Constructive Culinary Chaos. Compiled.

Sierra Nevada Northern Hemisphere Harvest.

2011-10-20T22:50:00.000-07:00

I didn't necessarily want to pick up a whole six-pack for my last couple of days so I ended up getting two bombers, both happening to be interesting and new. I wouldn't even have seriously considered this one had it not said "wet hop". This is the companion ale to the Southern Hemisphere Harvest which uses fresh hops flown in from New Zealand. The confusing thing about wet hop and fresh hop is that fresh hops are actually whole-cones dried and then used within a few days while wet hops are undried and whole-cone hops used withing 24 hours of picking. The wet hops for this one, naturally, came from Yakima.

Pouring with a pretty full head, it leaves plenty of lacing down the glass. It's also a touch darker than I might see in an American IPA. The aroma is surprisingly subdued, noting the hoppiness but exuded some pine-y, woody, more organic character. The taste is fairly deep with a strong, lasting bitter but not palate-wrecking. Rather than resin-y, it's more oily and flavorful. It's well-smoothed over by the malts making for an exceptionally well balanced beer, both in terms of malts and hop and in terms of mouthfeel. It's full without being too voluminous.

This is really a well-put-together beer for Sierra Nevada. Assertive but not ostentatious, no off-flavors. At 6.7%ABV, it's still easy-going enough to be a relaxing beer or a dinner beer. I like it.

Appearance: Dark copper with a luxurious head, which dissipates to moss but laces well.
Smell: A subtle, subdued hop aroma; aromatic and organic.
Taste: A solid but not overpowering hop bitterness. It balances well with the malts. Slightly grassy, pine-y, woody.
Mouthfeel: Carbonation is spot on, full and refreshing.
Drinkability and Overall: 6.7%ABV is a little high for sessioning, but it is still a solid, occasion beer.

Epic Portamarillo.

2011-10-17T19:54:00.000-07:00

I have no idea why I bought this beer. After a pretty shit day, all I really want is a solid, hoppy IPA (to be followed with gin and tonics, martinis, or whiskies), but taking a look at the label on this one: "the world's first tree tomato beer". Fuuuuuck. A self-described "sorta-porter" brewed with Tamarillos smoked over NZ Christmas Tree wood chips, oh boy. I guess I bought this because it seemed intriguing at the time and it was a collab brew with none other than DFH. Of course, DFH always does weird stuff. Also, a tiny, barely visible best-by indicates 19.10.11 so cool.

My first sip was really tentative because, gosh, a tomato beer sounds awful. As it turns out, it tastes like a decent, creamy porter. It's a very dark, translucent, ruby red against the light. The overall taste is quite mild, no tomato-y nonsense. The smoked component is subtle but noticeable and pretty tasty without being overpowering like some smoked beers. The center is fairly nondescript, most akin to a porter. I don't normally like porters because I don't care for that thin body and half-assed roasted malts, but this is pretty good. There's also a slight ashy, savory taste. It's smooth and creamy, The finish is somewhat more interesting as it's a bit astringent and hints of chocolate show up around the edges as I feel my tongue drying a bit.

An interesting beer, much better than I had feared. It leaves at a bit of a loss, no idea how to pair or how to follow it.

Appearance: Dark but clear; creamy-looking head that subsides a bit but is still mossy.
Smell: Couldn't get much out of the nose, typical of porter.
Taste: First impression is the smoke but that's mild. Hints of chocolate, ash, and savory.
Mouthfeel: Thin but smooth and creamy without frothing. Noticeably astringent on the finish.
Drinkability and Overall: 7%ABV so strangely strong for a porter. Both interesting and run-of-the-mill at the same time. Worth a try but not anything I'd pick up again.

High Water Brewing Hop Riot IPA.

2011-10-16T21:31:00.000-07:00

After spending the last few months climbing in the gym, I finally went outdoor climbing. We got pretty destroyed, and I almost fell off a cliff in the worst way. I'm pretty sure I've definitely earned this beer maybe. Also, this is a beer that I got from Cool New Friend Who Buys Beer For WF, so that is pretty cool. For some reason, the label looks very familiar, and i don't know if it's because I just saw it a lot here or if I've actually seen it back home. Beer labels are kind of like beers in that way that there's ones you remember and ones you don't. For some reason, this label makes me think of amateur homebrew guy trying to get some sales and distro. I think it's the font. I guess I am just not that into so much serif.

The pour looks resin-y and produces a decent, lasting head so that's potentially a good start. The aroma is hoppy, more on the weedy side than floral or grassy, perhaps an effect of the dry-hopping, of which they don't specify the format. The undercurrent of malt keeps a fairly potent bitterness in check, and there's a noticeably nice balance there, something that's far too uncommon in IPAs. My only outstanding complaint would have to be the carbonation level and shape which is a little too fizzy, a little too diet soda-like. Otherwise, it's not bad. It's a fairly standard, no-real-complaints, IPA, which is perhaps it's greatest detraction, that there's nothing outstanding about it. At 7.3%ABV, it's unusually strong, but no real complaints there. Because it's so bitter, I'm not sure I would want to pair it against anything other than a very spicy Thai curry with coconut milk.

Also, what is the deal with such aggressively named beers? I don't want a riot in my mouth. People get beat up at riots. Why can't they make an IPA called Hop Symphony or Sock Hop or Hop Pants-off Dance-off? These possibilities are far more intriguing than riots, armageddon, or other such devastation.

Appearance: Slightly darker than typical, more of a copper tone. Clear. Moderate head that manages to persist.
Smell: Strong, bitter hop aroma. Noticeably not fresh but certainly not stale either. More on the weedy, resin-y side.
Taste: Solid bitter with a well-balancing malt. Somewhat one-dimensional, but not as obnoxious about it as, say, Hoptical Illusion.
Mouthfeel: Somewhat overcarbed, but otherwise of a pleasant, standard weight. Slightly resinous, leaving some stickiness, which denies it the ability to be crisp and clean.
Drinkability and Overall: 7.3%ABV, somewhat high for a standard IPA. It lacks the depth to stand too much scrutiny and the residue gets a little annoying. It's otherwise a simple drinker to be consumed while doing other things.

Epic Armageddon IPA.

2011-10-14T22:50:00.000-07:00

With the rash of New Zealand hops being used these days, I thought a New Zealand beer might be an interesting change of pace. Clearly, they are apt on marketing abroad as the top of their label proclaims "ALL THE WAY FROM NEW ZEALAND". I wonder what folks in New Zealand think when they see this. To be contextually appropriate, I am now listening to Flight of the Conchords.

It's business time.

The whiff is rich and malty with a almost resin-y with hops. Very nice. That's foreplay. Sweet, green, and grassy with lots of lacing. I know this bottle must have been sitting on the shelf forever, but it still smells almost fresh, not dried or pellet-y. But when we get down to business socks, it is not as epic as its namesake. And that's the unfortunate curse of many beers that insist on their epicness, that they will wreck your palate, and otherwise cause catastrophic devastation and calamities. No one wants that in their mouth anyway.

The hop character, while not a cataclysm, is thin and sharp, evident and rather firm. It's not necessarily metallic, but more akin some more organic surfacing material around a full, more-of-a-pale-ale body. It has a session feel despite being the odd 6.66%ABV. It's also a curious format, 1 pint and .9 fl oz. Everything's backwards on that side of the world. That being said, it's a very solid, retro IPA, without some of the more floral or wide-ranging hop complexities that's more commonplace today. Ultimately, I think it's lacking a solid malt backbone, which makes it very drinkable without being filling. The strong-enough hop character is just enough to carry its flimsy compatriot.

At the end of the day, it'll never be a concert flautist, but it's a decent, drinkable beer, depending on the street. I'm not sure if I would want to sit down and drink this on its own, but it might be a good opener for a night.

Appearance: Clear, slightly darker golden straw. Fluffy, finger head which settles down a bit but leaves plenty of lacing.
Smell: A rich hoppy, malty, aroma, fresh and grassy.
Taste: A bit might thinner than one might expect from the smell. Thin, hard hops but without the malts to fill it out leaves it so-so.
Mouthfeel: Thin on taste but the mouthfeel is a voluminous pale ale. Not uncomfortably filling though.
Drinkability and Overall: Based on feel, it's sessionable, but at 6.66%ABV, it's slightly steep. I just wasn't terribly impressed. less than epic.

Speakeasy Big Daddy IPA.

2011-10-10T21:17:00.000-07:00

Speakeasy is a SF-local brewery. I had been putting off picking any up this summer since I figured I would get down there at some point. Since I'm packing up an leaving in a couple weeks, I'm doubtful I'll find myself there. And after having tasted this one, good time not wasted.

The head almost indicated something promising, but I couldn't get anything of the nose, which is really weird for an IPA. As it turns out, there's nothing to get out of the nose because there is nothing there. I have had lagers hoppier than this. This has got to be one of the wateriest IPAs I've ever had. And it's kind of flat to boot. This is my disappointed face: '_'

Hands down, one of the worst IPAs I've had. To be honest, I don't even want to finish this. There are IPAs that are terrible because they just totally fucked up going for something or because it was a bad bottle (I did get to try Denogginizer again; better bottle than the one I had.) but this is the worst because there's no effort. And that's basically as bad as Lex Luthor stealing forty cakes.

Appearance: Too clear golden straw. Mossy head that is lacing a bit, but too little, too late.
Smell: Virtually nothing. lolwut?
Taste: Very mild hops that manage to not taste pellet-y and only slightly metallic on the finish.
Mouthfeel: Soda going flat. There is not much hop or malt so the finish is pretty clean.
Drinkability and Overall: Terrible. Do not buy. No redeeming qualities.

Karl Strauss Boardwalk Black Rye.

2011-10-05T20:58:00.001-07:00

I've been to Karl Strauss a couple times now, and the beer had always been a decent experience. Most brews are not bad but nothing spectacular. I usually pass over the Karl Strauss options because I was never really wooed, but I saw this one at the store, I had to give it a try. I have a penchant for rye; whiskey, beer, bread, it's all good.

A nice black pour, with about a centimeter of dirty head, I got a nice whiff of spice. There's a bit of chocolate right on the tip of the tongue. There's no strongly dominant flavor but it starts toasty, progresses to roasty, and finishes fairly burnt, like burnt toast. There's hints of spiciness throughout, but unfortunately not as potent as I'd like. I think it gets a bit overwhelmed by the strong roasted malts. It's a bit sticky on the finish but is otherwise clean on the palate.

So I'm going to guess that this is supposed to be a Cascadian Dark with rye. I'm not feeling it. Yet again, the label indicates their strong hop character ("of a Double IPA", ha!) but fails to follow through. This is supposedly rated at 80IBU and has garnered some decent ratings on BA, but I just don't get that strong of a hop impression with this, nor many other Cascadians. I don't get it. Maybe I should try a blind tasting sometime and see if the visual cue is what's screwing with my palate. Or maybe there's just not that much hop to taste.

Appearance: Opaque black with a centimeter of light brown head. Fades pretty quickly though.
Smell: A spicy, cereal aroma.
Taste: Predominantly dark malt impressions of varying toast. The hop character is just not there for me. There's a bit of chocolate on the tip at the beginning.
Mouthfeel: Clean, round, and smooth. Finishes a bit sticky.
Drinkability and Overall: As with Karl Strauss's other beers, it's not bad, but it's not knock-your-socks-off. At 8%ABV, maybe a way to start of a meal at one of their brewpubs.

Straffe Hendrik Bruges Tripel 9.

2011-10-04T21:19:00.000-07:00

I picked up a bottle at the recommendation of a WF guy who "loves malty, fruity things", tripels among them. Right on popping the cork, a spicy, tart aroma emerged, an auspicious start. A slightly reddish golden pour, topped by a fine, creamy head, which is a little low for the style. Despite that, it is persistent as a moss. The palate impression is rather phenolic, slightly tart, slightly bitter. Surprisingly, not as sweet and malty as I might have thought, given the source of the recommendation. I also have to say the carbonation level is rather low. What is up with that lately?

Actually, taking the last sip from this glass, it's almost completely flat, which sucks. However, I did pick up a perfume-y flower petal note as well. Also, a slight inhale on a sip yields some characteristic banana notes.

Pouring to finish off, the sediment is kicked up pretty early. It is not caked down. Slightly annoying, but maybe a candidate for harvesting? I might pick up some of the other Straffe Hendrik line, but I will rinse and save this bottle because I like the label (not paper, printed!). The others utilize the same moon image, presumably signifying the Halve Maan Brewery, but change the color of the label, much like Chimay. I enjoy tripels too much to think they need a pairing so nothing really comes to mind for this one. A gander at the label also indicates that this is a "Brugean tripel", with 6 malts and Saaz and Stryian Golding. Apparently, this is a local specialty of the Bruges area, using darker malts than normal, hence, perhaps, the reddish color. Neat.

Appearance: Reddish golden. Rather thin, creamy head; low retention.
Smell: Rather tart, a bit pear-like.
Taste: Banana, tart, flower petal perfume. Not as malty as I might think.
Mouthfeel: Carbonation is fine albeit a bit low. Slightly drying on the finish, which is nice.
Drinkability and Overall: 9%ABV clearly disqualifies it from sessioning, but it's a unique tripel variation worth trying.

Sam Adams Longshot Blackened Hops.

2011-10-03T21:39:00.001-07:00

The last unique installment of the Longshot 6-pack. After the dismal Friar last time, I was hoping this would better. And it is. But only marginally. I suppose this is supposed to be akin to a Cascadian Dark, formerly known as Black IPA (THAT DOESN'T EVEN MAKE SENSE). The pour is pretty rich-looking and the head is creamy, so it almost looks like a stout. However, the mouthfeel is creamier than a regular stout. So the first few sips, I wasn't too impressed but now that I'm not distracted and actually paying attention, I'm getting hints of chocolate. It's a bit like drinking a non-viscous chocolate syrup though the sweetness and cocoa intensity are quite low. There is a nicely balanced roasted malt bitter as well as hop bitter towards the finish. The finish is also pleasantly clean, no metallic off-flavors.

Again, this is a self-proclaimed hop punch but I'm finding it to not deliver, which is not a bad thing. I think the level of hopping in this just right, considering everything else. It's restrained and mostly grassy, pine-y, leafy than tongue splitting. I really think the mouthfeel is probably the most outstanding characteristic though. It's cohesive but not terribly viscous like heavier stouts. Like heavier stouts though, it carries a good amount of roast and a somewhat heavier body. It's extremely smooth and pleasant on the palate, a constant low simmer of carbonation keeping it from sticking too much.

I am still not a huge fan of Cascadian Darks, mostly because I have yet to try one that really impresses me and pulls off what it claims to be doing, but this is a nice one. It's stout-like leaning makes it a unique alternative with cheese plates. Perhaps a bit too heavy for an apertif, but I think if the meal were simple, small, and hearty, it'd go over well. I'm thinking of it as a good well-into-fall-heading-into-winter kind of beer, after you get sick of pumpkin beers, tired of harvest ales, but not cold enough for heavy stouts.

Appearance: Opaque black, barely translucent reddishness against the light. A constant but thin head, very fine and creamy.
Smell: That unique Cascadian Dark aroma of roast and hops, but fairly subdued on both fronts. It is still a confusing one to me.
Taste: Fairly toasty and burnt, there is some chocolate sensation as well as a leafy, pine-y hop on the back end, though contributing rather little bitterness.
Mouthfeel: Superbly smooth and silky. The low viscosity belies the weight of this one. A very nice combination. Cohesive is the best way to describe it.
Drinkability and Overall: It does not finish as cleanly as I would like, but it is still a pleasant beer. At 7%ABV combined with the stickiness, I don't think I would drink more than one or two.

Sam Adams Longshot Friar Hop Ale.

2011-10-02T19:16:00.000-07:00

Second installation from the Longshot. A viscous, vinous-looking pour into a pint glass. First sip: ugh. What the hell happened here? It is very malty sweet, slightly unripened fruit, and cloying even though it's not a refined sweetness. Supposedly, this guy loves hops and he loves spicy Belgian ales. This has neither. There is some dark ale maltiness in the nose, but the taste is bordering on sour. To be honest, this seems to be either underfermented. or extremely young. Or maybe that sourness is supposed to be a mega-citrus component, but I'm just not feeling it. The more that I think about it, it tastes like some other Belgian-styled beer I had recently, but knows what the name was. Maybe this is just one of those beers.

I wanted to like it, I really did. But there's something not balanced out here. If they said to put some age on it, I would. I'm really missing the hops that were supposed to be in here, too. What gives? I don't even want to finish this bottle. It'd be well enough to piece out for a tasters, but what is it supposed to represent? For sure, this is a higher ABV at 9%, but if that's all you're getting, I'd be happier drinking a bourbon or gin.

Appearance: A bit of a golden amber but kind of pissy. Slightly viscous-looking
Smell: Super malty with a bit of nondescript, but reasonably fresh, hop aroma
Taste: Just too malty, sugar-y, and unusually tart. The hops are nowhere to be found.
Mouthfeel: Vinous and sticky. Carbed out by the time I got towards the bottom. Pretty dismal.
Drinkability and Overall: It just didn't hit enough marks to be passable. I'm not sure what it supposed to be going on here, but whatever it was, it wasn't for me.

La Trappe and Rogue Public.

2011-10-01T23:12:00.000-07:00

I finally made it out to La Trappe, a bar in SF specializing in imported/Belgian beers. The setting is pretty cool. There's a small dining area upstairs, but downstairs is the bar with more dinner seating. The bar area is a pretty dimly lit, cozy cellar. Their bottle list is at least a dozen pages, each front and back, small print. I didn't really have the time or resources to work on that. The draft lineup was about a dozen beers, a lot of which are pretty freely available in bottles so I focused on the most obscure ones. Notes are brief.

Van Steenberge Gentse Tripel: Very smooth and sweet, a little undercarbed. Nice fruity phenolic character.

De Keersmaeker Mort Subite Blanche: A white lambic, i.e. a lambic brewed with wheat. Awesome strawberry and tropical fruit notes, very clean and light.

I forget what this was called. I overheard the bartender chatting up some girl about this one. It is apparently the original Hoegaarden recipe.

We made our way down to Rogue as well for some dinner. The menu as La Trappe looked nice, but I didn't get the vibe that I was going to get a lot of food for my money. But the joke was on me because I had a terrible fish and chips at Rogue. In retrospect, I should have remembered that because the last time I was there, one of my associates got the fish and chips and I got a taco salad. Both looked terrible.

Coincidentally, I recently had someone mention Mata Veza Morpho to me, about how it is a 0IBU beer or something, which is bizarre. I only had a taste, and it tasted more like a tea than anything.

Anderson Valley Port Stout: I actually wasn't thinking when I ordered this. On the first sip, I realized the "port" was referring to port wine. An interesting spin on a stout, not really sure if I like it though. I certainly wouldn't want to sit down with more than a half-pint. Rather tart up front with some body; underneath it is still a stout. Not sure how well the characters blended.

Deschutes Hop in the Dark: I presume this is a Cascadian Dark. Not bad, I think. I didn't take any notes for this one, and nothing really stands out in my memory other than the free Dead Guy the waiter accidentally brought me.

Rogue Chipotle Ale: I always pass over this one in the store. It wasn't bad, more peppery than a punchy spice or heat. The style never really appealed to me so I never drank it, but maybe I should sit down with a bottle and give it a shot.

Sam Adams Longshot Honey B's Lavender Ale.

2011-09-29T21:28:00.000-07:00

For some reason I got really excited when I saw this 6-pack of Longshot at the store, took a glance at it, and thought it was all Blackened Hops. I put one in the fridge that night, pulled it out tonight to try and saw that it was actually Honey B's Lavender Ale. Maybe it's sexist, but I'm not surprised a female would decide to brew with lavender. (As a man, I prefer to brew with flavors like SHOCKolate and GUN.) In any case, lavender is a very aromatic ingredient that takes some work to leverage in any food or beverage.

Right on the pour, I got a strong floral, lavender aroma, slightly hoppy and sweet. There is a bit of honey on the palate as it is also brewed with honey, and I get a very mild sweetness. The base flavor seems to be more of that nondescript pale ale sans hops that tends to be common amongst beer utilizing honey. I suppose great restraint must be shown towards hopping when using honey as well. The lavender is a little more subtle on the palate than the nose and contributes mostly in a generic flower petal taste and texture. The carbonation is not unusual, but the mouthfeel is somewhat creamier than I would have liked. While it describes itself as a kick-back beer, it's a little too voluminous, not exceptionally crisp and doesn't seem to come off as very cold.

Not a loser, but certainly not a kickass beer that I must recommend to everyone. That being said, I will probably remember this enough to tell a story about this one lavender beer I had way back when. And that's my beef with these kinds of herbed/spiced/honey beers. More often than not, they just don't bring enough to the table to stand on their own or against any food or occasion. What would I do with beer? I would drink it when I happen to have one around and I just want "a beer". Maybe that's a bit of a backhanded compliment, so I want to reiterate this is not a bad beer. It's just not what I'm looking for in a beer right now. Ok, ok, I let that one slip out a bit but now let me suppose this was brewed by a dude. "Yeah, it's ok, dude. I tend to like more hops...but I get what you're trying to accomplish with the lavender. Brewing is about self-expression, right?" (ZING). Anyway. How would I like to see this revised into an even better beer? More assertive. More lavender, more unconverted honey, complementary flavors and aromas like jasmine, chamomile, milk,, etc. Really, I am now just thinking about body washes, and you should probably just make a heather ale.

Appearance: Clear gold. Kicked up a little finger of a head which fell down to a ring.
Smell: Fragrant lavender but not perfume-y.
Taste: Very mild, slight sweet honey. Lavender generalizes into more of a generic flower petal sensation.
Mouthfeel: A bit too creamy for me. It seems like it just doesn't stay cold enough, but it's also been rather warm lately.
Drinkability and Overall: Too voluminous to be a refreshing beer for my taste. Rather generic, unfortunately. Not sorry I had it though, but not in my top 5.

Sam Adams Bonfire Rauchbier.

2011-09-28T21:55:00.000-07:00

I love Boston Beer Company because, despite being huge (they are the largest craft brewery and had to get "craft brewery" redefined to accommodate their volume), they still find time to branch out and not do it in a shitty fashion. So props. I've had only a few rauchbiers, and they've all been pretty crazy. Obviously, the first thing that people mention is bacon. Beer and bacon are both wonderful things, but bacon-flavored beer? There's bacon-flavored vodkas, which really doesn't sound that appetizing. You wouldn't make a bacon milkshake. (Or would you?)

I like that while this beer does a have a bit of bacon nuance, it's in check and lets the smokiness come out more. Woody, chestnut-y, but mostly smoky. Hickory? Really, it drowns out everything else for me. It's low and an easy drinker, but I don't really think I'd want to drink too many of these in one go. Only the bare minimum of notes; this style is still too much of a novelty for my palate.

Appearance: Slightly ruddy brown, but very clear.
Smell: Not too bacon-y but more like ham.
Taste: Not as bacon-y as other rauchbiers I've had, which lets the smokiness come out a bit more.
Mouthfeel: Boston Ale-y.
Drinkability and Overall: More easy-going and palatable than any other rauchbier I've had and probably the most accessible. Still, I wouldn't want to sit down and drink more than one.

New Belgium Mothership Wit.

2011-09-27T22:17:00.000-07:00

My first complaint is that this pale straw colored "organic wheat beer brewed with spices" is too damn clear. The irony of it is that the side of the labels has little pictures to teach you "how to fly the mothership", when there is, in fact, no sediment to swirl. I guess this is just a simulator. I must say this is a curious kind of wheat beer though. It's fairly tart. I suppose that is common to the style, which I am getting confused with other wheat beers. Witbier is a a Belgian/French wheat beer while hefeweizen/weissbier is of German origin. But now that I think about it, Blue Moon and Hoegaarden are witbiers. This does not look like them. It looks more like a filtered hefeweizen. In any case, it is even paler than filtered hefeweizen. It's quite strange.

Maybe the "organic" makes things taste crazy, but this has a crazy taste too. As i said, it's rather tart and sour, relatively speaking. There is some spice bundled up front but it gets shoved around a lot by this vinous character. How turbulent. I am mostly confused about this beer, but I've already drank the other five bottles last week, so I guess it can't be that bad. I will say that I did pass it over a few times, if I had some other option in the refrigerator though. Do what you will with that information.

I just can't find a lot to say about this one, nor can I do it in a cogent fashion, apparently. I want to say there's something kind of mild, unripe and slightly bitter fruit in there or something. It's all very confusing. The carbonation is probably about right for the style, but it doesn't carry well because the rest of it is so light that it might float away. Is that the joke here?

Appearance: The palest, clearest beer I've ever seen. Weird tint too. It almost looks watered down.
Smell: Can't get much aroma.
Taste: Sour and tart. The spice is sort of there but is not very assertive.
Mouthfeel: Extremely light and fairly high carb makes for a strange balance.
Drinkability and Overall: I don't know if this was from a bad batch or what. When I typed that it looked watered down, I think that really sums it up. Everything about this beer seems really watered down. Combined with the fact that I didn't get any sediment in my bottles, maybe this was a bad batch.

New Belgium Hoptober.

2011-09-27T20:59:00.001-07:00

I love New Belgium. Fat Tire is such a classic amber ale, and I don't go for ambers very often, but that's just a full, assertive example of the style. I remember drinking Fat Tires back in college, and it was just a great change of pace from all the Killian's on Taco Tuesdays or, much more commonly, the numerous PBRs I ironically ironically liked. Is that double 'ironically' an ironic typo or intentional. I don't even know anymore.

A few years later (or maybe a only a year), I stopped by a nice chain bottle shop that had opened back in my parents' town and picked up several examples from New Belgium's lineup. (Checking the archives, it was 1554, Abbey, and Tripel. Also, OMG SO SNOOTY.) While I wasn't as head-over-heels for those by that point, as my palate had significantly diversified, they were still pretty satisfying beers, despite what my former self was apparently thinking at the time. New Belgium is also canning these days, and I did pick up a 12-pack of Fat Tire cans to haul back east. I may have to pick up some of this to bring back too. Pale and wheat malt with rye and oats, Centennial, Cascade, Sterling, Willamette, and Glacier hops, this is a pretty solid beer.

Now that I'm almost down to the bottom of this pour, I should probably write something about it. It is a super crystal clear gold that even looks refreshing. The aroma is rather pilsener-like with some hard, sharp, clean hop aromas. It reminds me of Sam Adams Noble Pils but maltier and softer. I had to look this up on BA, and it's an American Blonde Ale which not a style with which I'm familiar but it is fairly new and distinctly American, obviously. It's a bit of a take on a kolsch, a style I do enjoy but does not cross my mind nearly enough to make it to my lips. The malts are slightly sweet, maybe a bit like honey with a little bit of fruitiness, but very subdued and well-controlled. The hop blend is really nice, certainly present but not over-the-top, just a little laid back. Perhaps it's just my imagination, but there's the slightest hint of a toastiness, a nod to the changing of the leaves, as they turn in crunchy things to crush ("sounds like fortune cookies!").

I would love to have this around for an outdoor field day on one of those autumn days that run the whole spectrum of temperatures: a warm sun during the day with an occasionally gusty breeze and a cooling evening that can give you the occasional chill, if you let it. The label has a bunch of silhouettes dancing and hoolahooping around a bonfire. And that sounds awesome.

Appearance: Crystal clear gold. The head looks a little scummy and gives the impression of it being somewhat viscous but that's misleading; it clears out on its own.
Smell: Noble hops, clean, sharp, and hard.
Taste: Slightly sweet malt with impressions of fruit and honey. It is primarily a well-packaged hop courier though, balanced and not overloaded. An ale-y version of Sam Adams Noble Pils.
Mouthfeel: Slightly creamy but finishes crisply with the right amount of carbonation. Certainly heavier than a pilsener but pretty lightweight for many craft ales. Very kolsch-y.
Drinkability and Overall: Only 40 IBU and 6%ABV combined with the relatively light body make this is a superbly easy drinker. I would say this could take through the night at the bar, but it demands to be drank outside on crisp fall day into the night.

Lagunitas Bavarian-styled Doppel Weizen.

2011-09-26T20:39:00.000-07:00

A new-to-me limited release. Labels reads "This Special Brew Was Designed By Our Freistaat Bayern Brothers Who Also Built The Brewhouse Upon Which We Brewed It", which makes for a really long name. The edge of the label tells a cute story of making a drunken brewhouse purchase from a "Freistat Bayern Brewer" for a mere 80bbl capacity back in 2006. Today, Lagunitas is moving to a 250bbl facility. Cheers.

Interesting little brew. The aroma is strongly banana, but the first taste is rather spicy, like a Belgian wit but sours out like a German hefeweizen. And the body is creamy and smooth like a Vienna lager. There's a lot going on here, both in depth and breadth. The banana which so strongly dominates the nose bows out and allows a refreshing wheat character to take stage, though well protected by a haze of spice buffeted by a nicely effervescent body. The banana makes a brief appearance towards the end, and I think I caught a taste of something akin to a plum.

OG 1.084, 9%ABV, 34.2 IBU. This is such an interesting beer. It's like it has a little something for everyone. It doesn't excel at any one thing, but it doesn't do anything injustice either. The body makes it just filling enough that it could stand on its own on a hot day, but it's not so filling that you couldn't also have some cook-out food with it too. I like it. I'd like to keep it around during the summer months. It's a nice beer that's a little richer, a little more complex than your standard hefeweizen or witbier.

Appearance: Hazy straw-amber; head is only a ring.
Smell: Suddenly, bananas. A swirl to stir up some head yields more of the spice character.
Taste: Spicy like a Hoegaarden rather than a Blue Moon. The wheat is surrounded by the spice, which really has all the exits covered. The banana is far more subdued in the palate than in the nose. I found a little bit of plum on the back end.
Mouthfeel: Creamy and smooth, it gains some volume in the mouth, giving it a rather white-bread-y sensation. Fairly filling.
Drinkability and Overall: OG 1.084, 9%ABV, 34.2 IBU. Pretty interesting across the gamut of sensations. I like it, and I think it could fit in a lot of situations. Too high for an all-nighter, but it'd be a nice way to kick it off.

Primator Doppelbock.

2011-09-25T21:27:00.000-07:00

I haven't had a good doppelbock in a while. I remember my first: Ayinger Celebrator. It had a sweet billy goat charm around the neck of each bottle, which a pun. 'ein bock' (which is apparently what it sounds like when Bavarians say 'Einbeck', the origin town for the style) means 'billy goat'; hence, the association of goats with the style. I've also heard that it's a reference to the changing of the season. The onset of spring calls for a kick in the pants (or a headbutt) to shake off the cobwebs of the dark winter months, so bocks are slightly higher in alcohol (kind of like barleywines, of which I really like ST's description).

This is an incredibly sweet beer, extremely sugary. I have never tasted a beer so sugary. I am completely beside myself. That rich, toasty, malty character, the dark and bitter notion of an extra stout slightly tempered by sweetness, has been replaced with Kool-aid. This beer is just so extraordinarily sweet. It doesn't have the body of a milk stout to back it up properly so it just spills itself all over your palate, blowing out everything, smashing through another wall when it leaves, and the roast bitter shrugs sheepishly and shuffles away with its hands in its pockets.

It's fairly carbed so I'm pouring the other half to top off my glass and try it with something spicy as its neck label suggests. The violent pour stirred up the head which foamed up and fizzed out, maybe apropos for its cola soda-like sweetness. All I've really got are some tortilla chips and some serrano salsa fresca that I just bought. Turns out that this salsa is pretty mild, only rating half of a full chile. The mild heat cuts down the sweetness a bit and lets the toastiness peek through. But it's still pretty imbalanced. Ok, time to break out the Uncle Chen Extra Hot - Chili Garlic Sauce. It's, and I quote, "chiliciously hot". It's not a sauce I find myself using very often because it just doesn't go well with anything other than pho, unfortunately. That spiciness and this sweetness just don't mesh. And this big gulp I just took tasted like Kopiko cappuccino candy so that's bizarre. The salsa is good, by the way.

At this point, a few gulps away from the bottom, I'm finding more and more of a coffee character, a heavily sugared and creamed coffee, almost like canned coffee, but even sweeter. That's the thing about canned coffee; it's fatty and sugary, but there's still a clear coffee character. Primator is more like adding coffee to your sugary milk.

Here's the thing. There are no goats on the label. They claim a combination of "five different Moravian and Bavarian malts with a hint of bittering hops", (as opposed to five of the same malts?) yielding a 24 degrees Plato, 10.5%ABV wonky Doppelbock. You screwed me at "no goats".

Appearance: Very clear, dark brown, deep garnet against the light. No head without some vigor, then it fizzes out like soda.
Smell: When I can get the head swirled up, there's actually a nice nutty (they say chestnut) aroma. I would agree with roasted chestnut.
Taste: Absurdly sweet. The sweetness is more reminiscent of cola soda than malt. The toasty bitterness is completely lost here. Eventually, it just starts to tastes like canned coffee but still so ridiculously sweet that it makes Starbucks drinks taste like actual coffee.
Mouthfeel: A fairly silky lager at this point. Initially, the carbing was fairly high but not so high to foam, just enough to coat the tongue. I'm reminded of a very, very thin syrup, which is syrup nevertheless.
Drinkability and Overall: The 500mL bottle is an awkward format because it's 1 pint, 0.9 fl oz. For my palate, it's just too sweet to enjoy on it's own, but I can't see it meshing well with anything else either. Maybe buffalo wings or something. The 10.5%ABV means you're really going to enjoy whatever you drink next, as long as it's not this.

Belzebuth Blonde Ale.

2011-09-24T20:14:00.000-07:00

I forget where I saw this, but it's an interesting looking beer so I picked it up. 13%ABV is proudly displayed on the neck label. For a blonde ale, this is pretty potent. Also, interestingly, this is a French product, not Belgian. It is also a slightly smaller format. I had assumed it was an 11.2oz/330ml bottle but it is actually 8.4oz. Two small numbers are also printed: "28.09.12" and "L12.2.08". I suspect the first is a drink-by date. The second could be a bottling date, but the convention isn't consistent with the first, so it may not be a date at all.

As I was passing the glass to my other side, I got a whiff of wine but not much else. Frenchies. I was concerned that the taste may also reflect it's aroma but was pleasantly surprised. It's a creamy, malty base, rather sweet and esther-y with lots of bananas not cut with a lot of spices, hiding its ABV fairly well until the end. I can taste a fair amount of alcohol there, and it lingers somewhat.

I'm not sure what do do with beer, really. At 13%ABV and its level of sweetness, it's not going to go before or during a meal. The only other thing I would think of is as a dessert beer, which might be ok, but I'm not digging the alcohol aftertaste. To me, this is going to be more of a novelty beer. There are other beers and liquors better suited to fill the dessert or dessert accompaniment role. It's not terribly complex either, so I can't imagine myself wanting to sit down with just this. Eh, a bit of a miss for me.

Appearance: On the darker end for a strong pale. Coppery gold; thin, mossy head, soapy down the sides.
Smell: Alcohol-y as opposed to boozy. Reminds me of wine
Taste: Very sweet, bananas, maybe a bit of peach, mostly unspiced. The alcohol is hidden until the end where it is fairly evident.
Mouthfeel: Creamy and bit low carbed.
Drinkability and Overall: It's not going to win any awards for being a dangerously drinkable beer. The taste experience is ok but it's fairly clear that this is a pretty alcoholic beer. I can't find a good pairing for it either, food- or occasion-wise. Worth a try but probably not much else. Also, one person on BA managed to track this down in a can, which is kind of cool.

Also, still abusing that abbey tag.

Anchor Old Foghorn Old Barleywine.

2011-09-23T19:50:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure, but I can probably get this back east. Anchor is fairly ubiquitous, but I wanted to give a nod to the local-to-me-for-the-time-being brewery. Plus, I don't see b-wines in the 12 ounce format very often. The neck label indicates that it is dry-hopped, but I'm not sure how common that is for the style.

The head looked pretty creamy on the pour, and right now, it's sitting as a nice cap, a few millimeters thick. It's a nice garnet against the light. There's also a constant stream of bubbles, but it's not overcarbed. The most interested feature is probably the aroma, which smells exactly like bubblegum. This is the second beer I've had in the last week that has reminded me of Big Red soda. It's an interesting combination with the taste which is obviously malty but fairly subdued, when I think about other b-wines. Less prune and more raisin and banana; less bitter and more sugary. For being 9.4%, it's a super easy drinker, maybe a tinge of alcohol on the tip of the tongue at the finish, and the body is quite light. I would expect more viscosity and weight from the style, so I'm on the fence about mouthfeel. If I chalk it up to it being Anchor and Anchor doing silly things like inventing steam beer, maybe this is some traditional side effect. I would also like to know the bottling date and/or how long they sat in secondary. It's quite smooth.

I happen to have a lot of cheese at this point in time and so that sounds like it would be a tasty pair, something soft and light colored, like havarti or brie, of which I have neither. This meunster is ok though.

I like the fact that it comes in a 12 ounce bottle because sometimes a entire bomber to yourself cam be a bit heavy. That being said, I'm not sure I'd want more than a bottle of this. As I said, it's quite sweet. Without some nuts and cheeses to temper it, I'm just about over it and ready for something else. Still, it's worth a purchase for the season. You don't have to drink the entire 6-pack (not a 4-pack!) in one sitting.

Addendum: Oh wow, I was tagging this as an American b-wine, but BA says it's an English. I wouldn't have guess that given my experience with English b-wines. Maybe the only consistent distinction in the amount of hops.

Appearance: Clear, garnet against the light. Creamy head that manages to cap, if a bit thinly.
Smell: Bubblegum through and through. Unusual and unexpected but rather pleasant. Might be too cloying for some.
Taste: Subdued malt and fairly sugary. Raisins, bananas, not much bitter and very mellow.
Mouthfeel: Carbing is a bit low given the weight, which is the surprising part. I would expect more viscosity and weight from a b-wine. The lower carb with the lightness leaves it feeling a bit flat towards the end. Otherwise, the finish is clean.
Drinkability and Overall: A very drinkable 9.5%ABV. A curious change of pace, if you like barleywines but want something lighter-bodied. I don't think I'd want to drink more than a bottle though.

Eel River Raven's Eye Imperial Stout.

2011-09-22T20:59:00.000-07:00

Yet another Eel River offering. It's been a while since I've had an imperial stout, it seems, so it sounded good when I saw it. Plus, it was kind of a cool name and label, a little different from the typical something-something-black-or-dragon-whatnot. Besides, I really like those big black birds. They're always yelling at people or standing around talking to each other. Pretty funny.

A heavy black, noticeably viscous pour, but with not much head. Weaseling an aroma out of this is kind of difficult but it's mostly caramel. I'm not going to lie, I didn't type anything about the first half of this bomber because I was watching Lego videos on YouTube. Upon pouring the other half though, I get a visual confirmation of the mouthfeel. This is a pretty fizzy beer for being an imperial stout. The head on this actually fizzed out like a soda, which is pretty bizarre. The second glass is also a little warmer, and I find the viscosity somewhat less pleasing in this case. It's a decent tasting imperial stout. Rich and malty, bittering slightly on the back on the finish. I really have to say the amount of carbonation in this slightly distracting. I feel like I'm drinking a slightly warm soda, the kind that's a little too each to foam up when it hits your mouth. Because of the association, I get a little cola flavor. And some licorice. Maybe a little brownie.

On one hand, I'm happy to be drinking an unadulterated imperial stout. On the other hand, this is slightly generic and the carb is off to the point of being distracting. It is a punchy 9.5%ABV though. So it's not a bad take. But there are certainly others that I'd opt for first. If I could get a deal on these, yeah, I'd pick up a case or two. But if I had a choice, Rasputin is solid.

Appearance: Thick-looking black pour, not head. Second pour had a soda-like head that fizzed out.
Smell: Hard to get an impression without a head to capture it. I get mostly caramel.
Taste: A fairly standard, if a bit mild, dark, slightly sweet malt with some finishing bitter. A bit too nondescript. On the second glass, I found some licorice and something akin to brownies.
Mouthfeel: Overcarbed. It's pretty distracting. Otherwise, viscous, slightly sticky.
Drinkability and Overall: 9.5%ABV so if you can get a deal, well, then you got a deal. But otherwise, there are other imperial stouts more worth your time.

Deschutes Obsidian Stout.

2011-09-18T20:48:00.001-07:00

Picked this up a while ago but just now getting around to it. This will probably be my last tasting from Deschutes regular lineup. I remember being denied this beer earlier this summer because the coffee shop had run out, so here it is, the volunteer from the 6-pack.

The pour was delightful. Rich black with a fluffy mocha head. Against the light, you make out a clear dark brown around the edges. The smell is slightly nondescript, cool and just shy of metallic, and I like that. Here is a stout that intends to be just that. Not a stout brewed with local, organic fair trade coffee harvested by children rescued from Martha Stewart sweatshops or a stout infused with Amazonian cacao or some bullshit like that. Here is a stout with a deep black heart that knows exactly what kind of beer it wants to be and doesn't need any extraneous decoration or over-the-top antics. The dark, well-roasted malts make a nice blend with a hint of naturally arising chocolate syrup taste. Assertively bitter but not ostentatious. It is a stout and not an RIS. Silky and smooth, there's just enough carbonation to make it roll off the tongue without blowing up; the finish is clean with very minor residue. Very well played, Deschutes.

This reminds me a bit of the classic first encounters a budding beer aficionado has with Guinness Draught and Extra Stout. After drinking so much American adjunct lager, Draught is like chocolate milk made with 2% (or more) milk and Hershey's chocolate syrup instead of Nestle Quik. They were so smooth, you think you could be so content drinking them all night. And then the intensity of an Extra Stout. Harshly bitter, at first, it's noted as a pretty chewy beer, dense in both flavor and body. Deschutes Obsidian Stout is like reliving both of those experiences at the same time. Everything is in balance, and this is what it'd be like if Draught and Extra had a baby. I like this beer.

Appearance: Opaque black with a fluffly mocha head that leaves decent lacing. No haze against the light.
Smell: Slight roasted malts but mostly a clean and fresh bouquet, untainted by accessories.
Taste: Chocolate-y arising from natural complexity. Slight cola taste with a mild roasted bitter.
Mouthfeel: Clean with an excellent level of carbonation. Certainly lighter than an RIS and just heavy enough compared to most other stouts.
Drinkability and Overall: This is a fantastic stout. It is a stout, nothing more, nothing less. I could easily drink a couple of these while sitting around.

Allagash Tripel.

2011-09-18T19:45:00.000-07:00

Despite Allagash being from Portland, ME, I am pretty sure I haven't seen it anywhere around me. The bottles I've seen here are pretty interesting, and many are well-rated. It's not often you see high-gravity styles in 12-ounce bottles, so when I saw a 4-pack of Tripel, I picked it up. Also, why is it that oft-elite beers tend to come in 4-packs instead of 6-packs? The only reason I can think of, assuming the shop doesn't break up packs, is that the price point would be too high otherwise. After all, 4-packs of GI BCB Stout and DFH World Wide Stout are both over $20.

Anyway, the fluffy head is leaving some nice lacing and seems to have changed aroma. My first whiff was more ester-y and fruity but now it's bit more spicy. I have to say this first, regarding the carbonation: SON I AM DISAPPOINT. For a tripel, is far too low, maybe low for a dubbel as well. It's pretty malty and creamy though with a strong phenolic character towards the finish. The alcohol is slightly apparent there as it seems to linger a bit, but it's fairly dull. There is a mild undercurrent of fruit, not melons but something similar.

I have to say, Belgian beers challenge my palate the most. Often, I can only say things that are typical of Belgian beers. To say such an appraisal to a person who has never has a Belgian beer is fairly worthless. I took a look at BA and saw that no one is really able to make fine distinctions either. Not that that makes me feel any better but it only validation that I need more work on my palate. Someone else called out mango which I think is the flavor I was trying to identify. Dropping all the key words into twisted sentences does not make a review.

Appearance: Alternately pale gold or amber, depending on the backing light. Fluffy head dies down significantly, but leaves some nice lacing.
Smell: Fruity at first but picks up some spice as it warms. Towards the bottom, I also got a hint of a tropical fruit.
Taste: Bananas, ether-y, phenolic, blah blah blah. Strong malt up front but softens in a creamy sweetness. Mild alcohol on the finish but some kind of fruit that is not a melon but similar. Someone on BA mentioned mango, which seems right.
Mouthfeel: Carb is too low. More creamy than effervescent, letting the malts weigh it down a bit.
Drinkability and Overall: 9%ABV. The neck label suggests "as an apertif or compliment to a fine cuisine." Should be 'complement'. I would disagree with the apertif as it is not bold enough or effervescent enough to carry its weight. It is a decent, easy-drinking beer however. This is an A-/A- on BA. I would go more like a B+. You can kick at the dirt and say it's an American take on the style, so for that I'll give it a little leeway.

Grand Teton Lost Continent Double IPA.

2011-09-17T21:20:00.001-07:00

After a disastrous Grand Teton experience last night, I felt compelled to go after the other one right away. After all, if it was going to be bad, I might as well find out now, and if it's good, well, that would a timely redemption. So anchors aweigh.

Right off the bat, I could tell this was malty, possibly resiny, from the way it poured into the glass. The head didn't stick around but exposes a glassy surface with visible tension. I was a little nervous about the first taste but the smell was inviting enough. With so much apprehension, actually tasting it left me a little confused. It's sweet and fruity with a tight ball of hop in the center towards the back. And then it just sort of disappears. Very confusing.

Not going to lie, I have kind of mixed feelings about this one. Slightly resiny with a double IPA like body. The carbonation is a little low, leaving the viscosity pretty high. However, the double hops component is not really there. As it warms up, the lack of a strong hop backbone leaves the malt unbalanced. There isn't a strong amber malt component either so for something so mild to be unbalanced says a lot. It's strange for it to be so fruity while still lacking so much hop character. At the end of the day, I think that lack is glaring and unforgivable in an double IPA. So I have to give it an F on the style. As a beer, it's slightly surprising and unique, whether it meant to be or not. Very meandering. Maybe Grand Teton was on the pursuit of hoppiness and got lost and wound up here. Herp derp.

Appearance: Darker gold-orange. No head retention. Visibly thick.
Smell: Fruity and a bit citrus-y, oranges then apricots.
Taste: Strange sweetness, fruitiness, not a dominant hop character but not a very malty taste either. A miss here.
Mouthfeel: Thick and viscous, surprisingly so. The body is too heavy for the marginal potency it has.
Drinkability and Overall: Fairly unsatisfying due to the low flavor density. 8%ABV in a bomber format. I'm not sure I would ever really want more than a glass of this.

New Belgium Belgo.

2011-09-16T22:33:00.000-07:00

I was told WF got the New Belgium Belgo in so I decided to pick up sixer. I was told it's like what it would be if Ranger and Mothership has a baby. I'm a fan of Ranger, so I thought I ought to check it out as long as I'm in range of NB's distro. Plus, NB always has very clean, aesthetically pleasing labels. It looks like Belgo is being represented by a giant disco ball so that's cool.

A quick taste yields and exceptionally spicy taste, very reminiscent of Hoegaarden. Holding it against the light, I would say it's quite clear but there is something suspended in the liquid. No idea what it is, and it doesn't seem to be circulating at all. Classic Belgian aroma but is somewhat milder on that palate. The spice gradually gives way to the hops which brings a slightly out of place bittering. What's interesting is that the spice seems to share the stage with the hops but eventually upstage it.

I'm a big fan of the Belgo IPA style, and so I want to love this beer. However, I can only say that I like it this time around. The Belgo-IPA balance is rather off. That's not to say it's a bad beer; it's certainly not. But it does favor the Belgo character much more than the IPA influence that is typical for this style. Perhaps that's what sets this one apart though. The Belgo IPA is typically cast as an IPA with a Belgo influence whereas this is more of a Belgian witbier with an IPA influence, though it does have the appearance and body of an IPA. At the end of the day, I think this is an interesting beer and a refreshing addition to the Belgo IPA style. As for pairings, I'm going to go with something mildly spicy with Thai basil and an aromatic rice, probably some kind of chicken curry instead of red meat.

Appearance: Quite clear and standard color for IPA. There appears to be something in suspension. Head dissipates to partial covering moss.
Smell: Strong spice, very reminiscent of witbier, lots of cardamom and anise.
Taste: Again, strongly on the witbier/Belgo side. There is a short cameo of the hops but it is dominated by the Belgo style.
Mouthfeel: Higher carb than an IPA and even a bit higher than a witbier. Expands quite a bit in the mouth but not overly filling.
Drinkability and Overall: A good balance of body and flavor. If you're expecting an IPA, this is not it. An interesting spin on witbier is more like it even though it doesn't look at all like a witbier. Very confusing. Overall, a rather tasty beer for the category and could handle itself well against an appropriate meal or some crackers to soak up some of the spiciness.

Grand Teton Pursuit of Hoppiness Imperial Red Ale.

2011-09-16T20:39:00.000-07:00

Since I seem to be on a roll with Grand Teton thus far, I thought I'd try out some of the bombers, which had decent reviews on BA. I picked up Lost Continent along with Pursuit of Hoppiness. The first thing by which I'm struck (typed struct initially -> too much kernel time; also debated on whether to use '=' or '=='. Thought about it and decided to go with the less ambiguous implication arrow. In the time I've taken to type the last sentence, I've reevaluated my position and decided that '=' would be semantically more appropriate than '=='. But I'm sticking with the implication arrow.) is the name: Pursuit of Hoppiness. This is, in fact, an imperial red ale, not an imperial IPA. I thought that was a strange name for a red ale. After pulling off the silly color-coordinated foil cap, I was greeted with a blank gold cap. Bummer.

First, let me say this beer is not very good. This basically is a Killians at imperial strength. My initial sniff was a pretty off-putting coppery (as in metallic) smell, the kind you get on your hands after handling a lot of loose change, plus an intermittent fishy smell. So we're off to a terrible start. Fantastic. The taste is flat malty and metallic. Very rarely do I say this about a beer (Denogginizer), but fuck this shit. Maybe a bad bottle, but seriously, this thing is really terrible. This is should probably be renamed something like Pursuit of Sadness. Or Boner-killer. It is that terrible.

At 8.5%ABV and $8 for the bomber, it's only on par for QPR. The upshot is that the beer after this is probably going to taste great.

Appearance: Standard red ale; frothy head with some awkward off-on curtains.
Smell: Metallic and fishy. Yuck.
Taste: Very 1-D malty but not really on the level of an imperial. Tinny taste, like a skunky can.
Mouthfeel: Viscosity on par for an imperial, standard weight. Carbing is not unusually low, but I'm annoyed enough with this beer to hold it against it.
Drinkability and Overall: DO NOT WANT. There are much better tasting red ales and at this price point. Trying this only makes me want to make sure I pick up some Rogue Santa's Little Helper this year.

Even more beers.

2011-09-16T20:35:00.000-07:00

Preface: I just want to push this post out since it's been sitting for so long. The original start date on this was 100925, so very nearly a year old, but I'm going to make current the posting date and start a new list.

Brooklyn Detonation Imperial IPA - New sight from Brooklyn. Heavy viscous body, low carb, but relatively light in the mouth. Less emphasis on bittering hops, really strong fruity flavor, clean finish. I think this is a really great example of the other end of the imperial IPA spectrum.
Custom Brewcrafters Unfiltered Dry-hopped Rye, cask - Got kinda of a mild ale feel from this, not a really strong rye presence nor hop presence, in both bittering and floral. A bit floppy.
Stone Vertical Epic 10-10-10 - A little too wine-y for my taste, like a filtered wheat wine. Figures, it used gewurtz, sauv blanc, and something else that I don't remember now. Tasty in a cider-y way, but I'd be more interested in a few years.
Stone Bashah - A black Belgian double IPA. First, I'm excited to have this as my first Brewdog. But. Goddamnit. Stop fucking with black IPA. Make up your mind.
Sam Adams Chocolate Bock - A pretty typical bock, maybe a little more body. The cocoa is pretty mild. I would say it sits between bock and doppelbock.
Troegs Mad Elf 2010 - Rather vinous. Couldn't get much out of it as it was complex but very faint. Would do well with some time.
Dogfish Head Fort - 18%ABV, it's going for a port-like feel. Very sweet and fruity, something like figs and dates and olives. Port, fort, more like fart. Apparently, the fruit is supposed to be raspberries. It's good, but I wouldn't ever want to pour a whole bottle for myself.
McNeill's Imperial Stout - A rich, mean RIS. Strong roastiness, coffee, reminded me of a more potent Middle Ages Dragonslayer.
Sierra Nevada Pro-Am - Dark, mega-malty ale. Reminds me of a cola. Tasty.
Bear Republic Racer 5 on cask - Tastes like apple juice, lost a lot of hop.

North Coast Pranqster.

2011-09-15T21:57:00.000-07:00

North Coast, in my opinion, is a bit of sleeper brewery. They don't seem to get much spotlight time, don't immediately come to mind, or seem to put out very many beer. But everyone knows (or should know) Old Rasputin, one of the best examples of RIS. I'm also a big fan of Brother Thelonious which I had way back when I was first really getting into craft beer. I also had their Old Stock Ale a couple years ago as a random bottle pick during a random drinking night at the OT. Even then, I still hadn't put it all together as I remember not knowing who North Coast was at the time. Now that I think about it, North Coast doesn't advertise heavily on their labels, just a small round seal out of the way of some eye-catching, detailed graphic.

I will admit the cork gave me more trouble than usual, taking a good solid minute of working the cork around the bottle several times but then I got to the beautifully clear, bright golden pour with a full head. I don't have much to say about this, to be honest, and maybe that's a virtue. Pranqster is a Belgian-style golden ale, and that's exactly what it tastes like. Classic Belgian yeasty+spicy aroma but subdued. Rich yet light on the tongue, slightly sweet and fruity, dry with a mellow bitter finish. The head retention is rather low which affects the overall mouthfeel a bit, but that's forgivable.

Overall, this is a great beer, especially considering the $6 price tag on the bomber. The 7.5%ABV is certainly manageable over a night. It's flavorful so it stands well on its own. BA marks it as an aperitif/digestif or with game or salmon. Given the dryness, I'm on board with the fish, but I don't agree with the salmon.

Appearance: Clear golden; head retention is quite low as is lacing.
Smell: Mildly yeasty and spicy, some light-skinned fruits like pear.
Taste: Only slightly sweet, dry, with a bitter finish.
Mouthfeel: Very good carbonation, light and refreshing.
Drinkability and Overall: At 7.5%ABV, it is immensely enjoyable on its own.

Gageleer Sweet Gale Ale.

2011-09-14T23:37:00.000-07:00

A curious, stout bottle, reminiscent of Maredsous, which I picked from the WF loose Belgian bottle section. It's brewed with sweet gale (bog myrtle), an herb used in Medieval gruit ales, apparently. The foamy head is indicative of its Belgian origin, as is its yeasty, slightly spicy nose. It's rather sweet tasting, not merely a sweet malty taste, but legitimately sweet like a sugary candy. It is, however, in moderation and balanced, and I would expect no less from a Belgian beer. There is a slight flower petal taste and finish that is refreshing, and a hop character is not very noticeable. It finishes clean and slightly dry with bit of dried grass.

I'm always up for trying interesting beers and that usually means beers brewed with random plants. This is an interesting, albeit somewhat tame, beer. I'm not terribly familiar with gruits and this may actually be the first I've seen related to the style. I can only give this a decent rating, in all honesty. There is nothing truly memorable about the taste itself, unfortunately, and for the bottle price, it's not really worth it.

Appearance: Dark straw color; foamy head subsides to moss with a slight residue.
Smell: Typically Belgian yeasty, spicy aroma.
Taste: A bit like a tripel but with less assertiveness and dominated by a flower petal sensation. Overall, though, it is quite mild.
Mouthfeel: Dubbel to Tripel-like carbonation, very full and light in the mouth due to the carbonation with a slightly dry finish.
Drinkability and Overall: This is a decent beer. At 7.5%ABV, it's not out of the question to try this for a round, but it's not something I would want around. An interesting concept with a rather ordinary taste.

Also, I'm further abusing my "abbey" tag to be somewhat analogous to "Belgian". I should fix that some day.

Eel River Triple Exultation.

2011-09-13T20:29:00.000-07:00

I had been reasonably pleased with the Eel River IPA I had so I decided to go for another one. I thought Triple Exultation sounded promising. As soon as I poured, however, I was repulsed. What is this brown shit filling my glass? I thought that it might be another Drake's Denogginizer experience. As I took my first sip, I got a whiff of raisins and cinnamon pinwheels which was really awkward. Taste was equally raisin-y. What a fucking terrible IPA. It is not possible to screw up this bad. I took another look at the bottle for some kind of explanation for this madness. MY BAD. This is not some imperial IPA. It is, in fact, an old ale. Whew. Ok, doesn't seem to wacky then. Ultra-malty, a bit like a young American barley wine without much spice, with a touch of prunes. Because it's an old ale. Get it? Right before the finish, there is a touch of chocolate, but it's quite fleeting.

A decent sipper, this one. At 9.7%ABV, it covers its heat quite well. If you focus on the end of the palate very hard, you might pick up a little bit of alcohol residue, but if you paired this with some candied fruits (and maybe some FUCK YEAH PINWHEELS), it'd cover that up. This one is a keeper, I'd say, in my limited experience with old ales. I'd love to stack this against some American barley wines and obviously some other old ales I can rustle together.

The reception on BA is quite varied but ends up with a B+ anyway. I think another reviewer had an interesting insight, that it lacked finesse, and used an apropos quote:

"[They] would use a bulldozer to find a china cup" - Raiders of the Lost Ark

However, in my bottle, I though the flavors were maybe overblended and the complexity had lost out to entropy. At the end of the day though, this is an appreciable beer. Looking forward to its brethren this winter. On a related note, BA's suggested pairings for old ales:

Cheese (buttery; Brie, Gouda, Havarti, Swiss)

Appearance: Murky light brown but a vibrant red against the light; off-white, thin, superfine and creamy head. Constant carbonation rising.
Smell: Lots of raisins, a solid toffee after a swirl of the glass, also reminiscent of Werther's Original candies.
Taste: Malt bomb, slightly bread-y, prunes and bitter on the finish. Not terribly complex but entertaining enough.
Mouthfeel: An overflowing, superfine carb, if you stir it up in the mouth. Otherwise, fairly smooth, medium bodied, leaves a bit of residue. Alcohol is slightly noticeable on the finish of the finish.
Drinkability and Overall: It's an easy drinker for 9.7%ABV but the bitter on the end will keep you from drinking too quickly. I'd prefer this paired with something rather than on its own.

Firehouse Hops on Rye IPA.

2011-09-12T21:34:00.000-07:00

I'm a big fan of rye bread. Rye whiskey has grown on me. While my first encounter with a rye beer was awkward, the grain has grown on me quite a bit. This particular bottle had been staring me in the face every time I went to the grocery. I like IPAs and I like rye, but I kept passing it up in favor of some other more interesting beer. Well, no more; I wanted a solid IPA to break the chain of lackluster beers I've had recently, not that I had any idea whether this was a solid beer or not. I should know well enough by now that if a beer catches my eye, I'm going to get a taste eventually.

The pour is slightly darker than a typical grassy IPA and gives a nice fresh whiff of fruit so we're off to a good start. A modest fine head dissipates to moss. What's the deal with head retention these days? Right off the bat, I get a taste of rye; glorious, spicy rye. The hop bittering is actually somewhat mild and allows the malts to take center stage for the most part. A little sweet freshness up front to some well-rounded malt sweetness in the middle, but the real treat is on the back end when the rye kicks in. The interplay between the hop bitter and rye spice is very pleasant and makes for a drawn-out finish.

Magnum, Amarillo, and Citra hops set Hops on Rye at 75IBU with a healthy 7.5%ABV. This is a nice kick-back-and relax-beer, especially in the bomber format. I can't say what I'd pair it with because I've just ruined my palate with some awesomely hot Casa Sanchez salsa.

Appearance: Slightly darker than typical. Find head into moss.
Smell: Fruity, bordering on resin-y.
Taste: Rye up front, into sweet, round malts that upstage the hop bittering. The showcase is the finish where the rye really comes out to play with hops.
Mouthfeel: Just slightly heavy to be on the edge of filling.The carbing is rather fine and nestled into the body.
Drinkability and Overall: 7.5%ABV, 75IBU. No sessioning here, but it is a pleasant, easy drinker. Enough flavor and body to go around on its own.

Grand Teton Bitch Creek Extra Special Brown.

2011-09-11T21:03:00.001-07:00

Yet another sleeper of a beer I've been putting off buying. I did enjoy that Sweetgrass APA well enough, after all. This second offering from Grand Teton, endearingly name Bitch Creek, is also labeled with an ESB. In passing, I had always assumed this was a standard "ESB", an extra special bitter, but upon closer inspection, it is a brown, not a bitter. I will say I already knocked off a bottle of it before this one. I have to say, this is a pretty luscious brown ale. The nose is warm and inviting, very bready. It reminds me of the iconic, to me, scene of the stack of simple meat and white bread sandwiches (FUCK YEAH SANDWICHES) with the percolator of hot, black coffee. But I digress.

If I had to relate this taste with one other thing in the world, it would be a cafe au lait from Cafe du Monde. The rich, roasted malts essential to the brown ale come on just strong enough to lend a bitterness, with a minor impression of dry (clean) dirt around the edges. As it reminds of cafe au lait, there is a richness that is analogous to adding cream (real, not non-dairy, powdered or otherwise flammable substances), leveling off those sharp peaks.

This is a well-balanced beer. Strong character but without too much bulk. It carries some girth, unlike a Newcastle, but not so low and heavy as strong stout. The carbing reminds me of my homebrew nut brown ale, whatever that may mean to you. Because it's a pretty tasty brown ale, I will forgive it for not being a nut brown ale and failing miserably. I'm going to bet this goes with some smoked cheeses and fresh bread. It would probably also be good with or in some stew-y/roasted beef.

Appearance: Nearly opaque brown, slight tint of red against a light. Light brown head which fades.
Smell: Warm, bready aroma with minor coffee notes.
Taste: A solid coffee based with roasted malts. The darkness is not overdone, and it comes off as slightly 'cafe au lait'. Very pleasant.
Mouthfeel: Not so light as Newcastle. It has some substance but keeps its distance form stout territory. Carbing is fairly full with a mild bite for a brown ale.
Drinkability and Overall: 6%ABV, slightly beyond session level, but a few won't hurt you. Decent enough brown ale, of which there are far too few.

Eel River IPA.

2011-09-11T21:02:00.000-07:00

I've been knocking off bottles of this this week, and I'm finally getting around to writing this up. Today is 110914, by the way. I remember actually kind of digging this when I first had it. Now that I'm winding down to the end of this 6-pack, my enthusiasm has somewhat tempered. That being said, here I am, nearly at the end of this 6-pack. This is an IPA, albeit, a slightly fizzy, watered-down one. It is nothing spectacular, excels in nothing. It tastes exactly like a watered down IPA. A flimsy hop presence with a whimper of bittering. While this bottle seems a little off compared to the previous ones, the core is still the same. It is a weak IPA, but at least it knows what it's trying to be.

Appearance: A bit darker than typical, no head retention.
Smell: Slightly metallic.
Taste: A rather watered-down IPA. Not in the sense of being mild, but literally tasting watered down. The components are there but just faint.
Mouthfeel: A bit too fizzy but otherwise easy drinking.
Drinkability and Overall: It's not a terrible beer, but it's one that you're not going to pay attention to while you drink it.

Uinta Dubhe Imperial Black IPA.

2011-09-11T21:01:00.000-07:00

Picked up a 4-pack of this black IPA from Uinta, mostly off a recommendation from a WF beer tasting I happened to encounter tonight. Of note, this is form Uinta. Also, of note, it's a black IPA (that doesn't even make sense). I didn't notice until I went to open one that there's fuzzy spots on the bottles that look suspiciously like mold. And this beer is brewed with hemp seed. And there's lots of Mormons in Utah. I'm tripping balls.

This is an off-hand, first-taste review because I'm already deep one DHF 90, it's 11:20PM and I'm not sleepy. I'm not going to lie, this has a some serious herbal taste to it. Impulsively, I must say that I kind of like this beer. First, this is the first imperial black IPA/dark Cascadian I've seen. I'm going to say the gravity boost (gravitic boosters, obs upgrade, #broodwar) up to imperial really helps fill out the profile on this. I got to talk shop with some folk at the tasting and was enlightened.

Tangent: So what's in a black IPA/dark Cascadian? And why would you ever want to drink something with a self-contradictory name? So the intent was to have a beer, hoppy like an IPA, but full and rich like...a black ale or a bock. So instead of hop bouquet, you get a toastier, maltier, more seasoned beer that still retains a hop core. Sometimes you want the hops but you want the darker malts too. Interesting.

So with that in mind, I will see if I can dissect this and still enjoy it. It is certainly malty, profile is along the lines of a dark toast, grilled in the pan with butter. The hop bitter is certainly there, much more so than any other black IPA I've had. This could actually be an IPA except for the fact that it's black (no racist). The hemp seed brings a very unique finish that is bitter in both a different and complementary way to the hopping. There is a strong herbal character that kind of reminds me of this box of hemp gummy candies I ate once in high school.

I have to say, my initial impressions are rather positive. It's both an adventurous and interesting tasting beer; maybe slightly gimmicky but it pays off. I don't think I would want to sit down and drink too many of these those, especially at 9.2%ABV, but it's certainly worth trying. I do wonder how often I might say that I have a hankering for this one, as it's very much a standalone beer.

Appearance:
Smell:
Taste:
Mouthfeel:
Drinkability and Overall:

Uinta Punk'n.

2011-09-08T20:06:00.000-07:00

Yes, it is already pumpkin beer season. Southern Tier releases their Pumking in August, which will not elude me this year. Pumpkin beers crack me up because they are generally reviled but breweries still put them out every season. It's very much a early holiday season staple like fruit cake and Cosby sweaters that are too ugly even to be ironically hip. I happened to come across this one last week. This is my first beer from Uinta, a renewable-y-powered brewery in Salt Lake City, UT, though not the first time I've seen a beer from Uinta. I haven't made up my mind whether or not to pick up some of their anniversary barley wine. Anyway, as per my expectations of and experience from my semi-epic, semi-fail (accidentally typed 'semi-fail, semi-fail' originally; maybe how I really feel about that...) pumpkin beer tasting from last year, I'm both a little excited and setting low expectations for this one. After all, this is a pumpkin beer from a new brewery and not an East coast brewery. Then again, most pumpkin beers are pretty bad.

It poured fairly typically, amber-y, orange-brown, and had a little head, which is leaving a little lacing. Carbing is bit sharp but maybe it goes with season. Initially, I thought the taste was a little bland, maybe a slightly squash-y amber. A few sips in, it is still a squashy amber, but all the complexity is on the back end. The unseasoned pumpkin flavor (read: not sweet) intensifies enough to be known and lends a little bit of creaminess. The spice profile is fairly mild and front-loaded, though I get a strong nutmeg impression at the very end.

I do like the mouthfeel on this one. It's just full enough to keep you satisfied in the colder weather but not so much so that you couldn't drink more than one or with dessert. Not being too sweet, I'd think it'd go pretty damn well with a slice of pumpkin or pecan pie. Given its flavor, it's definitely a limited seasonal drinker though. I don't think I'd be interested once December is in swing and the stronger red ales, Scotch ales, and wee heavies come out. I also have to wonder how this would stack up against the other, more versatile autumn seasonals (Goose Island's Harvest Ale comes to mind). Unlike the wee heavies and their ilk, this is a lightweight beer at only 4%ABV, for better or worse. Overall, it's not a bad drinker. Not foul, not offensive. It's average. I'd call that a win for this style.

Appearance: Orange-brown amber, small head with a little lacing.
Smell: Mild canned pumpkin aroma. Not cloying.
Taste: Fairly mild until the finish. Not as sweet as the smell belies, it's more on the squash-side than dessert-side of pumpkin.
Mouthfeel: Slightly heavier than an amber, a good fit for the intended season. Carb seems high, but it lends an appreciable crispness.
Drinkability and Overall: 4%ABV. A mild, balanced pumpkin ale. Not a bad choice for the season, but very much a seasonal beer.

Moyaln's Hopsickle Imperial Triple Hoppy Ale.

2011-09-07T22:10:00.000-07:00

The hoppier cousin to that ambiguously double IPA, brewed with Tomahawk, Chinook, and Anthanum hops. Immediately after breaking the seal, I was greeted with a delicious hoppy aroma, fragrant, fruity, and not stale or pellet-y. That's a really good sign. A slightly dark amber with a persistent head. Even better. First taste was rich, hoppy, complex, long-lasting. There is just a slight sweetness up front to prepare your palate for the hop roll out. Dark, grassy, weedy, but still crisp and distinct. What's remarkable is the balance in this hop bomb. Nothing is blown out; nothing is stale. It's downright refreshing. The finish is exceptionally clean, no residue. I wish I knew what the IBU rating is because I'm only going to be more impressed if they pulled this off at 80-90+.

Hands down, this beer is superior in all ways to its little brother. Everything is right about this beer. I would love to pair it against a Southern Tier Unearthly (which reminds me: I should compile a list of my top IPAs). I'm not sure how I would pair it, but I think it goes pretty damn well on its own. I'm eating it with some sweet potato chips from Food Should Taste Good, and I like the combination. The chips themselves are mild but superbly crunchy; I find the combination of a strong-willed beer and a texture of a silently strong chip to be enlightening. At 9.2%ABV, it is no session beer, certainly, but I wouldn't mind treating it like one.

Appearance: Dark, slightly hazy amber, thin but persistent head with heavy curtains.
Smell: Sweet, floral and fruit fragrance, hoppy and grassy. Fresh.
Taste: Strong hop backbone with plenty of complexity, just a touch of sweetness. Crisp and refreshing, fresh. Very well balanced both between malts and hops and in the hop profile. Lingering hop bitter but does not overstay its welcome.
Mouthfeel: Slightly low on the carb, but perfect for the flavor. Clean finish and without heavy resin.
Drinkability and Overall: 9.2%ABV but it covers itself well.

Bison Honey Basil.

2011-09-06T20:38:00.000-07:00

I suppose this is a seasonal from Bison that I saw in the store the other day. Brewed with honey and basil, it sounded like an interesting combination. I decided to use a goblet because I thought it would help capture the basil a bit better, but I was surprised by how dark this poured. I wasn't expecting that, but I guess I didn't know what ale they were using here. The color is a really nice, clear, vibrant red-orange that catches the light very well. The taste is interesting, to say the least. A mild malty punch up front but it evaporates really quickly and dries out. Maybe that's the effect of brewing with honey. In tasting my experimental batches of mead, I found that champagne yeast can ferment a lot of that sugar and end up with a pretty dry product. The finish has a slightly spicy, herbal tone, and that must be the basil. Overall, it's a very subtle, mild beer that requires some big draws and a swish to pull out some of the flavors.

It takes some amount of effort to enjoy this beer, and for that reason, I wouldn't say it's a very good session beer. Plus, the honey gives it a boost up to 6%ABV. For solo drinking beers, there's certainly more satisfying brews.

Appearance: Clear, red-orange, no head.
Smell: Slightly malty, mild spicy (like chiles) honey
Taste: Short-lived malt, mild honey, cool basil on the finish
Mouthfeel: Very low carb, dry, round and hollow.
Drinkability and Overall: Very easy drinker but too mild to go with anything. Falls into the class of beers worth trying once but not much more than that.

Angels Creek Syrah 2008.

2011-09-05T23:11:00.001-07:00

I accidentally picked up a syrah instead of a PS a while ago. So here it is. From Lodi 2008, I think it should be pretty good. Extra jammy, strawberry, blueberry. Very tender and luscious. Tannins are relaxed but still around. Not as bold as a big BBQ zin.

Bison Chocolate Stout.

2011-09-05T22:00:00.000-07:00

I had been sitting on this bottle for a while as I had bought a 6-pack a while ago, drank one, liked it, and then pulled 4 for swag. So I'm finally getting around to it. Bison is already a great brewery in my book. In my experience, the organic gimmick is usually applied at the expense of quality, but Bison pulls it off. This bottle is not as rich and stunning as I remember, but the core quality is still there. It's chocolate-y and as smooth as Guinness without being nitro'd. Aroma is slightly coffee-based. Actually, I'm a little disappointed this time around. I remember it being like a chocolate brownie but this one falls a little flat. Bummer.

Appearance: Opaque, typical stout/porter appearance. Light tan head, mostly ring with a little moss.
Smell: Mild cold coffee.
Taste: Slightly chocolate-y and slightly bready. Not as intense as I remember.
Mouthfeel: Very smooth, low carb, Guinness Draught-like. Clean finish and relatively light-bodied.
Drinkability and Overall: A pleasant drinking, pleasant tasting stout. It's light enough that it's not going to weigh you down but still flavorful enough that it can pair with a meal. A reasonable 5%ABV.

Moylan's Moylander Double IPA.

2011-09-04T21:17:00.000-07:00

The bottle reads, from top to bottom, "Moylan's | Moylander | Double | IPA | Ale". Is it a double IPA ale? Or Moylander Ale: Double IPA? Double India Pale Ale Ale? In any case, I was excited to see what Moylan's could do in the double/imperial IPA range. Their Nor Cal was a great IPA, so when I saw that they had a double and even a triple, I grabbed one of each. A big whiff is rewarded with a strong, grassy hop aroma with lots of fruit and citrus. Taste is strongly malty actually with an undercurrent of resin-y, bitter hops. There's not as much complexity there as I would have thought. The flat hop character doesn't go well with the long finish as it ends up being a little stale and musty.

I have somewhat mixed feelings about this one. I really wanted to like it, but it's just a little flat, little unbalanced. For all its accolades, I'm afraid that I've had much better. It's not a necessarily bad, but I'd take a Southern Tier Unearthly over this one. For 8.5%ABV, it's not a bad buy, but I'm not sure what I'd put with this. For some reason, fried chicken sounds really good. Or some jambalaya, something Creole and spicy.

Appearance: Clear, dark gold. Fluffy head with plenty of curtains.
Smell: Grassy, fruity, a little hot.
Taste: Fairly malty, strong hop intensity but fairly flat. Ends up coming off as a bit stale and musty.
Mouthfeel: Resin-y but the carb and weight are all typical.
Drinkability and Overall: 8.5%ABV so no session but the lack of balance in the finish makes it an odd sipper. Maybe an appetizer beer, whatever that means.

Greylock Gin.

2011-09-03T20:29:00.000-07:00

And since I still have a bit of tonic left, I feel obligated to break out the other bottle of interesting gin I found the other day. Greylock is an award-winning gin out of Massachusetts. First nose: thank you, it smells like a bonafide gin. Flowery juniper, lavender, and some sort of dark, homey spices. It actually tastes like gin too. A strong juniper component with cinnamon, grass and citrus on the back end.

Mixed with the remainder of the Fevertree: It stands out in the tonic, but the lavender component mixes strangely with the quinine. Not sure if G&T is the way I'd want to go with this. Wired Gin recommends more complementary drinks like a Mississippi Mule, Lavender Martini or an Aviation, none of which I've had before but will certainly get around to trying.

Bottomline: I like this gin. It's assertive, refreshing, and new without being obnoxious. Tonic is not its domain, but it will probably lend itself well to more subtle, simple drinks.

No. 209 Gin.

2011-09-03T19:58:00.000-07:00

I have a few bottles of gin sitting, none of which I really intended to open before I returned back east, but cutting that Domaine de Canton left me with an open bottle of Fevertree, and I shouldn't let that go to waste. So here we have gin No. 209, an SF-based distillery. I am always on the lookout for local/regional product so this was recommended to me by the staff at Beltramo's. Of note, there is also a kosher version of this gin which is $10 more. I suppose the blessing only worth $10, but I'm also not really sure why gin needs to be kosher.

Straight: Fairly tight in the nose, juniper and citrus, orange maybe. Taste is very neutral. With a 2:1 of tonic, the gin gets pretty lost in there. It's five-times distilled "to extract the most subtle flavors in crafting a truly modern gin". Not sure if that's the way I want to go with this. If this is modern gin, following the trend of spirits like New Amsterdam, well, that's not gin. (New Amsterdam, by the way, while not a bad gin, is a gin for vodka drinkers.) The gin I know grew out of Dutch courage. Courageous, this is not.

Addendum: As I get to the bottom of this G&T, I've started to think that maybe I was initially too harsh. While it still doesn't stand up nearly as well against tonic as other gins, No. 209 is decidedly clean and crisp, so that is worth mentioning.

Domaine de Canton.

2011-09-03T19:52:00.000-07:00

An interesting mini I picked up the other day. The label reads "French ginger liqueur with VSOP cognac". I am a sucker for all things ginger (the spice, not Ron Weasley kind). 28%ABV and a interesting ridged bottle. Seems a bit high for a liqueur. I also decided to break out one of my Glencairn glasses that I had bought back at the beginning of the summer. I thought to use a beer tasting glass, but I didn't want a bunch of text in the way.

The ginger is prominent in the nose but on the taste, it quickly becomes medicinal. It is a liqueur so it's fairly viscous, syrupy, and sweet. I cut it with some Fevertree tonic water. The quinine bitter interacts well with the sweet bite of the ginger. It reminds of St. Germaine but not as sweet. It may be one of those difficult-to-use liqueurs. Still, it's unique to me, and I wouldn't mind having a bottle of this around the bar. Being as it smacks of St. Germaine, it might work well in the same manner of drinks.

Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron.

2011-09-02T21:33:00.000-07:00

A "Malt Beverage aged on Palo Santo Wood". In true DFH style, Palo Santo Marron is a whopper of an unfiltered brown ale, aged in 10,000 gallon tanks made from Paraguayan Palo Santo wood, which sounds pretty fancy. But I don't actually know anything about this wood. A peek at wiki, which even has a reference to DFH, doesn't say much about why this wood is special, but apparently, it is pretty hard and dense (that's what she said) and the locals use it for winemaking.

DFH was not joking when they said "malt beverage". This thing is super malty. It's like drinking a Whopper. A very rich, alcoholic, liquid Whopper without any milk dilution. Up front, it is chocolately but any sweetness there quickly gives was to a malt monster which is throwing a lot of mud and darkly stained, polished, wooden banisters in your face. It's extremely toasty but definitely not burnt. Expectedly, it is a little sticky. The finish is long-lasting and not unpleasant. It is a little woody, but I get more of a sawdust and balsa wood notion as it lingers.

I have a history of belittling pretty much any brown ale that is not Blackstone Nut Brown, but this is pretty tasty. It's a standard brown ale that looks and feels like it's been simmered on the stove until it turns into a rich, thick gravy of a beer. It's intense. Hailing from DFH, it is, of course, high ABV: 12%. Though I must say it is well-masked. Likewise, the 4-pack also carries a $15 price tag. Here's the thing though: you're going to pay just as much, if not more, at a typical bar for four other beers which are probably not as cool as this one. So I don't feel bad about that. Except that I do because I know I can get a 6-pack of Stone IPA for $8 or $9 dollars. But hey, a 4-pack of 12%ABV beers, that's like a 12-pack, in terms of ABV, right. Well, you know, I can get a case and a half of PBR for that much, get more absolute alcohol volume, and get cool cred (as long as you drink it post-ironically). Sigh, and that's the quandary of DFH. Often overrated and almost always overpriced, but you have to hand it to them for being one of the most creative, daring craft breweries out there even whose disasters are elegant. But Palo Santo Marron is no disaster. This is a monster beer, a definite sipper, most probably out of a snifter. Assertive chocolates and cheeses would be appropriate here.

Appearance: Completely opaque black. No head save for a toffee-colored ring.
Smell: Very imperial stout-like, coffee, chocolate.
Taste: Malt and malt. Very earthy with your standard chocolate, dirt, and wood tones. The wood complexity is evolving throughout. As toasty as you can get without being burnt so the finish isn't overly bitter. Despite all of the stout characteristics, it is definitely a brown ale. Also, major props: it is smooth without any noticeable heat.
Mouthfeel: Just enough carb to assert itself on your palate. About on par with or maybe a touch higher than an imperial stout. Probably a touch higher. It reminds you that you're still drinking a brown ale and not a stout. A bit sticky on the finish but that's to be expected.
Drinkability and Overall: A definite sipper at 12%ABV. It is something of a cross between a brown ale and an imperial stout. I'd love to try another one of these after some conditioning.

By the way, I wrote the first half of this post in present tense, in contrast to the previous few posts. I think I like that better because it feels more natural as I'm typing that as I drink. I guess I need to think of it as akin to live-tweeting watching a movie, marathoning a TV series, or a poop.

Angels Creek Petite Sirah 2008.

2011-09-02T21:23:00.000-07:00

I was uber-stoked to try this PS because it was from Lodi. Off the P&P: Nose is strong and a bit hot. Initial taste is super jammy and rich with black and blue berries, before cooling off into a grape jelly, and then more blueberry and strawberry. Tannins seemed weak on the first sip, and I felt I had to squeeze them out of there. Once I did, the astringency stuck around. Strong leather more than anything woody. Finish is a little stale. We'll see how it is after some exposure.

Main & Geary Petite Sirah 2008.

2011-08-31T21:47:00.000-07:00

A BevMo sale bottle. Off the P&P: Initial nose was sweet and jammy with blackberry. Initial taste was rather tart though. Tannins around the edges, a little tight there but the rest is like a half deflated gumball. I can't decide if this is flabby or just needs some time.

Sierra Nevada Weizenbock, Camp #37

2011-08-31T20:28:00.000-07:00

Man, I am really impressed with these Beer Camp brews. So impressed that I am opting for the last variety in my case, even passing over the bottle of DFH Palo Santo Marron that's been burning a hole in my refrigerator shelf. I'm not very familiar with the style though, and it's a little confusing. Bocks are something of a strong lager. Doppelbocks are obviously double strength bocks. Dunkel/hefeweizen is a dark/light wheat ale (though 'hefe' apparently means 'yeast'). Weizenbock, then, is a bock strength wheat ale.

Yet again, I am impressed by the depth of these beers. Hefe flavors up front, but they get one-upped by the strong spicy wit character that charges onto the palate. A touch of citrus on the back end. Seriously, this is like the all the best parts of Blue Moon, Hoegaarden, and some other great hefeweizen. I'd like to try it next to another couple pours, one with an orange slice and one with a lemon wedge. There is some sediment in the bottle, but I didn't notice until I had finished the pour. At 6.8%ABV, it's a little high for sessioning, but it's full enough that you don't want to pound them down too quickly. A 6-pack of these would make for a lazy afternoon.

Appearance: Hazy, dark orange gold. Mossy head.
Smell: Yeasty, wheat-y aroma. Very refreshing.
Taste: Spicy, Belgian wit profile preceded by a nice hefe impression. Assertive all the way through.
Mouthfeel: Full bodied, more than a typical hefe or wit. Carbing seems a bit high but not bite and refreshing. Clean finish, if a bit sheen-y.
Drinkability and Overall: At 6.8%ABV, again a little high, but that's par for the homebrew course. As expected: complex, drinkable, refreshing. This is one where I could drink a few without feeling too bad.

Sierra Nevada Juniper Black Ale, Camp #16.

2011-08-30T18:25:00.000-07:00

I don't drink black ales that often. I suppose that may change as Cascadian darks/IBAs become more developed. I don't think it's a style I come across very often either. From the pour to the bottom of the glass, this was a great brew. As soon as I started pouring, I got a fruity whiff. The head looked good, fluffy and I thought this might be a stout for a moment. First sip was a knockout. Deep and wide, the malt complexity is beyond even a lot of stouts I've had. Tons of coffee, chocolate, cocoa, dirt, all things good and brown. The mouthfeel is smooth and creamy without going full-on Guinness Draught nitro. The density is there, just between the standard porter and strong stout. And this is a black ale. Plenty of lacing down the glass. I almost wish they had a little extra sweetness to complement the chocolate, but I'm glad they didn't. It keeps the flavor robust until the very end where there is the hint of milk chocolate. Easily a dessert beer, it'd go with a big, fat chocolate cake pretty well.

Appearance: Opaque black. Creamy, fine head with some fluffy die-down, just enough to cover.
Smell: Fruity, blueberry, chocolate.
Taste: Intense chocolate and black malts, like a strong black coffee. Lots of depth in the malts. The juniper gives some fruitiness to enhance the cocoa and chocolate notes.
Mouthfeel: Cream porter-like up front, stout-like on the back. For not being nitro'd it is nearing some smoothness like Guinness Draught.
Drinkability and Overall: Well-balanced, flavorful, and complex. It's a hit. Even at 8%ABV, it's just as drinkable as Guinness Draught but more amusing for your tastebuds.

Francis Coppola Plum Label Petite Sirah 2008.

2011-08-29T22:22:00.000-07:00

After much hype, I have finally decided to try a Coppola wine: PS, naturally, and of course, on sale. P&P tasting: A bit spicy up front, peppery, but not a lot else. Maybe some earthy woodiness bordering on gritty. Maybe like a decomposing log. Classy. No legs to speak of. Tannins are lying pretty low until the end. A little oily. Currently: not impressed.

Sierra Nevada Double IPA, Camp #29.

2011-08-29T21:25:00.000-07:00

I was pretty pumped to try this DIPA from Camp #29. I love IPAs and imperial IPAs and lately, there's also double IPAs. I don't recall seeing many being labeled as DIPAs until recently. Rather than being straight-up imperial IPAs, there appears to be a bit of a distinction, in my experience. DIPAs are certainly stronger than IPAs but a touch lower in ABV than IPAs. This one is 8.5%ABV. The malt character is still present, and there is noticeable restraint on the hopping. The result should be a extra hoppy but still well-balanced IPA with an extra kick in the pants. Imperial IPAs, I find to be more "no brakes, no brakes!". So DIPAs are waltzing a fine line between IPA and imperial IPA.

Anyway, the pour was a hazy orange. The head retention wasn't great but swirling the glass halfway through, I could produce a luxurious, superfine head. There wasn't much I could get out of it at that point other than big ass hops. And hoppy, it was. Well-balanced too. No blowouts or 1-D stuff here. Not a hop bomb but more like a hop cluster bomb, superbly complex, persistent, and long-lasting. Finish was clean with no stickiness, excess resin, or off-flavors. The glass even finished clean, no lacing.

Maybe it's the homebrew character that makes me dig it so much, but I like this beer a lot. There's a million IPAs out there, but this one was made by a regular guy at beer camp and that's awesome. It's a confident beer. I don't think I would want to sit down and have more than one or two though, especially on its own. Even typical bar snacks may not hold up well here, but a spicy (specifically Thai) entree might be good.

Appearance: A bit hazy, orange straw color; Again, head retention issues.
Smell: Musty hop aroma, citrus-y but more on the pith side.
Taste: Superbly hoppy, developing throughout the taste, with a long-lasting finish. The malts are there but just barely enough to give some body and balance.
Mouthfeel: Nice and heavy to carry the hops. Not resin-y with a clean finish. Carbonation is higher than most DIPAs I've had but not unpleasant.
Drinkability and Overall: Really nice DIPA at 8.5%ABV. No session beer and maybe a bit intense to sit around drink a couple, but still a solid beer.

Sierra Nevada California Common, Camp #8.

2011-08-28T20:13:00.000-07:00

Found myself in Beltramo's one day and saw these Best of Beer Camp cases from Sierra Nevada. I had been getting a bit burned out on all the heavy stuff I'd been drinking (stouts, porters, brown ales, malt-bombs) so some solid lighter ales sounded awesome. It's only appropriate that I start off the pack with the California Common. I don't drink Commons very often, mostly because Anchor is only so great and there simply aren't that many others out there. Since I don't have a lot of experience with this style, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect. If it were just another Anchor, that would have actually been ok with me tonight.

I felt some noticeable weight in the pour and the head died quickly so that was interesting. I gave it a sip and was blown away. This was like a solid pale ale with malts taking stage over the hops. Up front, it was sweet and more intensely so than its appearance would indicate. It gave way to some citrus and grass before kicking in just the right amount of hop bitterness on the finish. Carbonation was refreshing and held up through the glass. The body was noticeably thick, if you think about lagers or ambers. It held itself together well despite the carbonation level, and it imparted almost a creaminess to the sweetness. This is a great beer, and I would be perfectly happy to have a summer picnic dinner off the grill and drink nothing but these all night.

Appearance: Clear, golden straw, scummy head, steady bubbles.
Smell:
Taste: Sweet, light malts transition into some citrus and faint grass, hop bitter on the backend.
Mouthfeel: Surprisingly heavy for such a light-colored beer. Refreshing carbonation level. Body has jsut enough weight to hold itself together, resulting in a pretty smooth drink.
Drinkability and Overall: Killer, full-flavored, great taste density, refreshing.

Anderson Valley Brewing Company Brother David's Double.

2011-08-27T20:57:00.000-07:00

Picked up Anderson Valley's rendition of a dubbel the other day. I'm starting to feel some revival of my interest in Belgian beers after that Arend Tripel. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed them. Head died off immediately while I was fiddling with my camera, so that's a bad sign. Smell is pleasant but not quite on style. Taste is pleasant but not quite on style. Mouthfeel is pleasant but not quite on style. This is a weird beer. It's definitely an "abbey -style ale" with some emphasis on the "-style". It's pretty malty with some fruity notes but it's just not all there. At the end of the day, it's not a bad beer and is easy-drinking. It's like a batter in the box, full count after a couple swings and misses, and then getting beaned. I don't know what that means.

Appearance: Clear, deep red-brown. No head retention.
Smell: Lots of rich raisin but lacking some essential character.
Taste: Strong esters, bordering on some heat. Malty, raisin-y, maybe some cherry on the finish. Not much spice presence.
Mouthfeel: Carb is a little on the low side but the resulting smoothness is not unpleasant.
Drinkability and Overall: 9%ABV so it's dubbel strength, but nothing else is quite on target. In spite of that, it's a decent beer as far as beers go.

Also, I finally got a new camera, so that's great. My hand was a little forced because I was starting to notice the sensor defect on my Casio Exilim P&S (which I had bought to replace my older, and apparently high grade Exilim, whose shutter stopped working) more and more. Scored a sweet deal on a Pentax K100D, and the picture quality is so much better. It's amazing what a little DoF control can do for a viewing experience. Not playing with any editing yet but I'll take some time to do at least some cropping eventually.

Anderson Valley Brewing Company Hop Ottin' IPA.

2011-08-26T21:17:00.000-07:00

Picked up a couple new beers from WF tonight after a week of disappointing drinks. Anderson Valley is an ok brewery so far. Nothing super distinctive but not bad. Kinda bored with it. But good grief, it's worlds better than that Drake's Denogginizer. This at least tastes like an IPA.

Appearance: Clear, dark amber. Creamy head dissipates to moss. Decent lacing going on for a standard IPA.
Smell: Malty on the sweet side with a pleasant hop blend with some fruitiness.
Taste: Lots of malt sweetness and caramel tend to overpower the hop presence which is mostly citrus with bitter on the finish.
Mouthfeel: Typical for the style, but flattens out fairly quickly.
Drinkability and Overall: 7%ABV is too high for sessioning but to knock off a bomber, that's about right. I've had better for IPAs, but it'll work in a pinch. Nothing special.

21st Amendment Fireside Chat Winter Spiced Ale.

2011-08-25T21:22:00.000-07:00

Totally random loose can from WF. No idea why there's one can of a winter seasonal hanging around, but I didn't ask too many questions. Yoink. Also, unintentionally poured into a matching glass. I love matching things. 'Fireside chat' is a reference to FDR's fireside chats so I suppose that's why he's on the can. ALSO, I don't know how I ended up with all these darker beers in the middle of summer.

Appearance: Bordering-on-opaque brown. Creamy head dissipates to a ring.
Smell: Really malty in the nose, very bread-y. I
Taste: Very porter-y at heart. Great spice, cinnamon and nutmeg, maybe some anise. Super malty.
Mouthfeel: Full-bodied, comparable to a rich brown ale.
Drinkability and Overall: A winter warmer clocking in at 7.9%ABV. Despite a C rating on BA, I thought this was a fine brown ale mood beer. Towards the bottom, it gets a little blown out on the spice but mixed with some dense finger foods, I think a 6-pack of micro-kegs would work out pretty well. Can we call cans "micro-kegs" from now on?

Le Baron Ranch School Car Petite Sirah 2009.

2011-08-24T21:32:00.000-07:00

Pop and pour impressions. Immediate nose is crushed blueberries and blackberries and rich, earthy mud. Full-bodied in the mouth, initially a touch of tartness but the tannins unwind quickly into a luscious velvet rug. Pleasant astringency. For 2009, it is pretty decent already. Picking up on some strawberry; oak, as well, if you let it linger. Fairly round up front, almost a bit mushy but firms up well enough. Looking for a bit more intense flavor though. We'll see how it develops after some air.

Woesten-Vleteren Westoek.

2011-08-24T20:37:00.000-07:00

A loose bottle from WF's Belgian beer section. After the Arend, I was looking forward to this one. Upon closer inspection of the bottle, this is indeed imported but has a weird label. Ok, gave it a pour, and it looks ok. Gave it a smell. No spice, no sweetness, just some wood, sour fruit, and a bit of funk. Taste is flat, thin on the malt, thin on every nuance except for that metallic finish. It's both weird and totally plain at the same time. I can't really quite put my finger on it. I'm nto even sure what kind of beer this is supposed to be. From context, I would assume a dubbel or tripel. Strength, 6%ABV, would lean towards dubbel. It looks a little like a dubble. But it doesn't smell or taste like a double. What gives?

A gander at BA says this is supposed to be a tripel and reviews are mixed. It averages a B+ but I saw a few Cs on the most recent reviews. Bad bottle maybe or just a regional twist on the style. Some other folks picked up on floral, and that might be the weirdness I perceived before. Lilac was mentioned, I would add lavender and a notion of flower petals.

Appearance: Amber-y brown, but more on the brown side. Appears transparent and clear against the light.
Smell: Fruity, musty. Metallic, like nickel. Some funky yeast going on.
Taste: Nondescript. A touch of wood, metal on the finish. There's some thin malt, a tiny bit of hop bitter. No fruits, phenols, esters.
Mouthfeel: Pretty flat, almost no carb on the tongue but a steady stream of bubbles is visible.
Drinkability and Overall:

Bison Imperial Brown Ale.

2011-08-23T21:14:00.001-07:00

After that incredibly disappointing so-called imperial IPA, I almost wanted to give up drinking for the day. But then I remembered that I have a backlog of beers to review. So here we go with the Bison Organic Imperial Brown Ale. I realize that trying another "brown" beer could be a bad idea after trying to drink that wonky imp IPA brewed with menstrual blood, but I have faith in Bison.

The pour was a little disconcerting as it was rather still. A tiny head did develop though it didn't stick around long. Nearly opaque in color. Smell is roasty, toasty, dirty, dark chocolate so there's a nice complexity to the nose. Of course, taste is the most critical point for me. I have a history of shaming many a brown ale for not being Blackstone Nut Brown Ale. I've just come to expect that nuttiness and residual sweetness. To me, nut brown ale are simply more enjoyable to plain brown ales. As expected, there was not enough nuttiness here but also not very much sweetness, which is surprising to me. I would expect a higher final gravity here. The extra malt is present, but I still think it could have done with a bit of extra nonfermentable sugar.

I still think this is a pretty good beer though. The taste is clean and balanced, but it's just more of a cooler weather beer. Not sure what kind of food pairing I'd go with here. It's no dinner beer and pairing with a chocolate dessert is pretty cliche. ... Just tried it with a medjool date, and it wasn't that great. I'm going to go ahead and say this would probably be good with oatmeal or granola. ... Yeah, works with granola and peanut butter chips, probably more so with the peanut butter. I think part of it is getting that extra sweetness but the granola adds the extra overall body to the robust but relatively light-feeling beer.

Appearance: Nearly opaque, dark brown. Small head with low retention.
Smell: Dirt, chocolate, wood.
Taste: A stronger, more assertive brown ale taste. Not terribly distinctive, but just a more intense generic brown ale taste, a little toastier.
Mouthfeel: Carb is low but not flat. It fits well enough. A bit more cohesive than a regular brown ale but not necessarily viscous.
Drinkability and Overall: 7%ABV so not intense as your might expect from the "imperial" in its name, but still a bit robust to sit around and drink more than one. By no means is it bad, but I guess I had too high expectations tonight.

Drake's Denogginizer Imperial IPA.

2011-08-23T20:38:00.000-07:00

Random pickup from WF. Drake's is a regional-ish brewery that I had been planning on visiting but after this one, I might be reconsidering. There is nothing quite right about this beer. Maybe I got a bad bottle. Maybe. But the reality is that this beer is brown. It is an imperial IPA. Already off to a bad start. Head retention is low but not surprising. Aroma was pungent and strong but not in the bagged pellet hop kind of way, more like a vegetal, dark-salad-greens-going-mushy kind of way. A tinge of metallic, maybe little roasted malt. I enjoy high IBU beers and this is no lightweight at 90 IBU, but again, something is not right. taste is too malty, too toasty to the point of being burnt with an unpleasant, stale hop finish. It doesn't come off as 90 IBU, and there is no balance to the hop character, no distinctive hop flavors or aromas. It reminds me a bit of a time in high school when a crate of pears got left in the trunk of a car for a couple months and baked in the sun everyday. Oh, I just got the notion of coagulated blood as well. That burnt taste is actually a bit rusty.

Just taking a look at the bottle now, this received a silver medal at GABF 2009. Honestly, I have to believe that this must be a bad bottle because this is a terrible beer to have won a silver at GABF. Unless there were only two beers in the Imperial IPA category that year. Even then, I would be hesitant to award a medal to such a screwy output.

Appearance: Dark but transparent brown.
Smell: Resiny, sharp hop smell, a bit off.
Taste: Malt is overdone, hops are bitter but old and stale tasting. Burnt finish.
Mouthfeel: Average for the style.
Drinkability and Overall: 9.75%ABV and 90 IBU isn't necessarily meant to be a sesion beer but even as an imperial IPA, something is really off with this one. Not terribly enjoyable, not quite offensive.

You guys, I'm not even going to finish this beer. It's that bad. Move on the the next review which is what I did.

Arend Tripel.

2011-08-22T21:04:00.000-07:00

Loose bottle from WF. I haven't had a bonafide tripel in a while. I used to spend a lot of time in the Belgium aisle at my local bottle shop. I'm not sure how I relocated since then back to IPA country, but this is a welcome change of pace. Pour from a standard 11.2 oz bottle made a beautiful, luxurious head, excellent head retention with heavy lacing. Creamy with a little bit of maltiness to round out that Belgian spiciness. The complexity is too awesomeMYMINDISBREAKING. I should really spend more time on Belgian beers. I wish I had more words to describe this one. Bottom line is that it's just a great, enjoyable beer. It is 8%ABV, so this is a dangerous one. Maybe it's just nostalgia, but this one feels like a hit.s

Appearance: Glowing dark gold; rich, luxurious head, great retention and lots of lacing.
Smell: Spot on Belgian spice character
Taste: Very agreeable spiciness, little bit of that yeasty taste, little bit of maltiness. No heat.
Mouthfeel: Creamy with appropriate carbonation, very smooth.
Drinkability and Overall: Loving this beer. At 8.0%ABV, it's dangerously drinkable.

The Bruery Tradewinds.

2011-08-21T19:46:00.000-07:00

Description on bottle: "Tripel / Belgian-style Ale brewed with rice and Thai basil". Not going to lie, this could get pretty weird. But after stopping by their tasting room, I trust them. They do inventive, creative recipes, and none have been terrible. The bottle also says "SUMMER FUN". Ok then.

Thick head off the pour quickly settles down to a persistent cap with a steady stream of bubbles. I get some lemongrass in the nose along with some of that typical Belgian witbier spice. Thai soups have a great blend of spicy and sour which can be initially confusing to the palate. I kind of feel that way with this one. There's a lot going on, but I'm having trouble separating all the elements, many of which are very brief. Rice is obviously mild; I think I catch a bit of it on the finish. Overall, this is certainly a drinkable, enjoyable beer, but I'm not sure if it's memorable. Certainly, the notion of rice and Thai basil will stick with me, but I don't think I would be able to recall the taste in the future.

Appearance: Solid golden, steady bubbles, persistent head.
Smell: Lemongrass, citrus, the spicy aroma off a Thai soup.
Taste: Primarily witbier-like, maybe some glutinous rice flavor on the finish but also a bit of heat. The basil is either too mild or getting muddled in my mind with other flavors.
Mouthfeel: Carbonation is a little low up front but a nice wash comes through at the end. Body is slightly heavy for a tripel but still enjoyable.
Drinkability and Overall: Light and refreshing, in the style. At 8.1%ABV, not a session beer but a few pours are certainly manageable. As a Belgian-style beer, it does just fine. The notion of doing an East-West fusion is cool but might be too subtle in this execution.

Hidden Cellars Petite Sirah 2006.

2011-08-21T18:42:00.001-07:00

Another sale item from BevMo. Pop and pour tasting: Immediate jammy nose with a bit of alcohol heat on the tail. Tannins are very mellow, round and relaxed. The puckering is a little on the weaker end but it's also not flabby. Note that this is 3 years older than the Vigilance PS I recently had. Very juicy blackberry with some toasted oak around the edges. I'm having this glass with a spicy red lentil soup with beef, so it's assertive enough as long as there's not too much pepper sauce added. I think it'd taste better with a grilled steak, but lots of things do.

Vigilance Petite Sirah 2009.

2011-08-19T21:44:00.000-07:00

Picked a few wines the other week from BevMo. It's a bit weird to think that I have not drank any wine this summer, despite being in the most well-known wine producing state. Then again, this is also craft brew country for me. So cheers.

Sourced from Red Hills, Lake County. Tasting notes on the bottle: 25.0 and 26.5 degrees Brix, French and American oak for 18 months; "Well balanced wine. Notes of Blueberry, Blackberry, and creamy vanilla." I am getting primarily blueberry but the tannins are super astringent on this one. Extremely tight off the pop and pour. I'll only have a glass or two tonight and see how it does with some breathing time tomorrow.

After a day of exposure, the tannins have unwound a lot, making it finally drinkable. The typical velvet is present. Berry flavors are all accounted for, though a bit flat. Grape jam, even more blueberry, with barely a blackberry tart. Nothing offensive but nothing to write home about. Of the $10-12 class PSes I've had, this is solidly in there. I should probably try harder on these reviews too.

Rubicon IPA.

2011-08-18T21:43:00.000-07:00

Bomber sitting in the fridge for a while. I have too many options at this point, when selecting a new beer for the night, and I haven't even gotten into wines this season. A standard IPA, it tastes like a standard IPA. In such a crowded space, that's not really something you should expect. Unfortunately, Rubicon IPA is very vanilla. It more or less hits all the markers but there's nothing memorable or outstanding. The hoppiness is pleasantly high for a regular IPA, but I got a rather stale, hop pellet-y impression from it. There's not much else to say about its profile because of it. Which reminds me, I really wish I was more familiar with individual varieties' nuances. Hop tea party?

There's nothing offensive about this beer, but nothing impressive. In some sense, that's a terrible thing. Many breweries use IPAs as their flagship (but it would be great if there were breweries known for killer ambers, stouts, lagers, or something else), and producing a vanilla IPA in that space doesn't always leave the best impression, and in some cases, it doesn't leave any impression. Bland is one thing IPAs should not be.

Appearance: A bit cloudy, but otherwise standard dark golden straw, blah blah. First pour's head faded into moss. Second pour was a bit more vigorous but still looks like it wants to flatten out.
Smell: Concentrated hop smell, a bit like pellet hops. But mostly nondescript to me.
Taste: Big hoppy, if a bit stale, flavor. Very straightforward, nice amount of malt, nice amount of hops. A bit generic.
Mouthfeel: All within the right range.
Drinkability and Overall: Definitely drinkable, but a bit high at 6.5%ABV. It's rather uncomplex but not unenjoyable. Decent tasting but easily forgotten.

SD Beer Tour.

2011-08-15T22:04:00.000-07:00

Drove down to San Diego this past weekend for a pretty sizable beer tour. Over three days, we hit 9 breweries as well as the San Diego Zoo and Legoland in Carlsbad, which is probably the most epic thing I have ever seen in my entire life. The San Diego Zoo has a rep for being pretty awesome, and it did not disappoint. Of note, I have finally seen a giant panda in person. They are as hilarious as I expected.A solid morning and early afternoon was well-spent. There is also the Safari Park, but we didn't have time for that this time around. We also fit in a couple hours at Legoland which is coolest place I have ever been. There were Lego builds of Vegas, San Francisco, New York, iconic battles from Star Wars, and plenty of random Lego builds throughout the park.

I should also mention that I didn't take notes. This was mainly in the interest of time as we had a fairly tight schedule. Plus, impressions should suffice. As I've said before, it's not always about good beers and bad beers. At the end of the day, there are beers you remember and those that you don't. First brewery on the list was Stone.

Stone Brewing Company.

In Escondido, Stone is the largest in SoCal and, I believe, the largest craft brewery in CA. This place is the epitome of West coast philosophy and probably the beer mecca of the west. Their facility, of which I didn't think to take pictures at the time, is by far the nicest of any brewery I've visited. Their brewing floor is expectedly huge but is walled off by floor-to-ceiling glass panes which allow a view from their restaurant which is also fantastic. The high vaulted ceiling carrying over from the brewery makes for a wide open space and floor-to-ceiling glass on the opposing wall minimizes the separation from the indoor and patio dining sections. The ambiance is very big, uncrowded, simple, and natural...dare I say, organic. The food is naturally organic and local when possible and is quite tasty and fresh. I had a buffalo burger which is always nice to see. Beyond the patio is a small but walkable garden, complete with waterfall and pond. It's all done very tastefully and none at the expense of the other components, so bravo, Stone. They also said they're planning on opening up a hotel across the street which should be pretty epic. I will have to come back for that.

I had a Cali-Belgique IPA with my meal which was a great representation of the Belgian pale ale style. This was a beer I had been putting off for one reason or another, but seeing it on tap, I decided I probably wouldn't see that again anytime soon. I thought it was milder than Stone IPA and had a well-rounded spice profile that balanced well with the hop backbone. The Belgian influence is present, and all the bases were covered on this one. I would definitely drink this more often.

Their guest tap list was also pretty impressive. The Biscoff Break and Before, During, and After Christmas by Evil Twin Brewing, a brewery from Denmark.

The dessert was a blueberry-bleu cheese-jalapeno cheesecake which was also very good. The bleu cheese meant a cheesier instead of overpoweringly sweet cheesecake and probably also lent to its creamier texture. The jalapeno was an interesting addition as it added a mild jalapeno taste but with very little heat. A cool dessert to have tried.

Tour was the standard spiel, and our guide was pretty funny and had a sweet beard. Tasting was four pours from the standard lineup, and the swag in their shop was pretty cool. They had swingtop potbelly growlers and swingtop 1L bottles; they also had a fill price for 40 oz Kleen Kanteens. They also had awesome glasses, a lot of different, unique styles for some of their specialties: tumblers for Double Bastard, tulips for pales, wide-mouth flutes for Vertical Epic, a pilsener-like glass for Arrogant Bastard. Cases of 15th Anniversary were up for early sale, which I would have liked to have bought but they weren't breaking up cases yet and my money probably would have been better spent elsewhere.

Green Flash Brewing Company.

Green Flash was tucked away in a commercial park that also housed some genetics research places. Weird. Their tasting room was a large, cordoned area of their brewing warehouse and was run rather more like a bar. A nice touch was contracting with good-looking food trucks to provide the munchies. Their bar was very street fair-style but with way more taps, which came out of nondescript, white building which could have been a portable shed.

Palate Wrecker IPA, Trippel, Le Freak IPA, San Diego Saison, Cuvee Trippel, Double Stout, Sugar Smack Dubbel.

Pizza Port (Port Brewing)

For dinner, we tried to get into Pizza Port at Solana Beach, but it was packed. We ended up just driving back to Carlsbad and got into the Pizza Port there, which was also busy, but larger and easier to find seating. The pizza was great and the draft list was pretty diverse. We got the Whambo IPA and Great American Brown. Whambo was a slappy IPA with a really strong hop character. I actually didn't get through the pint because I had a headache and it was just a bit too assertive after a long day.
Pizza Port was a fitting end to the day as Lost Abbey was the first stop the next day.

Lost Abbey.

Lost Abbey is the Belgian-style side of Port Brewing. Their beers are bottled in bombers, corked, and pricey, but not without good cause. Left to right: Road to Helles, Witch's Wit, Serpent's Stout, Wipeout IPA, Mongo IPA, Old Viscosity Barley Wine.

Wipeout and Mongo were both pretty tasty, and I ended up getting bombers of those just in case I wouldn't be able to find them at a Bay Area store.

And then Devotion, Red Barn, Lost & Found, and Judgment Day.
Devotion is a blonde ale which was average to me, maybe a little overcarbed, but I'm comparing to something like Leffe. Red Barn is a saison, nothing to say about it. L&F is a dubbel, Judgment Day a quad. Both were pretty tasty, and I might pick up some bottles to bring home.

The brewery itself is small but nice, previously inhabited by Stone. Despite being a random bar built in a warehouse as is typical, the staff and patrons made for a much better atmosphere.

Ballast Point Brewing Company

Next stop was Ballast Point which was a new, high priority brewery for me ever since I saw their Sculpin IPA take top seat in a readers' poll for best IPA and, consequently, tried it. Tour was interesting since they talked about their continual expansion, basically knocking down walls and sprawling into the neighboring floor space of the commercial building. Ballast Point also has a budding distillery section though I didn't get to try any of that. I believe a vodka should be hitting shelves soon to be followed by a whiskey with rum and gin plans down the line. A bit diverse but Rogue has done just fine on that road. They also mentioned that eat batch of Sculpin takes $10K of hops. But the magnitude is lost on me since I don't know what they're paying for hops and which ones. We did the full board tasting: Wahoo Wheat, Ballast Point Pale Ale, Calico Amber Ale, Piper Down Scottish Ale, Black Marlin Porter, Sextant Oatmeal Stout on nitro, Fathom India Pale Lager, Big Eye Ipa, Sculpin IPA.

The first round was fairly meh, porter was average, stout was super light with the nitro line. Fathom IPL was an interesting twist and would like another shot at it sometime. Having had the Sculpin before, Big Eye didn't bring much to the table.

Hess Brewing Company

We headed over to Hess for their one-year anniversary bash. It was a lively event tucked away in a light commercial/warehousing district, complete with two food vendors, a t-shirt printer claiming to be able to screen a Hess shirt "in 6 minutes or it's free", and a band that was setting up as we were getting ready to leave. I went for the Unno Anum BPA, I suppose their anniversary brew, which came with the nice willi glass and discounts on fills. The Unno Anum was pretty good, and it wasn't something I expected to see from such a new, small brewery. We also had tasters of their porter, a rye imperial stout, and the orange honey wheat.

AleSmith Brewing Company

Around the corner from Hess was AleSmith. I had never heard of this brewery until recently, by happenstance really, trolling Google Maps for random breweries. They are highly rated, and for an SD brewery, that means a lot. In fact, their distribution only appears to go as far as north as LA so I guess I'm lucky I bought the bottles I did. Had I known just how limited their distro was, I would have bought more. Left to right: IPA, Old Numbskull Barley Wine, Speedway Stout, Grand Cru, Nautical Nut Brown, Anvil ESB.

All the beers at AleSmith were quite good, and it's not common for a brewery to have a big lineup and nail it on every one of them. A well-deserved rep.

The Bruery.

On the way back to the Bay Area, we stopped at the Bruery in LA, rolling in a few minutes before opening. A fish taco truck was parked outside. We forewent the snack as we were headed to another ale house nearby for lunch. The Bruery was a nice setup, and I liked their flight tasting mechanism. You buy in for 5 pours, get a nice full-size tulip, and 4 bottlecaps to cash in for your next 4 pours. Kinda cute.

Salt of the Earth (geuze with truffle salt) and Saison de Lente. SotE was crazy and killer. I tried to get a few bottles but they were all out. I could definitely taste the salt and truffle influence, a very interesting beer.

Cuir 3rd Anniversary Old Ale and Black Orchard (dark wit bier):

Batch 300 (oaked tripel with citra hops) and Loakal Red:

Iniquitus (Belgian golden strong) and Bierbauch (oaked imperial maibock):

Acer Quercus (smoked brown ale) and Run BMC (imperial pilsner):

Mischief (hoppy Belgian golden strong):

Ladyface Ale House and Brasserie.

We stopped for lunch at Ladyface on the way out of LA. The draft list was not bad for being an eatery, and we got a flight of part of their offering. La Blonde (I think), Trois Filles Tripel, Ladyface IPA, Chesebro IPA, Picture City Porter.
Most were so-so but I remember the the porter had chocolate shavings on top. The regular, Ladyface IPA, I thought was much better balanced and a better drinker than the Chesebro IPA, which is actually a too-blown-out imperial. Food was decent though rather overpriced for the portions. It was bit of an anti-climactic finish after the Bruery and the weekend in general, but you make do with what you get.

Naturally, I also got a lot of swag: about 9 bombers, though a few of them are extras to trade back home; a glass at pretty much every place; and a shirt and a sweatshirt, my first brew-related clothing. I figured I needed to be able to show some cred at brewfests. I'll take a big picture of all the glass and swag when I get back at the end of the summer.

Anderson Valley Brewing Co. Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout.

2011-08-09T20:54:00.000-07:00

I forget why I finally picked this up or why I had been putting off picking it up. I had a bottle last week and remember it being good but I already had a few drinks in me so that's not really the best indicator. I've been sick recently so this is the first beer I've had since.

The pour looked nice though the head faded a bit quickly. However, I could see some bubbles continually rising. Smell is fairly mild but is predominantly hot oatmeal and chocolate chips. The taste matches; solidly chocolate on the tongue, finishing like a piece of high-content dark chocolate right down to a bitter finish. I think a bit of residual sweetness would have been nice. I can definitely see this pairing well with a dark, savory beef stew or French dip, but not chili or stroganoff. I'm thinking things with strong brown gravies or simple, unadulterated beef and not acidic. Maybe a shaved corned beef and swiss on dark rye or pumpernickel. A fruit (figs?) and cheese plate or chocolate would be tasty as well, but I don't know enough about cheese to make any recommendations. MAYBE SOME DAY. Getting pretty hungry now.

Appearance: Fairly opaque black pour, head dissipates into a ring.
Smell: Oats and chocolate primarily.
Taste: Fairly mild on the coffee tones, but I get a strong dark chocolate finish, think 80% cocoa, complete with the bitter finish that doesn't linger longer than necessary.
Mouthfeel: Carbing feels a bit high, leaves some tingling on the tongue. Just enough viscosity to be pleasant but doesn't stick or smear.
Drinkability and Overall: Feels fairly light but has a strong presence, making it more drinkable than other robust stouts. I think it would handle well with a hearty meal and not take up too much space or take well with a chocolate and/or cheese plate while leaving plenty of room for other goodies. Overall, I like this as a beer and as a stout, even though it's a little overcarbed. It's good to see a stout that is just a well-done stout.

Reed's Original Ginger Brew, Ginger Ale.

2011-08-05T17:08:00.001-07:00

Picked up a few ginger beers/ales from WF some time ago. I've always like ginger ale (which is what everyone must get from the drink serve on an airplane) and found ginger beer to be rising in popularity lately, but this summer, I have been killing it on the ginger scene. Ginger teas, ales, beers, all pretty good stuff.

Reed's Ginger Ale uses 25% pineapple juice and some honey, lemon, lime, spice and obviously ginger. It is gluten, caffeine, and preservative free. They also add "Fresh Ginger" to the nutritional information on the back. I don't think I've ever seen juice used in a ginger ale. It gives a root-y, earthy taste up front. 17 grams of ginger bring the bite which is fairly mild but long-lasting. Compared to soda ginger ales like Canada Dry, it's less sugary but sweeter in a syrupy way. The lower carbonation might let that be more pronounced here.

I remember Vernor's ginger ale soda being quite good and highly carbonated. I think that's still my favorite ginger ale.

Ninkasi Tricerahops Double IPA.

2011-08-04T21:59:00.000-07:00

Yet another BevMo bomber. Ninkasi sounded familiar for some reason, but I can't think of when I would have come across the name. Based out of Eugene, OR, Ninkasi is apparently the name of a Sumerian goddess. Not sure if she blessed this beer or not. While Tricerahops is a cute name, there's not much double about this. The pour seemed promising. I got a nice hop aroma from about a foot away. The head faded quickly into a moss. The first sip was underwhelming. Hop intensity was thin and tinny and only on the back end. Maltiness is pretty thin despite looking a little darker and thicker. The only saving grace is the 8.8%ABV. I don't normally rate any IPA poorly but this one is something else. Nothing sits quite right in this one.

Appearance: Slightly darker gold, rich creamy head that dissipates into moss. Looking a little viscous on the pour.
Smell: Nondescript hop aroma from a ways away, along with some kind of fruit.
Taste: What a disappointment. Not very malty, not very hoppy. More like a pale ale which is way off from a double IPA. Hops are thin and tinny, metallic tasting, really weird.
Mouthfeel: About on par with a Dale's Pale Ale. And for a double IPA, that's just not right.
Drinkability and Overall: Drinkability is average. At 8.8%ABV, it's no session beer. But there's no truly exceptional feature of it so it's not an experience either. This garnered an A- on BA so maybe I just got a bad/old bottle.

Moylan's Orange & Black CONGRATS ALE!

2011-08-03T21:39:00.000-07:00

BevMo bomber. I went to a SF Giants game today (8-1, Giants) as part of an event so I thought it was appropriate to crack open this one tonight. Brewed, presumably, in response to the Giants' World Series win last year, pale two-row, crystal, black, and flaked Canadian malts make up the grain bill with a variety of sources. Mt. Hood and Liberty hops came from Yakima with oranges sourced in-state. 6%ABV

I initially dove into this beer without reading the label or BA. I picked up orange tones and initially thought this was a porter. A quick read on BA said this is actually a American Black/Cascadian Dark ale. My suspicions on the orange were validated after taking a read on the label. I've actually more appreciation for Cascadian darks now that they've finally put a name on the product. The whole "black IPA" just never jived with me and always left me disappointed. I found this beer to fairly enjoyable overall. I approached it more like a porter going in and liked it that way. I don't have enough experience with Cascadian darks to make a good judgment on its representativeness. So I'll abstain on that regard. A drink is a little creamy and balances well with the level of carbing. The orange flavors get drowned out for the most part during and as the pint wears on. After most of this bomber, I don't feel particularly full, which is a nice feature of Cascadian darks. It's under-hopped, but, in this case, acceptable to preserve the citrus. Overall, it's a decent beer and probably more interesting for Giants fans.

Appearance: Fairly opaque black with a ring of a head on top.
Smell: Orange chocolate candy. A good swirl later gave a deeper chocolate aroma with some sweeter tones.
Taste: Roasted malt with a sliver of sweet citrus on the finish. Not enough hopping for the style but too mild in the malts for a porter or stout.
Mouthfeel: Light in body and viscosity despite the color. In a nice place for Cascadian black/dark. Carbing is decent and appropriate.
Drinkability and Overall: I think this is a nicely flavored ale with depth that belies its weight and its weight is deceptively light, given its appearance. This is a fairly drinkable beer, goes down smoothly.

Moylan's Nor Cal IPA.

2011-08-02T21:21:00.000-07:00

Moylan's is one of those breweries that I only got to read about on places like The Full Pint because they don't distribute so far east. California is full of these mythical breweries that are brewing killer IPAs, diverse flavors and pushing the envelope on styles, and that sort of craftsmanship helps the evolution and growth of craft brewing. Moylan's is on my list of breweries to visit but I couldn't resist have a taste.

This bomber is yet another from my BevMo haul. The Nor Cal IPA has a slew of awards from the CA State Fair and World Beer Championships, first one dating back to 1997. For a beer to be in a lineup for so long is a good sign, and along with multiple awards, indicates consistent quality. Label indicates it's dry hopped with two varieties. No doubt, this is a solid IPA. The hop intensity is great without being an imperial so the body is light as well. And a light body leans towards good drinkability. I found this substantial IPA to be quite drinkable on its own, and it'd go fine with a meal and not leave you feeling bloated. At 6.5%ABV, it's a bit high to be sessionable, but nevertheless, it's a great casual beer.

Appearance: Typical, dark golden straw, moderate and persistent head.
Smell: Resin-y hop aroma, foretelling solid bittering. Light on the florals but there's a bit of sweet melon.
Taste: Classic west coast IPA. A bit maltier than Stone. Straight hop backbone with a long finish that doesn't dry out.
Mouthfeel: Light without any residue. For such a strong hop profile, it's very nicely weighted. Feels and weighs like an IPA.
Drinkability and Overall: This is a really solid, hoppy IPA. I dig. Hop intensity is nice without being muddled with too much malt or being blown out by raw bittering. Plenty of complexity for a straight IPA makes it enjoyable on its own or with some food.

Red Hook Big Ballard Imperial IPA.

2011-08-01T20:29:00.001-07:00

Part of the BevMo haul. Red Hook makes a sessionable ESB but I don't see or buy much Red Hook on the East coast. An imperial IPA from Red Hook? Ok, I'll bite. Of the 5 bottles I bought, 4 were imperial IPAs and one was a silly Chinese lager that came in a Buddha bottle. Hilarious.

Pour was looking might viscous into the pint glass. A look under light was surprising dark and reddish for an imperial IPA. Whenever I have an imperial IPA, I always have Southern Tier Unearthly in the back of my mind. Wonderful color, diverse hop profile in both smell and taste with a killer IBU. Big Ballard is not in that tier. The sweet malt up front was nice at first, got some tender apricot tones, but as this glass goes on, the malt starts to overpower the relatively mild hop bitter. I could probably be convinced that this is an imperial red or amber. A bit of a miss but not a bad beer, certainly. At 8.6%ABV, it's surprisingly drinkable despite some of the malt heaviness. I could knock back a few pints in a night but I wouldn't be that interested in what I'm drinking.

Appearance: Dark golden, almost reddish hue. Small head reduced to a scummy, thick-skinned bubbles.
Smell: (Forgot to take notes.)
Taste: Sweet, malty, hops on the back end. Mostly bittering, balanced, not much in the way of grass, greenery, or floral. Some apricot tones.
Mouthfeel: Smooth and a bit low carbed in the middle, giving it a soft feel. Heavy body in a syrupy way for an imperial IPA.
Drinkability and Overall: For an imperial IPA, a bit mild. In terms of flavor, about as drinkable as any IPA. Not bad, it falls somewhere in between IPA and imperial IPA in intensity.

Bruton di Bruton.

2011-07-31T20:09:00.000-07:00

A sale beer from WF. That last Italian beer I had was Peroni. That was in 2006 or 2007. It was that bad. This was on sale and had a more respectable look to it so I decided to give Italian beers another shot. This beer is refermented in the bottle and includes wheat on the grain bill. Heatshrink around the cap which is fitted over a fatter lip and makes a nice pop rather than a hiss.

I accidentally poured some of the yeast cake because I was thinking that the color was extremely pale and not foaming at all. I didn't get many impressions of it so the short version below is the long version, and I don't have much else to say about this one. It's supposed to be a Belgian pale ale, but they forgot the pale ale part. It reminds me a bit of Ephemere but much milder. Actually, I just took a big sip, and it reminds me of a nice, spicy witbier but not as spicy and maybe a little bitter. while I still don't trust Italian beers very much, this one is ok.

Appearance: Pour looked really pale but darker in the glass. Bit of a lager-y head which dissipates and leaves only a moss.
Smell: Grannysmith apples.
Taste: Super mild and nondescript. A touch of Belgian spice character, light hops, more on the floral side. A bit of apple juice from concentrate.
Mouthfeel: Low carbing, extremely smooth. Finishes with a bit of astringency.
Drinkability and Overall: Drinkability is good, though a bit strange. Overall, as a pale ale, it's not very prominent. I can see this being enjoyable from time to time though. So it's not terrible, not outstanding, but only mildly memorable.

Deschutes Black Butte Porter.

2011-07-31T19:29:00.001-07:00

Managed to pick up a single at WF the other day. By the way, I finally made it to a bonafide bottle shop today: BevMo. It's a chain, and they're around but they have a solid selection of craft brews despite being a wine and liquor store. While they don't have nearly the variety as BotW, they make up for it in quality and comprehensiveness in representing the regional breweries' lineups. I ended up getting 4 bottles of PSes (no Peltier Station), and 5 bombers, and learned the names of a few more breweries in the Bay Area. They also have a spread of glassware for all drinks so that's great. Might have to spring for some Reidel glasses finally. I took a quick look through the gin section as they were closing but didn't see anything out of the ordinary. I'll have to take a closer look next time and check out the whisky and bourbon.

I can't really remember the last time I went for a porter, but here it is. To be honest, I don't have a lot to say about it because it's not really in my preferred styles, as evidenced by me having to use 'stout' to tag this post. I simply don't buy enough porters to warrant a 'porter' label. Maybe one day, I'll go back and fix that. Anyway, it's good for what it is though.

Appearance: Very dark brown but not black. Creamy head with lacing.
Smell: Bits of coffee and cola.
Taste: A cold weak coffee, a bit stronger than a solid brown ale. A little burnt on the back end and finish. Kind of hollow, vacuous.
Mouthfeel: Open, light-medium to medium in both weight and viscosity, most noticeable on the first sip.
Drinkability and Overall: As a porter, I think it's pretty good. I would have liked a little more depth to its flavor, but maybe I'm expecting more intense beers these days. The flavor-weight ratio is good so it is drinkable.

Bison Brewing Organic IPA.

2011-07-30T21:41:00.000-07:00

I had been planning visiting Bison Brewing this weekend, but their website says they don't do tours or have anything open to the public really. So I made sure to pick up a Bison brew at the store. Bison Brewing is a USDA organic brewery. I was never big into the organic movement but having been eating some organic food somewhat regularly, I might be inclined to say I feel better; it certainly tastes better in many cases.

BIson's Organic IPA is brewed with four malts and three hops for a 6%ABV brew. I had one last night after finishing off that Telegraph Obscura Arborea. I thought it tasted great then, but I was a little boozy and was ready for a change of taste after finishing the whole 750mL myself. A proper pour and taste tonight, it still tastes pretty great. A good hoppy, strongly grassy nose. It's nice to find IPAs that do pay some attention to aroma and not just IBUs. Taste is solidly IPA, good bittering without being overpowering. It would work well with some spicy or sweet Asian cuisine like Thai curries. A little bit of astringency leaves a nice mouthfeel on the finish without being drying. Overall, it's a nicely balanced beer that can suit many occasions. It's a bit of a west coast analog of GI IPA, all the bases are covered without blowing out in any one dimension. I'd like to put it up next to a Stone IPA and see how that goes.

Appearance: Dark golden, orange tint. Head starts out looking nice but dissipates a bit quickly.
Smell: Awesome grassy, weedy hop aroma.
Taste: A little malty intro to the hop backbone. Consistent uniform hop presence, decent bittering with a mildly astringent finish.
Mouthfeel: Carbing is a nice level, expected weight and viscosity.
Drinkability and Overall: This is a nice IPA with enough presence to make it pleasant but without so much complexity to demand your full attention. Definitely good for a sit-back-and-have-a-few session.

Telegraph Brewing Co. Obscura Arborea.

2011-07-29T22:46:00.000-07:00

Got this the other night at WF when I was having trouble deciding what was interesting. I saw the "lactobacillus" on the label and thought it might be a lacto-stout so I picked up one. Turns out it is actually an oud bruin, AKA Flanders brown ale. I've never actually bought a Flanders, never having seen it in a store but only trying it at bars. The name keeps reminding me of Camera Obscura, of which I was neither a lover nor hater, but that's really beside the point. Label has a sweet-looking tree on it, and the font is nice too. I don't normally care much for labels, but this one is actually quite nice. It indicated that Obscura Arborea is an "Ale aged with oak and lactobacillus/unfiltered, bottle-conditioned". I had read some reviews on it, and they warned that it was violently carbed. One guy said the cork started working its way out on its own after removing the cage. Danger from exploding bottles. Painful carbonation in the mouth. Wow, exciting.

I gave it as gentle of a pour as I could, down the side at a very shallow angle into a willi because I don't have any flutes. Here is the resulting head: wat. I could see many streams of continuous bubbles coming up, the head churning and growing. The color was pleasant, though, and reminded me of fall. At 9%ABV, the first taste seemed a bit hot. It wasn't as sour as I've known Flanders ales to be. Tart in an unripened fruit kind of way, but it wasn't too unripe. Cherries, apples, crabapples smashed on the sidewalk. Tart, not sour. As the beer warmed up, it because more and more enjoyable as the carbonation became more subdued. At the end of the day, I liked it. It's like a gentle beginning for sour/wild ales. I'll try to pick up a few extra bottles to bring home.

Appearance: Murky dark brown, cider-y brown. Head is off the wall.
Smell: Tartness, sour cherry, apple, apricot.
Taste: Tart and bitter, but certainly palatable. It does taste a bit apple cider-y without much sweetness. For a wild ale-family brew, it is easy on the palate.
Mouthfeel: Highly and finely carbed. It is like drinking a can of soda in a single sip. After some time to breathe and mellow out, it is less violent.
Drinkability and Overall: I'm not familiar enough with the style to be a very good judge but I do find it enjoyable, especially after some time to vent. At 9%ABV, it is not sessionable, but a bottle or two shared with a friend would make a nice conversation piece as you note the development.

Deschutes Twilight Summer Ale.

2011-07-28T21:38:00.000-07:00

I've been enjoying my experience with Deschutes, more or less, but I didn't want to focus too heavily on it. After some hemming and hawing, I just went for the sixer, found a loose bottle of the Black Butte and called it good. I also got a Rogue Creamery Anniversary Ale. BA was 504 when I tried to look it up to figure out what it was so I just went for it. I want get a better handle on it and decide whether to review it now or later, depending on what it is and if I want to get extra bottles. Not seeing that Stone Anise around anymore, so I'm glad I bought two when I did. (See this awkward time warp post about it here.) Normally, I'm not one for summer seasonals, but I have a drinking directive, I wanted to round out my Deschutes experience, and a visit to the brewery might find it unavailable.

To be honest, I wasn't expecting much. Summer ales are usually some weird, underwhelming brew, which could be construed as refreshing but most things are when they're cold. There are some exceptions like GI and Sam Adams summer seasonals. And there are those that can be made into seasonals like a hefeweizen or witbier with that citrus fruit wedge. So I was prepared to be underwhelmed, but the color against the light was quite pleasant with an orange hue and exceptionally clear. Hm, looks refreshing already. First taste: initial impression on the palate was tame with the expected flavor but the hop kicked in and I was pleasantly surprised. The hop flavor had some simple development which was even nicer. So here's a summer ale that's not afraid to deliver some flavor and even do it in a civilized, cultivated manner. The bottle I had was only lukewarm; I think it had only recently gone into the cooler at the store, but nevertheless, it was quite good. At a proper temperature, I expect it will only get more crisp. As a bonus, this means the beer will still be good as it warms a bit under the summer sun.

Appearance: Super clear, orange hint, fluffy head, taller due to an overzealous pour.
Smell: Wheat-y but clean, a bit of citrus to match the orange.
Taste: Starts typical for a summer seasonal but the hop kicks in with some citrus and then some nice bittering, not too strong but present.
Mouthfeel: Body is smooth, carb is refreshing and even, not too effervescent. Weight is light and good for hot weather.
Drinkability and Overall: For a summer beer, all the essentials are there: bright color, light in the mouth without skimping on taste, strong enough on the palate to make it enjoyable to drink. Highly drinkable and would be great for outings, barbecues, sunny weather, and the cooler evenings.

English Ales Dragon Slayer IPA.

2011-07-23T22:32:00.000-07:00

We stopped by English Ales after spending the afternoon in Monterey's aquarium which was pretty nice, I found this place on Google Maps and appeared to be well rated. English-style ales are often either not English-style at all or labeled as such because it's subpar sugar water, so if an entire American brewery was going to dedicate itself to English beers, it was worth checking out. As it turns out, English Ales is a small operation residing in a very small commercial strip, occupying two or three spaces, one for the brewing, one for the bar, and one for some additional dining tables. There is only one guy at the front, presumably the owner, manning the bar and the floor, serving and busing plates. The ambiance is ok, if a bit out of place with the overall location, with British paraphernalia all over the walls. The ceiling was lined with mugs marked with number, date, and name of the mug's owner. $30 gets you in, but it wasn't clear what you get other than a pricey mug.

Menu was half sandwiches, half British fare with some appetizers and salads. I ordered the "fish, bangers, and chips" which actually only came with one lukewarm but generically tasty banger. The Dragon Slayer IPA was an English-style IPA certainly. If they would call that a Dragon Slayer, an American West coast IPA must be the Devil himself. Nose is a pleasant, mild hop but taste is more on par with the average (not Dale's) American pale. Lingering bitter on the finish and sessionable. There isn't much to say about it.

It's not often that I walk away from a brewery or brewpub without any swag, but nothing here really caught my eye nor did I feel compelled to get anything. There were some bumper stickers and apparel along with a sold-out "Women of English Ales" calendar for sale. As far as glass, only a standard pint glass and a standard brown growler were available, neither of which interested me. Usually, I at least walk away with a coaster, but no coasters here, just napkins.

Moutai Yingbin.

2011-07-22T23:32:00.000-07:00

Moutai liquor is apparently quite renowned and well-known among Chinese liquors. The classic Moutai goes for over $100 a bottle, but the proprietor at my favorite Chinese corner store suggested this one which runs for $14. I had been looking at some interesting "White Gold" bottles which had a VSOP rating but was not a brandy or cognac but some sorghum-based liquor. The wife said it smelled bad and was 15 years old; supposedly, these particular bottles were worth more than their $15 price tag indicated but she had simply never bothered to adjust the price because no one ever wanted them. In any case, I had been planning on trying this Moutai eventually and there are several very similar looking packages with widely varying prices, so I figured now was as good as time as any to try this fairly cheap version I had been offered. It was still the standard 53%ABV, but I suspect much of the price difference arises in the refining and aging processes. This must be the quick version to be produced for the masses.

The bottle of a solid white with plastic gold cap, sticker sealed over the breakaway plastic ring. The label indicates it's distilled from 80% sorghum and 20% wheat. The first thing that comes to mind when sorghum is mentioned is Redbridge which was fucking awful. I also apparently never reviewed and posted it because it was that bad. Redbridge, by the way is a gluten-free beer brewed from sorghum. It is terrible, and you should probably just have soda water.

Back to the Moutai:

Appearance: Clear.
Smell: Obviously a strong alcohol component but a bit of sake and a lot of sweet.
Taste: A sharp punch at the beginning but if you can hold on to it for a bit, there is a strong plum sweetness, an wide assortment of sweetness, apple, raisin, fig, prune, very pleasant despite the ABV. Finish is naturally intense.
Mouthfeel: Oily.
Drinkability and Overall: I think this would be a great drink to have in small half shots with friends over spicy foods and Korean BBQ to close out a night of drinking with lots of friends.

Primo Island Lager.

2011-07-22T23:14:00.000-07:00

I saw this in the cooler at the Chinese corner store that sells scratch lotto tickets and Asian nude magazines but has a nice selection of Chinese liquors and various Asian snacks. At first, I thought it was a Greek beer since the logo looked something like centurion or hoplite feather-crested helm (and it was blue and white). Upon closer inspection, the islands were not the Greek islands but were, in fact, the Hawaiian islands. The label also said, "With a hint of Hawaiian cane". Ok, cool, so it's from Hawaii. Ok, still doesn't really make sense. Maybe the feather guy is a Hawaiian tribe king. Later at home, another inspection indicated that the Primo Brewing and Malting (not a good sign) Co. is based in Hood, Oregon. Ok, so not Greek, not Hawaiian, Oregon. And "First brewed in 1897" which is kind of cool, and "Proceeds Help to Preserve the Environment and Culture of the Islands".

Appearance: Darker than a lager ought to be. Pretty crystal clear, lots of bubbles on the glass. Head faded entirely.
Smell: Doesn't really smell like anything. Maybe rice cake but that might be some environmental smells.
Taste: Noticeably sweet, almost cloying. Didn't temper as the beer went on. A taste on a different night, didn't notice hardly any sweetness, but that might be due to having eaten some strong food for dinner.
Mouthfeel: Feels like a lager. Meh.
Drinkability and Overall: Mildly more flavorful than a macro but not much better.

Mate Veza Yerbe Mate IPA.

2011-07-22T22:47:00.000-07:00

Hailing from Mateveza Brewing (Mate + Cerveza) in Ukiah, CA, this beer is marked as an organic (USDA) IPA brewed with yerbe mate. Yerba mate is apparently used as a tea and has some nice health properties as an antioxidant and lowering cholesterol. Yerba mate also apparently makes this brew caffeinated. Though it sounds a bit gimmicky, I had never seen this particular twist so I had to pick it up. I wasn't sure how it would mix with the IPA component (which damn well better be good since this is California). It was disappointingly disappointing.

Appearance: Hazy, light brown, almost an orange tan color. Standard head which dissipates.
Smell: Slight herbal, maybe some sweet spice, tones in the nose, but I get some apple without the sweetness. No real hop presence to speak of. Slightly medicinal.
Taste: No real hop flavor, a minor bitterness on the back end but more of an afterthought. More malty than anything but even then not particularly malty. If anything, it is dominated by black tea that has been steeped for too long but without the blown out tannins.
Mouthfeel: Slightly creamy, heavier in the mouth than I would expect. Steady stream of bubbles leave too much volume in stomach.
Drinkability and Overall: It's fairly drinkable in that it's light enough and the taste isn't going to overload your buds. But other than that, the novelty wears off quickly. As an IPA, I can't give it very high marks. As an amber, it fares slightly better but the body and carbonation is off for the style. Interesting beer but that's about as far as it goes.

Six Rivers Kona Moon Coffee Porter.

2011-07-21T21:14:00.000-07:00

I added Six Rivers to my list of breweries to consider for a visit this summer, so I wanted to get a bottle to see if it would be worth my time or not. The Kona Moon Coffee Porter took gold at GABF 2005 in the coffee flavored beer category. It's a silly category to think about but the space is quite crowded these days so gold at one of the largest beerfests in the world is no small feat. I must say that I'm generally fairly cool towards porters as I'm more interested extreme and unique stouts like GI BBC, but I made an exception for this one, given the circumstances and context. I was at Whole Foods looking for my next beer to try. I had told myself that I would only get new, unavailable-back-home beers. Nothing interesting on sale. I had to whip out the phone and start BA'ing some breweries to see what was nearby, decently rated, worth trying, etc. Six Rivers in McKinleyville, decent reviews, within range for a visit. So I picked up this bomber along with two others that looked interesting at the time.

Appearance: Standard porter color, black, opaque. Held up to the light, coffee brown. Head is fine, about a finger.
Smell: Mild coffee notes, bark, slight chocolate. Very pleasant and aromatic.
Taste: Well-balanced coffee tones, good coffee too. Solidly coffee, not too many distracting flavors, with a agreeable astringency. Dirt and wood on the finish.
Mouthfeel: Solid porter body, weight, mouthfeel. A little too eager to release carb in the mouth though, leaves the tongue a little tingly.
Drinkability and Overall: In terms of flavor intensity to body and weight, this is an impressive beer. Finish is quite clean so it goes down easily. Despite being such a dark beer, it's very drinkable for its class. It's flavorful without being so complex that you have to think about it but worth noticing. 6%ABV.

Rogue Ales Public House and Cherry Voodoo Tripel.

2011-07-17T23:53:00.000-07:00

Took a stop by the Rogue Public House again after spending the day in SF by Fisherman's Wharf. The aquarium is SF in not as great as the one in Monterey which we went to/are going to a couple weeks later. (Starting drafts, filling them in much later and backposting is trippy. Hold onto your butts.) From left to right:

Red IPA: Red, scotch ale-y on the finish, mild hop throughout. Seems unbalanced or unsure of itself unless it's going for wishy-washy.
Younger's Special Bitter: smooth, milky bitter, balanced and bitter backbone. Finish evaporates. Sessionable with a hint of malty sweetness.
Creamery Anniversary: Cream porter, Hershey's chocolate, cocoa finish, slight raisin, lots of volume. NOTES FROM THE FUTURE: I bought a couple bottles of this from WF, not knowing what it or Rogue Creamery was, but now it makes sense. I had bought one, holding off until I knew what it was, and then bought another one. And now it turns out I've already had it so I'll probably just hold onto both bottles for later. Bottom line: I get these sweet, swing-top jugs.
Single Malt: low, tight carb, thin body. Hop bitter with an alcoholic finish and aftertaste. Palate is smooth and slightly sweet, very reserved.

I thought cherry tripel sounded interesting. I'm not really sure why, actually, because I'm not very fond of Three Philosophers which has too strong of an acetone likeness for me. But get this, I did, and it wasn't bad. It was a bit cherry cream soda-like. Definitely creamy. I remember the waitress coming around and asking what I thought and telling her I had expected something more tripel-y. Didn't really hit the tripel spot but was still enjoyable.

I also spent a few minutes to go to the liquor store around the corner where I was recommended to go after asking if they sold the Rogue Distillery spirits at the Public House. Turns out they had all (I assume all) the Rogue spirits: Spruce Gin, Pink Gin, Dead Guy Whiskey, and Hazelnut Rum. I've had the Spruce and while it was great, I wanted something new. The Pink is aged in pinot noir barrels. They were $45 apiece so I went with the whiskey and rum and the guy sold them to me for an even $90 at the end of the day. Not sure if I'll crack them open here or wait until I get back home. Depends on if I find better prices on them.

Deschutes Inversion IPA.

2011-07-12T20:33:00.000-07:00

I'm thinking about starting a dedicated beer blog where I actually make sense and try to be thoughtful. I figure I should get some good practice out here on the West coast. The plan is to be standard and more rigorous in my evaluation. It would also be cool if I could be funny.

This is my first beer from Deschutes Brewery in Bend, OR. I've been putting off buying Deschutes from the store because there's been some other, more interesting beers that have been catching my eye, but this 6-pack was on sale (a whopping 50 cents off). Good enough for me. I was pumped to try it out as Deschutes has been one of those fabled West coast breweries that don't have distribution back East. I also picked up a 4-pack of something interesting but I wanted to get into the Deschutes tonight.

Poured into a standard pint glass and got a nice, thick head, something that I've been missing from many beers lately. A deep inhale gave some interesting aromas. It wasn't the West coast hop bomb with which I'm familiar. Instead of aroma, it was more like scent, mild and fleeting at times. They weren't kidding when they said "Inversion".

Appearance: Dark but transparent copper with a hint of red. Two fingers of fine head.
Smell: Sweet berry tones, hot summer grass.
Taste: Smooth and mild hop, conservative bittering. There are some sweet melon notes but stays clean, doesn't descend into too much malt. Alphas come into play on the finish without staying for too long. Maybe a little paper-y at very tail end.
Mouthfeel: Low carb, maybe too low. Body is light to light-medium weight. Clean finish.
Drinkability and Overall: This is a very drinkable, sessionable even, IPA. Alpha acid content won't blow out your tastebuds, and it has some different, interesting complexities than other IPAs. For an IPA, I wish there were a little more bitter and better aroma. It might make a good introductory IPA.

Widmer Nelson Imperial IPA.

2011-07-10T21:26:00.000-07:00

Pour produces a slightly creamy head. Mouthfeel is slightly low carbed for an IPA, higher than for an imperial. Body is light for an imperial. Nose is slightly citrus-y. Not too malty with a solid hop backbone. Hopping is primarily for bittering, initial taste is leafy, a bit of corn sweetness, a little malty on the finish, maybe some caramel. Finish is creamy, mild and evenly persistent.

Stone Belgo Anise Imperial Russian Stout.

2011-07-09T20:54:00.000-07:00

Black pour without being viscous, coffee head and aroma. Good-looking RIS. Rich coffee and oak tones with a little bit of heat in the nose. Up front, it has a good RIS taste and body. The licorice of the anise comes in the middle, a little bit of spice and barkiness and cola. Have a really hard time picking up the Belgian influence, maybe on the finish with a little bit of tang but I might just be looking for something to pin. Finish lingers, a little sticky on the lips but not much. At 10.5%ABV, the other flavors cover very well.

I had picked up two bottles of this since it was new to me and in case it turned out I like it and it sold out in the mean time. It is, indeed, a 2011 Odd Year Release. It is certainly more complex than their regular RIS. Excellent beer for a tasting session, will try to grab more.

Ballast Point Sculpin IPA.

2011-07-08T23:14:00.000-07:00

So after much hubbub about this beer (voted best IPA in America by a readers' poll), I saw it in the store and picked up one. It poured slightly lighter in color than I would have expected. It taste correspondingly less malty than other IPAs. Head is a fine moss, persistent with curtains down the side. Nose is certainly hoppy but has a decidedly bottle tinge to it. Taste is classically hoppy but balanced. Initial hop bitter fades quickly into a more biscuit-y English-style but that note is fairly mild. The finish is clean, not excessively drying or bitter. It might be a bit too assertive for sessioning. Overall, it is a good IPA but I fail to see it as outstanding. Maybe some side-by-side comparison would help draw distinctions, but on its own, it is just a good IPA.

Pyramid Apricot Ale.

2011-07-07T22:04:00.000-07:00

I pulled this beer out of the box and said, "This beer is going to be terrible." I assume this is brewed from the same base as their hefeweizen, and this is also unfiltered, not that there is a terrible amount of solids in it. Nose is a a overripe, sitting-in-the-sun melon smell. Apricot is definitely present on the palate, would be almost sweet, if not tempered by the wheat. Finish is a bit too persistent, leaving a cloying, candy feeling. Color and mouthfeel are the same as their hefe. Not the worst fruit-based beer I've had and better than Ithaca. Might be an ok beer to have at a barbecue but only one.

Pyramid Thunderhead IPA.

2011-07-06T21:28:00.001-07:00

This is only a pale ale. I shudder to think what their pale ale tastes like. Nose is nonexistent, maybe a bit like detergent but also maybe because a load of laundry is in the wash. Taste is an initial impression of an IPA but very quickly fades into pretty much nothing. Finish is mild but stays on the tongue. Not much malt impression so overall feels and tastes relatively light. I would expect more from an IPA, but this would be an ok pale.

Pyramid Haywire Hefeweizen.

2011-07-06T20:58:00.000-07:00

It's been a really long time since I've had a hefeweizen a long time since I've had anything from Pyramid. I think it was Curveball that I had a many years ago. Haywire is an unfiltered wheat. Nose is nondescript, white bread. Taste is typical wheat but mild, a bit of banana; smooth, low carb mouthfeel. A nice change of pace for me, but nothing special.

Karl Strauss Brewing Co.

2011-07-04T23:52:00.000-07:00

I went to LA with some folks over Fourth of July weekend and wound up at Universal Studios. I managed to get them to take lunch at the Karl Strauss nearby so I could give their beers a whirl. I wasn't expecting a very good spread from something hanging around Universal, but their tap list was pretty decent. I got a flight to start off.

From left to right:

Off the Rails: The imperial version of their Red Trolley, maltier with a charred finish, creamier head, sweet bread.
Pintail Pale Ale: Heavy citrus, grapfruit, floral, tea notes. Light body and mouthfeel. A session beer.
Red Trolley Ale: A Gold Medal at WBC 2010. Too sweet for a red. Saliva and hop on the finish. Low head and a bit milky. After tasting the wit, I also got toffee.
Too Legit Wit: Reminded me of Middles Ages Swallow Wit. Not too spicy in that Hoegaarden way but I did find some nutmeg on the finish.

I also got the Tower 10 IPA to go with my meal, which was a French Dip, I think. It was pretty good, but maybe that's just because I haven't had one in a long time. I apparently didn't write anything down about it. I guess it was only ok then.

Firestone Walker Double Barrel Ale.

2011-06-29T21:01:00.000-07:00

A bit lighter than a copper ale, low carb, low head though it foams easily with a little swirling. Smell is a little lager-y. Taste has a twinge of American macro mixed in with very mild hopping, mostly malt up front. I guess that's the English way of doing pales. I think it's pretty lame. I don't even find many American pale ales I like, and this is more disappointing than any of those. Even as an amber ale, I wouldn't have much to say about it. Firestone Walker, who won best mid-size at World Beer Cup 2010, colour me not impressed. (Did you see what I did there?)

Thirsty Bear and 21st Amendment.

2011-06-28T22:16:00.001-07:00

I went to the Museum of Modern Art in SF for the afternoon. It was lame. Thirsty Bear is right next door and that was great. The food is tapas style and expensive so I didn't get anything since I was planning on eating at 21st Amendment anyway. In-house draft lift was nice, and I got a flight, though one was tapped out, which I forget. She ended up giving two of the same thing. Left column to right column, bottom up:

Farmhouse: banana, malt, apple, full without the wheat.
Howard St. IPA: more like a fizzy copper
Meyer ESB: slightly sweet malt, hopped enough, smooth mouthfeel, nitro'd, good ESB with a butter nose. Tried to get a growler, but alas, it is nitro'd.
Valencia Wheat: mild, slight citrus, plain
Black Bear: Black lager, cascadian IPA sans hops, chocolate dirt, charcoal.
Kozlov Stout: yeasty, ashy porter. creamy head, nitro-y but not body, coffee nose.
Brown Bear: looks like a copper but tastes like a mild brown, no nut.
Golden Vanilla: nondescript ale with a lot of vanilla which is overpowering everything else.

I really liked the Meyer but wasn't in a position to bring home a growler nor was it very feasible. They do keep seasonals and a cask so maybe later on. Dinner was at 21st Amendment. A market dish with a great cut of fish, halibut but I forgot, and some glazed vegetables and an asparagus potato mash. I had an oyster stout and the Hop Crisis. Both were good but relatively tame. No significant notes or impressions.

Widmer X-114 IPA.

2011-06-28T22:07:00.000-07:00

The nice thing about having so many craft breweries in the region is that even chain groceries will have a decent selection. Widmer is available back home, but I never got into it as there wasn't much variety and I had other beers I wanted to try. Since I'm over here, I figured I should try it out. BA also says that this is retired, but I can find it in most stores.

Color is a lighter, more traditional toasted straw color for IPA. Palate is correspondingly fresh and lighter on the malts than a lot of IPAs I've been having. Nose is a thin, hard hop aroma. The hop taste is really good though. Initial impression is big and floral and juicy without being bitter, almost sweet, with a hint of apricot. A mild bitter comes in with the finish. A really nice sessionable beer that has a different showcase of hops than the typical IBU bombs.

Grand Teton Sweetgrass American Pale Ale.

2011-06-23T21:18:00.000-07:00

Finally took a look at the beer section at the Whole Foods here. While not as impressive as the one in Chicago, the emphasis on regional beers is nice. I'll have to direct myself to get beers that don't have distribution back home. This beer won gold at 2009 GABF.

Pours a nice dark copper color, head is a thin and smooth cap with nice consistency. Smell immediately gives a nice floral, taste is floral, sweet, almost fruity. A very vibrant pale ale that smacks of an IPA soul. So is it bad at being a pale and not quite an IPA? It's a little less malty and hoppy than Dale's, a little more lager-y. Dale's is a great pale ale and definitely not an IPA. Grand Teton is a good pale ale. Unfiltered, 60 IBU, 15.0 Plato, 6%ABV.

Yebisu, All Malt.

2011-06-19T19:58:00.000-07:00

Had dinner at a nearby ramen shop which was serving this, "All Malt". Mild head but no retention, malty lager. Boring but went ok with my meal. It's no Kirin, and that pretty much sums it up.

Full Sail IPA.

2011-06-19T00:17:00.000-07:00

This is available back home but since I haven't had it yet and I didn't see anything new in the store I wanted to try, I picked it up. Poured very fizzy. Bitter without any of the resin-y goodness, no sweet, malt, grass, floral, nothing. In fact, it finishes pretty pilsner-y. Not a fan.

Addendum: I bought a 12-pack of Bear Republic Racer 5 the other day. I had a Full Sail followed by a Bear Republic. At that moment, that Racer was the best IPA I had ever had. Full Sail is that off. The one I'm having tonight tastes like soap. Still three more to go.

Soju Sampler.

2011-06-19T00:16:00.000-07:00

Had dinner at a Japanese restaurant. Food was ok, but QPR was not great. They did have a nice selection of sake though, but I went for the soju sampler instead. Three pours, from left to right: sweet potato, barley, rice.

Sweet potato is starchy, finishes with a hint of sweetness.
Barley is the most like vodka, finishes like barley tea.
Rice is like a super filtered sake-vodka, very little taste on the palate in the middle.

Would like to try some sakes, if I ever go back. I'll probably get better QPR on some sweet Chinese liquors at the Asian corner liquor store.

Yemen Moka.

2011-06-19T00:08:00.000-07:00

First French press coffee at home. Bought this yesterday from a coffee shop down the street, goes for $15/#. I'm not able to pick up too many distinct flavors during, but it finishes with a dirty, earthy taste with some hints of chocolate to give it that resulting moniker. The chocolate is more noticeable in the nose. Body is medium and very smooth and clean. Finishes a little tannin-y. A great cup of coffee.

Apparently, I didn't take a picture. It looks like coffee. Thanks for stopping by.

Just kidding, I found it.

Russian River IPA.

2011-06-19T00:06:00.000-07:00

Cracked into the growler I had brought back from a couple weeks ago (or was it just one?). Still fresh and finely carbed. Having had RR IPA, Blind Pig, and Pliny the Elder, I think they're all great. But man, they're nothing to obsess over. They're standard west coast American IPAs: super-hopped, super-bitter, strong nose. And that's great every once in a while, but I would not want to drink this all night and maybe not even with a dinner. These are to the point of being unbalanced.

Green Flash West Coast IPA.

2011-06-19T00:04:00.000-07:00

Again, from the corner store. I am certain I have had this before, but I couldn't find it in my archives. Maybe I've only had it at a bar. Even crazier, I don't have any Green Flash posts, apparently. In any case, it is a classic west coast-style American IPA.

I can get a sharp hop aroma, even out of the bottle. Figures at 95 IBU. Taste and mouthfeel are both full, maybe a bit on the fluffier, airy side. Thick, consistent hop bitter from start to finish, with a long linger. A nice high-IBU beer.

New Belgium Ranger IPA.

2011-06-19T00:02:00.000-07:00

Picked this up from the liquor store down the block. I haven't seen New Belgium in a long time so I had to pick up some when I saw it.

A good strong bitter, hard and tinny, but is persistent and becomes full and deep. Finish is consistently bitter and remains enjoyable throughout the bottle.

Bear Republic, Russian River, Lagunitas, Rogue Public

2011-06-19T00:01:00.000-07:00

Took a bit of tour to start off my stay in California and spent a day going north and hitting up some classic CA breweries. The day started furthest north to make the drive back easier. First stop was the Bear Republic brewpub (main office in Cloverdale) in Healdsburg which is nice little town with lots of small shops. The brewpub had a decent looking menu but we kept it simple since it was still fairly early in the morning and were planning on getting real food at Russian River. BR conveniently offered flights of their entire tap lineup, both house and specialty:

The resulting spread was pretty impressive:

I only took notes (apparently very brief) on the beers that were new and interesting to me.

Short Track: sweet caramel, cocoa bitter
El Oso: fuller, ale-y (unreadable) lager
Nor Cal: hoppy, amber froth without too much bitter
Das Koma: hoppy wheat, double (?) lighter malty, fullness
Apex: 100+ IBU fresh, crisp clean finish, not as bitter as expected but long finish
Peter Brown: fruity, malty, rich, complex, muddy but smooth
XP: decent for a pale ale

And down to Russian River for lunch where they had a variety of pizzas and such. Russian River was pretty noisy and crowded and full of curiously young folks. Apparently, it was some graduation weekend. The flight trays were pretty cool, and I would have liked to have filled it, but I focused on the most important beers.

RR is well-known for its IPAs so that's the lineup I went with along with whatever else caught my eye.

Sanctification: 100% brett yeast, OG 1.059, sour, but refreshing.
Perdition: malty roast bitter
Blind Pig: OG 1.055, 72 IBU, mildest
Russian River IPA: OG 1.062, 62 IBU, solid hop, got a growler
Pliny the Elder: finally got to try this after hearing about the ranting and raving about it. Definitely the hoppiest. It's a tasty brew but overrated. Too much to deal with for a whole growler.

We barely made it onto the Lagunitas tour which had a pretty cool loft for VIPs. The tour was nothing particularly new but the attached brewpub was pretty crowded. On a nice day, it would have been a cool place to hangout with lots of outdoor tables. Alas, it was rainy and we ended up having to sit outside. They were having an oyster grill so that was pretty awesome. We got a couple of flights to check the draft list.

Zephyr - New Zealand hops. I remember that Sierra Nevada also has a New Zealand hop harvest.
Lucky 13: unusually unhoppy bitter
Bourbon Barrel Aged: dirt, coffee, cappuccino
Fusion 6: wort-y wheat

We rounded out the day with a stop at the Rogue Ales Public House in SF. The draft list was pretty good and managed to find a few to fill a flight. I also got an imperial IPA with my meal, a Kobe burger (pretty much all the beef used on their menu is Kobe).

XS Imperial IPA: expectedly tasty
Old Crustacean Barleywine: not really in season for me, but it was new to me. toasted malt, warmer, less sweet, hop bitter on finish.
Morimoto Soba Ale: finally got to try this. I had read it was discontinued and never got around ot picking up a bottle at my local bottle shop. Tastes like soba, low carb. I guess it's interesting, if you've never eaten soba. Underwhelmed.
Buckman Ginger: grassy but not in the hoppy way. Ginger was rather subdued.
Chocolate Stout (cask): watery chocolate syrup, but in a good way.

I didn't pick up any swag this time around since I figured I'd be back during the summer anyway. No swag expect for the CASE of Double Mocha I got for $20 during their Garage Sale. Woop woop. I got the standard pint glass at Bear Republic. Russian River had sweet looking growlers so I had to get one of those. Lagunitas had mason jars for glasses which I can jive, and for only $2, it's an affordable, unique piece of swag. For just one day, it was a pretty good time and haul.

Flood.

2011-06-18T22:26:00.000-07:00

Today is actually 6/28 but I'm backdating this to precede the batch of posts I have queued. Lately, I've been thinking of having a dedicated beer blog that has a little more rhyme and reason, one that I wouldn't feel silly or embarrassed about sharing. I don't know how much trouble it would be to migrate my old posts, but I'm guessing it would probably be a hassle. Backlinking is not desirable but a quick fix.

I've relocated for the summer and will have more of a slant on beer than food as a matter of circumstance. I've resolved to try all new beers this summer, from breweries that don't have (or have extremely limited) distribution back east. Also, Asian liquors.