12-Hour Belgian Beer Festival 2006!

On Saturday I attended my first "12-Hour Belgian Beer Party" at Pizza Port in Carlsbad, CA. Some friends of mine are way into the Belgian beers, and have taken me along on is Belgian beer adventure for the past year or so. This was truly the culmination of the past year and a half or so of Belgian beer education, and I tasted many different excellent brews.

For $25, I received admission to the party, a tasting glass, and five four-once tastes. Additional tastes were available for $1, a true bargain for beer of this quality.

I think my favorite was the Cantillon Fou Fonne, a sour Flemish beer (I think...my more beer-smart friends are cringing right now). It has a different taste than any other beer I have ever had before. Normally I like a more dry brew, but in this case the sweetness and sourness really blended together and made for a refreshing and eye-opening experience. Other beers I tried and recommend include the Chimay Cinq Cents and New Belgium's Blue Paddle Ale. Both were excellent, and are actually fairly easy to come by, unlike may of the other beers featured at the party.

I will definitely make a point of attending this fine party next year, and will hopefully be a bit more knowledgable and able to better appreciate the greatness of the beers featured. Either way though, this was a great experience and I truly thank my good friends Pat and Bob for dragging me along on this Grand Cru...I mean grand adventure.