Holiday Ale Festival 2008 – Making my list!

At last, the beer list for the 2008 Holiday Ale Festival has been released! I’m making my short list of beers I really want to try, and while there are some definite snoozers (seriously, Alaskan Brewing, you’re bringing the Oatmeal Stout?), there are some interesting options.

Here are the ones I’m really looking forward to trying:

• Cascade Brewing (not to be confused with Cascade Lakes Brewing) is bringing a Barrel Aged Double Flanders Style sour Red ale called “Drie Zwarte Pieten ‘Sang noir’”
• Firestone Walker Brewing Co’s Barrel Aged Imperial Stout “Velvet Merkin Stout”
• Hopworks‘ “Noggin Floggin’ Barleywine”
• Lagunitas Brewing’s “Black Pepper Chocolate Stout”
• Stone Brewing’s “Stone Smoked Porter with Vanilla Beans”
• Track Town Ale’s oak aged rum stout “Track Town Shot Put Stout”

Of course, there are 30 other beers to taste, but these are my top 6 must have beers of the season. I’ll report back after December 5 with reviews of the event and beers.

Now back to my Kona Brewing Pipeline Porter…