Okay, so in the last post I mentioned the great state of North Carolina, but not the reasoning behind my heading down there last month. Was it business, pleasure, or a little bit of both? Am I secretly a Tar Heels fan that wanted to go behind enemy lines to the inner sanctum of Duke University?

Nope, I’m not a fan of either team, so it was pleasure. Nothing but pure World Beer Festival pleasure. I’m not sure why I hadn’t mentioned this sooner, but I guess I only got it into my head to start posting about my beer experiences a few days ago. Even then, my first post was about an event that took place 6 months ago, so the least I could do would be to catch up and recall the events of last month, and all the great beers I was able to sample in Durham.

October 6th began as a beautiful day, and stayed that way throughout. I made the roughly three-hour drive to the “Triangle” with smooth sailin’ all the way, a bit of cloud cover, but still gorgeous scenery. I had forgotten how lush North Carolina could be, so that made it easy on the eyes.

Upon arriving in Raleigh, I met with a fellow Beer Advocate to pick up the ticket he so graciously purchased for me and to share a pint or two. We hit the infamous Flying Saucer, a place I had heard so much about, but had yet to experience for myself. Ordered a local Duck-Rabbit offering they had on tap and kicked back with my new tour guide/drinking buddy.

After we retired from the Saucer, we went in search of good beer stores. One place that came highly recommended was Peace Street Market. Walking into the place, facing a couple of cases up front set out for display, I was under whelmed… until I turned to the right. And continued turning to the right, only to see the plethora of beer available, cold and room temperature. I quickly grabbed a couple handbaskets and began loading up, but restricted myself to items outside the fridge, which I was afraid wouldn’t last the night or the ride home to Richmond due to temperature changes. When the final bill was tallied, the owner was so appreciative, he gave my guide and me a free beer each. Quite gracious of him, and from talking with him for a minute or two, I realized he truly enjoyed selling craft beer to the thirsty denizens of Raleigh. Quite the friendly and knowledgeable proprietor he was.

The great thing about the aforementioned places was their unassuming exteriors. I nearly drove right by The Flying Saucer on Morgan Street, and would have, had it not had an office next door with the same “328″ address in plain view. The other great thing? These places were only a short distance between each other; we’re talking walking distance here. And you know what’s planted directly across from Peace Street Market? A Mellow Mushroom pizza joint, which I have yet to try. Don’t know how I feel about the hippie-revival theme, but apparently the beer list is decent, and the pizza’s supposed to be quite tasty. Sadly, we didn’t have enough time to check it out, as the WBF was later on that evening, so I had to get to Durham at some point.

Before leaving, we hit Big Boss Brewing‘s brewpub for a parting pint. According to my fellow BA, this place was a must-visit, so I went along to check it out. Honestly, I didn’t expect a whole lot, maybe just a quiet local place to grab a beer. I was pleasantly surprised, especially after trying their Pumpkin Ale offering (which tasted great and was spiced well), and their Kölsch-style beer. The reason I picked the Kölsch for myself was to see how well they could do a subtler beer, with little room for mistakes to hide. First sip, I was rather impressed, to tell the truth; great balance, with all the nuances of a quality lager that I appreciate. Cozy atmosphere, laid-back but attentive bartender, and overall, a great spot to grab a beer and get a taste of what the locals have to offer.

After that, I had to pack up my newly acquired beer stash and hit the road. Got to Durham a little while later, checked in at the hotel, set my stuff down, and did a little exploring. Before I knew it, it was time to get over to the Durham Bulls Athletic Park for the fest.

Upon entering the field, I was immediately overtaken with joy at the myriad of options at my fingertips. With only a few hours to sample, I had to choose wisely. Of course, I decided to go for the most esoteric stuff I could find, or was likely to never see again. Still, I managed to find some old standbys that suited my mood as well.

One tent I stopped into was the cask-conditioned ales tent. Even though I had to drop a couple extra bills for the samples, it was well worth it. Highlights from the other tents included Kuhnhenn‘s Crème Brulee Java Stout, Terrapin’s Rye Pale Ale, and Weyerbacher’s Double Simcoe IPA. The Double Simcoe and RyePA I had already had previously out of the bottle, but it was good to try them in draft form. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to sample Lost Coast’s Indica IPA, which I had been hoping to get my hands on.

I was also delighted to see hometown heroes Legend and Richbrau representing Richmond in proper fashion; it made me feel a little less like an out-of-towner. The much-hyped Founders‘ Kentucky Breakfast Stout was limited to a later pouring, but after trying it, I wasn’t that impressed. Granted, it’s an excellent beer, don’t get me wrong, but it’s difficult for something to live up to the kind of hype it’s received. Regardless, if I see this in bottle format or otherwise anywhere near this state, you can bet I’ll pick some up and really sit down to experience it again.

The best part of the fest was not only listening to Rick Lyke and Lew Bryson speak in the All About Beer tent, but also sampling the beers they were speaking about simultaneously. And to top it all off, I got to meet them both, and do an impromptu tasting run around the field with Rick. Not only that, I was able to talk with Julie Bradford, one of the producers of the festival and editor of All About Beer magazine. I couldn’t think of a better way to cap off an evening of tasting great beer than that.

Being my first big-time beer festival, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I’d been to smaller ones before, like the Shockoe Craft Beer Fest in downtown Richmond, but nothing of this magnitude. I have to say, I was rather humbled by the plethora of options available, and having the privilege of meeting two great drinks writers, in addition to the editor of a reputable beer publication in the process. I certainly walked away feeling slightly more educated about my beverage of choice, and happy I made the drive down for such an occasion.

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