Beer Advocate held its 12th Annual Extreme Beer Fest this past weekend, sponsored by Dogfish Head Brewery. The event gathered over seventy American and Canadian craft breweries at the Seaport World Trade Center in Boston, MA. As its name suggests, the beers featured tend to the more unique and experimental, pushing the limits of flavors, styles and ABV. There were 3 sessions: the opening one on Friday evening, then a Saturday afternoon and Saturday evening. We chose the Saturday afternoon due to potential supply concerns with the more popular beers.

The day started cold and wet. Apropos of a record breaking winter, Boston got more snow on the first day of Spring. This carried over to the morning of the event. The session started at 1pm, so we aimed to arrive just after noon to ensure a good place in line. There was already a sizable outdoor queue by about 12:10. An assortment of twenty-somethings decked out in denim and spring jackets formed a border around the venue as the snow waned from thick flakes to scattered flurries by the time we were ready to enter. Event workers meticulously checked IDs and scanned tickets ahead of time, so once the hour turned over, there was nothing left to do but flash your wristband, grab a cup and begin.

People had obviously planned out routes ahead of time. Our first stop was the Dogfish Head both prominently situated just inside the entrance. The 120 Minute IPA was an aged variety from their 2011 batch, clocking in somewhere around 20% ABV. I’ve had fresh bottles of more recent versions of the same beer. Fresh, it is very sweet and resembles a barleywine as much as a Double IPA. After tasting what four years of aging can do for this exceptional brew, I’m even more excited for the two bottles I’ve got in my own cellar. Really delicious stuff and I even went back for seconds later in the afternoon.

The highest Beer Advocate rating at EBF was Founders Canadian Breakfast Stout. I purposely read up on nothing ahead of time so I could remain unbiased as possible about all the wonderful (or not so great) beers. This lengthy line spoke for itself, however. We jumped on it while we were drinking our 120s, so it wasn’t more than 2 or 3 minutes past 1 o’clock. The guy just behind us lamented his spot and pondered loudly if they’d be out by the time we reached the counter. Even moving efficiently, it still took almost ten minutes for the line to disappear in front of us. The situation was not quite so dire as the guy predicted and we successfully secured pours of the 8th highest rated beer in the world. I can say with confidence, it’s the best Stout I’ve ever had. The blend of coffee and chocolate flavors, finished with maple, really deserves a dedicated review. In short, if you’re lucky enough to find it, buy as much as they’ll allow.

There were several other notable beers throughout the day, but those first two made an impression and really set the tone for a quality event. It was nice to see Newburgh Brewing Company well represented and discover many other breweries I hadn’t heard of before. My biggest complaint would be a lack of diverse food offerings, but I realize that’s not the aim. They did have oysters, though, which actually was a nice deviation from the usual fried foods and pretzels.

Last call was promptly at 4:30. I had just reached the front of a line when the half hour struck and was cut off. They allow you an additional 30 minutes inside the venue before they start to move everyone towards the exits. The buffer was a nice touch and probably alleviated a lot of stress.

I’ve been to several beer fests over the past few years and can’t recommend the Beer Advocate events enough. Both the American Craft Beer Fest last May and this Extreme Beer Fest were impeccably managed events a step above the norm. Despite large, eager crowds and tons of alcohol, the venue remained easy to navigate and clean for the length of the afternoon. It’s nice to have actual representatives from the respective breweries ready to answer questions, as opposed to event volunteers who have no connection or knowledge. Everyone was very courteous to each other. Lines moved quickly. Aside from a few highly coveted beers, stocks remained readily available from start to finish. If you have the chance, I highly recommend attending EBF and ACBF in the future.