It was a great day at the Bistro Barrel-aged Beer Fest Saturday (Nov. 15, 2008). There were beers of every possible description, all had spend time agining barrels: used bourbon barrels, cabernet, chardonnay, merlot and pinot wine barrels. port and brandy barrels.

Aging ranged from six weeks (Sonoma Chicken Coop from Bear Reoublic to 42 months (Drake’s Chocolate Milk Stout). Alcohol ranged from  6 percent for Rodenbach Grand Ceu to 13 percent for  Dec. 12 Cuvee Speciale from Valley Brewing. Stockton, and Old Poppy California Wheat Wine, Sacramento Brewing.

• Schooner’s , Antioch, won the People’s Choice Award for  Vimdication, aged 12 months in a brandy barrel. Loved the beer. It was 11 percent.

Runners up:

• 2nd: Valley Brewing, Effingreat, 7.8 perceNt, aged 10 montHs in a brandy barrel
• 3rd: New Belgium, Fort Collins, CO, Eric’s Sour Peach Ale, 7 percent, aged in oak.
• 4th: Firehouse Brewing, Sunnyvale, OTIS, 11 percent, aged four months in a brandy barrel.
• TIE 5th: Fifty Fifty Brewing, Truckee, BART, aged six months in a jack Daniels whisky barrel.
• Glacier, Anchorage, Big Woody Barleywine, 9 percent, aged 10 months in a Jim Beam whisky barrel.
• Allagash, Portland, ME., Curieux, 10 percent, aged two months in a Jim Beam whisky barrel.

OK that’s all for tonight. I’ll flesh this out Sunday. b