Washington Beer Commision's Inaugural Belgianfest a Heavenly Success

Generally speaking, I avoid beer festivals. They're always crowded, usually overpriced, and often the beer list isn't all that different from the top two shelves found in one of the many beer shops around town. Belgianfest, however, took no arm-twisting at all for my attendance.

Twenty-five Washington breweries--an impressive figure on its own--came together for one day to showcase a common love: Belgian beer. To have this many breweries on hand offering up their take on over fifty different Belgian style beers is a dream come true. And to top it off, also in attendance were Donte's Inferno Dogs, Bluebird Homemade Ice Cream, and oh-my-god-amazing Sweet Iron Waffles.

First, the space. The Engine Room at Georgetown Studios (the original Rainier Brewery in Georgetown) was the perfect space for this festival--a large, airy room with sky-high ceilings and lofty windows filling the festival with natural sunlight. This made the crowd only more happy to be here.

The only downside to this festival was the epic fail of restroom planning. Hundreds of people drinking ten healthy samples each of beer equates to a hell of a lot more than the two single-stall restrooms on the premises. Luckily, the Jules Maes Saloon across the street was very accommodating to the folks who simply could not wait to do their business. To their credit, the organizers did realize the error of their ways and ordered up a truckload of porta-potties for the evening session.

Here are a few notes on each of the beers I sampled, along with an extremely complicated and scientific rating system to tell you how much I liked it:

• Une Terreur Sainte (Belgian Golden) by Naked City Brewery: Rating = 5.0 (out of 5.0). This beer had a golden amber color, a touch of spice, and just the right amount of fruitiness. It was crisp, refreshing, and was one of my favorites of the day.

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• Pour les Oiseaux (Wine Barrel Aged Saison) by Black Raven Brewing Company: Rating = 2.5. This Saison (also known as a farmhouse ale) was a dry, blond ale, aged in French oak Chardonnay and Viognier wine barrels. The wine barrel flavor was very subtle, but it was there. Overall, a pleasant beer, but not very exciting.

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• Bete Noel (Belgian Strong Ale) by Elysian Brewing Company: Rating = 4.0. This strong ale stood out as something very unlike many of the other Belgian ales I sampled, as it is very dark in color with a wonderful flavor of roasted barley, black malts, and a sweet finish courtesy of Turbinado sugar.

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• Boundary Bay Tripel (Belgian Tripel) by Boundary Bay Brewery: Rating = 4.5. A strong, medium-bodied ale with mild spice notes and a warming alchohol flavor. Though in some ways very similar in taste to Naked City's Belgian Golden, I didn't find this one quite as refreshing. That's not to say, however, that this wasn't an excellent beer.

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• Polywog Grand Cru (Grand Cru) by Issaquah Brewhouse: Rating = 5.0. Dee-licisous. Bing cherry juices added during fermentation and then put in Pinot wine barrels that had Rogue's Pink Gin aged in them. This beer was the winner of the day in my book. That is, until I tasted the next beer...

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• Grand Cru (Grand Cru) by Dick's Brewing Company: Rating = 5.0. Hands down, best in show--one of the most delicious beers I've ever had. At first taste, very similar to Polywog Grand Cru until I did a side-by-side taste test. First difference is appearance. Polywog Grand Cru is more cloudy than Dick's. It's also more rich with hints of egg nog or vanilla notes. Dick's Grand Cru was more clear, crisp, and refreshing. The flavor profile more complex and fruity.

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• Donkey Deux (Belgian Dubbel) by Georgetown Brewing Company: Rating = 3.5. This was a very good middle-of-the-road Belgian ale. I feel like I need to try this one again outside the context of all these other great beers. By the time I got to this one it had already been overshadowed by Dick's amazing Grand Cru.