Microfestivus Beer Updates, And The “Wow” Factor Of Craft Beer

I have been known, on the evening before a beer festival, to grab a print out of the festival’s beer list and pour over it as if I’m cramming for a final exam. I hear the chuckles. It’s how I know that I’m a member of the beer curious, a craft beer geek for sure. And why wouldn’t I get a little excited over the possibilities? Beer festivals are many things – a great social event, a chance to spend time with similar, beer interested friends, a great way to spend an afternoon – but more than anything, festivals offer the best chance to try new craft beer all in one place, and experience the incredibly wide ranging flavors and aromas that craft brewers bring to the table every day. Discovering a new beer that impresses is one of the most interesting and enjoyable moments at any festival. It’s that “wow…” moment that craft beer provides, when you’ve uncovered something amazing, something that’s completely unique within a style, that you’ll always remember, from each time to the next. Having said that, when a festival, let’ say such as Microfestivus, starts adding last minute beer additions leading up to the day of the festival, I can’t help getting even more excited than before. You never know when that next wow moment will be.

Yesterday alone saw two interesting additions to this years Microfestivus line up of beers. One is a seasonal beer from Heavy Seas, their Belgian Dubbel Holy Sheet. The other is so uncommon that it’s tough to find any information on it at all. It is Victory Brewing’s Sommerbock, and it looks like it falls into their limited drafts series. Here’s the brief description from the brewery: “Dangerously drinkable, this bock beer delights the palate with the perfect marriage of firm yet sweet maltiness and herbal spice. Subtle citrus earthiness of the hops adds a hint of lemon peel. Breathe in the malty esters and herbal hop aroma while sipping this golden gem.” Golden colored bocks are typically malt forward, slightly rich bit not overly so, great beers for warm days. “Dangerous” is certainty true though, as this one is somewhere near 7%.

As Saturday’s Microfestivus grows closer, there is the chance still other limited or seasonal releases may continue to round out the beer list. If anything else is added, please don’t hesitate to leave it here in the comments section. Of course, I’ll keep watch as well for any late additions to the beer list – something I think we can agree is much more enjoyable than late night cramming for any final exam.