The evening of May 13 (and a scheduled repeat perfomance May 14).  Legendary Brickskeller owner Dave Alexander calls The Lupulin Reunulin.    5 Brewers.  12 beers.   Last night was the first of two nights running at the Brickskeller in Washington, DC.  Calling the beer lineup extreme would be an understatement.   The brewers?  There was nothing understated about their 3 hour dialogue.   From left to right, Greg Stone, founder and owner of Stone Brewing, San Diego, Adam Avery, owner and founder Avery Brewing Co., Boulder, Colorado, Rob Tod, owner and founder Allagash Brewing Co., Portland, Maine, Sam Calagione, owner and founder Dogfish Head Brewing Co., Milton, Delaware, Tomme Arthur owner and founder Port Brewing Company and the Lost Abbey Brewery, San Marcos, Calif., with Daniel Bradford, publisher All About Beer as moderator.

           The beers:  Allagash White a Belgian style wit (wheat) beer – yeasty, smooth, spicy and award winning balance of hops and good stuff; Port Brewing Moon Lit Sessions Black lager – very smooth lager with roast malt bite, refreshing black malt acidity, great hop balance of flavor and bitterness;  Stone’s Vertical Epic 2006, big, alcoholic, banana fruity, Belgian yeast enhanced with slight roast malt character; Dogfish Head’s Festina Peche – “neo Berliner Weiss style” fruited with peach, lactic fermentation, tart, fruity at over 7%; Lost Abbey Isabelle Proximus – I hope I have this right – A lambic, brettanomyces yeasted ale that was barrel aged in barrels contributed by the aforementioned breweries, then blended by Tomme Arthur, will continue to age well for years, refreshing brett character, liking biting into a very crisp, hard green apple; Avery’s 15^th Anniversary Ale – 100% Brettanomyces yeast, nice malt balance at about 8% abv; Allagash Brewing Oak aged triple with Roselare micro orgasmic culture of yeast and bacteria, aged over one year in French oak wine and bourbon barrels then blended, 9%; Avery’s Hog Heaven barleywine ale – pure hop wine, intense deliriously hopped barley wine, 100% Columbus hops – a real trip!; Lost Abbey’s 2^nd Anniversary beer – “a hop bomb of double IPA, to match Avery’s Hog Heaven, but different; Stone’s Oak Aged Bastard 2007 – I’m not worthy, woody, vanilla, Arrogant Bastard, smooth; Dogfish head Palo Santo Marron – aged in wooden vats made of Paraguayan Palo Santo wood – resiny, smooth, subtle vanilla-like, roasted malt, cocoa notes, hop balance not extreme, well balanced very drinkable brew; Avery’s Samuel Oak Aged Ale 2008 – sorry by the time I go to this one it was bedlam and I didn’t take any tasting notes.

What’s in my Glass?

Are you kidding me?   All of the above.  Please pardon any typos.  Beer is my business I was working late.