Robust Porter, Smuttynose Brewing Company, Portsmouth New Hampshire

Well, I once again crack open a beer which gives me great excitement and regret at the same time. I know it'll be awhile before I can indulge in a Smuttynose beer again, but alas - I'll relish the ones I have - and this one is their Robust Porter.

It pours opaque with a tight caramel colored head.

The smell is smoky and malty. There are hints of chocolate and a mildly sweet aroma.

It is a thick beer with deep malt. Very robust indeed. There is definitely a smoky taste, as well as chocolate tones that arrive just after the smokiness. It has a very full body - perfect to enjoy as the days grow colder.

The aftertaste is very chocolate - fairly thick and as it lingers, the smokiness is there as well.

As I've mentioned in prior posts, the Smuttynose is a MUST if near New Hampshire - check out the Portsmouth Brewery in Portsmouth!

From their website:

Pale 2-row, Carastan, Dark Crystal, special "b", chocolate malts

Hops: Cascade

5.7 % with 15 IBU's

Also, a little trivia.... From the website, they mention that porter was a favorite among dockworkers and warehousemen - thus the name "porter". I'm curious if this is really how the beer got it's name....

Cheers!

Monk's Uncle Tripel Ale, Pike Brewing Company, Seattle WA

We'll reel it back to the West Coast with Pike Brewing Company's Monk's Uncle. This is a Belgian Tripel Style ale....

It pours a glowing amber, unfiltered with a big foamy head.

The smell is spicy yeast with a mild citrus sweetness.

It is strong and the yeast dominates. It has a pronounced bitterness and is crisp and refreshing but has substantial body to it.

The aftertaste is a citrusy bitterness. It lingers for awhile in the mouth.

I enjoyed this on our sunny streak one afternoon here in Portland. It comes available in the Spring. I found mine at a grocery in Bellingham, WA. Pike's beers are available all over, I encourage you to visit Belmont Station, here in the Portland area.

Pale, Pils, Wheat, and Aromatic malt varieties are used with Nugget and Saaz hops. It is a hefty 9% with 38 IBU's.

I think this is a strong example of the Tripel style and highly recommend it to new comer's of Belgian ale's or those well versed in these beers. Pike is located in the Pike Place Market in Seattle, WA. It is sometimes difficult to get a parking spot near the area, but I recommend checking it out if you find yourself in the area. Perhaps before hitting the Showbox. It's a good place to grab a few good beers with some good friends.

Cheers!

Fluxus, Allagash Brewery, Portland ME

As their anniversary release, Allagash comes out with a "Fluxus" beer each year to celebrate. Each year it's different, and this year, I was able to buy a bottle on the day of it's release from their brewery in Portland, Maine. The brewery is located as you are heading out of town and offers a tour and has a small, but well-equipped gift shop. I highly recommend visiting!

This year, the Fluxus is a double white ale.

The Fluxus pours a bright amber with a big head.

It has a mild aroma, mostly yeast and mild spice.

The taste is mostly yeast, but also has a nice brown sugary taste to it as well. It is very very well balanced, though a little on the strong side, which settles nicely with it's crispness. The slight spice is there (from their website, I learned that it's been brewed with grated ginger). It is a little sweet and very refreshing. It has a fairly light body and cleans the palate easily.

The aftertaste is mildly sweet and mildly bitter. As I said, it's very refreshing and a well crafted brew!

I've seen Allagash beers all over this great beer nation, but mostly just their main standards: Dubbel, Tripel, and Grand Cru. These are all great, but their other beers are extremely worth getting your hands on!

8.7%

Bad Juju Double IPA, Fort George Brewery, Astoria Oregon

On a birthday visit to Astoria, Oregon, we discovered the Fort George Brewery and Public House. this is a wonderful place, a must to check out when in Astoria. The beers are plenty and interesting, the food was very good (I had Albacore Fish & Chips with homemade tartar sauce - Excellent!). So let's talk about one of their beers I had while visiting.... The Bad Juju Double IPA. If you've read my blog, you'll know my affinity for Double IPA's, so it's no surprise, I had to order this beer upon spotting it on the menu...

It pours a dark coppery amber with a medium head.

It smells heartily of hops. It smells tart instead of a flowery bouquet, it has a balanced hop aroma.

The taste is strong with hop all over the place. It is full body and malty and a little thick. The bitterness sets in on the back of the tongue.

The aftertaste is bitter and coppery. It lingers for awhile on the palate and destroys your taste buds for any subtle beer after it, which I love the girth!

Their beers are available from to go from the brewery, I don't think they bottle at all, unfortunately!

Cheers!

Farmhouse Saison, Bison Brewing Company, Berkeley CA

I raved in an earlier post about Bison Brewing Company's Pumpkin Ale, and now we will turn our church key to their Saison offering....

It pours a very bright amber with a big foamy head.

The smell is predominately yeast, but there is also a citrus and slight peppery/slight spice aroma.

It is a smooth beer with a medium body and full taste. There is a bit of citrus, but it is mostly yeast with a slight bitterness.

The aftertaste is a lingering yeast and spice. It is quite refreshing and tastes great all on it's own or with a meal.

Bison is an Organic Brewery. This beer contains 24 IBU's and is made with 2-row, carapils, wheat, and munich malts. I found this beer at Whole Foods and several of Bison's beers are available all over the Northwest. I'm not sure how far east they distribute.

Our next Beer Lesson will cover Belgian Ales....

Cheers!

Double-Wide IPA, Boulevard Brewing Company, Kansas City MO

First of all, Happy Birthday to me. Second of all, what's with all these coastal breweries we've been trying? I've been saving this next beer for a special occasion, which takes care of point #1. And, since it is a beer I picked up half-way along move from Coast to Coast, it also takes care of point #2. The Double-Wide IPA is from Boulevard Brewing Company's Smokestack Series. Now, although we did stay in Kansas City for a night, I was only able to indulge in one brewery. I picked the closest to our hotel and it happened not to be Boulevard, but 75th Street Brewery (which we greatly enjoyed and I had one of my favorite Hef's there). I did, however, have the foresight to grab a 750 ml of the Double-Wide at a grocery store. Let's crack it open....

It pours a cloudy/hazy dark amber with a big head.

The smell is subtle and mild. It has a slight sweetness to it's hoppy character.

It is creamy tasting. It has a medium to full body. It is very much hoppy, but also there is a kind of malty thickness which rounds it out nicely. It is bitter, but not overly done. It is strong and very dry. This is definitely a sipper! There is slight sweetness to it along with a certain outdoorsy flavor to it. I can't put my finger on it, but almost mild mint or something akin to it in the undertones. It is strangely complex and I like that. It is a bold beer, but it also has it's sensitive side...

The aftertaste is bitter, but that falls off fairly quickly. The hop lingers a little longer. As I said, it has a dryness to it, so it is nice to enjoy for awhile.

I really can't tell you when this beer is available or how widely distributed Boulevard's beers are, but I can tell you that it is worth while to get your hands on one if you happen to see one. It is 8.5 % and available in the 750ml size. It also has some great artwork on the label, which never hurts.

This is a great Birthday beer to enjoy! And enjoy I can as the bottle says "Relax, it's twister proof!" With that, I will settle in for another great year!

Finestkind IPA, Smuttynose Brewing Company, Portsmouth New Hampshire

The bold and the beautiful - my name for our next beer, Finestkind IPA from one of my favorite breweries, Smuttynose in Portsmouth, NH. This brewery makes several fine ales and they are available all over the Northeast. I HIGHLY recommend sampling ANY of their beers. I don't think it will be something you'll regret!

Although I try to be impartial about the beers I drink, it is hard to suppress that this is tied for number 1 in my list of IPA's. What's the other one? Another time, another post...

It pours a glowing amber with a big foamy head.

The smell has a full hop aroma. It is flowery, with a slight citrus. There is also a very subtle yeast aroma, as well.

The taste is all big hop flavor. It is quite bold and hop front. There is both a coppery and a flowery flavor to the hops. It isn't overly bitter, but there is bitterness there. For being so hoppy, I feel it still has a smoothness to it. It is crisp and refreshing.

The aftertaste is all hop with bitterness. It is full strong hop.

The Smuttynose website states that this is a beer for Hopheads, and I agree. It slakes my need for the hop! It has 65 IBU's and is unfiltered, so don't be afraid if there is some sediment floating around in your pint. It is dry hopped (hops added late in the brewing process).

If you like hops and have the chance to sample this beer, please do and let me know your thoughts!

Cheers!