Bostonist would like to offer some advice for future New England Real Ale Exhibition attendees: (1) Buy tickets in advance. (2) Bring plenty of friends, and make sure they do (1). Bostonist did (2) but not (1), and consequently spent two hours over the course of two evenings waiting in line to see the inside of the Dilboy Post VFW just once.

There's some incredible beer in there—eighty firkins of it (which is a good reason to have and bring friends). Many are rarely tasted outside the British Isles; others are within driving range but inexplicably obscure. Moat Mountain's Spruce Tip Brown was a well-balanced, aromatic treat that made Bostonist start planning a road trip to New Hampshire.

That particular cask has yet to be emptied (according to the Nerax site, as of this morning) but many others have been "kicked" over the course of the week. Each depleted beer is removed from the menu by the world's most extreme, grim black metal whiteboard eraser.

The two Welsh ciders took Bostonist by surprise: Gwynt Y Ddraig's Black Dragon and Haymaker, unlike the crisp, bubbly ciders we're used to, were fruity but not especially sweet, and delicious in a way that doesn't lend itself to flattering turns of phrase. "Overripe cheese"? "Like apples with something growing on them, but in a good way"?

NERAX finishes up today, with its longest, cheapest session: noon until 7 p.m., $5. Advance tickets are, sadly, sold the hell out.

Top: Just-decanted Postage Porter from Willimantic Brewing (Connecticut), or possibly Velvet Elvis Vanilla Stout from Martha's Exchange (New Hampshire). They were both delicious and sort of that color. Right: Another beer is slain.