National Beer Expo - Richmond, VA

A couple of Saturdays ago, I was able to attend the National Beer Expo in Richmond.  Much to my chagrin, my lovely wife had to work and was not able to attend.  However, my friends Nathan and Chris made for solid companions on this beer excursion.

The Expo ran from 2:00-6:00 with almost 60 different breweries slated to attend, we didn’t want to miss any of that time but, we also wanted to be on our feet when 6:00 came around. A hearty carb-heavy lunch at Panera did the trick and then it was gametime. 

In my limited beer festival experience, I have always wanted to try at least one sample from every brewery in attendance.  I realize that in larger cases, such as the Great American Beer Festival, this is a highly ambitious—if not impossible—goal.  However, some of these east coast festivals seem to hover right around the realm of plausibility.  So, this was our strategy going in.

We found a parking spot (finally) and were on our way.  I armed myself with a notebook and bottle of water, while Chris and Nathan sported the most stylish pretzel necklaces you could imagine.  Oh yes, these guys are serious.

Entering the convention center, the first thought is, “whoa…”  You just have to pick a spot and get going.  Since I am prone to overthinking anything and everything, I initially spent some time trying to justify our starting location, based on what breweries might have rare finds that would tap out soon.  But, in the end, we settled for starting in one corner.

By the time we rolled up to the first table (21^st Amendment) Nathan and Chris had received at minimum 8 comments/compliments each on their pretzel necklaces.  And we hadn’t even had a beer yet!  Let me just say, older women love pretzel necklaces.  Chris was told by one of the pourers that “he looked good in pretzels,” and Nathan actually had one lady eat a pretzel off of his necklace (not by breaking it off, mind you).  Needless to say, they were a hit at this party.

At any rate, the convention center was loosely divided into aisles, with booths on each side of each aisle.  Our first pass, we simply walked straight down one side of the first aisle, tasting as we went.  As first impressions go, I was rather pleased when a few exotic offerings popped up. 

We took the first aisle in two waves, pausing to write some notes (nerd alert!), and regroup a bit between the two.  After a time check, however, we realized we’d have to take bigger bites at this apple, so we started taking whole aisles at a time.  Aisle two could best be described as Double IPA Alley.  Now, make no mistake, I love Double IPAs.  But taking them one after the other in this situation is like sprinting in the first half of a marathon, crushing both your taste buds and your hopes of continued sobriety.  As if the high ABVs and IBUs weren’t enough, by this point the pourers seemed to be getting a bit more generous with their sample sizes.

So, after aisle two, and amid the ever louder cheers when a tasting glass would hit the ground, it was time to take stock and rally.  Halfway there, more than half the time gone.  This is what separates the men from the boys.  We did a quick recon of the rest of the battlefield, highlighted some of the more pedestrian offerings to skip, and rallied for the last charge. 

With eyes on the clock, we burned through the last two rows in a hurry, stopping once to grab some water and regroup, then pressing onward.  Serious props to Chris for keeping up with the Untappd logging for the most part throughout the day.  I don’t think I would have remembered most of what I had if not for his valiant efforts. 

Finally, the clock struck midnight (well, 6:00pm).  It was incredible how quickly some of the volunteers disappeared.  I may or may not have poured my own sample at 5:59 from a freshly vacated booth.  Some stuck around though and hooked me up with a final tasting while I kept watch for the authorities.

From here, it was back to the parking garage, and Chris and Nathan celebrated our tasting of over 50 beers with a chest bump, while wearing the extra two pretzel necklaces (you’re welcome, birds of Richmond).  We hung out in the garage for a bit, and marveled at how many cars had left.  Surely there weren’t that many designated drivers in the expo, right?  Anyway, on to find some food.

We ended up at a little place a few blocks away called Pork Chops and Grits Café, and chowed down on some phenomenal soul food.  There’s nothing like grease and gravy to get you ready to drive the hour back home.  After hanging out there for a while, we piled back into Nathan’s car and headed up I-95, leaving a great day and successful adventure in the rearview mirror.

Specific Beer Impressions

On the whole, I saw a lot of Double IPAs, some well-known, some not so much.  I also noted a comparatively large number of Black IPAs.  It was very interesting to taste the different takes on this style.  I also saw a lot of Saisons, which ranged widely from terrible to very nice and refreshing. 

Below is a quick rundown of a few of the beers that stood out to me (mostly that I hadn’t had before).

Ardent Honey Ginger

Not being one who is attracted by flavors like “honey” and “ginger” in my beer, I was pleasantly surprised by this offering from Ardent Brewing.  It drank a lot like a saison with an ABV somewhere in the 7% region, yet had a really interesting sweetness to it.  The honey and ginger were definitely there, but it didn’t bowl you over.  Overall an interesting idea and a very refreshing brew.

Legend Barrel Aged Brown

A classic offering from one of the more established breweries in the area, but with a twist.  The Legend Brown is a good brown, but the barrel aging really added a nice sweetness to round it out.  It’s always fun to see a well-known classic tweaked a bit, and this was no exception.

Lonerider Cowboy in Black

With some roots in Raleigh, this is one of the breweries I’ve tried to keep tabs on over the years.  Recently, much to my delight, they’ve made it up to distributing in Virginia.  However, I hadn’t seen much variety out of them recently, so seeing their take on a Black IPA was great.  The beer itself was the most balanced Black IPA I tasted all day.  It had enough of that one-two punch of roasted and hop flavors without being overpowering. 

Heavy Seas Plank III

A Belgian Tripel aged on Jamaican allspice wood, this one was really nice.  With the addition of some sort of pepper and fruit flavors (didn’t get a chance to ask which), this beer made for a journey to the bottom of the glass.  Lots of complex flavors, but all in the package of a balanced tripel, which made it a beer you could enjoy for an entire pint without growing weary of those flavors.

Hardywood Park Brian’s Barrel Blend #5

Classified on the interwebs as an American Strong Ale, I’m not sure what the blend is here, but it was tasty.  A thick, dark beer which drank like an imperial stout but had a lot more complexity.  Fruity notes, vanilla notes, roasted notes, there was just a lot to this one and I think it would have made for a lovely sipper. 

The Pour Outs:  Not too many here.  By far the worst was the Ballast Point Habanero Sculpin.  Just, no.  Also, Legend tried a cask-aged mango pale ale.  Props for trying, but no thanks.  And the last one I remember actively disliking was the O’Connor Saison.  A little too much funk and not enough balance on that one.

--Jacob