Beer Log: June 17-30, 2012

Beer Log: June 17 - 30

June 17: Today’s Beer: Ommegang’s: Chocolate Indulgence: Belgian-Style Chocolate Stout: Ommegang is one of my favorite specialty brewers. It was founded in Cooperstown, New York by Duvel as in independent brewery dedicated to making Belgian beers in America. Since Cooperstown was the center of the upstate New York hop industry for much of the 19^th Century, it seems a good fit. I have tried a number of their offerings, but it was before I began reflecting on the beers I drink, so this is the first one for me to describe. It also is a bit vintage; it was produced for the brewery’s 10^th anniversary in 2007, and I’ve had it since then, so it is about 5 years old. It was in the refrigerator most of that time. The cork was slightly cracked toward the bottom, but was otherwise intact and there was the typical release of pressure. The beer poured thick and dark, almost like heavy black molasses. No hint of light makes it through the glass. Limited head, but it was thick and deep tan with a distinctly bitter chocolate aroma – not surprising since it was brewed with Belgian chocolate (cocoa powder) to compliment the chocolate malts. There is also a nice bitter chocolate flavor, but it still is a bit subtle – more so than say Rogue’s Chocolate Stout. The malts are nicely roasted, but are very mellow rather than pushing the almost burnt flavor that accompanies many of the darker stouts. It also has the nice slight sourness that stouts generally have to offset the bitterness of the deeply roasted malt. At 7% ABV, it is less powerful than many of Ommegang’s other brews. While it is bottle conditioned, there isn’t the yeast flavor (or perhaps the roasted malt and chocolate overwhelm it) that accompanies most Belgian beers.

June 21: Today’s Beer: Green Flash Brewing’s: Le Freak Ale: Claims to blend the Belgian Trippel style with an American Imperial IPA. Dry hopped. This is a bottle conditioned beer and you can smell the hint of yeast in the foam. Very thick head. Yeasty, floral, citrus taste to start. Then there is an overall citrus flavor that arches over the palate with a mild banana hint and finishes with a peppery bitterness. Complex and layered. Clear, bright, honey color. Very inviting fruity scent.

June 25: Today’s Beer: Full Sail’s: Phil’s Existential Alt: Another Special Edition 22 oz. brewed by Phil Roche as part of their Brewer’s Share Initial Pub Offering series. Copper/amber color, with a nice deep, smooth, sweet maltiness. The beer is brewed with Noble hops which are frequently used in German lagers. It is a very mild and floral hop and is more than willing to share the stage with the malts. The flavor starts out with a mild sourness that recedes into a pleasant sweetness and finishes with a floral flourish. Very subtle and unassuming, but also layered and inviting.

June 27: Today’s Beer: Unibroue’s: Trois Pistoles (Dark Ale on Lees): The pour, as with many of the Belgian style offerings and bottle conditioned beers, ends with a very thick head. This one has a deep, rich brown color that lets through very little light. It has a wonderful, fruity, sweet scent that also has a floral character. Very full bodied flavor that emphasized the malts. There is a subtle sweetness that is offset by a slight peppery flavor. It finishes with a lightly toasty flavor with a bit of yeastiness. Not as much of the banana flavor as many done in the Belgian styles, but definitely it has the fruitiness. It is strong at 9% ABV. But, limited alcohol flavor.

June 28: Today’s Beer: Unibroue’s: La Fin Du Monde: Triple (Golden Ale on Lees): Since I’d just tried one from Unibroue last night, I thought I’d try another. This one is bright golden and very fizzy. As with other of their beers, this one sports a nice fruity aroma and flavor, but tilted more toward citrus than the almost date or raison character of the Trois Pistoles. It starts with a high fizzy bright flavor that is reminiscent of a chardonnay. The alcohol comes through more prominently than in their other beers. The finish is a bit astringent, almost metallic. It is tasty, but so far, the least interesting of the Unibroue offerings.

 

June 30: Today’s Beer: Unibrou’s: Maudite (“Damned”; Amber Red Ale on Lees): The last of my Unibroue sampler. This one has a similar fizziness and thick head as the others. It has a dark honey-amber color, but not quite brown. While still bottle conditioned, it doesn’t have quite the yeast flavor of the others – it is still present, but much more subdued. The malty sweetness is nice and deep, tilting toward the burnt sugar side of the scale – not quite smoky or burnt, but mildly toasted sweetness. There is also a pleasant spice note, perhaps something like cinnamon, but definitely some sort of winter spice. This is probably my favorite so far (though, perhaps the Trois Pistoles, hard to decide). Solid beer at 8% ABV. Very complex and tasty.

Beer Adventure: Drake's. San Leandro, CA.

June 14

So, Off to Drake’s! I met up with my friend Keenan. He had helped me to find some sources for an African American History course I was writing. Keenan is an English Professor with a deep knowledge of novels by black writers and was able to help me find some great urban noir-style novels. As a result I’ve become a fan of Chester Himes.Keenan went above and beyond simple collegial professionalism to help me out, so I owed him a beer. Plus, he lives not too far from Drake’s so it was a great excuse for me to go.

 

Drake’s is located in a warehouse in San Leandro and is not easy to find. It is behind a strip mall, but even that isn’t altogether obvious how to find. I got off the freeway and turned into an industrial development and drove behind the loading docks for a number of stores. At the end, tucked away, was Drake’s.

 

The brewery has a couple of buildings, one for the brewing operation and the other seems to be dedicated to the barrel house tasting room. It is spare, but inviting. There are a number of wood tables and benches inside the warehouse and a hand full on what was perhaps once a loading dock. But, the tables have umbrellas, so, there is some shade. Great beer drinking atmosphere!

There are a number of regular beers, as well as some specialties and some barrel conditioned offerings as well. I tried as many samples as possible. The nice thing about having a friend along is that it increased the number of samples you can try and still remain relatively sober. So, always bring a friend when you go sampling!

IPA: Thin and piney. OK IPA, but not up to the competition.7%. 65

Black Robusto Porter: Thin taste, light for a dark beer, and a bit on the sour side with not enough roasted flavor to balance the sour. More of a dark brown color than black. 5.4%. 25

Dry Stout (on Nitro): This was excellent. Very dark and tasty with a nice robust coffee flavor. Deep roasted taste. The color is near black. Very limited hoppiness. 6.5% no ibu listed.

Total Recall: Blend of amber and imperial stout aged in port barrels. There is a nice sour wine flavor, and a hint of a soy sauce flavor. It had a tasty caramel maltiness. Very intriguing. Hazy brown color. 8%

Moscow’s Burning Smoked Porter. Very dark and smoky, more smoky than the Stone Smoked or even the Alaskan Smoked Porters. Very dominant smoke, but tasty burnt sugar flavor to accompany the smoke. 9.5% 40

Red Eye: Good amber color and robust maltiness. Slightly sour with a good caramel flavor and an earthy hoppiness. 6.5%. 50

Blonde. Kolsch Light flavor and earthy hoppiness. Somewhat thin and watery in taste. Good honey blonde color.4.85%. 24 .IBU

Honey Wheat This one had a lightly sour flavor and was very pale and light in color. It did have a crisp, light, summery, citrusy flavor. 4.7%. 20 IBU.

Amber. The amber was very earthy and somewhat savory in flavor rather than the sweetness the I associate with most ambers. Nice, deep amber color, so it lives up to its name in that way. Medium hoppiness and ever so slightly sour.5.9%. 28ibu

1500 Pale Ale.  Slightly tart and earthy hops. Medium honey color. It sports a delicious caramel maltiness and is one of their better lightly complected beer.. 5.5% 48

Denoginizer. Just a kick ass beer. Slightly darker than the 1500 with a very inviting caramel sweetness plus a piney, almost savory hoppiness.  And, at 9.75%, it lives up to its name. 90 ibu

Quaid’s Dream  Imperial Stout Aged in Port Barrels. 8.25% Definitely one of the most interesting and complex offerings that Drakes offers. It is a stout, conditioned in port barrels, so it picks up a wine-like character. It drinks a little like a sour as a result. It also has a very slight soy sauce savoryness to it, but the sour is the more dominant taste. It also has a deep roasted maltiness – appropriate for a stout.

Tipsy Witch. Second only to the Quaid’s Dream for most interesting beer of the day. The Tipsy Witch is a Barley wine aged in bourbon barrels. Very strong alcohol flavor, unlike the Denoginizer. This one is a cloudy dark honey color, almost an amber. It has a pleasantly sweet flavor with a hint of cherry and chocolate. Definitely one you could sip after dinner with dessert. Very limited hops. You can smell the port in the aroma and pick up on it in the flavor as well. It is almost like drinking a cherry corial. 10%.

Drakonic Imperial Stout. Despite the strength of the beer, there is very little hint of an alcohol flavor, unlike the Tipsy Witch, even though there is only a difference of 1.25%. This one comes in somewhere in the top 3 favorites of mine for the day. 8.75%. 40ibu

Beer Log: June 1-13, 2012

Beer Log: June 1-13, 2012

June 1: Tonight’s Beer: Alaskan’s: Amber: The signature beer from Alaskan. Though, oddly enough, this is the first time I’ve gotten around to trying it. It has a nice clear, light amber color – it is more toward the golden honey color end of the amber spectrum. Nice frothy head that dissipates pretty quickly. It has a pleasant, sweet, somewhat fruity scent. The flavor is also fruity, with a hint of apple, banana and strawberry (though there is no actual fruit in the beer, in case you were worried). Lightly hopped, there is a mild bitterness at first, but the sweetness from the malt is the most dominant characteristic. Not much of a lingering flavor, it exits the palate quickly. Pleasant, and not challenging.

 

June 3. Tonight’s Beer: Firestone Walker’s: Walker’s Reserve Porter: While I have had this before a few times, this is the first I’ve sat down to reflect on it. It pours from the 22oz. bottle very thickly, and very dark. Though when holding it up to the light, some light comes through, revealing a very dark amber hue. Nice thick, foamy head, but not overly carbonated. Tasty burnt, toasty flavor, with mild sourness. Also a nice oaky undertone and a hint of bourbon. Very tasty and complex. As much as I enjoy their pales, FW does great dark beers.

 

June 5: Tonight’s Beer: Lagunitas’: Hop Stoopid. The name pretty much says it all. Very hoppy. Very delicious, but nothing subtle about this one. (June 2011) Trying it again. Basically, this is a more intense version of the IPA. As with the IPA, it has a strong, citrus, almost grapefruit taste. The hops are even more present than in the IPA and there is stronger bitter finish that lingers longer than with the IPA. Nice crystal clear honey blonde complexion with a nice foamy head that dissipates quickly.  It also has a very intoxicating floral aroma. Potent at 8% ABV and very hoppy at 102 IBU (International Bitter Units; though, I have no idea how they calculate that; sure, I could look it up, but, well, you know, I just haven’t gotten round to it).

June 6: Tonight’s Beer: 21^st Amendment’s: Brew Free or Die IPA: Excellent IPA. Didn’t have access to a computer to describe it in detail, but tried this at a friend’s house during poker. Very good beer; will have to revisit later and describe in detail. (5/5/2012). OK, now sitting at home with more time on my hands. It has a lovely dark honey color. Not quite into the amber register, but darker than many IPAs. Limited carbonation and head.  Good kick at 7%ABV – definitely doesn’t feel that strong. It has a nice mildly citrus presence, somewhat like orange rather than lemon or grapefruit. What I also like is that while it is a distinctly hoppy beer, the hops are well balanced with the malt. Some IPAs are so tilted toward the hops, that the sweetness of the malt is overwhelmed. Not so with this Brew Free or Die. The malt is also slightly darker and has a hint of a singed sugar flavor (not quite burnt sugar – didn’t have a good descriptor, here, so did what I could to push the idea of mildly toasted).

 

June 7: Tonight’s Beer: Deschutes: Inversion IPA: this is a very good beer, though I don’t know if I’d have sold it as an IPA. The malts are darker than most, and there isn’t the same intense hoppiness of most IPAs. The color is almost amber rather than pale. It starts sweet, but the hops take over with an initial citrus taste, followed by an increasingly bitter yet pleasant finish. Tastes more like how a brown should taste, but with less of the toasty flavor of a brown. Good strength at 6.8%. Very good summer beer.

June 8: Beer Adventure: Sale Day at Whole Foods! So, another great 20% off sale that applied to all single bottles – essentially the 22 oz. bottles, which have become one of my favorite ways to sample new things. So, once again, I was like a kid in a candy store. While I opted for some standards (Stone Smoked Porte, Deschutes Hophenge, Firestone Wooky Jack), I also indulged in some that I had looked at but never purchased. So, ended up with Full Sail’s Black Gold (Imperial Stout), High Water’s  Retribution, Drakes’ Denogginizer IPA, New Belgium’s Lichee beer, Green Flash’s Le Freak, The Bruery’s Mischief). Should be good days ahead in sampling the new and revisiting the old.

June 11: Tonight’s Beer: High Water Brewing’s: Retribution Imperial IPA:  Nice golden, almost orange, color. Even the aroma coming off the foam gives off kind of an orange scent. There is a bit of citrus in the taste, but the hops are dominated by an earthy bitterness – very deeply, bitingly bitter. The hops dominate the maltiness, so it is a fairly one-dimensional beer. Oddly enough, while the hops hit hard and linger on the tongue and roof of the mouth, the after flavor is kind of thin and almost watery. At 9.5% ABV, it hits hard, though the alcohol is subdued in the flavor. HWB is clearly a small operation out of San Leandro. I want to like this more than I do so I could justify supporting a local company. It is an OK beer, but not worth revisiting anytime soon.

June 12: Today’s Beer: New Belgium’s: Tart Lychee: (Part of the Lips of Faith Series): Sometimes it is fun to branch away from the traditional forms and styles and venture into creative land. For me, fruit beers and sours are a way of getting off the IPA/Porter/Stout path and exploring the outer reaches of the beer-o-verse. This is both a sour and a fruit beer, making it particularly unusual. It is made with 56% ale aged in oak and 44% ale brewed wit lychee and cinnamon. They had me at “lychee”. It has an inviting fruity aroma with the scent of tartness that I associate with sours. It is honey colored and cloudy. Very thin head with little carbonation. Just a bit fizzy, but not too much. The flavor follows the scent. Very tart and tangy. As with other sours, there is a white wine type of flavor, but more sour and lighter, more refreshing – maybe it’s the carbonation. Or, in this case, the lychees. This was available for $7.99 for 22 oz., which is a good bargain for a sour – most are significantly more expensive. And at 7.5% ABV, a good strength for a sipping beer. Sours are most definitely for sipping!

 

June 13: Today’s Beer: Drakes: Alpha Session: Nor Cal Bitter Ale: This is a new release from Drakes, and it was highly touted by Brian the Beer Guy, so, I bought a bottle. Normally, I’m used to seeing very high ABVs listed on the 22 oz. beers, so was somewhat taken aback by the 3.8% listed. Surely, that much have been a misprint? Maybe, 13.8, or 8.8? But no, it is accurate. I don’t know much about the session beers. The style is essentially a British bitter, kind of like an American Pale, but lower in alcohol. Some of the Sessions I have had were really not very interesting. I tried on last summer and was not impressed, perhaps because I was looking for something stronger. But, as I’ve seen more of them being produced, I’ve tried to keep an open mind. The most recent one that turned my head was the Bitter American from 21^st Amendment. Great flavor, low alcohol – great summer beer. And this one is very much along those lines – low alcohol, good flavor. The head was not very thick, but has a very strong piney peppery scent. The color is a very pale gold, so not much color. The flavor is nice and hoppy and the piney, peppery character comes out quite well. Past the pine is a slight citrus, almost grapefruit flavor, but not as grapefruity as say the Lagunitas IPA. I’m liking it! And, tomorrow, I make good on my threat to make a trip to San Leandro to visit Drakes in person!

Beer Log: May, 2012

Beer Log: May, 2012:

May 5: Today’s Beer: 21^st Amendment’s: Brew Free or Die IPA: Excellent IPA. Didn’t have access to a computer to describe it in detail, but tried this at a friend’s house during poker. Very good beer; will have to revisit later and describe in detail.


May 5: Today’s Second Beer: Sudwerk’s: Doppelbock: Excellent heavy beer with nice deep roasted flavor. Had this at a friend’s so no detail. Will have to revisit. It reminds me how excellent Sudwerk is!

 

May 7: Today’s Beer: Kennebunkport Brewing’s: Winter Ale: I picked this up at the bargain price of $3/6-pack on clearance from TJs. Nice dark amber color and thick head. Solid at 6.7% ABV.  It has a pleasant maltiness and a hint of winter spices (cinnamon?), but very subtle. It’s pleasant but not overly distinctive. Medium level of bitterness.

May 8: Today’s Beer: Firestone Walker’s: Wooky Jack: This is a black rye IPA. New release from Firestone, so I’m very excited. Even though their slogan is “a passion for the pale” they have produced some very intriguing dark ales. This one is quite a bit of wonderful in a bottle. Nice black complexion. It does let a little light through, but not much. Good dark roasted flavor with the sweet distinct bite of a rye. Similar character to Devil’s Canyon’s Rye IPA (California Sunshine), but with a darker toastyness. While it is also billed as an IPA and does have a nice earthy hoppiness, the bitterness takes a backseat to the malt. Strong at 8.3%, but does not taste it at all. Feels more like something in the mid 5%-range.

May 9: Today’s Beer: Kona Brewing Co.’s: Pipeline Porter: Aloha Series. This porter is brewed with “100% Hawaiian Kona Coffee”! And it comes through nicely. In the foam alone, there is a nice pleasant coffee accent. Excellent porter, which is, after all, the perfect variety. Very dark and the coffee gives it a roasted smoky taste. Mildly sour, as with most good porters. They brew this version around Christmas time and it is a great cold winter night kind of beer. I’ve had this beer before, but this is the first time I’ve written about it.

Another Beer: New Belgium’s: Mothership Wit: Organic Wheat Beer Brewed with Spices. Very pale, high carbonation, but low head. Pale yellow color. Very pale yellow. Nice yeasty smell from the bottle conditioning and yeast sediment. Bright and citrusy flavor with a hint of banana. Not sure about the spice, but it’s definitely there (maybe coriander?). Light in ABV as well (4.8%), but flavorful. Good hot day, by the pool kind of beer. With enough complexity to make it interesting.

May 10: Today’s Beer: Deschutes: OK. So, now I’ve got a chance to sit down with a Red Chair and give it a bit more thought. My first impressions were pretty much the story. The color is a very light amber with a bit of a golden tone. The hops start sweet and citrus, but finish more bitter, leaving a lingering pleasant bitterness broadly infusing the entire palate, and then subtly subsiding. 6.2% ABV.

Homebrew Adventure: Joe Almeida: Raspberry Red: Nice cloudy brown color and sweet fruity scent. Good light malty taste with a pleasant sweet fruitiness. Good Job Joe!

May 13: Today’s Beer: 21^st Amendment’s: Allies Win the War (with Ninkasi): Another sweet dark beer along the lines of Fireside Chat, but without the spice, and with a nice fruity sweetness. This one with California dates and Oregon hops. Rivals Fireside Chat as the most intriguing beer they produce. Clear ruby brown color. Limited head. Nice subtle hoppiness at 52 IBU. Good kick at 8.5% ABV. Excellent sweet fruity smell and delicious lightly roasted maltiness.

May 15: Today’s Beer: Full Sail’s: Wassail 2011: One of the best of the winter beers I tried this winter. I entered it into the first ever Decem-Beer party we hosted and it won in the winter beer category. Good strong caramel taste with a warm spiciness. Perfect cold weather beer. (12/17/2011) Oh, happy joy. Found one last bottle in the back of the refrigerator! It’s just like Christmas all over again. This was a very good year for Wassail. The dark malt has a nice toasty sweet taste with just a hint of spice. Good strength at 7% ABV. Very alluring dark brown color.

May 17: Today’s Beer: Sierra Nevada’s: Ovila Saison: A friend of mine suggested that I might like this and was somewhat surprised that I hadn’t tried it already. The Ovila line is a collaboration between SN and New Clairvaux monastery in the Sacramento Valley. Light, Honey blonde in color with a thick foamy head. Bright and citrusy aroma. The foam is pleasantly earthiness with a little spice. The first taste brings a lightly sweet fruity flavor, with a distinct yeastiness from the bottle conditioning. Slightly sour finish. Mild hint of banana. Excellent balance with mild hoppiness, it is more sweet than bitter.

May 21: Today’s Beer: Anderson Valley’s: Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout: Nice deep dark color, as you’d expect from a stout. I have yet to come across a stout you can see through. I suppose that’s one of the defining features of the stout, the deep darkness. It also features the nice thick head with a deep tan foam. It has a pleasant, though not very powerful aroma and tasting the foam, I found it a bit, well, almost watery. The flavor isn’t as dark as the color. While there is a slightly burnt character, it isn’t as distinct as many of the recent crop of great American stouts, like the Big Black Bear. Very low carbonation and a slight pleasant sour flavor. Definitely does not taste as dark as it looks. I know I keep harping on that, but really, the mismatch is almost alarming. It’s tasty enough, but with so many other great stouts, it really wouldn’t be worth a revisit. Maybe it’s meant as a gateway stout. First you try this and find that stouts aren’t really as scary as they appear. You may find that they are downright friendly and decide that it might be worth getting to know more stouts with a bit more “personality.” Then you move on leaving poor Barney Flats to the more timid. Very lightly hopped with a slight citrus character. Not a bad little stout (OK, that was a bit condescending), but not really ready to play with the other stouts.

May 26: Today’s Beer: Stone’s: Vertical Epic 11: This is the 2011 release of Stone’s Vertical Epic Series. I came to the series late and was able to purchase only one of the 10-10-10 and kept it for over a year before trying it (See: March 31, 2012). This is a very different concoction. I tried one right after it came out but didn’t get a chance to describe it. But, my memory of it is a bit different than my impressions this time. The beer is brewed with Anaheim chilies and cinnamon. The first time I tried it I wouldn’t have known about the chilies outside of the description on the bottle. This time, the chilies come through more distinctly. There is a brief sharp hint of peppers somewhat akin to a green bell pepper and a lingering sharper pepper flavor that hangs around once the deep roasted malty flavor subsides. I still am not picking up on the cinnamon. The beer is a nice amber, bordering on brown. Limited carbonation and head. Yeasty flavor that comes with bottle conditioning. Strong at 9.4%ABV. It has a nice sweet maltiness that is offset by the pleasant sharpness of the chilies. Slight fruity undertones, kind of like banana as you often get with Belgian-style bottle-conditioned brews. I still have one more bottle that I’m keeping until the 12-12-12 is released. At least, that’s my intention, but we’ll see how strong my resolve is.

May 28: Today’s Beer: Drake’s: 1500 Dry Hopped Pale Ale: I’ve been meaning to try some of Drake’s beers since they are pretty close by (they are in San Leandro, just south of Oakland). A couple of years ago I tried one of their beers (the Denogginizer – good name) and was reasonably impressed. I don’t remember it well enough to describe, sadly, which means I’ll have to try it again (so very, very, sad for me – heh, heh). So, the 1500 is their version of the California Pale and follows the path of Sierra Nevada in creating a highly hopped pale. The 1500 is dry hopped, which is always a nice touch since it creates a wonderful, sharp piney aroma with a slightly fruity scent. It if honey colored and a bit hazy.  The hops are more on the peppery, bitingly bitter end of the hop spectrum (a term that as far as I know, I just made up – if it already exists, I’m going to be very put out). Very striking and tasty, though a bit astringent. The hops overwhelm the malts and dominate the overall flavor. The bitter lingers and would be off putting to people who don’t like hoppier beers. Solid beer, but for the Pales, I tend to prefer the Firestone 31. Still, if offered one, I would accept most gratefully. I’m thinking I need to visit San Leandro.

May 29: Tonight’s Beer: Unibroue’s: Don De Dieu: Golden and hazy. Thick head, but it dissipates very quickly. A sip of foam simply evaporated as soon as it hit my mouth. Lovely honey color. Bottle conditioned, so a nice yeasty flavor accompanying the sweet honey flavor of the malt and a little bit of the banana character that comes with the bottle conditioned beers. Pleasant citrus flavor almost as if there were a squeeze of lemon added. Also a nice mild spice. Good sipping beer, inspired by the Belgians. Strong at 9% ABV, but no alcohol taste. The beers are named for Canadian lore. This is named after one of Champlain’s ships.

May 31: Tonight’s Beer: Alaskan’s: Black IPA: Part of the trend of creating a dark, hoppy beer. I’ve discussed Stone’s Black IPAs, as well as 21^st Amendment’s and Deschutes’ (which they refer to as a Cascadian Dark Ale, but it’s the same thing). It is, in my view a healthy trend since there has been too much emphasis on the lighter beers – it’s nice to see the darker ales get their due. This one is dark, but not quite as black as the others. The light comes through revealing a very dark brown with a deep amber hue. Nice thick head and inviting citrusy hoppy aroma. It has a lightly citrus sourness at first, and then the dark malts go to work, starting with a sweet burnt sugar and yielding to a deeper, deep roasted darkness. It is surprisingly toasty considering how relatively light the color is. But it is a  happy surprise. This is a friendly, yet complex beer, blending together distinctly flavorful hops along with a nuanced and alluring deep roasted flavor. And, despite the darkness, it still is light enough to enjoy during the hot summer months. Kudos Alaskan!

Beer Log: April, 2012

Beer Log: April:

April 5. Beer Adventure: The Hopyard. Pleasanton. I hadn’t seen my buddy Terrill in a while so we decided to head out for a beer. It was Spring Break, after all. Not really a time go get rowdy, but definitely a chance to try a new beer bar. The Hopyard is located in mini-mall on land that used to be part of the biggest hop farm in California. An auspicious beginning right there. The place has a nice feel to it – lots of wood and a nice wrap-around long bar. I chose the place partly for the name, and partly because they advertised having a number of craft beers on tap. Very good selection. They have about 32 taps, 11 of which are dedicated to regulars, including Pliny the Elder, and the rest rotate regularly. So, much to like. And they have garlic fries. So, what’s not to like. I tried two darker beers. The first was from Iron Springs, an offering called Revolutionary Guarde. Excellent beer. Nice and smooth. Dominated by the malt and chocolate. Some toasty flavor and aroma. Now I have a new destination –I need to get to Fairfax. I also tried New Belgium’s 1554 Enlightened Black Ale. Very good dark beer. Nice roasted chocolate flavor, deep yet drinkable. Overall I liked the Hopyard very much. It didn’t hurt that the Sharks were in the process of making a dramatic comeback against the Kings and were able to win in an overtime shootout.

Apr. 10. The last week and a half has been particularly busy for me. I did get out for a beer adventure on the 5^th, but haven’t had a chance to go back and write about it yet. I haven’t explored many new beer, instead I’ve just been revisiting old favorites. But, today, a new beer. Well, not really. I tried it last week, but neglected to write anything. But, I’ll pretend that this was the first sample, and no one will be the wiser (at least so long as they do not read this introduction).

Today’s Beer: Kona’s: Koko Brown: Aloha Series. Described as being brewed with toasted coconut and natural flavor added. Lovely dark amber color with a light crème colored head. Limited carbonation, but still crisp. Pleasant toasty nuttiness with an undertone of coconut. I’ve had two other beers brewed with coconut, both porters, but neither had a distinctive coconut flavor in the way this one does – it is very subtle, but it is there. Good beer for the colder days of spring or fall.

April 11. Today’s Beer: Rogue’s: Shakespeare Oatmeal Stout: This is a stout! Pitch black color, deep tan head, deep smoky aroma – perfection! This is beautifully balanced between a deep bitter chocolate and sweet burnt sugar flavor. It has a nice dry feel from the oats, but also has a bright, mildly, citrus sour that emerges as the bitterness recedes. Well done Rogue! As much as I love their other offerings, this may be my favorite so far.

April 14: Beer Adventure: Wine Affairs. San Jose. It’s always nice to try new places that have a good sampling of craft beers. I’d heard of Wine Affairs and knew that they had hosted a couple of events during SF Beerweek, so I’d been meaning to try it. My wife and I headed over and found a nice intimate bar with the offerings written on 2 chalk boards behind the long wooden bar. There were several small circular tables that offered a great setting for just sitting, sipping and chatting. They offer pints or 9 oz. glasses, which is pretty cool since it allows you to get a reasonable taste of something new, but still allows for sampling a few. On this evening they featured offerings from Dogfish Head, Russian River, Unita, Lost Abbey, Black Diamond, Ballast Point, and the Bruery, among others. I started with the Bruery’s Saison de Lente: Light, bright, citrusy and cloudy. Somewhat sour and mild yeasty flavor. Finishes with a dry, mildly bitter taste. Very Belgian character. Next I moved on to Russian River’s Sanctification which was a cloudy blonde with a bright citrus flavor. Very sour and wonderful to savor, unless of course you don’t like sours. In which case, you would probably get a puckery face and act as if you’d been given poison. Which you hadn’t, but really, you do tend to overreact. I finished with Ballast Point’s Sea Monster Stout. Now, there is a great name. This is a macho beer. Definitely not for beer wimps. At 10% ABV it is strong in every sense of the word. Nice pleasant sweetness, but also a dark, smoky, bitter chocolate flavor with a strong molasses character. Overall, the strong alcohol combined with the molasses flavor give this a bourbon-like feel. Overall, I’m pleased with Wine Affairs and will return.

April 15. Tax Day. Today’s Beer: something strong. North Coast’s: Old Stock Ale, 2011. Nice dark amber color and a pleasant, almost fruity smell. Very strong at 11.9%ABV and you can definitely taste it. In fact, the alcohol is a bit overwhelming and out of balance. Virtually no head. Disappointing since I generally enjoy much of what NC does. The 2011 Winter Braun was one of the better winter beers this year. But this one was subpar. There is an initial sweetness that seems to be setting up the flavor, but then there is a wave of alcohol that overpowers everything else. But, as it is tax day, having something strong seems appropriate. Cheers Mr. Tax Man.

April 16: Today’s Beer: Dogfish Head’s: Santo Palo Marron. So dark. So Sweet. So strong. The color of the beer as I poured it into a glass looks like molasses. Very thick pour with very little head. Strong, molassesy sweetness as well. Barrel aged in Paraguayan Palo Santo wood. This does seem blessed by the tree saint. Description on the bottle claims a caramel and vanilla flavor. I think it is more reminiscent of molasses than caramel, but there is a vanilla undertone mid sip that sneaks in after the initial taste, but is gone once the beer moseys down the back of the throat. Very strong at 12%, but not dominated by the alcohol as many barley wines are.  Definitely stands in stark contrast with the North Coast Old Stock of yesterday.

April 17: Today’s Beer: Deschutes’: Jubelale 2011: Crystal red color. Limited carbonation and head. Sweet, mildly citrus and lightly toasted flavor with mild bitterness that lingers in the background. Wonderfully balanced and approachable with a pleasant warmth at 6.7%ABV. The 2010 had reminded me more of a stronger version of the Black Butte, while this one is more like the ESB. I actually had tried one back in Dec. 2011, but hadn’t written about it at that point. I think in part because I was expecting something similar to last year’s release and wasn’t sure how to react. But, now with more critical distance, I’m happy to say I’m very pleased.

April 18: Today’s Beer: Rogue’s: Dead Guy Ale: I’ve had this in the past, but this is the first time I’ve sat down and written any notes about it. I tried a few Rogue selections in summer 2011 and noticed that while the trend for many brewers (Stone – I’m looking at you . . . ) have pushed the limits on how hoppy one can make a beer, Rogue has taken a more judicious, measured approach to the hopping process. I have yet to be overwhelmed by the hops in any of their beers. Instead, they rely on finding the right balance for each in order to let the malt and hops have equal billing. Dead Guy is a very tasty and well-crafted beer. It has a golden honey color, medium head that is frothy and sweet and dissipates gradually. Not a strong hoppy aroma – more sweet and inviting. It is light and crisp and would be a great beach beer. Lightly, but distinctly hopped with a mildly bitter, earthy, mildly pepper flavor. Good stuff!

April 21: A couple of new beers today:

Buffalo Bill’s Brewery: America’s Original Pumpkin Ale: Sour, sweet, and pumpkin pie spiced with a bit of a mild pepperiness. The clove flavor is most pronounced, with a bit of cinnamon. Tasty.

Stone’s: Vertical Epic: 10-10-10. Great and unusual beer! This one started with a Belgian Trippel and brewed it with three varieties of green grape; so essentially a Belgian beer crossed with a white wine. Very similar to a sour, but not quite as strongly sour as those brewed with the Brett yeast. Hazy bottle conditioned deep golden, almost honey color. I cracked it a little earlier than recommended, but it was the first really hot day of the spring, and I wanted to share with some friends that I knew would appreciate the beer on enough levels to justify sharing. Very glad I did, but I wish I had another bottle.

April 22: Today’s Beer: A revisit to 21^st Amendment’s Monk’s Blood, 2012. What else would you drink while watching Game Of Thrones! MMM.

April 23: Today’s Beer: Stone’s: Old Guardian: Barley Wine Style Ale. I love Stone. Such a big, bold, bitter, sweet beer! Amazing honey color infused with just a hint of an orange hue. So pretty! Delicious maltiness with just a mild roasted flavor, but mostly the sweetness that comes with the amber malts. This is a dangerous beer. It packs a punch at 11%ABV, but unlike most barley wines, you would never know how powerful it is since the alcohol flavor is very subdued. There is a sweetness that accompanies each sip that travels straight to the back of the tongue, while an earthy bitterness flanks the sides. Nice pleasant bitter aftertaste as well.

April 24: Today’s Beer: Stone’s: Imperial Russian Stout 2012: I do love a good stout – the darker and thicker the better. And this one is very dark and very thick. It has a deep, rich, intoxicatingly sweet and roasted aroma. It boasts a deep dark roasted coffee flavor with a hint of a sharp fruitiness. Some of the Imperial Stouts can be a bit hit-and-miss and the alcohol flavor tends to dominate. Not so here, despite the rather manly 10.5% ABV. This one is dominated by the deep roasted malty goodness with enough hops to add sufficient bitterness to balance the sweetness. I just happened to go to the local Whole Foods today and they had it. So, here I am, just mere hours later, enjoying. Thank you Stone! Thank you Brian the Beer Guy!

April 25: Today’s Beer: Collaboration of Stone, Alchemist, and Ninkasi: More Brown than Black IPA. Collaboration with The Alchemist and Ninkasi. Stone did a series of collaboration beers in 2011. I tried one of the others and will review it soon. This one is essentially a Black IPA, a recent style that is getting more adherents. The beer was headed up by John Kimmich of Alchemist. I haven’t seen anything from them before, so this is the first one with their influence I’ve tried. He describes the dark IPA style’s origins with a beer called Blackwatch, and says that it was refined with the help of brewer Greg Noonan. This is a lovely beer. Very rich brown color with a nice mildly sweet roasted flavor. It has a similar hoppiness to Lagunitas’ IPA, but instead of the grapefruit elements of Lagunitas, this one has almost a tart passion fruit flavor. The tart creates a slight pucker reaction and concentrates into a pleasant earthy bitterness. Low carbonation and ABV of 7.4%.

April 26: Today’s Beer: Unibrau: Trader Joes Vintage Ale 2011: Described on the bottle as a dark ale brewed with spices and other natural flavors. Very dark pour with a high carbonation and thick head. Sweet, spicy aroma with a hint of fruitiness, almost like raisin. The Unibroue beers are very much in the Belgian style – bottle conditioned, distinct yeasty taste to accompany the roasted malt and hops. Mild tartness and nice brown roasted sweetness, with little hop presence. Very dark brown color. Cheers to the French Canadians!

April 28: Today’s Beer: Collaboration! Sierra Nevada and Dogfish Head: Life and Limb 2: This is a collaboration between Sierra and Dogfish Head. The one last year was distinct and unique and was brewed with birch syrup and maple. I wasn’t writing at that point, so I don’t have any notes, but I have a very powerfully positive impression of it. This year’s is also brewed with birch and maple (I love the use on non-traditional sugars). The pour revealed a very dark brown concoction with a medium head that dissipated. The head was a bit metallic. I’ve notices that at times I can pick up on the essence from the conditioning container in some beers. With the barrel aged beers you can taste the influence from the oak, but with those aged in metal containers, there can sometimes be a hint of that as well. Anyway I didn’t get it from the beer itself, only the head. It has a nice dark sweetness to it – not quite molasses, but similar. Strong at 10.2% and there is some of the bourbon-like character that you get with the stronger beers and barley wines. But it also is pretty smooth and not too hoppy. Limited carbonation. Somehow, as much as I’m enjoying it, it doesn’t seem as distinct as the First Life and Limb, so in comparison it’s a bit disappointing. Or, maybe I just hyped last year’s in my memory that the sequel could never live up to it.

 

April 29: Today’s Beer: Maui Brewing’s: Mana Wheat: Wheat beer brewed with Pineapple juice. I’ve also tried Maui’s Coconut Porter, but haven’t had a chance to describe it. It was quite good. This one is very refreshing. Honey colored and hazy. Highly carbonated with a very aggressive, but very light fizzy head. At the end of the pour there was an ice cream scoop shaped mound of foam above the rim of the glass. Bright, citrus smell, and a clean, crisp, citrus flavor. And it is distinctly pineapple. It works. Great summer beer. And it comes in a can since Maui believes in using cans, so it can go many places where bottles are banned. Limited hops so it lets the citrus of the pineapple come through very distinctly. Very tasty and inviting. 5.5%ABV, but it feels less than that. Maybe it’s the pineapple. I just like writing “pineapple”.

April 30: Today’s Beer: Stone’s: IPA: I realize that I’ve been trying a number of Stone varieties that are a bit more specialized or limited releases. So, on to some of the standards. This one is a light golden honey color and had a high level of carbonation. The head is thick and substantial, with a strong, bitter scent. The hops are very much on the sharp piney bitterness end of the spectrum, with a hint of a peppery spiciness.  But, as the hops retreat to the sidelines, the sweet golden maltiness comes through and provides a nice contrast between the honey-sweetness surrounded by earthy bitterness. Good overall IPA, but I still like the Lagunitas and the Deschutes Inversion better.