First Glance at the 21st OBF

Our big day at the Oregon Brewers Festival 2008 will be tomorrow, to accomodate out-of-town guests and tyrannical work schedules. But I popped in this afternoon, ostensibly just to buy mugs for a head start tomorrow, and ended up spending a little longer there than I planned. I love the OBF. I know it doesn't have the beer-nerd cred of other festivals, but the location and the vibe are so good that it's really a highlight of the summer for me.

Part of the reason I lingered a while was because I met Matt, on assignment from My Beer Pix and acting as a stunt double for Port Brewing's Tomme Arthur. Not a dead ringer, but he was wearing a Lost Abbey shirt. While Matt and I were chatting, Brian with the pointy mustache walked up -- like my friends Cathy and Loren, it's getting to the point where I expect to see him at every beer festival I go to.

Here are the 5 beers I tried during my short stay:

• Oakshire (née Willamette) Amber: Drinkable, but not as exciting as their IPA from the Brewers Dinner or their Dunkelweisse from the NAOBF.
• Green Flash Hop Head Red: Tasty big red ale, with tongue-coating amounts of hops. Possibly too hoppy.
• Rogue Glen: Named for the late Glen Hay Falconer, a classic strong Rogue Ale. My Friday favorite.
• Flying Fish Abbey Double: well-done Abbey Ale, on the esthery side. New Jersey? Get a rope!
  
• New Holland Dragon's Milk Oak-aged Strong Ale: Chocolatey, not bad, but not as big as its hype.

I'll have more to post after our big day tomorrow. Have fun!