For some time now, we’ve been advocating that we should focus more on the classics of our breweries and not just be driven by continuous novelty. We’ve entered the spiral of constantly searching for new names, and it’s important to acknowledge the great work done over the years and batches to perfect a recipe and leave it just as the brewer intended. That’s why we always encourage participating breweries to bring their best creations, and these are often not the latest re-version of the same base with the trendy hops of the moment.
That said, there’s a time for everything, and today we feel like talking about a few beers among many that will be tried for the first time in our country or are making their debut directly at the BBF. It’s the best way to take the pulse of the industry and assess where trends are heading. There are so many festivals as there are people attending them. A fantastic plan could be to only try new releases, and you still wouldn’t be able to try them all.
Sofia Electric Brewing – Robin Egg Blue – Rakia BA Imperial Stout. We welcome the Bulgarian brewery bringing us this imperial stout aged in barrels of local liquor, Rakia. A brandy-like distillate made from local fruit fermentation. It’s hard to find outside of the country.
Engorile – Kom On – Double New England IPA. From Osona, the German brewery of Montseny continues its disruptive trend of keeping up with the Double NEIPA, often in collaboration with pioneering breweries like Kom Brewery. Creamy with a flood of tropical aromas.
7 Vidas – White Solera. Wild Ale. The exotic touch of it coming from Peru is almost secondary. Brewmaster Marco Málaga has used his knowledge to create an impressive Barrel Project. Here, he uses the Solera concept to create dynamic aging with selected wild yeasts.
Garage Beer Co – Atropella Delicia – DIPA. From the Sant Andreu neighborhood, Garage is fully committed to promoting beers made by people, not robots. Masters at working with hops, they present an impressive Double IPA.
Bièrerie Shelton – Blood Orange and Meyer Lemon Gose. When the name says it all. A Gose with fruit, combining lactic acidity, a salty touch, and fruits. The BBF’s collaboration with Quebec goes way back, which is why we love bringing breweries from there debuting in Europe. It’s definitely worth trying!
Wylie Brewery – Shapes no More – Hazy IPA. In recent years, the trend has been to remove bitterness and bring more tropical and citrus aromas and flavors. Wylie knows this well, having mastered it. However, there’s a slight resurgence of balanced bitterness in IPAs, and this beer experiments in that direction.
Schneider Weisse – Original Tap 7 – Weissbier. A true classic among classics, and we’re very happy to have it debut at the festival with a stand showcasing beers that have defined the style. It may sound contradictory: the novelty is trying the pure origin of Bavarian tradition.
La Pirata Brewing – Green Washing – Double West Coast IPA. The brewery from Súria uses its beers to focus on different social issues. Their contribution to making the world better goes beyond making fantastic beers. Experts in classic West Coast styles, you’ll love this “non-rented” ecological brew with tons of hops.
Birra Karma – Amber Doll – Amber Ale. A beer with a touch of chestnut honey that gives depth to the malty profile. Chestnut beers are a prominent style in Italy that has played a big role in the development of the sector.
Escafandrista – Burnout – Triple New England IPA. This year, Brazilian breweries are bringing it all. Taking advantage of air transport, they aren’t afraid to bring the freshest beers. Escafandrista is one of the most valued and pioneering breweries in the country for hoppy beers.
Cerveza Dougall’s – IPA SIN. The craft beer sector has fully embraced experimenting with alcohol-free beers. There is an audience that enjoys non-alcoholic beverages but is tired of industrial options and seeks products full of flavor and aroma. Dougall’s IPA SIN delivers excellently. Superb.
Castreña – Mother Road – Triple IPA. If you earn recognition for having the best taproom in a town with just over 500 residents, you’re doing something very well. You can check it out by traveling to Bierzo (we recommend it) or trying their beers at the BBF (also recommended).
La Cervesera Artesana – Iberian Oyster Stout. A dark beer made with oysters from el Delta de l’Ebre. A sibling of Beer Nostrum, the beer that won the innovative (Free-Style) award at the European Beer Star. Don’t miss the pairing with an Ebro oyster. Sublime.
Tennent’s – Scotch Ale. Another classic we welcome to the festival. Scottish brewing tradition is often overshadowed by English and Irish traditions. A country with limited access to hops due to climatic and geographical reasons, it specialized in malty beers, often with a higher ABV than its neighbors.
Cantillon Fou’ Foune – Fruit Lambic. Probably in the top tier of Cantillon’s beers, this one is not always available on tap at the festival. When we manage to get it, we don’t hesitate to bring it. Very limited, this apricot edition is an unbeatable wonder. Believe us when we say you should try it at least once in your life.
Almogàver – Esklat – Maibock. The Barcelona-based brewery has a very broad range of beers, but what sets them apart from other breweries in the country is their incorporation of German styles into their portfolio at a very high level. A beer with character and great drinkability at the same time.
Salama Brewing – NZ Wheat Ale. The Finnish friends have been surprising us for years with their creativity and approaches. They can take a classic style like Wheat Ale and combine it with New Zealand hops to create a truly surprising beer.
Bierboi – Let’s Go Goblins – Double IPA. Another collaboration, this time with Pyrene Brewing. Two breweries that have been doing great work in the area, earning recognition and awards at competitions. The goal was to create a resinous and citrus Double IPA in equal parts.
Gulden Draak – 9000 – Belgian Quadrupel. An example of an intense Belgian beer over 10%. Brewed by a historic brewery founded in 1784. Known for its robust body and notes of caramel, ripe fruit, and spices, it balances sweetness and alcoholic warmth. An iconic Belgian Strong Ale.
Naparbier – Skull Sunset – NEIPA. Naparbier is a pioneer in many things in this country, including experimenting with NEIPAs. They masterfully combine hops to give flavors and aromas of stone fruits while still keeping tropical and citrus notes.
Dumu Fabrikas – Smoked Plum Wee Heavy. The Vilnius-based brewery (Lithuania) has carved out a niche in the European scene with a combination of innovative beers using local products. Like incorporating smoked plums into this already complex Wee Heavy. Impressive.
GatBrewing – Hopstronaut – NEIPA. They would probably win the “revelation of the year” title. The Mallorcan-Barcelonian proposal has burst onto the scene with great strength, becoming a regular at the city’s main specialty bars. They brew the beer they like to drink, and it’s clear they have great taste.
The Twisted Cat – Cloudy Day – NEIPA. It’s surprising that such a small country has a brewery with such an interesting proposal. Their portfolio is broad and follows most of the trends in the brewing sector. A textbook NEIPA full of tropical flavors. An excellent introduction to Luxembourg’s emblematic craft brewery.
Brebel Beer – Hop Water Original. If you’re looking for originality… it’s hard to beat a Hop Water. Hop-flavored water. Of course, it’s surprising—you’ve never tried anything like it. After that, you can decide if you like it or not, but don’t miss the chance to judge firsthand if this will be one of the sector’s paths.
Menno Olivier Brewing – Bombo – Strong Ale Whisky Barrel Aged. Since Menno moved to his new brewery at La Pirata, he hasn’t stopped creating and unleashing his imagination. They say there’s no more room for the barrels he’s bringing to continue experimenting in Súria.
Hofbräu München – Original – Helles Lager. A historic brewery founded in 1589 in Munich. With a smooth and balanced profile, it stands out with its malt, bread, and a touch of noble hop floral notes. It’s one of Bavaria’s most iconic beers, present at Oktoberfest. Live the experience!
Excosa Craft Beer – Cazador – Barley Wine. Another debut at the BBF that we’re very excited to try. From the Pyrenees of Huesca, it incorporates mountain beers suited for cold climates, like this must-try barleywine.
Kom Beer – Vicman – Double NEIPA. They’ve outgrown the “revelation brewery” title, as they’ve been surprising for years and have already placed themselves on the podium as one of the best breweries for working with hops. Galaxy and Simcoe in abundance for what will surely be another success for the Manlleu team.
