It’s The Day Of Microfestivus! Check Out These Last Minute Beer List Possibilities and ‘Don’t Miss’ Beers

Last minute changes to beer lists for festivals are simply the nature of the beast. With that being said, some of the up to the last moment (possible) additions to today’s list for Microfestivus include some welcome additions. Please keep in mind that oftentimes, until I see the beer being poured into my tasting glass, I might not believe it’ll be there. Still, if these are true, I might be the very first in line to get a taste.

Hardywood Park Brewing Company (VA) – Vinalia Urbana and Bourbon Cru. Vinalia Urbana is a Belgian style Golden Ale which has been aged in white wine barrels. I haven’t had the chance to taste this one quite yet, but most folks rate it pretty highly, referring to light apple and pear aromas and tastes, a light flavor from the barrel and perhaps from the wine used, and some candied fruit sweetness. Bourbon Cru, a bourbon barreled Belgian Quad, has always been a personal favorite, with sweet bourbon out front and dark fruits not far behind.

Devils Backbone (VA) – The Devil Went Down to Oregon. A collaboration with Oregon’s Ninkasi Brewing, this is a beer that has showed up occasionally in the area from time to time, and also had a brief run in a mixed bottle pack that sold in stores for a while. It is an Imperial Rye Ale, and was a favorite out of that mixed beer set (along with an Imperial IPA called Double Gooch), and as you might expect, has that wonderfully good spicy (I always think it tastes like white pepper) aroma and taste.

DuClaw Brewing (MD) – Umeboshi Gose. DuClaw uses a particular variety of Japanese plums for this one, and adds a spicing to the beer as well not through traditional coriander but through the use of Japanese Shiso leaves, imparting a mintyness to the beer.

Not So Hidden Gems?

There will be plenty of beers to try out at Microfestivus tomorrow, representing all sorts of different styles and takes on a style. Part of the fun and curiosity of any beer festival is making the most of what you’ll try, and hopefully finding memorable beers to base future curiosity on. Which ones will you not want to miss? Here are a few to consider:

Go Local:

Due to the fact that Big Lick Brewing doesn’t distribute, and tasting their beer requires a visit to their tasting room, I might imagine that some folks in the area might not have had the opportunity to try their beer. If so, consider this your chance to try out a few examples of what the fine beer Big Lick has been brewing. Beyond that, check out many of the solid examples of craft beer our local spots are turning out, since almost all of our nearby breweries will be represented today!

Go Small:

Chances are decent that Brothers Craft Brewing from Harrisonburg will have one of a handful of lower abv beers that have recently been on tap at their taproom, their Grisette. A light, milder tasting Belgian style with plenty of history, this beer gives everyone a chance to try something completely different than anything else which will likely be at the festival.

Go Big:

As mentioned above, should Hardywood Park’s Bourbon Cru Belgian style quad ale be available, it should not be missed. It is a sipper to be sure.

Go…Smoked?

One of the beers I personally can’t wait to sample is a smoked IPA, brewed with peaches no less, from North Carolina’s Natty Greene’s. You might know their Buckshot. You might even know their Wildflower Witbier. Do you know the brewery puts out a handful of some of the most sought after sours in this part of the country? The brewery is capable of fine beers well beyond their flagships. This “Lexington Smoked IPA” is part of their Silo Series, and is an example of such a beer.

Whichever beers you end up trying, hopefully many will satisfy the taste buds, and one or two standouts will satisfy some curiosity you may have for craft beer or a particular style or brewery….Cheers, all. Have a blast.