Danger! Brewfest Taster Needs DD

So this last Saturday, I had the pleasure of going to my very first brewfest.  I know it's hard to believe.  I've logged hundreds of beers and countless flights by now, achieved 250+ badges on Untappd, and generally been a craft beer guy for awhile.  But the fact remains that brewfests don't come into my area very often.

The New Mexico Brewer's Guild sponsored this little soiree as they did last year and I had a few hints from attendees from last years event:

1. Go early to avoid the crowds.  This was a wise move; by the time we left at 6:30, the lines were getting pretty ridiculous and pours were smaller as the vendors supplies became diminished. We got there about 15 minutes before they officially started, stood in line to get IDd and receive our sample pint glass (courtesy of Taos Mesa Brewing Co), which also served as our tasting glass.  Clever idea that.  Not only did it eliminate the need to buy 1000s of disposable tasting cups, it gave everyone a souvenir from the event.
2. Bring a designated driver or walk.  My lovely spouse agreed to help in this capacity.  Good thing too: there were 29 different beers we sampled in about 90 minutes.  Even with small pours, that's way too much beer to drink and remain sober.
3. Bring friends and be willing to share tastings.  Most of the breweries were tapping at least three, up to five beers, but you only have one glass.  That meant standing in line again if you wanted to get a second tasting.  But in a group that's willing to share?  You could sample many beers from each vendor at once.

Now the run down of breweries who were there and a few standout brews they were serving:

• Abbey: Monk made heavyweights, deep in the heart of northern New Mexico.  Try their Dark Ale.  Very tasty, almost dessert beer. Sweet, luscious, and creamy.
• Marble: Albuquerque's veteran craft brewers, it's hard to go wrong with any of these but their Double Wit or Pilsner, some of the best in their class.
• Le Cumbre: The upstart in Albuquerque, justifiably famous for their Elevated IPA.  My favorite was the Red Reyot, a huge red in the spirit of Marble's Red Ale; big and bitter, with the rye enhancing the hop bitterness.
• Picacho Peak:  The newest kid in Las Cruces, this place has a way to go to match the awesomeness of Spotted Dog.  Still, I'd give their Amber or Hefe a try if you come here. And their food is excellent.  Bonus: they serve local wines for the non beer drinkers in your crowd.
• Spotted Dog:  The closest we have to "a local" in the Las Cruces area.  Their ESB is fabulous as is their Belgian and Strawberry Wits.
• Red Door: Another upstart in the industrial "beer ghetto" of Albuquerque.  They had perhaps the best beer of the whole fest, a Black RyePA that resonated with burnt toast and orange marmalade as prominent flavors; it was a strange and satisfying brew, reminding me of the Italian liqueur Campari.
• Taos Mesa:  Our pint glass benefactors also pours a mean pint apparently.  Their Kachina Peak Pale Ale was a standout; in most parts of the world, it would be considered an IPA. Big, bold, froggy and most of all delicious!
• Tractor: My personal favorite in Albuquerque, mostly because of their ultra dry and amazing Et Tu Brute Cider.  Sadly, they weren't pouring this at the fest but their Honey Wheat was excellent, reminding me of a dry mead almost, with the warmness of the honey coating the palate but with no sweetness remaining.
• Santa Fe:  The oldest craft brewery in New Mexico brought out the big guns, serving up the amazing Western Block IPA, the only beer that rivaled Red Door for shear ingenuity.  This is a dry hopped wonder with citrus & tropical fruit everywhere. 
• Rio Grande & Sierra Blanca:  Veterans from little Moriarty along the I-40 corridor, these guys have a mixed bag of beers (don't ask me about their Alien Amber... meh) but I know they can do great things after the amazing Bourbon Barreled Stout I had on nitro from them last year.  I finally took the plunge and tried their Pancho Verde Chile Cerveza at the fest and sure enough, it tasted exactly like carbonated, roasted green chile.  Very strange but not altogether unpleasant.  
• Ponderosa: One of the newest breweries in Albuquerque and they're doing some great things. The standout at the brewfest was their aptly named Spanglish, a corn-based lager in tribute to New World brewing. Nice carbonation, light vanilla taste, and a refreshing finish. Surprisingly awesome.
• Little Toad Creek:  Silver City's one and only craft brewery also distills and serves local wine but the best they were pouring at the brewfest was their Hop-a-long Rye IPA, a well-balanced ale w/ surprising maltiness, slight hop bitterness and a rich sweetness on the finish. Rye astringence didn't overwhelm the flavors.

And that, my friends, is all for this entry.  All in all, it was a fine experience.  

Next up: a trip to Tucson and California, where I plan on sampling any number of breweries.  Stay tuned.

POST MORTEM: I found out that New Mexico breweries won several awards at the 2016 World Beer Cup, which took place the same weekend as our local brewfest.  To read more about the winners, check out this article from the Albuquerque Journal: New Mexico Breweries Bring Home Gold.