My Year In Beer

Beer # 182 - Single Wide IPA, Boulevard Brewing Company, Kansas City, Missouri

2010-05-12T20:23:00.000-07:00

This is a great brewery I discovered on a cross-country road trip. I've enjoyed their Double-Wide Imperial IPA and am stocked to try the Single Wide! They add a bit of yeast at the end for a secondary fermentation in the bottle - sounds like a good idea!
Let's Pour!

It pours a brilliant straw color with a big head.

The aroma reveals big sweet hop with citrus and some evident yeast tones.

The full body reveals smooth hop that does not peak too high on the palate, but settles smoothly on the tongue. Yeast is predominant in the finish rounding out the hop with citrus/grapefruit tang.

The aftertaste reveals yeast and hop that lingers on the tongue, but the beer provides a very smooth finish. It is refreshing, but maintains a nice presence while drinking.

Cheers!

Beer # 181 - Jubel, Deschutes Brewing Company, Bend, Oregon

2010-05-12T20:13:00.000-07:00

The Jubel 2010 - Once a decade beer! Fittingly at 10% - I was excited to give it a try - though I must say, I wish the beer was available more than just once every 10 years!!!
Let's pour!

It pours nearly opaque with a hefty head.

The aroma reveals malt with some sweetness and noticeable fig or raisin.

The Jubel is smooth with a full rounded body. Malt builds on the palate revealing fig and currant notes on the tongue. It finishes very smooth with a nice warming sensation. It has the presence of a well-aged port, but doesn't pack any sweetness with it.

It finishes fairly bold, but still drives a consistent smoothness through to the end. Assertive alcohol settles nicely - again reminiscent of a port. It is a smooth delicious sipper.
This is an excellent smooth beer offering up consistent flavorful palate pleasing sip after sip, pulling flavors from their excellent Jubelale. It is recommended that you buy one to enjoy now and cellar one for next year - a suggestion I will definitely take up!
Cheers!

Beer # 180 - Glissade, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, Chico, California

2010-05-10T20:08:00.000-07:00

I'm always excited when I see a new Sierra Nevada at the store. In recent years, they've been distributing a lot more of their beers and this was my first try of the Glissade, a Golden Bock.
Let's pour!
It pours golden with a thin head

The aroma is light and springy with some very very subtle malt presence.

It is delicate, very delicate, but refreshing. It has a beer beer flavor that greets the palate lightly. It has a very light body with subtle malt and hop, that don't develop.

It finishes clean and bright. It is refreshing, but the flavors don't develop too far and leaves the palate wanting a little more...

Cheers!

Beer # 179 - Hop Pursuit, Full Sail Brewing, Hood River, Oregon

2010-05-08T19:58:00.000-07:00

Hop pursuit - what a good idea! I spend most of my beer drinking in the pursuit of hops, so this is a natural one to try! It is Full Sail's Extra Pale Ale offering -
Let's pour!
It pours a golden hazy hue with a tight head.

The aroma is crisp hop, earthy with honey notes - slight coriander and orange peel are evident, as well.

The full body is crisp with hop arriving early and developing fast to dominate the palate. Aggressive bitterness jumps all over the tongue. It is refreshing and lively, finishing with citrus and spice.

The aftertaste let's the bitter citrus linger on the tongue with mild spiciness on the palate. Like spicy food, you want to take a moment between enjoying - but you also can't help continuing to enjoy! Not for the fein of heart or for those afraid of bitter beer face! An excellent beer! Not a session beer by any means, but it sure tastes good while listening to the baseball game on the radio - I won't lie!
Cheers!

Beer # 178 - Auld Battle Axe, Laurelwood Brewing, Portland, Oregon

2010-05-06T19:49:00.000-07:00

Ahhh, Laurelwood - a consistent provider of delicious beers! We ventured over to the East Side to enjoy the Laurelwood Pizza Company and happened across the very last bottle of the Auld Battle Axe, a Scottish Style Ale. At 10% in a beautiful bottle, I was anxious to crack it open -
Let's pour!
It pours a deep brown with a thin head.

The aroma reveals big malt, which greets the nostrils with big vanilla and slight nut.

It has strong alcohol tones right away that build with the big malt presence in the full body. It is strong and aggressive with vanilla, but there is not too much sweetness, with nuttiness rounding the vanilla off. It is lively on the tongue. Oak and slight cherry sourness arrives in the finish, giving it a very dynamic arc.

The aftertaste is big and strong with malt and alcohol dominating, with subtle nuttiness, oak and slight cherry.

It is a full body, full flavor beer - Bold, strong and delicious! For being so big, it still provides dynamic flavors that keep the palate lively -
If you can find it, get it!
Cheers!

Beer # 177 - Berserker Imperial Stout, Midnight Sun Brewing Company, Anchorage, Alaska

2010-05-04T19:44:00.001-07:00

Another from the Midnight Sun in Anchorage - I sampled this with a good friend of mine who lived in Alaska for a spell, seemed like an appropriate time to crack it open!

It pours opaque, like midnight in winter. Opaque. It has a dark tan head.

The aroma is intense malt, with some sweet vanilla and chocolate evident.

I don't normally do this, but this is one beer that substantiates such a declaration in a such a truncated form - the description was muttered by my friend as we drank....

"Molasses in our glasses."

Enough said. The beer is INTENSE, black and thick and very hard to drink. If you want to push your palate to the very edge of reason and beyond - and you are a fan of Imperial Stouts, hit this one, it won't let you down. If you are not a fan of thick strong intense beers or such things like straight molasses, steer yourself clear!

Cheers!

Beer # 176 - Treat, Midnight Sun Brewing Company, Anchorage, Alaska

2010-04-04T21:00:00.000-07:00

Midnight Sun hails from Anchorage, Alaska. I've had the pleasure of visiting the brewery last year and have enjoyed several of their beers. Their distribution has increasingly expanded and now I've seen their beers regularly around Portland. Treat is their Imperial Chocolate Pumpkin Porter, at 78% with 30 IBUs. With pumpkin, cocoa nibs, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg, it promises to be an interesting ale! Let's pour!

It pours opaque with a big tight head.

The aroma is lively with vanilla with clove, pumpkin and spice.

It has a very creamy full body. Pumpkin mixes with cocoa to make it slightly rich on the tongue. Cinnamon and spice take over on the back of the tongue, balancing back the sweetness of the pumpkin and the richness of the cocoa. Roasted malt arrives late to curb back the spice and the vanilla, allowing the beer a nice smooth finish.

The aftertaste is balanced by the roasted malt. Vague sweetness and pumpkin are apparent, but instead of a lingering sweetness, there is a nice long smooth full malt flavor.

It is a wonderful beer, one of the best pumpkin ales I've ever had!

Cheers!

Beer # 175 - Isarweizen, Heater Allen Brewing Company, McMinnville, Oregon

2010-04-02T20:40:00.000-07:00

Heater Allen is a small artisan brewery in McMinnville, Oregon - it may be small, but they have a nice selection of German-style beers with growing distribution. This was my first of their ales and I am excited to have more! Let's pour!

It pours cloudy & golden with a thin loose head.

The aroma reveals big wheat with spicy yeast and clove.

The medium body is refreshing with spice, clove and white pepper on the palate. It finishes crisp and flavorful with low carbonation. It is an excellent example of the hefeweizen style with banana and nutmeg flavors building throughout.

The aftertaste holds the yeast and clove, though the palate refreshes quickly, making this beer quite drinkable. It will be released again here in May, a perfect warm weather time to enjoy the beer!

Cheers!

Beer #174 - Life and Limb, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company & Dogfish Head Brewing Company

2010-03-21T09:42:00.000-07:00

Beer. Sometimes, the attempt to take notes after having a few beers gets a little tricky. My handwriting is already a bit dodgy, but at time downright illegible. In the case the notes for Life and Limb, it seems to lean toward the illegible, cut I'll give it a shot....
The beer is a collaboration between Dogfish Head and Sierra Nevada and features birch syrup in the brew. Let's pour!
It pours opaque with a thin head.

The aroma is malty with vanilla and pronounced maple.

It has a full-body, with birch and maple evident. There is sweetness, but the malt tends to curb it from being too dominant on the palate. It has low carbonation and finishes with a nice toasted malt. A few more lines and something about the hop that I can't quite read!

It finishes clean with maple and toasted flavors lingering nicely on the tongue.

I'll attempt to be a little more responsible next time and BLOG before BEER!

Cheers!

Beer #173 - Secession Black, Hopworks Urban Brewery - Portland, Oregon

2010-02-25T10:07:00.000-08:00

Carbon neutral and organic, Hopworks is a conscientious brewery that offers up a great line-up of beer. I was excited to see their Black IPA (a.k.a. Cascadian Dark Ale) at the store - a style that is rapidly becoming a favorite. Let's pour!

It pours opaque with a big tight head.

It is aggressively fragrant with big hop aromas and spruce. A nice roast malt echoes in the background.

It is smooth and bold. The hop develops on the tongue of this full-bodied beer. Hops are very pronounced, their tangy character bounces all around the palate. Spruce tones add boldness to the hops, while also sweetening the beer slightly. The malt backbone adds a little more fullness to the body. The roast tones develop as it warms, but the beer retains a nice crispness.

The aftertastes is considerably mild. The hop dissolves leaving the beer refreshing and crisp. The malt lingers a bit adding dimension and weight to the palate making the next sip even better!

Available now, it is absolutely perfect for these beautiful February days. The hop brightness compliments the sun, the dark color and malts compliment the fact that strangely, it is still winter! 6.5% with 70 IBU's.

Cheers!

At 6.5% with 70 IBUs, it stands to be a formidable

Beer #172 - Java Stout, Bell's Brewing Company - Galesburg/Kalamazoo, Michgan

2010-02-19T09:53:00.000-08:00

I don't particularly care for what I will call "Flavored Beers" but occasionally, they will get my vote. A sure bet is by throwing coffee in the mix, then I'm on board. One of my favorite beers is from Bell's Brewing Company, called the Two-Hearted Ale (see earlier post) which I happened to pick up unprompted on a move across the country. It proved a good move. A good friend of mine, who has strong Michigan ties, recently gave me a bottle of their Java Stout. I am unable to find their beers out here, so I was reasonably stoked to have another from their line-up. Let's pour!

It pours opaque with a big head.

The aroma is heavy with dark roasted malt. The coffee tones are very present.

Letting the beer warm, it has a smooth body. Roasted dark coffee tones are present at all times, but is especially apparent in the finish. Vanilla sweetness and heavy roasted malts are also present, curbing the bitterness that arrives in the finish. The beer is dominated by the coffee.

The aftertaste is thick with roasted coffee.

This beer definitely gave me my coffee fix! It isn't the most balanced beer, but sometimes it's just fine to indulge!

Beer #171 - Topsail Bourbon Barrel Aged Horizontal Tasting - Portland, Oregon

2010-02-10T12:39:00.000-08:00

This week brought a phenomenal beer tasting at Full Sail Brewery in Hood River and Portland, OR. I had a chance to enjoy the horizontal tasting for their seasonal release, Top Sail, a bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Porter. Not only was the Top Sail available, but Full Sail kegged off each of the three beers that are brewed for the blend that is Top Sail. The four beers offered in the tasting were: Maker's Mark Aged, Stranahan's Aged, Four Roses Aged and the blend of all three, Top Sail blend.
I started with the Maker's Mark Aged which offers up bold aromas of dried fruit, oak and vanilla. It has a full smooth body that emphasizes the vanilla and oak, but maintains a bold characteristic that keeps it from being too sweet. The aftertaste introduces dark chocolate flavors. It is very smooth, not sweet, not bitter, nicely balanced. Oak and chocolate covered fruit notes linger nicely on the palate, getting smoother and smoother as it is enjoyed.

Next up, the Stranahan's Aged which has big notes of smoky oak. It has a stronger bolder body , with more assertive bourbon flavors. Oak and vanilla are strong on the tongue and it finishes bold with spiciness and strong alcohol. Very subtle chocolate in the aftertaste, which mostly maintains the oak and bourbon flavors, tending toward the sweeter side.

The Four Roses Aged aroma asserts more bourbon than the other two. Oak and alcohol are also apparent. It starts smooth with the bourbon flavors overtaking the palate. Smokiness and oak linger on the tongue like a nice bourbon! It finishes with strong bourbon flavors and chocolate in the very finish. It maintains a nice smoothness, even with some strong alcohol and bourbon characteristics.

And finally, the Top Sail Blend. It is very smooth, like the Maker's Mark aged. The aroma is sweet with bourbon flavors and oak combining nicely. It maintains a marked smoothness, combining the smoky flavors of the four roses with the alcohol and spiciness of the Stranahan's. Chocolate, bourbon, spice and oak all reveal themselves in the aftertaste. The beer maintains a balanced full-body.

It was an interesting tasting, and it allowed a really clear chance to see where the blend gets all of it's flavors. Admittedly, I enjoyed two more glasses of the Maker's Mark - hey, it was only available that one night! The Top Sail is available in 22oz bottles at 9.85% and 65 IBUs. It will age well, and I am looking forward to seeing how the individual flavors evolve as it ages.

Beer #170 - W'10, Pitch Black IPA, Widmer Brothers Brewing - Portland, Oregon

2010-01-28T12:52:00.000-08:00

The new seasonal release from Widmer is the W'10 Pitch Black IPA. This style combines the hop bitterness typical of most IPA's with the backbone of darker ales. Let's pour!

With black malt and roasted barley, the beer pours a deep brown, nearly opaque with a tight head.

The aroma carries hop fragrance with evident malt tones. Chocolate and biscuit combine with tones of the roasted barley.

The ale begins with hop liveliness, mellowing on the tongue where the malt backbone becomes pronounced. It has a smooth body, almost creamy, as mild dark chocolate and toasted flavors develop. It finishes more aggressively as the hop delivers decent bitterness and freshness that keep the malt tones from dominating the palate.

As the bitterness subsides, citrus is evident in the clean aftertaste.

At 6.5% and with it's dark hue, the beer fits in perfectly with our grey winter. The hop delivers the much needed hope of summer!

Beer #169 - Highland Ambush Scotch Ale - Bridgeport Brewing Company, Portland, Oregon

2010-01-18T21:33:00.000-08:00

Part of the always tasty Bridgeport Big Beer series, the Highland Ambush is 33% ale aged in oak bourbon and 67% ale. Wow, enough said. Let's pour. Now.

It pours a cloudy brown with a big head.

The aroma holds strong vanilla and sweet oak.

It starts smooth with distinct vanilla. The smoothness holds through the full body with oak and caramel malts. The ale develops some subtle backbone flavors of rich malt as it warms.It finishes bitter with alcohol tones and vanilla malt - the strong backbone and full body keeping it from being overly sweet.

The aftertaste is quite smooth with vanilla balanced with bitterness and alcohol tones.

Cheers!

Beer #168 - Killer Penguin Barleywine Ale, Boulder Beer Company, Boulder, Colorado

2010-01-17T21:21:00.000-08:00

And part of the joy of winter are the wide releases of barleywine style ales. Characterized by their sweet and strong elements, they help to warm these cold months. The Boulder Beer Company's barleywine selection is the Killer Penguin. Barleywine's age well, their finer tones evolving and developing over time. This particular one is from 2008 and is 10%. Let's pour.

It pours an auburn color with a big head.

The aroma holds tones of sweetness, fig, alcohol and molasses.

It is a very very smooth and silky sipper. Indeed, rarely have I had barleywines so smooth. Oak and fig develop in the body, slightly coating the tongue with molasses and burnt caramel, but distinctly steering clear of the stickiness that pervades the heavy ales. Alcohol tones arrive late, firing up the taste buds.

The aftertaste hold the alcohol tones which round out subtly and smoothly with oak and fig sweetness.

Highly recommended for fans of very smooth ales and newbies of barleywine styles, to help you ease into the realm of these ales.

Cheers!

Beer #167 - Adoration Special Winter Ale - Brewery Ommegang, Cooperstown, NY

2010-01-16T21:04:00.000-08:00

Ommegang specializes in Belgium style ales, providing consistent American brewed ales that adhere to the distinctive standards that make Belgian style ales so unique and so tasty. Their winter ale, a dark ale, is spiced with cardamom, coriander, mace, grains of paradise and sweet orange peel. Pop the cork and let it breathe and breathe in the wonderful aroma...

It pours a cloudy brown with a big tight head.

The aroma holds scents of vanilla, cardamom, and general spice with fragrances of yeast.

It is a full ale with immediate pronounced sweet spice. Coriander, orange peel and alcohol tang develop in the body. The spice gives way to effervescent sweetness on the tongue. Orange peel intensifies in the finish where the alcohol tones mix with the yeast flavors to complete a complex and strong sipper.

The aftertaste holds the orange peel sweetness with a spice that rounds off quickly. Yeast and slight bitterness lingers at the very end.

A delicious way to make the winter ales linger - if we have to deal with a few more months of the rain here in Portland, the thought is eased by the knowledge that Ommegang is out there, at your local beer store, making the dark days more quaffable, one sip at a time.

Cheers!

Beer #166 - Hop-Head Imperial IPA, Bend Brewing Company - Bend, Oregon

2010-01-07T22:27:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year and Happy 2010! My intuition is that this will be a great year, indeed! To start this year, indeed, this decade off right, I thought it good to start with the Hop-Head Imperial IPA from Bend Brewing Company. My beer goals this year are to keep the blog updated more frequently and to brew more! This started last weekend, when my friend Dustin and I brewed up a batch of "Santa's Dilemma Ale" a winter ale with ginger, honey, cinnamon and orange peel. It was my first time brewing a concentrate on the stove top indoors - I'm used to freezing outside while brewing. A few weeks and we'll know how it went.
The Hop-Head won a Bronze medal at the 2008 Great American Beer Festival. It's available in the 22oz bottles and on tap in the late fall at the brewpub.

It pours a golden honey with a decent sized head.

The aroma holds big flowery hops with citrus and earthy tones.

Flower notes give way to an earthy smooth body. Honey smoothness on the tongue also holds citrus tones. Earthy bitterness and alcohol tones arrive late on the back of the tongue.

The aftertaste bounces bitterness around the mouth, but it is cut short by a velvety body - smoothing out with a slight vanilla at the very end.

A great way to kick the year off!

Happy drinking -

Beer #165 - Vesuvius Belgian Style Golden Ale, Full Sail Brewery, Hood River Oregon

2009-11-22T21:48:00.000-08:00

November represents the last month that Vesuvius is available, so don't delay! Brewed up the river from us in Hood River, this Belgian Style Golden Ale is available in the 1pt. 6 fluid ounce bottles with 8.2% - Let's give it a try!

It pours a cloudy straw with a tight head.

The aroma holds white pepper, yeast and coriander.

The medium/full body introduces yeast flavors with white pepper and slight coriander. THe yeast spice continues to expand on the palate finishes with a mild earthy hop.

Mild yeast notes linger on the tongue. It finishes fairly clean, crisp and refreshing.

A great introductory example into the wonderful world of Belgian style ales, it does go well with these fall days. As I said, it is only available for a short time more, so enjoy soon!

Cheers!

Cheers!

Beer #164 - Bigfoot Barleywine 2009, Seirra Nevada Brewing Company, Chico California

2009-11-19T21:39:00.000-08:00

Consistently one of my favorite Barleywine style ales each year! Let's try the 2009 -

It pours a caramel color with a thin head.

The aroma is dominated by molasses with sweetness and caramel. There is also a slight hop apparent.

As it warms, a complex mixture of molasses, oak, sweeteness and roast malt are evident in the full body. Alcohol tones arrive later and it finishes long with bitterness, biscuit and caramel.

The aftertaste hold roasty malt notes with oak sweetness and a bright citrus hop at the very end.

Something that ages well, buy enough to enjoy now and later!

Cheers!

Beer # 163 - State Pen Imperial Porter, Santa Fe Brewing Company, Santa Fe New Mexico

2009-11-18T20:16:00.000-08:00

A very limited edition beer - The State Pen Imperial Porter from the Santa Fe Brewing Company looks like it will offer up some big flavor. A beer that is hard to find outside of New Mexico - if you happen by Santa Fe - make the Santa Fe Brewing Company a stop - for sure!

It pours a deep black with a roasted malt colored head.

The aroma reveals a lot of flavor with hop, chocolate and roasted malt. It also offers up some sweetness of oak.

It starts sweet with oak and malt, but the big/full body takes over quickly with big dark chocolate, molasses and roasted malt flavors. It finishes roasty - since it is oak-aged, it also offers hints of oak and wood in the finish, as well.

Hop arrives at the end with freshness and bitterness, which blends nicely with some dark chocolate bitterness that linger nicely on the palate.

A delicious porter that is especially enjoyable on these stormy evenings. It ages well, so it is worth buying if you happen across it - The State Pen Porter is brewed in honor of the Santa Fe Brewing Company's 20th Birthday -

Beer # 162 - Honey Basil Ale, Bison Brewing, Berkeley California

2009-11-18T19:40:00.000-08:00

An interesting sounding ale - probably best suited for the summer months, but let's give it a try...

It pours a cloudy straw color with a thin head.

The aroma is of slight hop with citrus and floral notes. There is also a honey essence.

The medium/light body reveals honey with a crispness on the tongue. Hop builds in the body giving away to sweet malt. Mild basil notes are evident in the finish.

It finishes clean, the basil and honey flavors linger momentarily on the palate.

Light, crisp and refreshing with some unique flavors - Makes me miss summer!

Beer # 161 - The Abyss 2009 & 2008 Deschutes Brewery, Bend Oregon

2009-11-07T08:44:00.000-08:00

This month marked the arrival of Deschutes' Reserve imperial stout. It is a limited release, so don't delay to give it a try. At 11% & 65 IBU's, it packs a punch, as well it should. At their Portland Brew House location, they offer samples of the 2008 release as well. Let's travel back in time, then return to the present release. Come follow me into the Abyss!

The Abyss - 2008
It pours opaque with a light-tawny head.

The aroma holds strong alcohol tones and malt with mild sweetness.

The full body delivers a robust roast malt flavor. The intense flavors seem surprisingly balanced. Biscuit, hop freshness and licorice all unfold on the tongue. Molasses also makes an appearance and lasts through the full finish.

The aftertaste holds the roast malt and molasses sticky on the palate, but is very smooth and gets smoother as you drink.

The Abyss 2009
It pours opaque with a dark tawny head.

The aroma is malt with sweetness. The roast tones are there, as well but a little lighter than expected. Lighter, it seems, than the 2008.

The full body presents BIG malt packed with licorice, roast, oak and bitter chocolate tones. There is a lot there and it evolves as it is enjoyed. It holds a dominating presence over the palate. These flavors last through the finish where the licorice and roast tones take it to the aftertaste.

It finishes relatively clean for such a big sticky thick beer. A hop freshness arrives late and helps the palate from being too dominated. Malt roast and sticky molasses linger on the palate delivering a robust dominating presence without being overly sticky and coating the taste buds. It has more alcohol presence and gets more complex as you drink it.

The Abyss does not hold back. There are many flavors hiding in it's opaque mysteriousness. As it evolves over enjoying, you'll only know the true virtues of the beer when you reach the bottom of the Abyss!

Cheers!

Beer #160 - 13th Anniversary Ale, Stone Brewing Company, Escondido California

2009-11-02T19:49:00.000-08:00

I didn't know too much about Stone's Anniversary Ale this year, but at 9.5%, it seems to offer up the promise of some big flavor...

It pours a brownish hue with a decent head.

The aroma is big hop with some balancing barley tones.

Hop arrives straight off with barley and yeast giving it an intricate backbone. It has a big body where the yeast gives a nice earthiness. The yeast lingers on the tongue as the beer finishes strong but smooth with lasting hop.

The aftertaste has a nice earthy hop with yeast and spice that linger with a dominating presence.

DEFINITELY a 5-star beer. Grab one while you can, you won't regret it!!!

Beer #159 - Local, 1 Brooklyn Brewing Company, Brooklyn New York

2009-11-01T19:40:00.000-08:00

This beer has been waiting for me to drink it for awhile, the time finally came!

It pours golden with a white foamy head.

The aroma is strongly yeast with citrus hop and white pepper.

It starts light, sparkly on the tongue. The body reveals yeast spiciness with a hop bouquet. It is lively on the tongue and that holds through the finish with hop freshness on the tongue.

The aftertaste is mild hop with a lingering spice.

A refreshing and sharp ale!

Beer #158 - Glockenspiel Weizenbock, Great Lakes Brewing Company, Cleveland Ohio

2009-10-30T18:19:00.000-07:00

Our next beer is the fist I've tried from the Great Lakes Brewing Company. My friend Dave brought it back to me from a recent trip he took to the area. Let's give it a try...

It pours a deep reddish hue.

The aroma is yeast with barley and wheat tones. There is mild sweetness apparent, as well.

Yeast and mild spice greet the palate straight off. The body reveals wheat while maintaining the spice and yeast. The hops balance everything back before the beer finishes strong with intense barley, alcohol and wheat tones.

The aftertaste is yeast with wheat. It finishes with a full body that lingers nicely.

It's probably hard to find, but worth it if you can!!!

Cheers!

Beer #157 Hoss Lager, Great Divide Brewing Company, Denver Colorado

2009-10-29T18:05:00.000-07:00

I wanted to try to get a few Lager's in before winter! Summer went quick, the time for these typically lighter and refreshing beers. But the crispness compliments these fall days....

It pours a cloudy amber.

The aroma reveals biscuit tones, vanilla with a mild hop.

The malty body supports a nice biscuit and vanilla on the tongue. The presence of rye gives a more complex flavor, adding earthy and spicy tones to the finish. There is a hop bitterness that arrives at the very back of the tongue.

The aftertaste has a variety of notes including citrus from the hop, malt body and presence with some tartness that lingers.

Cheers!

Beer # 156 - Bob's '47 Oktoberfest, Boulevard Brewing Company, Kansas City Missouri

2009-10-26T18:53:00.000-07:00

The Boulevard Brewing Company, a fine brewery that has an ever growing distribution. This is my first time trying the Octoberfest.

It pours a cloudy straw color with a thin head.

The aroma is sweet caramel malt with some very mild hop tones.

The malt is noticeable right away, with mildly sweet tones. The hop balances the beer back from sweetness, adding a fresh crispness to the light body. It finishes with mild honey and complex malt that rounds off nicely.

The aftertaste holds the malt tones, the palate resets quickly. It's a great all-around beer that would pair with many fall dishes. A great autumn beer with it's light crisp body and complex underlying malt tones.

Enjoy!

Beer #155 - Wit, Oregon Trail Ales, Corvallis Oregon

2009-10-06T18:39:00.000-07:00

A new brewery for me! I was in Corvallis not so long ago and was able to try the Wit from Oregon Trail Ales. Now, I did have a mild cold, so my tasting was not as accurate as usual, but I still wanted to share.

It pours a brilliant orange/straw.

The aroma is slight spice with orange and coriander.

It is smooth, but a offers a nice bite with the spice in the body. There is plenty of coriander and orange, white pepper was not as noticeable, but again, a general spice was present.

The aftertaste held orange peel and coriander on the palate, but reset quickly.

A crisp, but smooth offering, it went well with the huge sandwich I enjoyed...

Cheers!

Beer # 154 - Hop Pale Pale, Laurelwood Brewery, Portland Oregon AND Others from the Hood River Hops Fest 2009!

2009-10-04T14:26:00.000-07:00

With over 31 fresh hop beers (though over 50 beers available to sample) the 2009 Hood River Hops Fest premiered some excellent examples of fresh hop beer styles. Ranging from Pales Ales to Red Ales, Amber and Wheat to Imperial IPA, Octoberfest to Farmhouse style and even a Hemp ale - the 27 breweries involved gave a well-rounded showing of ales and lagers. Their one similarity - the fresh hop! A glorious occasion to come together!
I sampled 15 beers and was impressed with the range and varieties available. This was a perfect time to sample the differences in aroma, taste, body and finish of different hops - Amaillo, Chinook, Crystal...you name it. If you want to line up a taste test of hops, this is your place. There will be a Fresh Hop Tastival in Portland on October 10th and in Eugene on October 17th, check www.oregonbeer.org for details... There were many beers to try, but I managed to scratch down a few brief notes on each of my samples...

-One of my favorites from this year was the Hop Pale Pale from Laurelwood, a brewery that continues to impress. It pours a cloudy amber. A good way to introduce yourself to the Amarillo hop, the aroma is all hop. The bitter full body has a rounded finish that lingers nicely, giving you great breath!

-Ninkasi, my favorite brew-find of 2008! brought their Nugg E. Fresh Wet Hop Ale - a red ale featuring Crystal hops. It had darker characteristics in both color and flavor, with a fuller body and not quite as crisp as some of the others I sampled. The hop was very soft and though it was a red, there was no real sweetness present. I thought it a great beer and if I had more tokens, I would have returned!

-Pelican Brewery, an all-time favorite of mine (with a picturesque brewpub in Pacific City) presented their Elemental Ale - which displayed the virtues of the Sterling hop in this strong pale. It was crisp, but the hop seemed to soften the crispness, rounding out the body. Sterling isn't as floral-y as other hops and tends to a more earthy balanced flavor.

-Walking Man Brewery, up the river in Stevenson, Washington - just a skip across the Bridge of the Gods, featured two beers, their Hoptoberfest, an Octoberfest Lager and the Holalong IPA. At 6.9% this big IPA held bold flowery hop that lasted well through the finish. You will walk away with the virtues of the Chinkook hop still on your palate. It is crisp and delicious, a good complement to these fall days! The Hoptoberfest held it's own with imported German malts and hops. Rich and malty, it tended toward the sweeter side with a coppery finish. Another welcome compliment to fall.

-Three Creeks Brewery from Sisters, Oregon, presented their Santiam Hop Harvest, which I kick myself for not trying. It is a Farmhouse Ale with Santiam fresh hops. Their other beer was the Desperado Imperial IPA, which I did sample. It has a nice full rounded body with big hops, but not overly bitter or flowery. It did seem to have an excess of CO2, but it's nice lingering finish helped forgive it...

-Eliot Glacier, from Parkdale, Oregon, sampled their Belgian Espresso Stout and their Gnarl Ridge Double Dry Hopped IPA. The Stout was in the dubbel tradition of ales and held big noteso of chocolate, espresso and yeast. Almost a brown ale in character until the yeast settles in on the palate giving it a unique tang. It has a nice full body with a lingering sweetness after the yeast spice. The Gnarl Ridge shifted gears drastically, offering up big earthy hop and a nice full finish.

-Double Mountain, from right there in Hood River, offfered up the Dapper Dan, a mild brown ale and the one I tried, the Killer Green Fresh Hop IPA which kicked it up a gear with Brewer's Gold hops. A big full body with a nice long hop finish that dominates the palate.

-Hopworks Brewery from here in Portland made an appearance with their 7-Grain Survival Stout and the Sodbuster's Pale Ale. The Sodbuster's featured Crystal hops. A little thin, it offers up an interesting sweetness that curbed the bitterness, resetting the palate quickly.

-Upright Brewing had their Upright Four Farmhouse Ale and the Fresh Hop of Bel Air. With a name like that, I couldn't refuse. It is a Saison with Liberty hops. Citrus notes combined with the yeast to deliver a uniquely tasty beer. White pepper and spice on the back of the tongue, finishing with the citrus tones.

-Big Horse Brewing from Hood River appeared with their The Strange, a Hemp Ale and Vernon the Rabbit Slayer. Again, I'm a sucker for names. Vernon is an Imperial IPA with Simcoe hops. It is big with earthy hop and a malt backbone. There is bitterness-a-plenty and it dominates the palate with Simcoe.

-Amnesia had both their Copacetic IPA and their Fresh Hoppalata Pale Ale, which features Liberty hops. It packs a punch with an earthy big body and a nice lingering finish.

-Astoria offered up their Bitter Bitch Double IPA and the Hoptimus Prime 2.0 Pale Ale. Featuring Simcoe and Cascade, the Hoptimus offered up the earthy Simcoe flavor with a nice pine, as well. The Cascade hops helped to make an interesting and unique finish on the beer that lingers for awhile on the palate.

-One of the first Fresh Hop Beers I ever tried years ago was the Hop Trip from Deschutes. This Pale Ale with Crystal hops was my introduction to the Fresh Hop style and I finished the festival with this beer in honor of it's place in my personal beer history. My palate was quite useless at this point to commit to a proper tasting, so I will leave it at this: a great beer!

I hope you will have a chance to introduce yourself to some of these fine Lagers and Ales - some are available in stores, others at the breweries and of course, at the upcoming Fresh Hop Fests. It's a short harvest season, so don't delay!

Cheers!

Beer #153 - Coal Porter, Atlantic Brewing Company, Bar Harbor Maine

2009-09-22T22:42:00.000-07:00

You gotta love it when you can match your glassware to your beer! Our next beer, a porter, comes from the East Coast - Bar Harbor, where a dark drink is necessary on those stormy coastal nights! Let's give it a try!

It pours opaque with a thin tight head.

The aroma is nut malt with mild chocolate tones. There is a very mild sweetness.

The initial taste is nut malt, but the chocolate tones quickly take over. It has a medium body and is fairly rich, though it finishes fairly clean. Vanilla builds while drinking, but the bitterness from hops and the nuttiness of the malt keep it from gaining too much sweetness.

The aftertaste is mildly hoppy, but mostly malt and vanilla - the palate clears quickly.

It's hard to get ahold of, but a nice porter to enjoy if you get it...and you gotta love the name!

Cheers!

Alleycat Amber Ale, Lost Coast Brewery & Cafe, Eureka California

2009-09-21T19:45:00.000-07:00

A brewery that I do not have too often is the Lost Coast Brewery. Their beers are available with decent distribution throughout the west coast. Let's give their amber ale a try...

It pours a brilliant amber/copper with a decent sized tight head.

The aroma is dominated by caramel malt with a fair amount of sweetness.

The medium body holds caramel malt on the tongue. Mild hop bitterness is apparent in the body, as well. The sweetness arrives at the end, but does not dominate the beer. It is crisp on the tongue, but finishes smooth.

The aftertaste is caramel with hop bitterness winning out over the sweetness. A lingering biscuity malt leaves a nice flavor on the breath.

Though I am not the biggest fan of ambers, this one hold some interesting character without becoming too sweet or falling into blandness.

Cheers!

Beer #152 - Wry Pale Ale, Laurelwood Brewing, Portland Oregon

2009-09-20T22:35:00.000-07:00

The Laurelwood Brewing Company serves up certified organic ales at 3 public houses/resaturants around Portland. Select ales are also available at a variety of stores in 22oz bottles. One of their recent seasonal offerings is the Rye Pale Ale. An interesting hybrid of Pale Ale with Rye Malt. Let's give it a try!

It pours a brilliant straw color with a medium-sized tight head.

The aroma is bright hop with mild citrus tones.

The medium body introduces straw and citrus tones right off. There is substantial bitterness on the tongue, but it does not dominate the palate. A rounded malt backbone is evident on the back of the tongue, curbing the hop and balancing the flavor. Citrus tones reveal subtle grapefruit and orange layers.

The aftertaste holds tones of grapefruit citrus which initially dominates, then fades to a mild bitterness that leaves a freshness in the mouth.

A refreshing beer with plenty of substance and a unique spin with the addition of the rye malt. It is a good sipper on these last hot days of summer, but also will pair easily with many dishes.

Cheers!

Beer #151 - Old Stock 2008, North Coast Brewing Company, Fort Bragg, California

2009-09-18T21:21:00.000-07:00

Well, I may not have waited long enough, but I couldn't resist cracking open my Old Stock...

Pours a thick caramel/copper color.

The aroma is sweet malt, with a mild nuttiness. Hop is largely apparent after the sweetness.

The full body has large notes of caramel and thick sticky malt. Mild hop develops at the end of the body and though the bitterness is mild, it is present. It ends with bitterness, sweet and alcohol

The aftertaste is all alcohol, malt and caramel. It finishes relatively smooth for such a strong ale - it has a velvety character that pulls the chewy malt out from being too thick.

Available in 12oz bottles with 12.5%.

Cheers!

#150, Zon, Boulevard Brewing Company, Kansas City Missouri

2009-09-17T22:34:00.000-07:00

Our next beer comes from a brewery that is definitely on my top find list for last year and has began to become increasingly available out here in the Northwest.

The beer pours a cloudy unfiltered straw color with a thin head.

The aroma is white pepper, wheat, citrus (mostly orange) and coriander.

The medium body is crisp and refreshing. Subtle white pepper and spice greet the tongue. It finishes with orange and coriander

The aftertaste is subtle with slight wheat and citrus. It is quite fresh and refreshing! A great summer beer!

Zon is apparently Flemish for sun, so enjoy while these summer days are still here!

Cheers!

#149, Latona, Rogue Ales, Newport Oregon

2009-09-16T21:09:00.000-07:00

Apparently with only two ingredients: Special Aromatic malt and Rainier hops, Latona Ale is a delicious addition to Rogues expansive list of ales.

It pours a cloudy brilliant amber.

The aroma is very subtle - slight sweetness and slight hop.

The hop builds in the body. The sweetness is curved by the bitterness that arrives in the medium body and at the back of the tongue. Honey and earthy bright hop at the end. It is smooth and refreshing.

The aftertaste is bitter and hoppy and very fresh.

Cheers!

#148, Chatoe Wet-Hopped Ale, Rogue Ales, Newport Oregon

2009-09-15T21:03:00.000-07:00

The newly released Chatoe Wet-Hopped Ale!!! Need I say more?

It pours a hazy red color with a white foamy head.

The aroma is slight with light hop and mild sweetness.

The taste is hoppy with a medium body. It has a pleasant bitterness on the tongue and is very very smooth.

The aftertaste is slightly bitter with nice earthy tones to the hop.

It is a rather simple beer with delicious hop tones. Smooth and easy to drink and pair with food.

Cheers!

#147, Invasive Species IPA, Captured by Porches Brewing Company, St. Helens Oregon

2009-09-14T20:57:00.000-07:00

Our next beer comes from the tiny Captured by Porches Brewing Company in tiny St. Helens - just west of Portland, Oregon. I caught up with the brewer at the Green Dragon here in Portland and sampled the Invasive Species IPA.

It pours a thick unfiltered copper.

The aroma is heavy floral hop with mild citrus.

It has a medium body that is very smooth. It starts flowery, and the hop builds on the tongue with big citrus (orange/grapefruit) tones. The bitterness is not overwhelming but builds in the finish. The strong citrus tones resonate.

The aftertaste is big orange/citrus on the palate with dominating bitterness. It has a slight sour finish and as that dissipates, there is a slight pine flavor.

Available around Portland and St. Helens, Oregon

#146, Tsunami Stout, Pelican Brewery, Pacific City Oregon

2009-09-13T20:51:00.000-07:00

This is the only way I'd ever want to experience a Tsunami...

It pours opaque with a big caramel colored head.

The aroma holds tones of vanilla and caramel.

It has a thick full body, but not too heavy or sticky on the palate. Vanilla and caramel malt appear on the tongue and there is slight bitterness on the sides on the tongue which keeps it lively and not too sticky.

The aftertaste is mild chocolate with vanilla. The hop bitterness keeps the sweetness from dominating. The nice rich malt fades fairly quickly on the palate.

A great stout that is balanced and easy to drink. It is very smooth and surprisingly clean on the the finish!

Cheers!

Palo Santo Marron, Dogfish Head Brewery, Milton Delaware

2009-08-16T19:38:00.000-07:00

The Dogfish Head craft brewery likes to challenge with their interesting and often, strong beers. I picked up the Palo Santo Marron a while ago which is described on the bottle as "Malt beverage aged on Palo Santo Wood." (That is a Paraguayan wood.) At 12%, it is available in 12 oz bottles.

It pours opaque with a dark head.

The aroma is sweet with vanilla, caramel and heavy malt. It does have that "oak-aged" element that I've had before (though noted this is Palo Santo wood - which is used in wine making in South America).

The full body launches a lot of flavor. The malt starts right off, but vanilla and caramel catch up on the tongue. The sweetness builds there before dissolving a bit in the finish where wood, and a smoky malt curb the beer from being overly sweet. Alcohol tang rounds up the finish.

The aftertaste is malty and thick with initial sweet notes (mostly vanilla) kicking around - but that releases into a wood/aged alcohol flavor. It resonates on the tongue almost like wine.

This is a deliciously interesting strong beer - definitely worth the try - a slow sipper to enjoy all the flavors offered up...

Cheers!

Morimoto Soba, Rogue Ales, Newport Oregon

2009-08-15T19:20:00.000-07:00

On yet another recent trip to the coast (and therefore, to Rogue Ales) I enjoyed their Morimoto Soba Ale - made from buckwheat (Soba) which is of the rhubarb family (not wheat). Interesting, but not as interesting as the taste! Let's give it a try....

It pours copper with a thin head.

The aroma has an interesting caramel essence, but not sweet. It is also slightly nutty.

The taste is delicate, but holds it's own. It is almost cask-like with it's smooth velvety medium/light body. Honey is apparent up front, but a nutty flavor arrives on the tongue. There is slight caramel (again not sweet) in the finish.

The aftertaste is sweet and slightly bitter. It is very smooth -

This beer is definitely hard to pin down - it's refreshing and unique, but the unique quality doesn't overpower, it's a nice clean beer to enjoy anytime -

Cheers!

Saison, Great Divide Brewing Company, Denver Colorado

2009-08-14T19:00:00.000-07:00

Great Divide's farmhouse style ale offering is simply titled Saison - Known for their yeast presence they tend to be refreshing yet robust. Let's give Great Divide's a sample....

It pours a straw, near copper color with a white head.

The aroma is strong yeast with peppery spice. There is also orange and citrus at the end.

This Saison is bright and refreshing with a light/medium body. Yeast and peppery spice are present on the tongue, then citrus arrives at the end. There is also slight coriander in the finish.

The aftertaste is slightly sour and bitter with dominant citrus tones.

A wonderful, refreshing summer seasonal. At 7.3%, it holds it's own - yet the citrus and yeast keep it lively and fresh -

Enjoy!

Glen, Rogue Ales, Newport Oregon

2009-08-01T16:54:00.000-07:00

And we're back...On a recent adventure to the coast, we dropped by the Rogue Brewpub in Newport, Oregon. It was a hot day, but the Glen from Rogue hit the spot - both cold and refreshing.

It pours a honey hue with a medium head.

The aroma is mild hop, but not overly flowery. The hop is curbed by the malt aroma that arrives a little later.

It is hoppy, but smooth. There isn't much bitterness in the body, which is medium/full and velvety. Bitterness does arrive in the finish with a malt presence which gives it body.

The aftertaste is bitterness with malt that weighs on the palate keeping the hop from dominating the finish.

Cheers!

Back Burner Barleywine, Southern Tier Brewing Company, Lakewood New York

2009-07-20T14:40:00.000-07:00

The bottle of "Back Burner Imperial Barley Wine Style Ale" that I had in my reserves was brewed early 2008. I kept it around to see how it would age and recently had the chance to enjoy the result of my patience.

It pours a hazy caramel with a caramel tinted tight head.

The aroma is burnt sugar and caramel right off, but not overly sweet smelling. Instead there are molasses tones coupled with mild hop.

It has a creamy full body and an unexpected spice on the palate/mid tongue where a peppery liveliness reveals itself. Molasses arrives at the back of the mouth with the burnt sugar. The very end results in more sweetness and the peppery spice lingers in the mouth.

The aftertaste reveals bitterness and malt that carries the spiciness. It's not as thick as expected, keeping the palate from getting overwhelmed.

Enjoyable aged or "as-is", it's a wonderful beer!

Cheers!

Sinister, 10 Barrel Brewing Company, Bend Oregon

2009-07-18T14:32:00.000-07:00

On a recent stop to pick up a Flying Pie Pizza, I had the chance to enjoy the Sinister (Black Ale) from 10 Barrel while I waited. A great way to spend a few minutes while waiting for a pizza -

It pours opaque with a small head.

The aroma is mild, but sweet malt is detectable with some mild hop.

Mild chocolate malt with a little sweetness greets the taste buds. It has a rich body with lots of character. Not overly heavy, it is an easy beer to enjoy by itself. It finishes clean with brown sugar and caramel malt at the end. From their website, I learned they use German de-husked black malt. It is also mentioned that this malt is free of astringency, which helps keep the beer from being overly heavy or sticky on the palate.

The aftertaste is mild richness with caramel and brown sugar. It finishes remarkably clean...

Cheers!

Hefeweizen, Beaver Street Brewery, Flagstaff Arizona

2009-07-17T17:42:00.000-07:00

A great place to visit in Flagstaff is the Beaver Street Brewery - a great menu with great beers!

Their Hefeweizen pours a cloudy honey color.

The aroma exposes mild banana that rises first with subtle clove.

It starts crisp with a medium body, smooth with slight hop. Banana and clove are there, but very slight. There is a slight sourness in the finish.

The aftertaste is refreshing with slight banana and clove.

A very subtle hef, but very refreshing too -

Cheers!

Drop City IPA, Trinidad Brewing Company, Trinidad Colorado

2009-07-16T17:09:00.000-07:00

Flying along the highway between Colorado Springs and Taos, we took a brief break from the road in the small town of Trinidad. It's an interesting little town and we were lucky to meet the very friendly people at Trinidad Brewing Company. I tried their IPA...

It pours a brilliant amber with a big head.

The aroma has strong earthy hop - it's a nice full aroma.

It has a full earthy hop with a nice medium/full body. Bitterness builds strong, exposing the big earthy hop.

The aftertaste is bitter, lingering nicely...

If you happen across this small town, pay a visit to the brewery - it's a great way to spend the afternoon -

Cheers1

Elk Lake IPA, Bend Brewing Company, Bend Oregon

2009-07-15T00:00:00.000-07:00

Ahh, the Bend Brewing Company.... In a state with so many brewery options, this is a great gem.

It pours darker amber, hazy with a tight head.

The big aromatic hops reveal a mild pine.

The hop builds in the medium body, bitter with a mild pine on the tongue. It is flowery and hoppy 'til the end.

The aftertaste - bitter on the tongue, rests on the palate for awhile before having a clean finish. Bitter, but refreshing!

I brought a Hop Head IPA home in a bottle - We'll sample that another day...

Cheers!

Rio Refresco Pale Ale, Eske's Pub and Restaurant, Taos New Mexico

2009-07-13T23:36:00.000-07:00

The second of the Eske's beers I sampled at their brew pub and restaurant in Taos, New Mexico was the Rio Refresco Pale Ale, which sounded good after a long hot day in the sun...

It pours a thick honey color with a nice big head.

The aroma is citrus with hop - and a unique aroma which - and I may just have been influenced by the dry environs - I detected a hint of agave.

Earthy hop builds, but it is not too bitter. It has a medium body, smooth with slight citrus and I swear, agave - if any one else tries this beer, let me know what you think.

The aftertaste is mildly bitter and dry.

Cheers!

Compass Cask IPA, Bristol Brewing Company, Colorado Springs Colorado

2009-07-12T23:00:00.000-07:00

Our next beer (another brief departure from my month of darker beers) comes from the Bristol Brewery in Colorado Springs. A great little place I had the pleasure of visiting in May - When I was there, they had the Compass IPA on Cask.

It pours a honey color with a big head.

The aroma is mild grapefruit and citrus with mild yeast.

It is creamy with a medium body. Very smooth with a nice earthy hop that arrives toward the finish. The bitterness builds at the end - it's an easy drinker.

The aftertaste is bitter on the tongue lingering for awhile...

The cask mellow the bitter edge of the beer and it makes for a nice velvety beverage.

Cheers!

10,000 Foot Stout, Eske's Brew Pub & Restaurant, Taos New Mexico

2009-07-09T23:10:00.000-07:00

Back to the dark beers! Well, if you are ever in Taos, drop by the small but tasty Eske's Brewing Company. We sampled two beers, first, their 10,000 Foot Stout....

It pours opaque with a thin tight head.

The aroma is chocolate with deep roasty malt and mildly sweet.

It has a full body with deep dark chocolate. It is roasty with a building sweetness (cherry). There are oak tones as well...

The aftertaste reveals the bitterness with cherry lingering on the tongue making a slight sour tone appearing at the very end.

Cheers!

Surfer Summer Ale, Pelican Brewing Company, Pacific City Oregon

2009-07-09T22:41:00.000-07:00

A brief break from my Christmas in July beers...Lets have a true taste of summer. I've posted many enthusiastic posts about the Pelican brewery, so let's see how their summer seasonal holds up....

It pours a golden hue with a tight head.

The aroma is dominated by hop and white pepper with citrus zest and coriander.

It is a crisp beer with mild hop with very subtle spice in the body - mostly white pepper and coriander. There is also honey and mild citrus on the finish.

The aftertaste fishes very clean with hop freshness on the palate.

Flavorful more in the aroma than the taste, the ale is a light crisp warm weather beer that still offers some very nice flavors of summer! Great for a picnic!

Cheers!

Baggywrinkle Barleywine, Cisco Brewers, Nantucket Massachusetts

2009-07-08T20:18:00.000-07:00

Baggywrinkle Barleywine...what more can you say? I check the Cisco Brewers website, which actually explains the name - Baggywrinkle being a nautical term, it's a good story - check it out on their site!

It pours a thick unfiltered molasses with a tight head.

The aroma is sweet malt with mild raisen and mild smokiness.

Big sweeet malt greets you right away. It is thick and velvety in the body. The sweetness lessens a bit at the finish, exposing more caramel molasses, raisen and heavy malt. It has a slightly bitter finish with Chinook and Northern Brewer Hops.

The aftertaste has caramel, biscuit, molasses and fig notes.

At 9.8% and in the 22oz, it's a great late evening sipper on the back porch....or front porch...or lawn...or somebody elses lawn if you don't have one...or the park....there are several flavors that develope as the beer warms.

Cheers!

Espresso Oak Aged Yeti, Great Divide Brewing Company, Denver Colorado

2009-07-07T16:37:00.000-07:00

I enjoyed this one during a trip a bit ago to Colorado. It was my first time in Denver and we instantly migrated to one of my favorite breweries - Great Divide Brewing. On take was this - the Espresso Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout. This is a stout aged in oak chips with espresso added. A perfect addition to the Christmas in July series....

It pours opaque with a big caramel colored head.

The aroma is deep malt with chocolate tones. Coffee and mild smokiness are also there.

It has a thick full body loaded with chocolate and coffee roastiness. Deep malt residue on the tongue and palate. It lingers with layers of chocolate, coffee, malt and has a slight bitterness in the finish.

The aftertaste is thick alcohol and malt roastiness that carries for awhile.

A big robust beer at 9.5%....

Cheers!

Oat, Southern Tier Brewing Company, Lakewood New York

2009-07-05T17:48:00.000-07:00

Our next Christmas in July beer was one I sampled a bit ago - the Oat, an Imperial Oatmeal Stout from Southern Tier brewing. This is an August release, so look for it soon!

It pours opaque with a tight caramel head.

The aroma is big malt with thick molasses and sweet with burnt sugar.

It is a thick full body, sticky molasses right off. At 11%, the alcohol is fairly transparent. It is sugary but has a mild oak that puts some backing on the sweetness and keeps it from being overly sugar dominated.

The aftertaste is thick big molasses - the sweetness is completely rounded off by oak and alcohol - it is definitely a sipper. Enjoy from the 22oz bottle in a snifter. A slow drinker in the late evening, perhaps lounging on the hammock!

Cheers!

Blue Finn Stout, Shipyard Brewing, Portland Maine

2009-07-04T10:13:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th of July! Well I'm sure we'll all be out there enjoying our BBQ's and there are plenty of great beers to enjoy with them - The Terminal Gravity ESB, Spring Reign from Ninkasi, Shine Bock, Hop Stoopid from Lagunitas, Independence Hop Ale from Rogue and sooooo many more! Me, I'm going to use this holiday to kick off my "Christmas in July" tasting. Although I am still trying to catch up from May and June's beer tasting adventures which will be interspersed throughout the month, I will use July to taste some of the Barleywines and stouts that I held on reserve... Let's start it off with the Blue Finn Stout from Shipyard. Located in the "other" Portland (Maine) it is available throughout the Northeast in 12oz & 22oz bottles...

It pours opaque with a big caramel colored head.

The aroma is deep chocolate and roasty malt.

It has a big full body with chocolate and sticky mildly smoky notes at the end. Hop bitterness builds near the finish and keeps it lively on the palate. This also helps it from getting too sticky at the end.

The aftertaste is roasty chocolate and malt that hangs around, but again, doesn't get overwhelming.

So you may wonder why you'd want to enjoy a sticky heavy stout or barleywine under these beautiful summer skies? Well, wait until the sun goes down, the stars make their best attempt to shine through the haze of the city or blaze in the country skies. Sit back and sip on one of these upcoming beers and like enjoying a fine bourbon or cognac, take the time to contemplate the complex notes while reflecting on these summer days! For me, it's a great summer additive, a relaxing evening, enjoying friends, warm weather and maybe a little Chet Baker on the stereo...

Cheers!

Meyer ESB, Thirsty Bear Brewing Company, San Francisco California

2009-07-01T20:41:00.000-07:00

In San Francisco there lies many a great beers. During a recent trip, my friend Jason and I found our way to the Thirsty Bear, the first stop of many that night! They had a decent variety on tap and their menu looked good as well, but I went with the Nitro Conditioned (from a traditional "Firkin" keg) ESB.

It pours a deep copper with a tight head.

The aroma is very slight with some floral hop and light sweet malt.

It has big molasses right off with some sweet malt and burnt sugar developing in the body. This is rounded off by a soft floral hop bitterness at the end, but fails to completely curb the sweetness in the finish. Some may enjoy the finishing sweetness, I tend toward a cleaner finish rather than sweet and this one fell a little on the sweet side.

The aftertaste is burnt sugar with bitterness that builds. Sticky molasses dominates the palate.

If in the city, it would be worth the time to hunt the Thirsty Bear down and give it a try, since they aren't bottling...

Cheers!

5 Barrel Pale Ale, Odell Brewing Company

2009-06-29T21:26:00.000-07:00

One of the great beers I had the chance to try last month in Colorado was the 5 Barrel Pale Ale from Odell. I'm not sure what the extent of their distribution is, but if you come across it - it'd be worth the try...

It pours copper with a tight head.

The aroma is very subtle with slight flowery hop and slight citrus notes.

It starts very subtle, but after a few sips, the flowery hop develops and reveals a nice bitterness. The bitterness builds and lingers on the tongue revealing some subtle citrus flavor as well.

The aftertaste is bitter and very very dry.

with 5.2% and 36 IBUs, it's a great beer for dinner or for as a sessions beer.

Cheers!

Spring Reign, Ninkasi Brewing Company, Eugene Oregon

2009-06-25T18:30:00.000-07:00

Well, I raved about the Ninkasi Double Red a bit ago, so now I will rave about there next beer in my sampling, the Spring Reign....Available in 22oz bombers around Oregon, it presents itself with 28 IBU's and 6%...

It pours a honey hue with a tight head.

The aroma is burnt sugar and caramel with a hop tang at the end.

It is roasty malt right up front, hop earthiness appears in the medium body. It is very refreshing with roasty notes at the end. The hop lifts the malt and keeps it from getting too heavy with the sugar notes.

THe aftertaste is bitter with lingering biscuity malt.

More malty than expected but still refreshing with the bold hop backbone. I highly recomend this spring refresher - even if it is already summer~

Cheers!

La Fleur Amere, Pelican Brewery, Pacific City Oregon

2009-06-22T20:47:00.000-07:00

This weekend I had the fortune of coming across the 2009 Brewer's Summer Games at the beautiful Pelican Brewery. This was my first beer festival on the beach and it really is as good as it seems...One of the best beers I had was the La Fleur Amere (The Bitter Flower) brewed right there at the Pelican Brewery. It is a Belgium yeast based English IPA - Nice!

It pours copper with a tight head.

The aroma has a slight sourness but with nice flowery notes.

It is bitter and the yeast is right up front. Dry-hopped, it the bitterness develops in the body. It is balanced, but with some bold taste that has a lot of character.

The aftertaste is mildly tart, and dry with yeast.

I'd recommend trying this one, but it is hard to find! They had it at the brewery, but only available for take-away in a growler.

Other notable beers I enjoyed: Lompoc Bald Guy Ale, Vaporizer IPA from Double Mountain, Oatmeal Pale from Fort George and Silver City Whoop Pass Double IPA -

Cheers!

Believer Double Red Ale, Ninkasi Brewing Company, Eugene Oregon

2009-06-08T17:58:00.000-07:00

Now, let me prep by saying I usually don't enjoy reds, but as mentioned before, put double in front of it and you've got me!

It pours deep and dark with a big tight head.

The aroma is sweet with caramel malt and mild vanilla. Hops are aplenty and there is a slight pine aroma as well.

It has a full smooth body. A slight sourness (that's meant in the best possible way) builds in the body, but it finishes creamy just as the hop bitterness builds. That vague pine is buried it deep, it took me a while to identify what it was I was tasting and that is the best way to describe it. For a double, the beer is fairly dynamic offering up sour, bitter, pine and ultimately sweet then bitter tones.

The aftertaste is bitter with bold malt character.

Quite a beer and I continue to be impressed by Ninkasi's line-up. So far I've enjoyed every beer I've had from them and look forward to continue trying their beers. Look for the double red in the 22oz bottles.

6.9% with 60 IBUs and I'm a believer!!!

Cheers!

Extra Special Golden, Terminal Gravity Brewing, Enterprise Oregon

2009-06-06T15:53:00.000-07:00

A new one for me. The ESG is described as an American Lager with a kick - Let's give it a try....

It pours a bright straw color with a medium head.

The aroma is all lager, lots of straw hopness with some mild citrus and orange peel.

It has a light/medium body, bigger than I was expecting. It is fairly creamy, as well. The crispness arrives at the end. Light hop and citrus builds in the body. Over all, very drinkable and indeed more dynamic than a "typical" American lager.

The aftertaste is clean, slightly "beery". It is a refresher and the palate resets fairly quickly.

A good hot afternoon beer. It does offer more kick and dynamic flavor than one would sometimes expect from a lager. Definitely one to try this summer. Available in 12oz bottles -

Cheers!

Olde School Barleywine, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Milton Delaware

2009-06-04T20:45:00.000-07:00

Don't let anyone tell you that there is a wrong time for Barleywine. Yes, they are good in the cool depths of winter, but they are also equally good on a late spring eve. A storm just passed through Portland and I think it's a good time to crack open a beer I've had on standby for about six or seven months now. Let's give the Olde School a try....
It pours a deep amber hue

The aroma is brown sugar and molasses.

It is a viscous beer - thick with sugars. The molasses and brown sugar jump up right away. A burnt caramel flavor kicks in with subtlety in the body (which is full, quite full). The finish curves away from being too sweet - the 15% becomes apparent and the beer finishes heavy with oak and bitterness (85 IBUs).

The aftertaste is a mix of molasses and oak, a little chewy - like a cigar or cognac, it settles nicely on the palate despite it's bold flavor.

HIGHLY recommended, especially after a little aging. Give it a try anytime, any season. Available a certain times of the year in the 12oz bottles -

Cheers!

Oaked Arrogant Bastard, Stone Brewing Company, Escondido California

2009-06-02T22:41:00.000-07:00

It's been a long while! A few trips have led me to Colorado, New Mexico, California, BC and Alaska...Where many great beers have been had! I will get back on the blogging wagon and post some of these soon! For now, it's good to be back in Portland, the land of beer. I will continue sampling some new beers as I post some of the delicious beers from my trips...

For now here's an old favorite of mine...At 7.2% and available year round in the 12oz bottles, there is never a bad time for a bastard...

It pours a deep copper with a thin head.

The aroma is big oak with vanilla sweetness. Roasty malt is evident as well.

It has a big full body although it starts mellow. The flavors develop quickly in the body, the roasty malt and oak combine giving it a lot of character. There isn't the sweetness that is evident in the aroma.

The aftertaste is bitterness and oak which lingers nicely.

A good experiment is to get a regular Bastard and an Oak Bastard, line 'em up and try 'em!

Cheers!

Shiner Bock, Spoetzl Brewing, Shiner Texas

2009-04-28T22:35:00.000-07:00

I'm on a road trip right now - trying some exciting beers to blog about when I return. This is a post I had drafted to post...

Sometimes it's nice to keep it simple. It was a hot hot afternoon in Napa some years ago. My wife and I had our belly full of wine from a day's worth of tasting. A Texan at the Bed and Breakfast we were staying was leaving that day. He had a six pack of Shiner and wanted to leave it behind. Into my welcome arms did those bottles safely fall and that was my first experience of Shiner. After the wine and sitting out on the porch in the heat....

It pours a dark copper with a medium head.

The aroma is malt with a slight bitterness and a slight yeast.

It is light and crisp but with a nice malt body that has character. It isn't a delicate beer, but it is subtle.

The aftertaste is mild malt and the palate resets quickly.

This is a great bbq beer and I highly recommend it for the festivities coming up this summer season -

Cheers!

Blue Dot Double IPA, Hair of the Dog Brewing Company, Portland Oregon

2009-04-22T22:25:00.000-07:00

7%, 22oz bottle, Double IPA...I'm in!
Firstly, notice the glassware - it's from the Spring Beer and Wine Fest I attended last Friday here in Portland. I had some delicious beers here including two great ones from Walking Man Brewery and a white ale from Fort George which was excellent (plus I had a chance to talk with one of the brewers there - thanks for the hat!). More about these two brewery's when I continue to visit them throughout this blog...For now let's go back to our beer d'jour.

It pours an unfiltered straw color with a big foamy head.

The aroma is BIG BIG earthy and floral hop with a slight straw flavor. Yeast tones also permeate.

Big hop jumps up right away. The yeast tones develop in the full body. It starts nice and crisp, but turns creamy towards the finish. There is a slight citrus flavor and some honey tones, as well.

The aftertaste is straight up hop with a slight straw flavor, as well.

Okay, I know Double IPA's aren't necessarily the most dynamic beers, but they can be enjoyed for their robust character and I that's exactly why I like them!

Cheers!

Belgian Style Tripel Ale, Stone Brewing Company (& Collaborators), Escondido California

2009-04-14T21:30:00.000-07:00

The Belgian Tripel Ale raised to new heights with a collaboration between 3 breweries - Stone, Alesmith (San Diego) and Mikkeller (Denmark). At 9.5% it is available - for a limited time in the 12oz bottles. I picked mine up at Belmont Station a bit ago. Act now, because I'm sure it wont be around long...

It pours a bright amber with a thin head.

The aroma is white pepper, orange peel, citrus and yeast.

There is big yeast right up front. In the medium body, the citrus and white pepper build. It's a complex beer with a lot of tones that appear throughout the beer. Some are subtle like the coriander that drift around the palate - others are stronger like the citrus tones.

The aftertaste is just as complex as the body. Coriander and white pepper are evident with the yeast. It finishes bitter and viscous.

An excellent beer! Cheers!

Shiner 99, Shiner Beers, Shiner Texas

2009-04-11T21:18:00.000-07:00

Our next beer hails from Texas...Shiner, Texas. I've had it on the list for a long time to blog, and finally it's time is here....

It pours a golden hue with a thin head.

The aroma is very very light, with slight hop.

It is crisp and easy to drink with tones of light earthy hop and honey.

The aftertaste is just a slight bitterness with a mild hop.

The beer is very very delicate, it would be great for a a bbq!

Cheers!

Claymore Scotch Ale, Great Divide Brewing Company, Denver Colorado

2009-04-11T08:54:00.000-07:00

A recent and very consistent favorite of mine has been the Great Divide Brewing from Denver Colorado. Scotch style ales or "Wee Heavy" beers are absolutely delicious and I was excited to find this one at Belmont Station.
Let's give it a try...

It pours opaque with a caramel colored head.

The aroma is sweet malt with a nice smokiness.

It has a creamy full body, smoky malt with an alcohol sweetness. It starts light, but builds to a nice rounded maltiness.

The aftertaste is biscuity malt with a mild sweetness.

This is a delicious beer and at 7.7% holds up the wee heavy half of the bargain. It's a great beer with a lot of depth. I highly recommend seeking it out.

Cheers!

Imperial Red Ale, Rogue Ales, Newport Oregon

2009-04-08T20:10:00.000-07:00

I sample this next beer at the Rogue brewhouse/restaurant in NW Portland. Part of their XS series, it is available in bottle and on tap.

It pours a deep hazy copper with a thin head.

The aroma is sweet mild malt with a mild hop.

The taste is medium/full body. Malt roastiness combines with the hop earthiness in the body. The bitterness builds in the finish. It is creamy and there isn't much sweetness. It is most pronounced in the finish with bold flavors and bitterness.

The aftertaste is all bitterness that lingers for awhile.

I'm not a huge fan of Reds, but put "Imperial" in front of any beer and I'm game - (Imperial PBR - why not?) I really enjoyed this red, bold and unafraid to announce it's character. I highly recommend it if it crosses your path!

Cheers!

Fallen Friar, Bridgeport Brewing Company, Portland Oregon

2009-04-04T19:05:00.000-07:00

Bringing it home with the Fallen Friar, one of Bridgeport's "Big Brews". It is a Belgian Style Tripel Ale with 35% aged in oak wine barrels. It is available in the 1 pint 6 fl. oz bottles all around (Portland at least) and a sturdy 8.2%.

It pours a thick but bright amber with a thin head.

The aroma is complex and offers up tones of white pepper, yeast, honey and coriander with slight orange peel.

The taste is crisp at first. White pepper and yeast greet the tongue. Hop and mild citrus build in the medium body. It finishes dry with honey and white pepper dominating the palate.

The aftertaste keeps the palate lively with white pepper lingering.

This is a great Tripel Ale and I highly recommend it both to new-comers and those of us established in the style. It is a great introduction into the style without being too intense on it's flavors while still offering up a complex bouquet for the experienced.

Cheers!

Hop Stoopid Ale, Lagunitas Brewing Company, Petaluma California

2009-04-03T17:40:00.000-07:00

I am tempted to put our next tasting down simply as...
Hop Bitter Perfection,
but I will elaborate. Warning: this beer is only for those willing to brave the bitter of the bitter - with 102 IBU's and 7.7%!

It pours a copper color with a nice head.

The aroma is citrus/orange. Big hop floral and bitter tones jump all over.

It is bittery goodness. I lean toward the extreme of things and this fills that craving to define the boundary of what is reasonable. I love it. Hopped up with big earth and flowery tones with some citrus. Bitter...so bitter...

The bitterness let's go of your palate and a nice floral hop remains in the aftertaste.

I HIGHLY recommend it to those of us who love the big IPA's.

Cheers!

Pils, Czech Style Pilsner, Lagunitas Brewing Company, Petaluma California

2009-03-30T21:28:00.000-07:00

This Saaz hopped lager is a lot different from the Pilsner from yesterday. I love Lagunitas beers, but lagers have a tough time getting on my good side, so let's see. Yesterday's was a surprise, so you never know....

It pours a pale wheat color with a thin head.

The aroma is very mild caramel, hop and brown sugar.

The taste is refreshing and crisp. Mild honey and mild orange are present in the body with a soft straw-ish flavor.

The palate resets quickly, it is mildly sweet with mild hop and finishes dry.

Unfortunately, this beer wasn't as dynamic as last night's Pilsner. It is a soft flavored beer and would be best suited for a hot afternoon in the spring/summertime...

Cheers!

Prima Pils, Victory Brewing Company, Downingtown Pennsylvania

2009-03-29T21:02:00.000-07:00

A few busy weeks and a cold that kept me from properly tasting fine ales and once again, I'm back...Our next beer is a bit of a change up from the winter beers and barleywines enjoyed recently. The Prima Pils from Victory Brewing Company is Downingtown, PA is 5.3% with hops that include German and Czech whole flowers and 2-row German Pilsner malt. It is available year round with fairly consistent distribution all over. Let's give it a try....

It pours a bright wheat color.

The aroma is sweet with grapefruit and hop.

It is bright and clean with definite hop in the medium body. The grapefruit tones develop in the body and follow to the finish. An easy drinker with some nice honey tones and hop that balances well while drinking.

The aftertaste is bitter. The hop gives a little more punch and the bright citrus fruit tones work nicely with the bitterness. It is a full flavor beer that has a lot of character.

Cheers!

John Barleycorn Barleywine Ale, Mad River Brewing Company, Blue Lake California

2009-03-19T20:45:00.000-07:00

And I'm back...

Our next ale is a first for me - we return to the wonderful world of Barleywine. This one is 9.1 % with 96 IBU's and as it says on the bottle brewed in 2008 "celebrating the harvest".

It pours a deep caramel with a thin head.

The aroma is sweet sugary malt with mild vanilla tones.

Delicious. The full body is balanced, so the sweetness isn't overwhelming. It is roasty and slightly smoky in the finish. It's thick, but retains a nice freshness, as well. The roasted malt and bitterness are a nice complement to the alcohol tones that accompany the finish. There is a slight grapefruit flavor that develops in the body and is slightly noticeable in the aftertaste as well.

The aftertaste is roasty, but also fresh - surprisingly so for a barleywine. The bitterness and sweetness seem to balance themselves out and a nice general malt lingers nicely.

This is an excellent barleywine - something to try out for sure. I found mine at Belmont Station here in Portland and I think their beers are fairly available on the West Coast.

Cheers!

2008 Trader Joe's Vintage Ale, Unibroue , Chambly Quebec

2009-03-11T20:02:00.000-07:00

I'll admit the first time I saw "Trader Joe's Vintage Ale" a few years back, I chuckled. However, after noting that it was a Belgian style ale from Unibroue, I gave it a try. This year's, a Abbey Dubbel style has rested here for a few months. As it states on the bottle, this is one to age for a few years to develop the character. We'll give it a shot and I think I'll keep one in the Beer Den for later....

It pours a deep brown with a reddish hue and a big tight head.

The aroma is mild spice complemented with yeast and a hop earthiness. It smells like a Belgian - full bodied and lots of notes to be enjoyed.

It has a full body with a smooth silkiness. The flavors develop nicely, offering up a nice general spice mild peppery-ness in the body. The yeast and sour notes develop in the finish. It ends with a nice hop bitterness and sour yeast that lingers nicely on the palate and alcohol in the throat.

The aftertaste is a nice sour and alcohol taste.

The bottle mentions that it is produced by traditional top fermentation. There is a lot of subtle and bold flavors that develop during drinking. It is available in the 750 ml bottles from Trader Joe's.

Cheers!

Menage A Frog, Issaquah Brewery, Seattle Washington

2009-03-09T19:46:00.000-07:00

Well, let's line up another Belgian Style Tripel Ale - this one from the West Coast. The Issaquah Brewery still operates in Seattle though it is now a subsidiary of Rogue Ales. They use Abbey Yeast and this beer arrives with 30 IBU. It's available in the 750 ML. bottle from Rogue and I'm sure if you are close to Issaquah, you can find it with ease. I have a feeling it will be worth seeking out -

It pours a bright straw colored with a nice head.

The aroma is yeast with white pepper with mild orange peel and slight coriander.

This is a nicely balanced Belgian. It starts crisp with some hop and yeast that develops into a nice citrus/orange peel in the medium body. It finishes with yeast and alcohol. These flavors along with a general white pepper that follows throughout blend nicely and develop in a balanced yet characteristic way.

The aftertaste is alcohol with yeast and a nice bitterness that lingers lively on the tongue.

As it says on the bottle "Take a flying Leap, Leap, Leap!" If you come across it - Do not hesitate! Order and....

Cheers!

Tripel, Southern Tier Brewing, Lakewood New York

2009-03-08T19:56:00.000-07:00

Our next beer comes from a brewery that continues to prove itself. The Southern Tier Brewery, located in Lakewood, NY, has had their beers reviewed a few times on this blog, to much satisfaction. Their Tripel Style Belgian Triple Ale is fermented 3 times - twice in the brewery and once in the bottle. Let's give it a try....

It pours a brilliant amber with a thin tight head.

Big yeast aroma with mild citrus - with mild orange peel and hop.

It begins with yeast and in the medium body, there is a hop bitterness that builds through the finish. Mild citrus holds in the body along with some general spice. It is silky smooth a little thick like honey, but it has big alcohol tones in the end.

The aftertaste is held with yeast, bitterness and alcohol.

It is 9% and available in 22 oz bottles. It is a bit hard to find, I did see a few at Bottleworks in Seattle. If you come across any of their beers - DO NOT HESITATE - buy and enjoy!

Cheers!

Moonstone Porter, Six Rivers Brewery, McKinleyville, CA

2009-03-06T21:14:00.000-08:00

Our next beer comes from the Six Rivers Brewery in Mckinleyville in Northern California. It was a present from my sister, who was there a while back with her husband. They enjoyed the Six Rivers Brewpub, giving their beer, food and view a great review. Indeed I received a text picture and it did look great! I am looking forward to checking it out on our next drive down 101 - for now I will enjoy the Porter. This is my first from the brewpub that, until now, I didn't know about...

It pours opaque with a small tight caramel colored head.

The aroma is quite mild. There is subtle malt and sweetness with vanilla.

The moonstone porter has a nice full body. It has a characteristic smoothness that is complemented by a not-too-sweet vanilla flavor. Roasty malt arrives in the body along with some mild hop. It isn't too coffee or chocolate in the finish, but holds to the malt roastiness with a very very mild smokiness to it. A mild yeast holds lightly on the tongue.

The aftertaste is nice and malty. It leaves a roastiness in the mouth.

A great porter, it holds up nicely, with a personality to it. It is 6.9%. I'm not sure what kind of distribution they have, this was a 12 oz bottle.

Independence Hop Ale, Rogue Ales, Newport Oregon

2009-03-04T21:23:00.000-08:00

Once again, let's return to Rogue. This is an ale brewed in honor of Independence, Oregon which, according to the bottle, is the "Hop Capitol of the World!". This hopped up pale ale features Two-Row, Munich, Caramel Wheat and Carafoam malts. It has Fresh unkilned Centennial and Cascade Hops with Rogue's Pacman Yeast. It has 80 IBU's...Let's sample -

It pours a nice deep copper.

The aroma is earthy hop with mild citrus.

It has a big hop that arrives in the body. It is smooth in the beginning, but finishes with the big bitterness. It is dry and the malt is more prevalent in the finish. There is mild grapefruit and mild apricot in the hop body.

The aftertaste is a good clean hop bitterness that lingers nicely.

This is a great refreshing beer - definitely for the hop lovers. It's not overly bitter of flowery with the hops, but has wonderful character in it's dryness and finish.

Rogue ales are available all over!

Cheers!

Yeti Imperial Stout, Great Divide Brewing, Denver Colorado

2009-03-03T19:50:00.000-08:00

Beware the Yeti!
I'm not one for warnings, so let's venture forth.....

It pours opaque and thick with a thin caramel colored head.

The aroma is BIG roasted malt with mild vanilla and chocolate tones.

The full body is creamy with big roasty malt. It is fairly smooth for being so thick. There isn't much sweetness in the slight vanilla that arrives in the body of the bear. It manages to stick to the malty hearty side of things. The beer dominates the palate. It is bitter in the finish.

The aftertaste is bitter chocolate - thick and malty.

This is a great imperial stout, I like that it steers clear of the sweetness. There is also an Oak-Aged Yeti that is worth the search. Great Divide has very good distribution and you should be able to find it in both beer stores and finer grocery stores in 6 packs and 22 oz bottles -

Track one down!
Cheers!

Great White, Lost Coast Brewery & Cafe, Eureka California

2009-02-27T18:03:00.000-08:00

Our next beer comes from just down the coast a bit. I've been through Eureka many many times, but - and I can't explain why - I've never stopped off at the Lost Coast Brewery & Cafe. Next time...

Their "White Beer" offering is available in the 12oz bottles with fair regularity throughout the Northwest.

It pours an unfiltered very very light straw color with a thin tight head.

The aroma is Blonde Ale-ish, light yeast and mild general spice.

It is fairly crisp in the light body. Coriander is big right away, then some milder spice tones arrive in the finish. The yeast carries all the way through, balancing out the spices, except for the coriander, which stays bold. It has some nice orange/citrus tones that carry from the body into the finish as well.

The aftertaste is subtle general spice with the coriander still holding on. Mild yeast with the orange/citrus lingering nicely. A different kind of white beer than I've sampled recently - I didn't taste my favorite white pepper flavor that is at times apparent in White Ales, this one leans more toward the citrus side of things.

From the bottle, we learn that it is made with Two-Row malted barley, unmalted wheat and ale yeast.

Raven Mad Porter, Bridgeport Brewing Company, Portland Oregon

2009-02-27T17:52:00.000-08:00

Bringing it all back home. I tried this beer a month or so ago - then lost my sampling notes. I just came across them yesterday, so let's give it a go. This beer comes with 3d glasses that enhances the label, especially after sampling.

This is an interesting beer - 59% Porter aged in Bourbon barrels, 33% aged in oak wine barrels, and 8% Porter...

It pours opaque with a caramel colored head.

The aroma is big roasted malt. Tones of chocolate and coffee are also in amidst a mild sweetness.

It starts mild, which quickly gives way to roasty and robust in the medium body. It has a slight hop character. It finishes smoky and the malt is characterized by a deepness that has to come from the barrel aging. It is robust and the sweetness is patient, only arriving in the end of the finish.

The sweetness dissipates in the aftertaste, leaving a roasty smokiness lingering on the palate.

This is a big robust beer that is definitely worth catching while it's around. It's available in the 22oz bottles - look for the blue and red glasses around the neck -

Cheers!

Turbodog, Abita Brewing Company, Abita Springs Louisiana

2009-02-25T09:54:00.000-08:00

Where y'at?
Yesterday being Fat Tuesday and having lived in New Orleans for a spell where I picked up some delicious recipes - I cooked up some Jambalaya with a side of black-eyed peas with okra. The Turbodog from Abita Beer tasted just right to go along side dinner. Although it is a little darker than what I would usually pair with spicy food - it seemed to work quite well....

It pours deep brown, nearly opaque with a tight head.

The aroma is a nice balanced sweet malt, slightly roasty with some mild yeast.

It has a rich full body that is roasty with nice chocolate tones that carry through to the finish. It is very creamy.

The aftertaste is chocolaty with roasty tones. The creaminess holds through to the aftertaste and helps to reset the palate between flavorful bites of food!

It is brewed in small batches with Abita Springs artisan water. They use German Alt yeast and Willamette hops (dry-hopped) along the combination of Pale, Crystal and Chocolate malts. A delicious brown ale! Their distribution has picked up considerably over the past few years and we are lucky to find their beers in the 12oz bottles and 6 packs in fine grocery stores and beer stores.

Cheers!

Beer 100! Belgian White, Portsmouth Brewery, Portsmouth New Hampshire

2009-02-23T20:31:00.001-08:00

Beer 100! But really, who's counting....

So another from the brewery I cannot get enough of - but unfortunately can't get any more of! It's a wonderful brewery in Portsmouth, NH and with their sister brewery, Smuttynose - they are my favorite new find of the past few years. A perfect way to celebrate 100 - let's drink.

It pours a bright glowing straw with a tight head.

The aroma is a complex bouquet of orange peel, coriander, deep spices and citrus. Mild honey is also present, but not too sweet.

The flavor is equally complex. It starts with the orange peel. In the medium body, the deep spices are revealed. It ends with a crisp sweetness. Some milder flavors in the body are white pepper and coriander. The citrus and white pepper play on the tongue in the finish along with a mild yeast.

The aftertaste is quite mild and the crispness gives way to a nice creamy citrus. It resets quickly, but the white pepper lingers for a bit longer. A wonderful flavor is left in the mouth.

Okay, I might just be a Portsmouth/Smuttynose fanatic, but another wonderful beer from the New Hampshire duo. It is available seasonally in 22oz bottles at or very near the brewery and on tap at their brewpub in Portsmouth.

Cheers!

Cream Ale, Laughing Dog Brewing, Ponderay Idaho

2009-02-23T16:38:00.000-08:00

Our next beer comes from the Laughing Dog Brewery in Ponderay, Idaho. I was a big fan of their Holiday release this year - let's see how the Cream Ale stands up. It is made with both lager and ale yeast and received a Bronze Medal in the 2007 North American Brewing awards.

It pours a bright straw color.

The aroma is very light hop with sweet yeast and a clove honey smell, as well.

The taste is quite mild. The body wasn't as creamy as I was expecting - a little more crispness with a distinct yeast. It finishes crisp and dry. There is a nice orange/honey flavor in the finish.

The aftertaste is very clean, almost mead-like with it's mild honey sweetness.

Not as creamy as I was hoping - I made some Aloo Gobi for dinner and this beer actually seemed to complement it quite well. It's dry sweet finish allowed for the palate to cleanse a little during the meal.

Cheers!

Sampler, Big Horse Brewery and Pub, Hood River Oregon

2009-02-21T10:50:00.000-08:00

On the promise of sun and warm weather, we hit 84 East to Hood River. Unfortunately, when we arrived, it was shrouded in cloud. It's a great little town and we found the Big Horse Brewery for lunch. With a view of the town and the Columbia River, we ordered a Sampler of 8 of their brews and food.

1) Easy Blonde - 5.0% with Mt. Hood Hops.
- It pours a cloudy straw color.
- The aroma is mild yeast and mild hop.
- It is crisp with slight honey. Well hopped, it's more dynamic than most Blonde's I've had - offering a crisp dry finish. It is an easy-drinker and makes me yearn for the summer!
- The aftertaste is crisp and resets quickly with a nice yeast lingering on the palate. It was a surprisingly good, as I do not usually enjoy Blonde's. This one was quite good.

2) Pale Rider IPA - 6.7% with Columbus Hops
- It pours a deep amber.
- The aroma is light with just a touch of mild flowery hops.
- The hop builds in the medium/full body, offering up a nice earthy, lightly flowery bouquet.
- It finishes big with big hops and big bitterness that rests on the palate for a bit. There is a nice hop residue on the tongue that also lingers nicely. I love IPA's and this one had me wanting more!

3) MacStallion Scotch - 6.9%
- It pours a deep amber.
- The aroma is of mild smoke.
- It offers up a lot of flavors. It is smokey right away, but in the body, there is a slight fruit flavor that rises and stays through the finish. Malt and barely are evident.
- The aftertaste is mildly bitter with a nice smokiness. It is the most dynamic Scotch ale I've had that offers up a lot of taste and flavors to enjoy.

4) Nightmare Stout - 6.5% - let this one warm up a bit before sampling.
- It pours opaque with a good head.
- The aroma is a nice deep maltiness.
- It has a medium body with a nice oatmeal chewiness.
- The aftertaste is mild bitter and chewy (with a slight biscuit) that lingers heavy on the palate. Probably the weakest link in this Octet of beers.

5) Unlucky Lager - 5.2% - German style, hopped with German Selects.
- It pours a bright straw color.
- The aroma is very mild hop.
- The taste is mild hop, very creamy in the body. Easy to drink.
- Mild yeast/hop resets quickly in the aftertaste. Another of my "not so favorite" style of beers, this one stood strong.

6) 10-Speed Espresso Porter - 6.2% - Brown Porter with 10-Speed Coffee's Kick Stand Espresso Beans.
- It pours a cloudy dark brown like iced coffee.
- The aroma is straight up coffee/espresso with a mild smokiness.
- It has big iced coffee/espresso notes straight away. It is very thin - not too malty or chewy. It has a nice chocolate tone in the finish. It wasn't as deep as I'd expect for espresso, so I kept tasting more of a coffee flavor.
- Coffee/espress0 with mild malt that dominates the palate for awhile before resetting.

7) B.O.G.Inator - 8.0% - Smoked Doppelbock
- It pours a dark amber.
- The aroma is smoky with mild malt.
- The taste is big creamy smoke that appears right away and stays with you until the finish. It has a rich full body and was one of the favorites.
- The aftertaste is smoky with mild sweetness.

8) 2007 Phat Dog Barley Wine - 12% - Aged 2 Years.
- It pours a bright amber.
- The aroma is real light malt.
- It offers up a big flavor in the full body with malty burnt sugar and caramel. It finishes with molasses.
- Sugary Malty Goodness!

Head brewer Jason Kahler has my kudos for creating a dynamic and delicious round of beers. This was an excellent discovery and comes HIGHLY recommended. They have growlers for some take-home fun.

Cheers!

Double Haul IPA, Kettle House Brewing Company, Missoula Montana

2009-02-17T18:49:00.000-08:00

Our next brew announces a first for the blog. I, like many, will freely admit my wariness of canned beer - but we shouldn't let that interfere with giving them a try. I don't know much about the Kettle House Brewing Company. Their website announces they use cans because they are recyclable (made from 80% recycled material), opaque (less susceptible to flavor changes), and easily transportable. Good reasons, let's give it a try. This was a gift from my friend Jason - he picked it up on a recent move from Boston to SF, so Jason - this one's for you - Thanks!

I'm not sure what their availability is - this is my first encounter. It is a 16oz can at 6.6% with 65 IBU's and made with Cascade hops in the bittering, flavoring, and finishing.

It pours bright amber with a nice tight head.

The aroma is all hops, of course. Big, bitter, fresh flowery hop - to get a good idea of what Cascade hops are about - this is the beer to try.

The taste is big crisp hop. It has a medium/full body and the bitterness expands right after sipping. It finishes flowery and bitter - a great testament to hops! It is not overly hoppy and has a nice crispness that keeps the palate lively and fresh.

The aftertaste is mild bitter and flowery.

This is by far the BEST canned beer I've ever had - don't let the aluminum fool you!

Cheers!

Allagash Four, Allagash Brewing, Portland Maine

2009-02-16T20:18:00.000-08:00

Our next fine, fine beer comes as a wonderful Valentine present from my wife (amyolsonjewelry.etsy.com)! The Allagash Four from Allagash Brewing is an apex of ales....4 hops, 4 malts, four sugars and 4 Belgian yeast strains.....fermented 4 times! It sounds complex and is good to sample by itself. Allagash has continued to prove itself as one of my personal favorite breweries....ever! I visited it nestled in the woods and grocery stores of outer Portland (the other Portland), Maine. It's in a bit of an odd place and there is no brew pub, but they offer all their fine ales, swag and tour. Allagash is available all over, some of their rarer ales are a little more difficult to hunt down - but there's joy in the search! They also have the distinction of having 100% of their power obtained from wind power.

It pours a cloudy amber/caramel color.

The aroma is hoppy at first, which then gives way to a sweet malty alcohol.

The beer is, of course, complex. It starts mellow and the body is slightly creamy. That's where the tastes really begin to develop. The creaminess gives way to a crisp hop brightness. This is immediately combined with a sweet oak malt that arrives at the back of the tongue. It finishes with molasses and burnt sugar tones.

The aftertaste is dominating. It is alcohol and oak with bold sweetness that lingers nicely for awhile before giving away to sugary - but not too sweet, more molasses.

From their website, I've learned that they use Date Sugar in the mashing process. In the boil, Light Candi, Dark Candi, and Light Golden Molasses are added. The final (forth) yeast is added for bottle conditioning in their cellar!

It is 10%, sip well!

Cheers!

Walktopus, Walking Man Brewery, Stevenson Washington

2009-02-14T12:02:00.000-08:00

The wonderful Walking Man Brewery and Pub in Stevenson Washington is now offering their Walktopus, Batch 600 Strong Ale. At 8.8%, it's worth the trip.

Pours deep, nearly opaque.

The aroma is mild mild malt.

It has a big malt vanilla flavor. It is mildly sweet and very creamy in the body. It is a bold beer with a lot of pronounced malt, but keeps it's creaminess throughout the body into the finish, making it fairly easy to drink.

The aftertaste is malt and roasted peat. Mildly sweet at the very end.

Excellent!

Cheers!

Stormwatcher's Winterfest 2008, Pelican Pub and Eatery, Pacific City Oregon

2009-02-14T11:53:00.000-08:00

Our next brew comes from the stunningly beautiful Pelican Pub and Eatery in Pacific City, Oregon. We took our good friends from Atlanta here last week and wowed them with the location (on the beach!) and delicious brews. I sampled the Stormwatcher's Winterfest. It is a big 13% beer with 31 IBU's.

The Stormwatcher's Winterfest is Pelican Brewery's Barleywine-style ale offering.

It pours a cloudy redish color, but is nearly opaque.

The aroma is sweet malt and toffee.

It has a full sticky body, sweet with tofee notes on the tongue. It is bisquity at athe finish. Floral hops accentuate the body and it is sugary with wtrong alchohol tones.

The aftertaste is sticky on the palate with sweetness that fades quickly. Hop and toffee linger, but it has a remarkably clean finish.

Again, it is perfect for the cold winter nights, but the clean finish makes it a beer that can be enjoyed year-round.

Available on tap and in 22 oz bottles.

Cheers!

Kilt Lifter, Pike Brewing Company, Seattle Washington

2009-02-13T10:51:00.000-08:00

Our next brew serves more as an example than as an actual tasting. The Scotch Ruby Ale from Pike Brewing is aptly named the Kilt Lifter. It's an ale with some umph and a bottle made it's way into my fridge awhile ago. Who knows what it's shelf life was before that, I bought it at a grocery in Washington. It didn't take long to realize it was too old for it's own good....

It pours a deep ruby.

The scent is mild oak, mild berry-ish.

The taste is sweet - sweeter than it should be...I begin to suspect. The body is fine with brown sugar and mile smoky oak. Then in the finish, the skunk appears. Ack! I've let a beer go bad. This is not reflection on the Kilt Lifter - I've had it plenty of times and know how it should taste.

The aftertaste isn't worth describing. Let this be a lesson - don't buy dusty beers that shouldn't be dusty (some are fine and some better that way - but not all!) and drink beers on time!

For fans of Scotch ales, I normally recommend the Kilt Lifter, available all over the Northwest.

Cheers!

Chocolate Stout, Bison Brewery, Berkeley California

2009-02-12T21:32:00.000-08:00

Our next beer comes loades with 2-Row, Camel, Chocolate, Roast Barley, and Munich Malts. Bison is an organic brewery from Berkeley, CA. Let's see how these malts taste!

It pours opaque with a tawny tight head.

The aroma is cocoa with a roasty malt.

The taste is roasty malt with a medium body. It thickens as it warms and finishes with big chocolate tones. Dark cocoa and a little coffee develops as you enjoy.

The aftertaste is deep cocoa.

This is a deep dark delicious dessert beer.

Cheers!

Deep Enders Dark Porter, Anderson Valley Brewing Company, Boonville California

2009-02-11T17:07:00.001-08:00

Anderson Valley....Consistently one of my favorites!

It pours opaque with a tight head.

The aroma is all malty.

The taste is smooth, very smooth. It's malty in the full body with a slight sweetness. There is bitterness in the finish, but it is very light. It is chocolaty and roasty without dominating the palate.

The aftertaste is roasty malt and it resets quickly. It's smooth, very smooth and doesn't stick around being sticky and thick.

A great smooth porter!

Cheers!

12th Anniversary Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout, Stone Brewery, Escondido California

2009-02-10T14:13:00.000-08:00

Our next sampling comes from the excellent Stone Brewery. This is a limited release, but has been fairly available at most places I've looked. Let's give it a try....

It pours opaque with a dark brown head

It smells of dark cocoa and mildly sweet. The sweetness is rounded off by a distinct roastiness.

The taste is rich and bitter. It is creamy and the chocolate forms in the body, giving big cocoa notes.There is a little sweetness, but it is cut off by the roasty coffee tones in the end. It finishes chewy and thick.

The aftertaste is biscuity chocolate and slightly bitter. The cocoa takes you straight through.

This is an excellent big bold chocolate taster. It's 9.2% and available in 22oz bottles.

Cheers!

In Heat Wheet Hefeweizen, Flying Dog Ales, Frederick Maryland

2009-02-09T17:04:00.000-08:00

I'm back to it again - it's been a great week of brewpubs around the Portland area. Our friends from Atlanta were impressed by the selection of local beers and we enjoyed many of them. Unfortunately, not many got blogged about, but a few - just enough to keep me from feeling guilty.

This is a beer I had awhile ago, one of my back-logged posts.

It pours a cloudy unfiltered amber.

The aroma is wheat with slight dried banana and mild white pepper.

It is wheaty with a medium body. Dried banana and citrus forms in the mouth. It finishes with a mild white pepper/dried banana.

The aftertaste is citrus wheat. I'm a fan of big beers and this one is a little on the softer side. I think it would be an enjoyable beer for those who are first venturing into hef's and not quite ready to make the transatlantic voyage to the land of hef's quite yet.

Cheers!

Two Hearted Ale, Bells Brewing, Galesburg and Kalamazoo Michigan

2009-02-03T08:55:00.000-08:00

So about 10 years ago, I took a road trip to Michigan with my friend Kevin. We were into beer, but not that into it - more into just drinking it. If only I had come across this fine brewery (at the time known as the Kalamazoo Brewing Company). But I did have the fine fortune of picking up a 6 pack somewhere along the road on a recent move from the East to the West Coast. Bell's beers are available throughout the middle states, but unfortunately not on the coasts. I've only had the Two-Hearted Ale, but it blew me away. I recently found out that my friend Dave, who's wife is from Michigan, had this beer at their wedding. He was a brewer for sometime (Boundary Bay, etc) and ran the beautifully stocked BottleShop (R.I.P.) in Bellingham, WA, but enough of my ramblings...

It pours a bright amber with a big foamy head.

It has a nice full aroma with flowery hop and mild citrus.

It has a medium body full of flowery hop. It is noticeably bitter that carries nicely throughout enjoying.

The aftertaste is bitterness that gives way to hop citrus that lingers nicely...

I love this beer, as you can tell by the lengthy introduction. It's well worth finding and once you do, please enjoy one for me....

Cheers!

Solstice D'Hiver Barleywine, Brasserie Dieu du Ciel!, Montreal & St-Jérôme Canada

2009-02-02T19:21:00.000-08:00

Another beer from the Brasserie Dieu du Ciel! located in St-Jérôme and Montreal, Canada. Solstice D'Hiver is their Barleywine....

It pours an unfiltered dark, deep amber.

The aroma is sweet malt but very subtle.

It starts with mild malt and a medium body. Liquor/bitter taste arrives in the body. It has a very bitter end with plenty of burnt sugar and oak.

Aftertaste is mostly bitter with some oak residue It lingers nicely on the palate...

This is a delicious offering and at 9%, a nice burly winter sipper. Look for it in the 11.5 oz bottles from you local specialty beer store....

Cheers!

Bourbon County Stout, Goose Island Beer Company, Chicago Illinois

2009-02-01T09:08:00.000-08:00

Okay, enough slacking. Let's get down to some real beer sampling. I'm still catching up with myself - a quick evaluation shows that I have about half a dozen beers sampled in my beer notebook that I haven't yet blogged, so I'm trying to hit it each day and drink beers I've already had for a bit. It'll be tough though - some good friends are visiting from Atlanta and well, you gotta take the beer tour (it'll be their first time in Portland). So, we'll see how far I get before I'm back-logged again. The good news is that MyYearInBeer will be on the brewery tour and I will faithfully report back my findings. Enough talk, let's drink.

Our next beer comes from Chicago - let's look past the recent governor troubles to the Goose Island Beer Company. I don't know too much about this brewery and the only beer I've seen of theirs in person, is the Bourbon County Stout. I found mine here in Portland at Belmont Station. A quick look at their website reveals a full line-up of beers and when I make it back to Chicago - I'm definitely going to give 'em a shot. For now, let's see about this stout....

It pours the darkest beer I've ever seen, literally. It's a black hole of beer. I stand at the event horizon wondering how they can get malt to do that....

The aroma is intense. There is big oak & alcohol tones. A mild vanilla sweetness is also present.

It is a big beer. Big Beer. Full body, oak and vanilla sweetness are present from the beginning and expand in the body. It finishes rich with chocolate and smoke. It's definitely a sipper that warms you right up. Indeed, my ears felt warm as I enjoyed the beer. Remarkably, it's not too sticky, instead finishing fairly clean - it doesn't wear you out with it's heaviness. At least not right away. There is a nice arc to the beer: Intense alcohol to sweet to rich to smoky.

The aftertaste is intense chocolate that lingers with a nice smokiness on the breath.

From the website: 11% with 60 IBU's - look for it in 12oz bottles annually around December.

Cheers!

Derniere Volonte, Brasserie Dieu du Ciel!, Montreal Canada

2009-01-31T09:38:00.000-08:00

Another from my favorite breweries from "up North". This is their Abbey-Style Blond ale. It is 6.5% and bottle conditioned in the 11.5 oz bottles. They are growing increasingly findable especially at your local special brew store. If they don't, ask about them - they are worth it! You can find them imported by Shelton Brothers in Belchertown, MA. The bottle mentions that Derniere Volonte (that's without the necessary accents on the e's) is French for "last will" and that this brew is a mix of Belgian and English traditions.

It pours a hazy amber.

The aroma is citrus, wheat and big yeast. A nice hop aroma (it is dry-hopped).

The taste is citrus up front with mild hop. In the body it holds a yeast/wheatness and finishes a bit sour, but fairly clean. It is a medium body beer with a lot of tones that progress while drinking. My favorite part is the aroma and initial taste. For me, the body and finish leave something to be desired. A little flat and it doesn't seem to quite balance with the initial citrus/hop.

The aftertaste is wheat, fairly clean with a very mild citrus.

All-in-all not my personal favorite from the brewery. I suppose as a mix of Belgium/English styles it probably hits the mark pretty close. It just isn't exciting my palate too much. Still quite drinkable and another interesting brew! Well worth the try, especially if you are into blond ales.

Cheers!

Captain Swain's Extra Stout, Cisco Brewers, Nantucket Massachusetts

2009-01-30T20:30:00.000-08:00

Our next beer comes from Nantucket, Massachusetts - from the Cisco Brewers to be exact. Their beers are available throughout the Northeast, but I haven't seen them elsewhere....yet. Let's give it a try....

It pours opaque with a big head.

The aroma is roasty with chocolate and espresso tones.

It is rich with a big malt/chocolate/espresso taste. Very roasty at the end. Fairly heavy and grows increasingly chewy as it warms.

The aftertaste is all roasty and a bit bitter. It leaves a lot of residue and lingers for a long time, dominating the palate with malt.

It's been awhile since I've last wrote, so I am a bit rusty. Brewing went successfully and we ended up making a Black Ale and a Wee Heavy. It is being bottled soon and I can't wait to give it a try!

Cheers!