Ellensburg's WinterHop BrewFest - Some exceptional picks...

I've never been to a brew festival before. Nobody believes me.

When Observer advisor Cynthia Mitchell offered me a ticket to last Saturday's WinterHop BrewFest in Ellensburg in exchange for a shiny new beer column dedicated to it, I wasn't sure whether to expect a legion of drunken frat boys or stuffy self-proclaimed "aficionados" (both of which I feel positively yucky around). Thankfully, I witnessed a great variety of people of all shapes, sizes, colors and hues...bonded by the adventurous spirit that craft beer evokes.

In Ellensburg, the WinterHop BrewFest is hosted in not one big location, but in retail establishments and places of business all over Ellensburg. Everywhere from furniture outlets to an eye clinic to an art gallery with very expensive breakable artwork, beer was featured all over Ellensburg. The primary focus: Winter beers. Big, malty, hoppy, unruly beer - beer that stays with you for a while. My favorite. Mama mia. Let'se go.

Ah, a word of advice for those of you who haven't gone to a beer-tasting event: The scrips (small numbered tickets that you give to brewers to try samples of beer) are not raffle tickets. Don't give them away (I know this now).

Here are some of the more exceptional brews I had the pleasure of sampling at this year's WinterHop Brewfest.

India Winter Ale - Ice Harbor Brewing Company, Kennewick, Wash.
Are you a fan of the strong, assertive hoppiness of an IPA, but yearn for the warm toastiness of roasted malt? This creature does exist, folks, and I found it at the Gallery One Visual Arts Center. The India Winter Ale is a monstrous hybrid that is really accentuated by citrusy hops native to the Cascades. My BrewFest accomplices, used to tamer, lighter beer, were put off by the sheer strong flavor of this one. If you want a ridiculously balanced brew, look for this one.

Eightmile Alt - Fish Brewing Company, Olympia, Wash.
Mountain High Sports was home to the Fish Brewing Company, which showcased its Leavenworth German-Style Craft Biers. One of the most popular German brews is the "altbier," an ale brewed with a yeast that gives it the taste and feel of a traditional lager (while still being pretty yumtacular). Fish's Eightmile Alt does just that - imagine a thin, fizzy lager with an extra floral hop bite, with the sweetness of the malts toned down a bit. This is a great beer for a true beer nut that wants to keep it light and prevent the complete ruination of his or her palette, something that happens with other, livelier brews.

Cabin Fever - Boundary Bay Brewery, Bellingham, Wash.
Yummer. This was the first beer I sampled, after taking the long trek to Boys Smith Vision Center. Cabin Fever, Boundary Bay's winter seasonal, is classified as a "strong ale," an apt description. The red/coppery hue is a work of art. What makes this beer great is the sheer care the brewery took toward making this beer a smooth experience. Cabin Fever is a product of extra long cold conditioning, which mellows the ultra rich malt flavor and near-SPICY hop overtones. This truly does warm you during the winter months.

Brookside Beer - Roslyn Brewing Company, Roslyn, Wash.
The Roslyn Brewing Company is not known for its tremendous variety of beers. Loyal fans of Grant's Pizza Place may have come across its flagship brew, simply titled Rosalyn Beer (a dark lager, if you've ever heard of one of those). If Rosalyn Beer is the brewery's Mr. Hyde, then Brookside is its Dr. Jekyll. The multiple dark malts and nutty, peaty flavor of Roslyn Beer have all but been removed. The beer boasts local Yakima Hallertau hops and seems a lot weightier and a teense hoppier than other pale lagers. As the present Roslyn employee mentioned to me, this is the perfect beer for someone who's ready to ditch the Coors and take the big step into the beer consciousness (okay, I paraphrased his comment).

Salmon Claus - Salmon Creek Brewery & Pub, Vancouver, Wash.
Here's a beer style you may not have tried before, but one which you totally, totally should: the Belgian Trippel. Salmon Claus, which I found at the old Grand Central Theater, is a terrific example of this under-represented style. The beer looks pretty harmless, especially in the sickly little sample glass I used, with its clear, yellowish-golden color. Don't be fooled - at 8.5% ABV (awesomeness-by-volume), it packs quite a punch. Salmon Claus has an underlying bitterness that is uncommon with most winter beers, but it's a pleasant sensation, combined with the fruitiness and spicy aroma. Salmon Claus is sweeeeet for a beer, due to the use of Belgian candy sugar that is a common ingredient added to beers of this type. This sweet and bitter combination appears to be an acquired taste - my friends/fellow taste testers gave this an overzealous thumbs down. But I loved it. Then again, I am unstable.

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Oh, and check out some video from the 2008 WinterHop BrewFest...

If you were able to snag a ticket to this year's WinterHop BrewFest, feel free to chime in with your thoughts in the comments section below - agree, disagree, or agree to disagree? Let me know.

Til the next one...