Well, we just got back from the 2nd Maryland Microbrewery Festival held at the Union Mills Homestead, and let me tell you that today's weather could not have been scripted - it was absolutely perfect!
However, HOWEVER, compared to last year's event, there was probably about twice as many folks. (I heard from one organizer perhaps 5,000 people.) Which is great for growth of the event, but the nine breweries that were there were caught a tad off-guard. First, the setups were struggling with the lines. There was a desperate need for more taps and more folks manning them. Second, and more important, they were running out of beer. They were running OUT of beer! It all began with The Raven, and starting drying up from there...
That aside, it was pretty damn fun. They had some crafts, vendors, plenty of food, live (albeit bad) music and a bunch of happy people.
I started with my local favorite, Clay Pipe's Hop-ocalypse. I have to say, I actually prefer this from the bottle. It left a wonderful resin coating on the tongue, very citrus-y.
We moved on to Clipper City and I had Loose Cannon Hop3 (hop-cubed, 3 pounds per barrel). This beer, on tap, was much better than Clay Pipe's Hop-ocalypse. It was very spicy, tangy and smooth.
My next venture was to The Raven. Where, after waiting 30 minutes for a new keg to stop foaming, they ran out. They ran out of beer. They ran out of both of the beers they were serving. What a pain in the ass!
So, we switched lines to Johansson's with a German Alt on tap. It was brown, foamy and completely devoid of flavor. I take that back, it had flavor, of sour and cardboard. I doubt they would have used any acidulated malt, but maybe.
I will note that DuClaw had Euphoria, Misfit Red, Sawtooth, and Funk on tap. Jim, head brewer, generally has something special up his sleeve at events like this (like the 21% ABV Colossus at last year's Maryland State Oktoberfest) but we didn't bother sticking around.
I finished our venture back at Clay Pipe for some Backfin Pale Ale. What can I say, I'm a sucker for what I know. It's not that I didn't like the other breweries (I have been to them all), but when things are dry and it's getting late in the day, go with something easy.
All in all, very well done. There are improvements to be made, for sure, but we're just there to have fun.
