CURTIS HENRY
Sports Editor
Allow me to preface this column’s entire future existence by saying simply this: I am not a beer connoisseur or cicerone. Nor am I a professional food critic, and nor should I even be writing in the Life & Arts section.
What I am is a 22-year-old college dude who likes, nay, loves beer. I look at beer the way that my best friend looks at his 18-month-old daughter, or the way that women in college look at pumpkin spice and yoga pants. It is pure euphoria. Beer is beautiful.
Celebrating that simple sentiment is what this column is for; it is written entirely by the college beer enthusiast for fellow college beer enthusiasts. It is not here to be pretentious or in your face. It is here to enlighten and educate the masses on the eighth wonder of the world: beer.
There is nothing quite like walking into a bar and being able to say, “Hey, I’m the guy who is supposed to be reviewing the beer,” and immediately having a freshly poured pint thrown down in front of you. However, that was my experience on Thursday at EBC West, and it was far from a disappointment.
This week’s brew under investigation was Fall Festival, a seasonal lager at the brewery.
Imagine how it would feel to be walking through an orchard in mid-October, the cold air smacking you in the face while you take in the changing colors that run rampant through the trees. There is one word to describe that feeling, and it is crisp.
That is the only way to describe Fall Festival. It’s crisper than the first bite of a cold apple. This stuff is absolutely delicious, and I can’t even sugarcoat my affinity for it.
EBC’s in-house description of the beer is that it’s a lager which “uses the freshest German Hallertauer hops and Munich Malts.”
For those wondering how that translates to your taste buds, it’s very similar in taste to Sam Adams’ Octoberfest, but it goes a little bit lighter on the malty taste. Rocking an international bitterness unit (IBU) rating of 24, this beer is the perfect choice for any guy or girl who wants something a bit harder than Coors (IBU of 10) but doesn’t care for anything nearly as brutal as an IPA (IBU of 60+).
It runs an alcohol by volume (ABV) number of 5.6 percent, notably higher than macro brews like Budweiser (5.0 percent) and Busch (4.6 percent). It’s fair to note that it tastes a whole lot better than the big guys, too.
Fall Fest isn’t the perfect beer by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s a damn good one. It’s not something to pour down a funnel and slam, so don’t get too eager, frat bros.
Rather, it’s a beer that you can actually drink to enjoy. Whether you want to crack one open at dinner with the family, or sip on one (or eight) while enduring another Bills’ loss on a Sunday afternoon, it is genuinely a decent choice for any fall occasion.
Fall Fest is on tap for another three-to-four weeks at EBC West in downtown Fredonia, so be sure to visit if you’re interested in downing some of this seasonal gem while this year’s stock lasts.
The verdict: Yeah, I would definitely go and have this again.
Rating: 4.0/5
