Clyde's of Columbia Second Annual Craft Beer Tasting and Festival

As much as I admire the single-mindedness of purpose of so many whiskey bloggers, I have to admit that I am very fond of craft beer as well as whiskey. This being American Craft Beer Week, I took advantage of a free evening to attend a craft beer festival at a nearly restaurant. The following are my very brief notes of the beers I sampled:

• Oliver Ales Pagan Porter: very earthy finish
• Flying Dog Sour Cherry: A sour beer; not sour cherry flavored
• Uinta Cockeyed Cooper Barleywine: Drinkable, the first barleywine I've tried that didn't taste like a brewer's experiment
• DuClaw Oak Aged Old Flame: The first barrel aged beer that made sense to me; the bourbon adds to the beer, it doesn't efface it
• Heavy Seas Sea Nymph: a very drinkable blonde ale
• Magic Hat Circus Boy: Nice citrus in an American Pale Wheat Ale
• Magic Hat Elder Betty: A crazy berry flavor, that actually works with the beer
• Pyramid Outburst IPA: A kick-ass IPA
• Starr Hill Double Platinum IPA: A kick-ass IPA
• Crispin The Saint Cider: Tastes just like apple cider, didn't pick up on the maple syrup
• New Belgium Abbey Grand Cru: A quality dubbel
• Peak Organic Hop Noir:  Guinness plus hops; it works
• Old Dominion Oak Barrel Stout: Serviceable stout, with added vanilla (didn't pick up on the oak chips)
• Unibroue Blanc de Chambly: A saison, with a nice citrus note amid the sour

The biggest take-away from the evening was that now is a good time to be fond of craft beer. The second biggest take-away was that Hunter S. Thompson was right: Good people drink good beer.

Good people also play good covers of "Stormy Monday."