Bruton di Bruton.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.