It’s a double-drop week on the feed! Alongside our regular seasonal episode, Brian jumps on the mic for a special bonus recap of the Fall Beer Fest held at Rusty Nickel Brewing Co. in West Seneca. Serving as the headlining festival for Western New York Beer Week (organized by the Western New York Brewers Guild), this tight two-hour session brought together over a dozen local breweries, live music, and incredible autumn weather. The Featured BeersFirst Line Brewing – Yellow Jacket American Lager & FestbierStyle: American Lager / Festbier Verdict: The beers Brian drank the most of during the afternoon. Yellow Jacket is super light, crisp, and clean with a pleasant bready malt kick, making it (along with their Everyday Lager) a top-two favorite from the Orchard Park crew. Rusty Nickel Brewing – Garden of EdenStyle: Pumpkin Ale Verdict: Light in color but loaded with flavor. Brewed with fresh pumpkins from Zittel’s, it throws a massive bouquet of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and a silky touch of vanilla on the finish. 1927 Brew House – Orange Cream AleStyle: Cream Ale Verdict: Bright, citrusy, and ridiculously refreshing. A standout palate cleanser that broke up the sea of rich fall malts. Brickyard Brewing Company – Center Street Oatmeal StoutStyle: Oatmeal Stout Verdict: A rare dark beer sighting at the fest. Clocking in around the mid-5% range, it’s light-bodied, highly approachable, and easy-drinking. Britesmith Brewing & Brazen Brewing – Oktoberfest / EdelbräuStyle: Märzen / Festbier Verdict: Both avoided the heavy residual sweetness that Brian has noticed creeping into some local fall lagers this season, delivering dry, toasty bread notes and exceptional drinkability. Western New York Beer Week wrapped up in style, and Jason and Katie Havens deserve huge credit for transforming Rusty Nickel's outdoor grounds. Tucked into a private wooded grove just off the main beer garden behind Ebenezer Alehouse, the setup was seamless, intimate, and packed with great local energy. With $20 tickets, live music floating across the patio, and a lineup of fresh wet-hop IPAs, barrel-aged Oktoberfests, and session lagers, it was the perfect blueprint for a community-focused fall festival. Connect With the Buffalo Beer LeagueWebsite: BuffaloBeerLeague.com — Drop your email in the box on the right rail to catch our upcoming weekly newsletter! Hotline: 716-486-BEER (2337) — Call in, leave a voicemail with what you drank this week, and we'll mail you out some stickers! Email: Brian@BuffaloBeerLeague.com Socials: @BuffaloBeerLeague (IG/Untappd/Threads) | @BuffBeerLeague (X) Dedicated Show IG: @thebestbeeridrankthisweek — Check out the three video reels from the fest and follow along as we approach Episode 100! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
