Somehow I’ve ended up on the list for press people to the OBF.
That’s pretty high up on the awesome list, to me. Please don’t tell them I don’t belong there.
In the meantime, I’ve been looking over the taplist and it’s pretty much overwhelming. There’s going to be eighty seven (87!) beers at the festival and I can honestly tell you that I have no way of properly reviewing that many beers to provide recommendations.
Eighty seven beers. Good lord. I couldn’t drink that many beers in a week. Still I do have some opinions:
I have tried 21st Amendment’s Hell or High Watermelon beer and know that it’s good for something but that drinking is not it. I don’t care how popular this beer is; they’re wrong. If you want alcoholic watermelon just get a melon and soak it in vodka. Try any other 21st Amendment beer; my experience with those has been very good.
The same force that compelled me to try Hell or High Watermelon will also say that I should have Dogfishead’s Black and Red, a raspberry mint imperial stout. I imagine other people will similarly be compelled by the power of Christ but I can’t say I’m looking forward to it so much as that beer is just too weird to pass by. If this was any brewer but Dogfishead, I’d approach it with trepidation but since it’s them, I’m really just curious.
I’ve tried Rock Bottom’s Zombie Flanders which, while I love the reference, just didn’t seem very tasty to me. Thin and not very appealing, I just couldn’t get into it.
However; I go to these festivals to try things I’ve never heard of, not stuff I know about already.
Three Creek‘s FivePine Chocolate Porter seems interesting, Old Market struck gold for me a couple years ago so I’m interested in their Berried Alive! (despite the fruit), Hollister Brewing’s German Alt scratches my itch for alt beers and Mt. Emily‘s Wildfire Red ale seems interesting.
Plus, I look forward to checking things out from old favorites like Elysium, Deschutes, Natian, Maui Brewing, and..well on and on. I just hope my stamina holds. Since I’ll be going on Sunday before my volunteer shift for the Oregon Brew Crew, my selection may be whittled down by virtue of time. I’ve been assured that all beers are expected to be on tap through Sunday but I think that might be a difficult promise to keep.
A pint for Dionysus 
I must disagree regarding Hell or High Watermelon; that beer is damn fine on a hot day w/ a slice of watermelon garnish. I wouldn’t drink it a lot, but it is good for it.
Conditionals like ‘hot day’ and ‘watermelon garnish’, which I have to admit, boggles me just a wee because how often does one want/have a watermelon garnish with…anything?, suggest that the conditionality of enjoying this beer means that it’s not so awesome.
I mean, in the Sahara, Corona is awesome. Anywhere else, Corona is something you drink because awesome isn’t available.
Note, of the 6 pack, I drank 4 so maybe I’m not one to talk.