I had work yesterday so I didn't roll into Athens until 9:30ish last night. I met my friend at his house (which is where I'm sleeping this week), dropped off my stuff, and convinced him to head to the bars with me. We didn't make to Jackie O's--our first stop--until about 10.

I started my night, and my time at Ohio Brew Week, on the right foot with a White Apparition. According to the beer board at the brewpub, White App is an "Imperial amber 'stout' conditioned on vanilla beans, toasted cacao nibs, and french roasted whole bean coffee provided by "Athens' Own!" I could taste all of those ingredients. I also picked up on a slight peanut butteriness from the brew. This is, without contest, the singular best beer I've ever had and I'm glad I bought a snifter of it.


While I was enjoying my White App my buddy nabbed us a flight that contained Jackie O's' Gratzer (oak-smoked wheat ale), Little Ghost (roasty stout related to the brewery's Dark Apparition), Secret Password (hoppy, prohibition-style pilsner), O'hooley's Irish Stout (dry and served on nitro), Forescythe (four-grain saison brewed with spelt), and Yellow Springs Brewery's Zoetic (pale ale with citra hops).


These were mostly good beers. The only one that really stood out was Gratzer, which I didn't care for. It tasted like cheap hotdogs.

After Jackie O's we headed to Casa Nueva. All I had here was Great Lakes' Edmund Fitzgerald. For those who haven't tried it, it's a pretty expertly crafted porter.


Our last stop of the night was Tony's Tavern, where I had MadTree's Gnarly Brown and Rivertown's Roebling Porter. The former had a woody bite to it (nice touch, MadTree) and the latter was just a pretty mediocre porter.

MadTree

Rivertown

I'd say my first night at Ohio Brew Week was a success, all things considered. I got to try both good beer and bad beer. Tonight I'll get an earlier start so expect a (hopefully?) longer post tomorrow!