Stouts Win Out at The 13th Annual Garden State Craft Brewers Festival

A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to attend The 13th Annual Garden State Craft Brewers Festival (thanks, dad) on the deck of the USS New Jersey. It was a real blast, and I enjoyed a great number of wonderful beers. That evening, I rated each of the brews that I imbibed -- then I completely forgot about it (most likely due to the fact that I was unequivocally sloshed).

Well, I just rediscovered my list, and I'm posting it here for you. You'll notice that I rated the IPAs very favorably (for they are my brew of choice), but the real winners of the day were the two stouts. The Harvest Moon Vanilla Stout and the Triumph Coffee & Cream Stout were knee-buckling good and each were enjoyed multiple times by both myself and my uncle. The remaining beers fared anywhere from enjoyable to absolutely awful. So, check out the list below and see what you think.

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• Basil T's Brewery & Italian Grill (Red Bank) -- Rye PA ★
• Cricket Hill Brewing Company (Fairfield) -- Jersey Summer Breakfast Ale ★★★1/2 -- Hopnotic IPA ★★★
• Flying Fish Brewing Company (Cherry Hill) -- Hopfish IPA ★★★★ -- ESB Amber Ale ★★★1/2
• Gaslight Brewery & Restaurant (South Orange) -- Hopfest ★★★★
• Harvest Moon Brewery & Cafe (New Brunswick) -- Vanilla Stout ★★★★★
• High Point Wheat Beer Company (Butler) -- Hefe-Weizen Ramstein Imperial Pilsner ★★
• Iron Hill Brewery (Maple Shade) -- Ironbound Ale ★★★1/2
• Pizzeria Uno Chicago Grill & Brewery (Metuchen) -- Ike's IPA ★★★
• River Horse Brewing Company (Lambertville)
• The Ship Inn (Milford)
• Triumph Brewing Company (Princeton) -- Coffee & Cream Stout ★★★★★★
• Tun Tavern Brewery & Restaurant (Atlantic City) -- Pale Ale ★★★★ -- Hybiscus Hefeweiss ★★