BYO Bottle Share @ 943

This was an amazing event based upon a great premise - Everyone who attended was required to bring at least one bottle from their collection to share with everyone else.  Such a simple concept that unfolded towards perfection!  From cans of Heady Topper to a growler from Hill Farmstead to a magnum of 2000 Chimay Grand Reserve, all of the bases were covered on this special Sunday afternoon.  Aside from the beer, 943 (an Italian/ Agentinian restaurant) provided a delicious selection of food for us to snack on during this incredibly memorable session. 

Bombers and 750 ml bottles covered almost every inch of the table.  After the first few bottles were cracked into, people milled around to check out what was opened and what remained to be tasted.  Between the Dark Lord, Hunaphu's, and vertical of Rodenbach Vintage (07-09), there were too many highlights to list.  Obviously I liked some of the offerings more than others, but almost everything I drank was great.

Here's what I tried -

Alchemist Celia
Alchemist Heady Topper
Lost Abbey Veritas 009
The Bruery Melange 3
Alaskan Smoked Porter 2011
Cantillon Lou Pepe Geuze 2008
Hill Farmstead Everett
Hill Farmstead E
Hill Farmstead Society & Solitude 4 (growler)
Three Floyds Dark Lord 2011
Lawson's Finest Knockout Blonde Ale
Midnight Sun Arctic Devil
Boulevard Bourbon Barrel Quad
St. Bernardus Abt 12 60th Anniversary
Firestone Walker Abacus
Firestone Walker Parabola
Lagunitas Gnarly Wine 2009
Dogfish Head Noble Rot
Weyerbacher Whiskey Barrel Aged
Olde Hickory The Event Horizon 2011
New Glarus Enigma
Alesmith Speedway Stout
Rodenbach Vintage 2007
Rodenbach Vintage 2008
Rodenbach Vintage 2009
Chimay Grand Reserve 2000
Cigar City Jose Marti
Ithaca Alphalpha
Upland Gilgamesh
The Bruery Otiose
Russian River Row 2 Hill 56
Brooklyn Brewery Blue Apron Ale
Cigar City Hunaphu's Imperial Stout
Pretty Things X Ale Nov. 22, 1838
Marshall Wharf Bourbon Barrel Aged McFindlay Scotch Ale 2010
Captain Lawrence Smoke From the Oak (rum barrel aged)

This might seem like a crazy amount to drink but we were all giving ourselves really small pours.  Mainly, I didn't want to get too tipsy and I wanted to make sure that eveyone got to try each bottle.  I had an awesome time sampling new beers and thoroughly enjoyed ones that I've had before.  This event was a great spot to meet people and catch up with old friends while trying an excellent assortment of special and rare brews.  Thanks to everyone who attended for bringing out some of their best.  Can't wait to do it again SOON! 

Here's a big thank you to Jared, Mat, and the crew at 943 for organizing this event and making it happen.  Cheers! 

http://phillytapfinder.com/

http://www.phillybeerscene.com/

http://943byob.webs.com/apps/location/

Odell Brewing Co. (Fort Collins, CO)

Over the past couple of years, Odell has become my favorite brewery in Colorado.  I first tried their beer (IPA, Saboteur, Woodcut #4) in 2010 when Capone's hosted Odell's first East Coast event...I've been hooked ever since! 

As soon as we arrived at the brewery, we grabbed an outdoor table and ordered some flights.  I went with the Co-Pilot Tray which contained the following beers:

- Harmonium (golden/ blonde ale)
- Double Pilsner
- Leprechaun Flute (pale ale, "hop-backed session beer")
- Locale Belgian Saison
- Myrcenary Double IPA (my highlight of the flight)
- Hiverano American Wild Ale

After enjoying the tasty flight I ordered a large glass of Wooden Owl, which was probably my favorite beer of the day.  Wooden Owl is an oak-aged double pilsner.  The brewery's website explains, "2nd use toasted oak barrels once filled with an IPA pilot beer.  The IPA was then emptied and Double Pilsner went in right after capturing a little bit of the fruity flavors the IPA left behind. This beer has a unique and refreshing flavor with nice vanilla oak hints."  I usually like my pilsners to be as simple and pure as possible but this beer blew me away!  The barrel aging worked wonders on this delicious brew.  Capturing lots of oak and hop character, Wooden Owl managed to be complexly balanced, smooth and extremely drinkable. 

I couldn't complete a visit to the Odell Brewery without having a pint of their standard IPA at its freshest.  I've had this excellent IPA a bunch of times in bottle, but this was my first time on tap.  A mouthful of juicy hops bursting with waves of sweet, refreshing citrus continued with every sip and gulp until the sudsy bottom of the glass.  Such a perfect way to finish up our day at this awesome brewery!!  Hope to see you again soon, Odell.     

http://odellbrewing.com/

Funkwerks (Fort Collins, CO)

Paying a visit to Funkwerks was one of the main reasons we took a day trip out to Fort Collins during our vacation in Denver.  After spending the majority of the afternoon at Odell Brewing Co., we sort of cut into our allotted time at Funkwerks.  Basically, we had less then a half hour to put down everything we wanted to try.  Mission accomplished!  When pressed for time, it's hard not to persevere when you're gazing down into an inviting array of colorfully-filled snifters.   

(L to R): Black Cherry Codename: Ron Burgundy, Codename: Ron Burgundy, Codename: Farmhouse, Tropic King, Saison

Each beer we tried was really tasty and there was no clear favorite - just a great selection of amazing brews!  Everything was pretty delicious but the most unique offering of the day was the Codename: Ron Burgundy.  Commercial description from Funkwerks website: "This beer is based on the recipe for an Oud Brune. Instead of fermenting it with a mixed culture of yeast and bacteria, which would have produced a sour beer, we fermented it with a Belgian yeast and aged it for several months in French oak red wine barrels. The result is a dark reddish-brown beer with aromas of tart cherries, dark fruit, and a bit of toasty malt. The flavor is a balance of a slightly tart dark fruit and slightly sweet toasty malt. Oak tannins make the beer finish dry with a complex fruity flavor that lingers on the palate. Stay class, Fort Collins."  I preferred this version to the Black Cherry Codename: Ron Burgundy, which was Codename: Ron Burgundy infused with black cherries.       

While I wish I could've spent more time at the Funkwerks taproom, I'm just happy that I had the opportunity to try some of their awesome beer straight from the source.