Yes.
As I noted last week, Bailey's Taproom had a barrel-aged anniversary party on Saturday and, as expected, it did not disappoint. I scheduled a hearty breakfast in the morning - a buffer was surely going to be needed for the rest of my day. The posted list contained some absolute monsters and, even allotting 3 hours, I was prepared to take my time with my selections and not rush from beer to beer. I also wanted to get the 'word of mouth' from the crowd and only went in with my opening pick in mind.
I arrived several hours into the event, paid the $15, got my glass and tokens, and side-stepped my way inside. Only one option had been killed - the Cascade Quadratic Formula. Ended up not feeling too bad about that since it gathered mixed reviews from the people I spoke to. The area was crowded, but not oppressively so. You certainly weren't getting a table or a spot at the bar anytime soon, but there was always a place to stand and there was a roped-off spot just outside the front door where it was comfortable to be outside and drink great beer.
Welcome to Portland. Here is your complimentary glass of liquid gold.
I managed to swing through seven beers on the list before I tapped out. It helped to have had a few of them before (Rogue, Full Sail, Oakshire) and, thus, keep my head focused on new things. Some definitely were better than others. Three of them in particular were more than memorable winners:
1A: Parabola (Firestone Walker) - I have heard some highly positive tales of this beer and, let me assure you, they are all true. Molasses and raisin and bourbon (part of the molasses, yes, but that boozy caramel touch) and smooth, smooth, smooth. It's a liver-kicking 13%, but you'd never guess it was quite that high. This is a beer to be savored and chewed through and spoken of with emphatic nods and gestures. The keg kicked while I was there - evidence that I was not the only one with this opinion.
1B: '09 Dragon's Milk (New Holland) - Pleasantly thinner than the nose and eye would lead you to believe with a cream feel to it. I caught a distinct, peat-like aspect to it that I really enjoyed. This was great a few years ago and my return sample is just as good as remembered. I liked the smell of this more than the Parabola, but the taste tipped slightly the other direction. Basically a two-way tie.
3: Lambicus Six (Upright) - I just had the Six last weekend and seeing it with a Lambicus strain and then put into Pinot . . . what a combo. I enjoy a decent sour beer and this had a tartness and bite that I loved. Wine notes everywhere, mainly with some dark cherry. If you're not into sours, this would be borderline, but as a switch-up to some of the dark stuff on the menu? It was an excellent selection.
I really only had one that missed quite badly:
1: #181 (Block 15) - I can kind of see the intended plan, but the acidity level was murder. I had difficulty getting past that and into any kind of flavors. White grape maybe, but who can tell?
Others:
For Those About To Bock (Hopworks) - Very odd, grain/damp-wheat nose to it. First time I'd had an aged-bock beer, and it was okay, but nothing really jumped out.
Kilt Lifter Scotch Ale (Moylan's) - There was so much going on in this that it was hard to find any focal points. Tasty, yes, and the Port barreling gave it some unique flavors - but very hard to peg. Points for being different, deductions for confusion.
Cherry Adam (Hair of the Dog) - Picked up on recommendation. Cherry, yes, but almost cloyingly so. Extremely thick, not crazy carbonated, it was borderlining on negative reaction, but warming it up a bit helped out. Thinned up a little, it was more manageable. Still, it was difficult to see where the love was coming from.
This was a great event and I can't recommend it enough. Friendly crowd, short lines, efficient staff, great day. Mortal lock for a return trip next year.
This is a roomful of very happy people.
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