Out East - Part III, Baltimore Day II

We started day two off a little late and rightly so after a ten hour drive and a killer Bolt Thrower set all in the same day. We started off by reparking the car a bit farther away from the hotel and Camden Yards Stadium as it was going to cost us $27 a day.

After we found parking we walked East to the National Historic District of Fells Point. Along the walk we walked past a few places off interest one being the location that the Star Spangled Banner was first created, and the St. Paul De Vincent church.

 

Fells Point has historically been a ship building area and became very popular for the construction of top sailed scooners. In the 18th and 19th centuries the area grew wealthy on tobacco, flour, and coffee trades and today still holds the wonderful historic aesthetic with its well kept and restored buildings.

 

Upon our wandering we came across a pub called Max's Taphouse in Fells Point. Andrew had scoped it out prior to coming to Baltimore and we decided to pop in and grab some pints as well as some great New England Cuisine. I feasted on a Chesepeke Dog which was a sausage on a roll smothered in a sort of crab sauce(or chowder) and with a hefty side of potato salad.

It turned out that Max's Taphouse is ranked amongst the top 20 pubs in the world and this was not hard to believe as it boasts 140 rotating draft taps and 5 cask beers. The taps range from a few popular international favorites like Steigl, Delirium Tremens, and Guinness Stout to the very best of American craft beer. As well every day it has a rotating house draft beer for $3.50 and the two they had during our visits were the Savant and Backhanded Compliament IPA's by Elysian Brewing.

Its bottle menu was absolutely massive, with over 200 beers to choose from, I was afraid to even think about choosing something off of it. But they have everything in that bottle menu, Belgian, English, American, and even a few of my favorite Quebec breweries(Unibroue and Dieu De Ciel).

Beers of note on my visits to Max's included "Sweet Baby Jesus" Peanut butter chocolate stout by DuClaw Brewing Company, "Saison De Lis" by Perrenial Artisan Ales, and ''Triple Karmeliet" by Brouwerij Bosteels. Overall, it was the best pub I have every been to without a doubt.

After the pre-drinking in Fells Point we strolled down to the venue for the MDFXI Friday night festivities. friday night included some downright amazing preformances by Benediction(UK Death Metal), Hellshock(US Crust Punk), Carcass(UK Death Grind), Pelican(US Post-Metal), and then finished up with another memorable show by Tragedy(US Hardcore Punk). If you ever have a chance to see Tragedy live and Metal/Punk is your thing, Do IT!!!

Afterward we headed back to the hotel after a late night crispy chicken sandwich to get some rest for day three!

Benediction - Subconscious Terror Live
Carcass - Buried Dreams Live
Carcass Better Quality
Pelican - Dead Between the Walls Live