Brewdog Collab Fest 2019: a good deal to enjoy
I managed to get along three times to the 2019 Brewdog Collabfest (twice in Cardiff with partner Megan and on Monday at Dalston).
With a potential 78 beers to choose from this is a third of pint event and flights are the order of the day.
It’s a tribute to the organisation and the hard work of staff that it all works very smoothly.
Between Megan and myself we managed to try 15 beers. Not all that much one might say. However most of the beers are on the strong side and some of the styles on offer (stouts with vanilla for example) I think Ive drunk my fill of for the time being.
There were of course sours and IPAs (West and East) aplenty. I particularly enjoyed the easy drinking Wylam/Newcastle 6.8 Special and on the sour side the Gipsy Hill/Brixton Big Kahuna.
There remains a broadly local link between the Brewdog bars and the brewery they collab with which is positive
The Mad Scientist/Budapest Blackcurrant Trifle styled as an Imperial Pastry Gose (hmmm..) seems to have been the most liked beer of the festival and yes I did try it. It was intensely blackcurranty and fairly sour. It tasted lovely but occasioned a conversation with a well-known South Wales brewery owner that while thirds are about right for this kind of festival, 100ml serves can have their place…
On the other hand the St Mars of the Desert Belgian Quad at 9.4% was highly drinkable although at that strength I only had a third.
Did Collabfest tells us anything much about the state of beer, craft beer etc in 2019? I’m not sure on that but it was enjoyable. Isnt that what its really meant to be about?
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