Oktoberfest 2010 Afterword

The back of the line.

The beer tent was packed to the gills! Attendance seemed to equal or exceed last year’s. Once again, the star of the show was Marshall Wharf of Belfast. The new procedure for the avid sampler is to get in the twenty-deep Marshall Wharf line, get your glass filled and then return to the back of the line for next time. Marshall Wharf had a unique strategy of offering 11 different beers, available three at a time throughout the day. Their sign is a giant chalkboard, so the current offerings are written and erased as needed. You could easily use up all your tickets just on this one brewery. Excitement was generated and a shout went up when they announced a switch to a new trio of beers.

While MW really seemed to have nailed the Oktoberfest popularity contest, it must be remembered that breweries which don’t put their brews into bottles don’t have the inertia and expense associated with a bottling line. I don’t know how many of Saturday’s offerings could be sampled at any given day at the brewpub. I do know that for all their effort, I still have to go to Belfast during open hours if I want to taste their beer again. While the chalkboard and changeover hoopla may seem like gimmickry, their beer was fantastic. It is obvious they produce beers dense with ingredients, and no corners are cut. I vote for Cant Dog IPA as best of show.

Marshall Wharf bartender Seth

Some brews deserved more attention!

There were other fine offerings from other breweries. Since my tastes run toward highly hopped brews, I sought out the IPAs (India Pale Ales). Legend has it that Ales sent to India during the British occupation were infused with a high level of hops in order to preserve them for the long voyage. I found Sebago’s Frye’s Leap IPA and Geary’s Imperial IPA to be very good and deserving of more attention. Maybe if they got a chalkboard….

Related Posts:

• Southwest Harbor Oktoberfest 2010
• Oktoberfest in Southwest Harbor, Maine