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Everett Craft Beer Festival: Local experts’ most-anticipated beers

Published 1:00 am Wednesday, August 17, 2016

By Aaron Swaney

Here’s a look at what beers some of Snohomish County’s craft beer experts are looking forward to tasting at Saturday’s Everett Craft Beer Festival:

Shawn Loring, Lazy Boy Brewing

I’m really looking forward to trying the Scuttlebutt 20-year Anniversary stout. Also Whitewall’s Dapper Dan, an English Dark Mild.

Matt Stromberg, Scuttlebutt Brewing

I think I will be focused on all the Saisons pouring at this year’s event. Two of note are Peppercorn Saison Saison from Anacortes. Is it so good it needed to be named Saison twice or are they just compensating for something? Also 3.5 percent abv! Very low end of the Saison style parameters but I’ll bet this is a wonderful beer.

McMenamins Wizard Walk Saison looks really interesting, too. The 6.7 percent would be on the high side, but with the additions of honey, woodruff, mugwort and rose hips it promises to be a really complex beer.

Adam Frantz, American Brewing

I am looking forward to Crucible Brewing Co.’s Twice Tempered Double IPA. Crucible has been pumping out great beers and struggling to keep up with demand since they opened last year. Plus head brewer Richard Mergens knows how to slam hops into a beer while keeping his boozier options from tasting too boozy. The other beer I am looking forward to is from Wander Brewing Co. in Bellingham. Their Emissary Stout is amazing, so a barrel-aged version with 12-year Heaven Hill bourbon barrels has to be a show stopper.

Nate McLaughlin, Justice Brewing

My picks would be Crucible’s Pineapple IPA because I’m curious about it and Fremont’s Strawberry Daquiri Summer Ale.

Jim Weisweaver and Karen Larsen, At Large Brewing

We’re curious about two: Hellbent Brewing’s Dry-Hopped Oatmeal Pale and Sumerian Brewing’s Sargon IPA, an easy drinking “session” ale.

Ajen Birmingham, Diamond Knot

Farmstrong’s La Raza has been one of my favorite lagers of the summer. It’s just an amazing Mexican lager. Just amazing! Hellbent is doing some great beers, especially their Belgian Wit. Super good on a hot day. Scuttlebutt’s Gratzer. No one does this style of beer; well except Wander. They did one about two years ago. It was good, but I like Scuttlebutt’s a bit more.

See the full beer list at: http://washingtonbeer.com/cms_docs/fs-13-Beer%20List%20Everett%202016%20Website.pdf

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