully I’ll have a chance to try the few I haven’t tried like the NBB Love and Fall Wild Ale.

10. Dupont Avec Les Bons Voeux – One of my favorite beers of all time. The only reason this isn’t at the top of the list is it’s available in bottles around town. But if you are the type that is nervous or hesitant about spending $10 on a bottle of beer, please do yourself a favor and try this beer while it’s only 2 tokens.

So there you have it, my ten “must haves”. What’s your game plan?

Just saw this come through so thought I would pass it on. Here is the beer list for the upcoming Holiday Ale Fest. Another incredible year to say the least… now to devise a plan to make it through this heavy list.

Brewery/Beer Name/Beer Style
Alameda Brewhouse Papa Noel’s Special Reserve Olde Ale
Alaskan Brewing Co Alaskan Barley Wine Barley Wine
Anchor Brewing Old Foghorn Ale Barleywine Style Ale
Bayern Brewing Face Plant Doppel Weizen Wheat Ale Bock
Bear Republic Brewing Co Barrel Aged Old Baba Yaga Imperial Stout
Black Diamond Brewing Co Black Diamond Winter Ale Belgian Abbey Style Dubbel
Block 15 Brewing Co Oaked St. Nick American Strong Ale
BridgePort Brewery BourbonEzer Holiday Ale Barrel Aged Winter Warmer
Cascade Brewing Drie Zwarte Pieten “Sang Noir II” Barrel Aged Sour Red
Collaborator Collaborator Sled Crasher Winter Warmer
Deschutes Brewery Lost Barrels of Mirror Mirror Oak Aged Barley Wine
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery Chicory Stout Stout
Eel River Brewing Spiced Baltic Porter Spiced Baltic Porter
Firestone Walker Brewing Co Velvet Merkin Oatmeal Stout
Fort George Brewery North III Trippel Belgian Style Trippel
Full Sail Brewing Co Wassail Holiday Blend Barrel Aged Blend
Golden Valley Brewery Barrel Aged Tannen Bomb Winter Warmer
Grand Teton Brewing Co Black Cauldron Imperial Stout Imperial Stout
Great Divide Brewing Co Hibernation Ale Strong Ale
Hair of the Dog Brewing Co JIM 2009 Strong Ale Blended
Hopworks Urban Brewery Kronan the Barbarian Baltic Porter
Kona Brewing Co Black Sand Porter Porter
Lagunitas Brewing Co 2008 Olde Gnarly Wine Barley Wine
Laht Neppur Brewing Co Waitsburg Winkle Warmer Spiced Holiday Ale
Laughing Dog Brewing Chocolate Huckleberry Stout Stout with Chocolate & Fruit
Laurelwood Brewing Co Polska Porter Baltic Porter
Lompoc Brewing Brewdolph Belgian Red
MacTarnahan’s Brewing Co MacTarnahan’s Imperial Chocolate Stout Imperial Stout with Chocolate
McMenamins Old St Francis School Elvin Conspiracy Belgian Trippel
New Belgium Brewing Co Lips of Faith Beers Adventurous Styles
Ninkasi Brewing Co Unconventionale Herbed Imperial Stout
Oakshire Brewing Very Ill-Tempered Gnome American Barleywine
Oskar Blues Brewery Mama’s Little Yella Pils Czech Style Pilsner
Pelican Pub & Brewery Bad Santa Black IPA
Pyramid Breweries Super Snow Cap Strong Ale
Redhook Ale Brewery Roggenhammer India Pale Ale Imperial IPA
Rock Bottom Brewery Blitzen Belgian Style Triple
Rogue Ales Mogul Madness Strong Ale
Seven Brides Brewing Drunkel Strong Ale
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co Estate Brewers Harvest Ale 09 American IPA
Southern Oregon Brewing Co Son of Santa Imperial Red
Stone Brewing Co Bourbon Barrel Arrogant Bastard Ale American Strong Ale
Three Creeks Brewing Co Rudolph’s Imperial Red Ale Imperial Red
Upright Brewing Holy Herb Farmhouse Winter Ale
Vertigo Brewing Arctic Blast ‘09 Vanilla Porter Robust Vanilla Porter
Widmer Bros. Brewing Co Cherry Oak Doppel Bock Doppel Bock