On Tap: Review of the Garden State Beer Expo

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Review of the Garden State Beer Expo

Enjoying craft beer at the Garden State Beer Expo. Left: Founder Centennial IPA. Right: Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA.
On Saturday, June 2, over a thousand people poured into the outdoor section of the PNC Bank Arts Center for the 2012 Garden State Beer Expo. They were there for one reason and one reason only: to sample some of the country’s best craft beer. Over 30 breweries were in attendance, and with them over 100 craft beers. While many of the giants of craft beer were there, such as Boston Beer Company (Sam Adams), Stone Brewing Co., Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Lagunitas Brewing Co., and Victory Brewing Co., there were many locals also present, such as Kane Brewing from Ocean Township, and Carton Brewing from Atlantic Highlands.

Surrounded by over 100 craft beers, I found it difficult to choose which beers to try in the limited time I had. Luckily, I had already had a large number of the beers present, such as the three Sam Adams beers (Summer, Whitewater IPA, Noble Pils), the four Yuengling brews (Black Tan, Light Lager, Lord Chesterfield, Porter), and many others (a few of Brooklyn Brewery’s beers, all the Dogfish Head on site, Goose Island’s 312 Urban Wheat, most of the Heineken collection, and Hoegaarden, to name a few). Still, though, I was able to enjoy 25 craft beers in the three hours I was there (in small 2 ounce pours).

Being that IPAs are my favorite style (and a popular style in general), it should come as no surprise that a large number of the samplings I did were IPAs. Among them were Bear Republic’s Racer 5, Brooklyn Brewery’s East India Pale Ale, Founders Centennial IPA, and Lagunitas’ IPA. I was also able to enjoy two Double IPAs (also known as Imperial IPAs or IIPAs): Long Trail’s Brewmaster Double IPA and Carton’s 077XX Double IPA. They were all exceptional, but Founders Centennial stole the show. Pouring a medium amber with an off-white head, this IPA had a sweet floral aroma, paired with a slightly citrus hop taste, balanced well with a hint of malt in the aftertaste.

Also in abundance were Pale Ales, another favorite of mine. Of those I sampled, Victory’s Headwaters Pale Ale made the top of the list. The grapefruit aroma had a slight spice to it, with a slightly citrus aftertaste coupled with a light pepper, giving it a crisp finish. Also worth noting was Lagunitas’ Dogtown Pale Ale, Oskar Blues’ Dale’s Pale Ale, Kane’s Single Fin Belgian Pale Ale (BPA) and Ommegang’s BPA.

View full sizeA crowd of people enjoy a wide selection of craft beer at the Garden State Beer ExpoThe final style that had a large showing was the Pilsner. While it’s not at the top of the list of my favorite styles, those in attendance did it justice. Among the best was Lagunitas’ PILS, which kept true to the grassy hop flavor with the crisp, malty finish that defines the traditional pilsner. Similar to the PILS, Victory’s Prima Pils was exceptional, and Oskar Blues’ Mama’s Little Yella Pils, North Coast Brewing’s Scrimshaw Pils, and Sierra Nevada’s Summerfest were all top-notch.

Some others worth noting were East Coast Beer Co.’s new Beach Haus Kick Back Ale, Stone’s Levitation Ale (an American Amber/Red), Goose Island’s Summertime (a refreshing, thirst-quenching Kolsch), Carton’s Carton of Milk (a milk stout), and Sierra Nevada’s Kellerweis Hefeweizen.

While some of the beers present were rare or just hard to find in New Jersey, the vast majority can be found in stores throughout the state. But with New Jersey 101.5’s Big Joe Henry blasting summertime tunes, hundreds of kegs tapped, and thousands of beer lovers enjoying some great craft beer, this night was hard to beat.

Philly Beer Week also kicked off June 1 and continues through June 10. Check out www.PhilyBeerWeek.org for a full schedule of events.

Chris Morris runs his own website Black Dog Brewhouse where he discusses everything beer. Follow him on Twitter @ChrisMorrisBeer

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On Tap: The Garden State Beer Expo

On Tap: The craft beer revolution

All About Beer with Bill & Sheila

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