Craft brewing opens the windows to multitudes of beers, sometimes things beyond your own mind's capabilities of thinking up strange names and grain bill combinations. When I still brewed my own beer from 2013 to 2016, I wrote "beer poetry and art" by designing my own recipes. No wonder these craft breweries have so many different beers! But what is interesting, is the craft brewing scene in combination with beer festivals. In my previous post, I reviewed a couple of beers we began drinking at the 2023 Capital craft beer fest.
The last couple of beers in this review, are all brewed specifically for either this event or general special occasions. That is, you cannot really buy this beer from the store or even their own online store. That is why I bought various of these beers! Especially from my favorite breweries. (One of the beers is a Belgium beer, this is obviously excluded from the-specially-brewed-for category.) I hope you enjoy this beer review of some of South Africa's more crazy brews.
Stumpnose Brewery
Situated more than 500 km away from the festival, Stumpnose Brewery offered some crazy brews. But one stood out for me, being the crazy IPA lover that I am. Whenever I get the chance to drink imperial stouts or double IPAs, I never shy away. I saw their Narwhal Double IPA and only found out, to my dismay, it is merely a festival beer they brew for events and not for sale in their shop.
Either way, this beer boasted more than 8% ABV and after drinking this beer I was feeling it a bit. This was the best beer, though, I drank at the festival. A near 10 out of 10 for me. I talked to the owner, and asked where they were located. I was very excited when he told me as I will be traveling for a seminar to close to the brewery in a couple of weeks. But as noted, to my dismay, they do not sell this beer in their taproom.
In any case, the hops were strong in the nose and the taste, the high ABV did not affect the overall taste. For me, this was a clear winner. Again, a bit hazy like most high-ABV IPAs, but that did not bother me at all.
Leffe Blond
Most Belgium abbey/trappist beer enthusiasts will know Leffe blond. I could not offer up the opportunity to get a Leffe on tap, as not many places offer this beer on tap in South Africa. Not a South African beer, but one of my OG (original) favorite beers, it went down really nicely. Their stall looked really nice and captured the abbey/trappist look really well.
I cannot write much more about this beer as many people have probably written about it. But one thing I have picked up with the on-tap version of the Leffe blond is that it is less yeasty in taste. I loved the overly yeasty and fruity flavor of the beer when I had it for the first time in the Netherlands in 2012. Obviously, this does not appeal to all beer drinkers' palates, and they might have changed this. But I am not sure, maybe I am remembering incorrectly. But overall, a well-balanced beer for any Belgium ale lover.
Darling Brew
One of my favorite breweries, making some of the best beers in my opinion, is Darling Brew from my hometown. But in writing this review, after sobering up, I think they poured me the wrong beer. I asked for the Arrow Head, an Imperial Russian Stout, but as you can see from the photographs below, that is clearly not a stout. I am actually a bit disappointed now as I have never seen this beer and would have loved to taste it. But when the crowds are that big and the people are bumping into you, you do not really have a choice. You grab your beer before the guy behind you gets angry because he might be beyond drunk. So I have no idea what beer they actually poured. But as evidenced below, I took a photograph of the logo and everything.
Devil's Peak Beer Company
Also from my valley, and my favorite brewery, Devil's Peak Beer Company has been my go-to beer for special occasions for many years. I have had a birthday ritual for over 5 years now in which I drink 1l of their IPA beer. I have not skipped a day yet. But I have been meaning to try their wildflower honey sour for so many years now and this was the first time I got to it. And wow, I saved one of the best for last. (The narwhal double IPA still sits at number 1.)
Punching you at a 7.5% ABV, coupled with the sweet honey taste and sour aftertaste, this beer is one for the books. I really need to order some of these before they are also sold out. It is floral and rich at the same time. The honey and wild bacteria/yeast leave a "funky" taste in your mouth. Funk is the series of beers' names. And it is very fitting. Very cloudy and has a bit of floating yeast, but that is perfect in my eye. The beer is also capped with cork, making you feel extra special when you drink it.
Postscriptum, or That Is All For Now
That is all of the beers we drank. And wow, what an opportunity it was to taste some of South Africa's best craft beers. Left a little disappointed with the Darling Brew mishap, but overall we had the time of our lives. I hope you enjoyed this two-part review series of the various beers we had. For now, my liver needs to recuperate and heal itself.
Jokes aside, do yourself a favor and try some of these beers out if you ever get the chance.
All of the photographs are my own, taken with my iPhone or Nikon D300. The musings are also my own, and I am not paid to say anything good/bad about these beers. Remember, taste is subjective. So try them for yourself!
I'm not a beer connoisseur but last night we had a Belgian beer and I really liked it. We usually drink wine. I have in the past had Leffe. I think I liked it haha.
There are many microbreweries here in Montreal. You should do a tasting here haha.
Oh for sure! Would love to taste beers and wines. Whisky from all over the world is readily available here in South Africa but beers and wines are predominantly local.
Thats awesome though, what beer did you have?
I forget the can tossed away
Actually Marc said it was Stella
Oh yes, that is my go to beer after a round of golf!
Craft festivals are so awesome. I try to get to at least one or two each year. Looks like it'll be only the one this year later in August. Hopefully I'll enjoy it as much as you did this one. We're also going to a gin festival in September.
Oh the gin one will be interesting! I am already craving another one, as these festivals are scarce in my part of the world. At least, affordable ones. I hope you manage to enjoy yours! Life is way too short to not enjoy a good beer.