Mad Fox Barleywine Festival

I don't think I can make it to Mad Fox Brewing this weekend, but I suspect this will rank as one of the top beer events in Virginia this year. I'd be remiss if I didn't give it a mention here. With Rick Garvin's permission, I've reprinted his post to the DC-Beer mailing list that gives all the details. That is an incredible lineup! If any readers are able to attend, feel free to post your impressions in the comments. And, be careful out there!

Bill Madden and team are putting the finishing touches on this weekend's Barleywine Fest. Bill's pulled together 24 rare and delicious barleywines on tap and cask for our sampling pleasure. No admission fee, no tickets, 4 oz sample servings and pay as you go. The taps will be changed at 4PM on Saturday, so before and after is the sweet spot for trying all 24. Fair warning, some of the very rare beers may run out before 4PM Saturday - we have the only sixtels in the country of two of these barleywines.

The full menu will be on along with a whole smoked pig and more tasty specials from Chefs Russel Cunningham, Sean Swasey and Rodrigo Lozada.

It's not all barleywines, Bill & Charlie tapped Saison yesterday and draught Irish Dry Stout will be on at 3PM today, with more of Bill's standards pouring from the serving tanks. Happy Hour prices for pints will be in effect 3PM-7PM seven-days.

Details at madfoxbrewing.com/barleywinefest/ . Plenty of public transportation options.

Here's the beer list as of yesterday:

• Mad Fox Slobberknocker American-style Barleywine draught and cask
• Mad Fox Headknocker English-style Barleywine draught and cask
• Mad Fox Wheat Whacker Wheatwine draught - 8% ABV
• Heavy Seas Below Decks English-style Barleywine cask - 10% ABV
• A L'abri De La Tempête Brewery Corps Mort Barleywine - 9% ABV
• Avery Hog Heaven Barleywine - 9.2% ABV
• Bluegrass Brewing Bearded Pat's Barleywine - 11% ABV
• Brooklyn Brewing Monster Ale Barleywine 2007 - 10.3% ABV
• Brooklyn Brewing Monster Ale Barleywine 2010 - 10.3% ABV
• Climax Brewing Company Barleywine - 10% ABV*
• Dogfish Head Olde School Barleywine - 15% ABV
• DuClaw Devil's Milk American-style Barleywine - 11% ABV
• DuClaw Devil's Milk American-style Barleywine aged in Jack Daniels Barrels - 11% ABV
• Duck Rabbit Barleywine - 11% ABV
• Lagunitas Gnarleywine - 10-12% ABV
• Microbrasserie Le Trou Du Diable Brandy Nose Barleywine - 12% ABV
• Oliver Breweries Hot Monkey Love Barleywine - 9.8% ABV*
• Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary Jack & Ken's Black Barleywine - 10.2% ABV
• Sierra Nevada Grand Cru, blend of Oak-Aged Bigfoot, Celebration and Pale Ale - 9.2% ABV
• Stone Brewing Company Old Guardian Barleywine - 11.3% ABV
• Victory Old Horizontal Barleywine - 10.5% ABV
• Weyerbacher Blithering Idiot Barleywine - 11.1% ABV
• Weyerbacher Insanity - Bourbon Barrel Aged Blithering Idiot - 11.1% ABV
• Willisamsburg Alewerks Grand Illumination Barleywine - 11% ABV

Cheers, Rick

Wow. Just wow.