what, again? (w/o pics)

The Craft Beer Fair seems to have gone semi-annual.  The last one was in May, but the next in the series was this weekend.  Not that I mind much...

I forget my camera on Sunday, so the first installment will be words only.

It was crowded, which isn't too surprising, but I managed to get to one of the first stands on the way to the back of the bar: Ebora.  They had a brown and a blond at the time, and I thought it best to start with the blond.  Not so great, actually.  It had an interesting beige/blond color, but with an extremely subtle taste, only slightly bitter.  It made me think of "typical" Spanish beers, which don't have any intrusive flavor at all.  They slide by quietly and let you enjoy whatever else you're doing.  I can say that there was a vague reminder of a wheat beer in the first wave of taste.

A bit further was the Spigha stand.  They had a Winter Ale, which sounded promising.  It's actually a joint product of Spigha and Yakka, one of those somewhat fruity beers.  It has a nice, warm brown color, flavored by several apricot extracts, but not overly sweet at all.  It was a little like the Ebora in its smoothness, but more interesting.  It occurred to me that it was a beer to drink in front of the fireplace on an icy winter day, perhaps.  Although the sweetness builds up over time, kind of laying on the tongue, it stays pleasant without becoming oppressive.

I was taking my notes on my tastings when I couple of guys started asking me questions, as if I knew something special.  You're writing things down!  You must be professional!

I took a philosophical break and came back a couple of hours later, but found the place just as full as before.

The evening started with Kettal Doble Malta (Fanega).  There was also a honey brew, but I was wary of the beer getting too sweet for me, so I went with the doble.  Very nice toasty color, and a good not too sweet taste.

After that I had an urge to find a real dark beer, and the label on Torquemada Negra looked like it should fit the bill.  The beer is actually more of a dark brown, with just a touch of translucence, but it does have a smoky flavor that a good stout might possess.

It was a little hard getting into the back area, so I decided to pick easy hanging fruit: La Real del Duero.  They had a spot right near the door, where the visitors could see them right away.  The Special Bitter was a favorite of mine from the last fair, so I went for the Kölsch.  It was a lovely clear yellow, which the rep said they were very proud of since they didn't filter.  It was a sharp, refreshing taste, something welcome in a hot bar.

There was another day to go, so we decided to cut out for the night for Mexican food.