Pizza Port Strong Ale Festival

Budweiser has an ABV, alcohol by volume, of 5%. Guinness is 4.5%. Your average beer is not high up there in alcohol. A strong ale, however, has at least 8%. Still not as strong as Wine, which is usually around 12 to 14%, but Beer Festivals are so much more fun. So what the hell did I end up drinking last night at the Pizza Port Strong Ale Festival?!

30 dollars gets you in the door, where you get a glass and tickets for your 8 tasters. 8 four once tastes, 30 bucks. Might seem like a lot of money, but factor in how much it would cost to try 8 beers of this level. Nectar Ales' Black Xantus, for example, sells for about 15 dollars a bottle. That's half the cost of the festival right there.

The best beer I had last night was Bear Republic's Clobberskull. It's an English Strong style, with an ABV of 10.5%, and aged in Cabernet barrels. I love English Strong ales, definitely my favorite style, and this one was true to the style, even if it came out of California.

I got to try the Life & Limb, which is a collaboration between Dogfish Head and Sierra Nevada Brewing. Strong Ale, ABV of 10.2%.

La Jolla Brewing's Thor, an Imperial Red, ABV 8.6%, dry hopped with Cascade, Amarillo and Simcoe.

Ballast Point's Barmy, a Honey Fruit Beer, ABV 10.0%, made with honey and apricots.

Alaskan Brewing's Baltic Porter, ABV 9.8%.

Ballast Point's Victory at Sea, an Imperial Porter, ABV 10%, made with coffee and vanilla bean, and the best beer made in San Diego.

Buckbean's Very Noddy, ABV 10.5%, an Imperial Schwarzbier.

Deschutes Brewing's Black Butte XXI, an imperial porter, 11% ABV, aged in Stranahan Whiskey barrels.

Drake's Brewing's Denogginizer, a Double IPA with an ABV of 9.2% ABV.

Grand Teton's Black Cauldron, an Imperial Stout with an ABV of 8%.

Green Flash's Palate Wrecker, a Double IPA, ABV 9.5%

Papago Brewing's Oude Zuipers, a Tripel, ABV 11%.

Hair of the Dog's Doggie Claws, a Barleywine, ABV 11.5%

Lagunitas' Gnarleywine, a barleywine, ABV 9.7%.

Yeah, that's 14 beers. Had a few more than the 8 tasters. It's good to know how to work the system.