Over this past weekend I attended my very first Beer Advocate event, proudly bringing my beer nerd status to a whole new level.

"Hoppy Daze" was a truly enchanting evening, with ten hop-heavy brews on draft. The drinking commenced at Monty’s Krown (another great place to add to my list of good beer bars in Rochester, NY) at 3 o’clock in the afternoon. In an effort to make sure I was in decent shape for the rest of my evening plans, I foolishly waited until after 6 o’clock to arrive.

Much to my dismay, the cask of Troegs Nugget Nectar was already kicked when I arrived. (Lesson #1: Arrive early and deal with the consequences later.) My first sip of the Molyan’s IPA cured my initial disappointment. Hoppy Daze indeed. With a deep golden hue and an enticing floral bouquet, it seems innocent enough but as soon as it hits your tongue, you know that they’re not messing around. Two hop varieties in the Dry Hopping make it refreshing, full-bodied and intense all at the same time. Now that I’m looking back, I wish I’d tried their Hopsickle Triple IPA as well. Alas, there were so many good beers and so little time.

I moved on to a Great Divide Hercules Double IPA next. With an "A" rating on Beer Advocate (yeah, that’s right – I’m nerdy enough to have done my homework prior to the event), I knew it’d be good. I picked up on hints of citrus and peach and it poured with a thick white head and rich amber-ish color. It seemed a little bit heavier than some of the other IPAs and although the hoppiness is irrefutable, the bitter finish is well balanced by an initial malt-dominated flavor.

Next was the Elysian Avatar Jasmine IPA, which was much different than any other IPA I’ve ever had. It was really well balanced and the jasmine was so pronounced I kind of felt like I was drinking tea-beer. The hoppiness was still evident but it really didn’t dominate like you’d expect from an IPA. This was actually my favorite beer of the evening.

Thankfully, I’d had a head start on the list. I’m no stranger to the Dogfish Head 60 Minute and 90 Minute IPA and I’d also had the Flying Dog Doggie Style Pale Ale prior to the event. I had a few sips of a friend’s Green Flash and tried a sample of the Roosterfish Hop Warrior, so all in all it was a pretty productive night.

Can’t wait for the next event!

TAGS [ BEER ADVOCATE | HOPPY DAZE | BEER TASTING | BEER EVENTS | BEER REVIEWS | IPA REVIEWS ]