Beer Log: Jan. 27-31, 2013

Jan. 27: Tonight’s Beer: Coalition Brewing’s: Two Dogs IPA: I first went to Coalition in August 2012 (Aug. 16). I tried their Maple Porter and one other, but only remember that the Porter was nice and dark with a deep roasted flavor. It was very good, but I was unable to get a full description. This is the first bottle I’ve been able to try from them. I like that they invite guest brewers and home brewers as partners. This IPA is a nice pale amber color with a floral yeasty scent and lacey head.  The flavor is somewhat unusual but very tasty. It has a bright sweet citrus flavor with a mildly earthy bitter finish. It has a fruitiness to it – a hint of tart astringent bitterness – not quite apricot, but in that family. It was brewed with whole cone hops and oats (“golden naked oats” to be precise). So, there is a dryness to the beer from the oats. I find I like the pale beers brewed with oats – Burnside Brewing has a very good OPA. The flavoring hops used are nugget and Sterling, along with aroma hops from Cascade and Simcoe (hence the citrus, floral, and fruit). 5.8% ABV. 77 IBU.

Jan. 28: Tonight’s Beer: Full Sail’s: LTD #6 Black Lager: This is part of their LTD Series of limited releases. I like this approach as it allows great creativity in a pretty structured kind of way. I’ve tried others but this is the first I’ve written about. It is a very dark, smoky, espresso color and flavor. Very smooth with a dark roasted sweetness. It is well balanced with limited hoppiness – just enough to let you know they are there, but subdued enough to let the dark malts shine. There is a very mild tart citrus note, but not as much as one would experience with a porter. There is also a bitter chocolate taste. Excellent black lager. Rivals Moonlight’s Death and Taxes. 7% ABV.

Jan. 29: Tonight’s Beer: Two Kilts Brewing’s: Pale Ale: Honey gold color. Somewhat cloudy. Sweet and fruity scent. The flavor is a bit fruity, somewhere in the peach/apricot family and is balanced with a mild bitterness.  Very tasty pale. This is from a nano-brewery in Sherwood, Oregon. I came across it at Belmont Station in Portland. One of the locals pointed it out to me as I was staring at the massive selection at Belmont. 5.5% ABV

Jan. 30: Tonight’s Beer: Smooth Ryed Ale: OK, I love rye beers, not only because they are tasty, but also because they so easily lend themselves to bad puns. (e.g. Dechutes’ Ryeders on the Storm). This one qualifies on both counts as well. It has a nice honey-orange hue. Not quite an amber. It is an unusual color. The beer hits with a similar bite as the IPA, but with the distinct savory nature of the rye. It starts sweet and malty and yields to slightly citrus and morphs into a mildly earthy, almost smoky flavor. I do like Bridgeport and am glad to see them continuing to branch out and innovate. This is a keeper. 6.3% ABV.

Jan. 31: Tonight’s Beer: Lompoc Brewing’s: Special Draft: The bottle describes the beer as using “smoked malt” and being “generously hopped”. Good description – certainly enough to entice me to purchase it. I got this at Belmont Station as part of my stop there in January. I liked the Proletariat very much so was intrigued by this one. It is a very dark beer, about the color of a porter – almost black, but lets enough light through to see that it is in fact a very very dark brown. The scent is sweet and slightly roasted. Nice creamy tan head. The flavor is quite wonderful. The first sip is sweet and tart with a smoky-roasty maltiness that takes command. It is a very rich, tasty, full flavored brew. They should just have called it a porter and been done with it. It is an excellent porter. If indeed that is what it is. And in my view, it is. That must count for something. 6.9% ABV.

Beer Adventure: Lost Cost Brewing, Eureka, CA. Jan 26, 2013

Jan. 26: Beer Adventure: Lost Coast:

I like Lost Coast’s beer’s but never really give them much thought. The Downtown Brown and Winterbraun are the ones I find most interesting, but hadn’t thought too much more about them. But, with a road trip underway, I was passing right through Eureka and right by the brewery. How could I not stop. As it turns out, this is a great place. Great pub and great food (delicious oysters with garlic and butter . . . .yum . . . and a commendable clam chowder. But, the creativity with their beers impressed me as well. I tried:

Alley Cat Amber (Pub): Sweet, light orange gold color. Sweet caramel flavor with mild hoppiness and mild bitterness. Very tasty amber, though not an amber color. 5.5%

Indica IPA (Pub): Deep gold. Floral pine scent and flavor. Robust hoppiness with excellent malty sweetness. Great balance. 6.5%

Apricot Wheat (Pub): Cloudy. Sweet apricot scent. Smooth, crisp, light with good apricot flavor. A bit watery, but tasty. 5%.

Downtown Brown (Pub): A very solid brown. Deep brown like a porter with a deep roasty flavor and burnt caramel sweetness. 5% ABV.

8 Ball Stout (Pub): Kind of disappointing. Black with tqan head. Sour blue cheese essence with burnt roastyness. More sour than most stouts. And not as interesting. 6.2%

Baltic Porter (Pub): The winner of the day! Excellent dark beer. Somewhat soy sauce essence with solid bourbon notes. Hints of cherry. So complex and delicious. Just a bit darker than the Downtown Brown. 7.4%.I really wish they bottled this one.

I shall return. My mom ordered a rootbeer float since they brew their own rootbeer. Very sweet and tasty.

Beer Log: Tonight's Beer: Jan. 25, 2013

Jan. 25: Tonight’s Beer: Hop Valley’s: Vanilla Infused Porter (VIP): This is a dark cola colored beer with a meringue head. Nice dark roasted flavor with a mild sour and subtle vanilla hint. Solid tasty porter. Not, Stone, but good. 5.9% ABV. 50 IBU.

Beer Adventure!: Pelican Brewing, Jan. 25, 2013

Jan 25: Beer Adventure! Pelican Brewing, Pacific City, OR. Sometime in Spring 2012 I read an article on Pacific City. Two things caught my eye. One, they had a brew pub that seemed to have a good reputation and had won a number of awards. Two, they had a Haystack Rock. This was a bit shocking to me. Having grown up going to Cannon Beach, OR, I knew that Haystack Rock was in Cannon Beach. Yet, here was this article declaring it to be in Pacific City. Surely there must be some mistake. Yet, no. Pacific City does in fact have a rock called Haystack and it looks remarkably like the one in Cannon. Though it is entirely surrounded by water, has an arch, and is . . . . taller. Damn. So, I resolved last summer to visit. I was unable to, but did try what bottles I could find from Pelican. All were tasty and impressive, thus deepening my resolve. So, as my mom and I headed south, we decided to take the coastal route and I decided that a late lunch in Pacific City was in order. Oh, my. What a setting! The restaurant is right on the beach. Down the beach is a massive sand dune and great hiking. The food was exceptional (had a most delicious oyster po’boy). I also ordered a flight and tried:

Kiwanda (Pub): Light color. Light floral and citrus flavor. Good summer beer.

MacPelican (Pub): Light caramel look and flavor. Willamette hops. Slightly sour flavor. Tasty Scottish style.

Silverspot IPA (Pub): Gold color. Floral hoppiness. Slight citrus flavor but ends with an earthy bitter. Dominated by the hops.

India Pelican Ale (Pub): Super hoppy! Starts floral and mildly citrus. Cascade and Centennial hops. Balanced with mild sweet maltiness.

Doryman’s Dark (Pub): Dark brown beer. Sweet with slight roasted flavor. Cascade and Mt. Hood hops.

Tsunami Stout (Pub): Black dark roasted flavor. Slight bourbon flavor with espresso hints. Very good stout

Netuscca ESB (Pub): Caramel copper color. Sweet with low hop presence. Sweet with a light citrus flavor.

Beer Log: Jan. 23-24, 2013

Jan. 23: Tonight’s Beer: Burnside Brewing’s: Sweet Heat: Brewed with Apricots and Scotch Bonnet Peppers. The beer is a cloudy orange-yellow with a lacey head. There is a strong scent of apricot and spicy peppers. The flavor is most definitely characterized by a peppery heat that is somewhat tempered by the sour from the apricot. The intent of the pepper and apricot combination is to evoke a Jamaican chutney. It is an intriguing beer that would have benefitted from a more subtle pepper. I realize that I have come to enjoy the heat from peppers in beer, but only if used sparingly. Those that use too much tend to taste too much like the juice from pickled jalapenos.  Wheat beer. 4.9% ABV. 9 IBU. I tried this one as the first of the selection I bought from Belmont Station in Portland. It is an amazing beer store and bar that boasts about 1,200 beers for sale. Overwhelming to say the least. So, I tried some that looked like good standards and others that looked unusual. This was probably the most unusual I saw.

 

Jan. 24: Tonight’s Beer: Rogue’s: Santa’s Private Reserve (2012): This year’s offering is copper gold with a sweet caramel maltiness and a straightforward bitterness. It also has a mild floral character and a hint of citrus. Very tasty. 65 IBU.

Tonight’s Second Beer: Laurelwood’s: Organic Portland Roast Espresso Stout: I am a sucker for a coffee stout, so this one was an automatic purchase for me. And oh, what a stout! It is dark and luscious with a limited head and a strong coffee flavor. It’s like an intense coffee candy – dark roasted and sweet. It has a great marriage between the burnt malts and roasted coffee flavors. One of the best coffee stouts I’ve yet had. Rivals Oakshire.

Beer Adventure: Belmont Station, Portland, OR, Jan. 23, 2013

Jan 23: Beer Adventure: I volunteered to help my mom drive her car from Oregon down to California. This proved a great opportunity to do something nice while also pursuing self interest. Win-win. Any time I get to go up to Oregon means trying new beers that I do not have access to in California. While I intended to hit one of Portland’s breweries, I had to take a later flight and my friends that I was going to stay with were unable to take me out. However, my friend Brad introduced me to the best beer market I’ve ever been to: Belmont Station. They have about 1,200 beers. I stuck with the selections from the northwest, but they had an impressive array of microbrews from around the country and around the world. They even had a few Pliny the Elders (limit 1 per customer). I was . . . overwhelmed. After a long recovery, I selected 3 beers to try. Laurelwood’s Organic Coffee Stout, Burnside’s Sweet Heat, and Laurelwood’s CDA. After leaving, I kept thinking about the place. The next morning after breakfast, my mom picked me up and I had her drive back to Belmont. I had to share. Someone else I knew had to witness this. While there I talked to one of the patrons who pointed out several things I should try and let me know that singles from any 6-pack were fair game. This added new possibilities. So, I loaded up. I also got a t-shirt. Generally I try to limit my beer t-shirts to breweries, but this was a worthy exception. But, one of the other glorious aspects of Belmont is that they also have a bar with 16 taps. It is probably for the best that I don’t live in Portland. But, this will now be a mandatory stop for my visits.

Beer Log: Jan. 16-21, 2013

Jan. 16: Tonight’s Beer: Bridgeport’s: Stump Town Tart 2012: Brewed with Strawberry, Raspberry, and Marionberry. This year’s offering has a mix of berries and is more of a classic beer color – the 2010 Raspberry was a red color. The brewpub didn’t have it on tap since it would have corrupted the supply hoses. This one is a golden-orange-copper color. The head is lacey and disappeared quickly. The aroma is very berry. It isn’t as overtly sweet as the 2010 and has more tartness to it. Very pleasant fruity beer done in a Belgian style. As it warms, the individual berry influenced come through more. Oddly enough, you can really taste the Marionberry. Now I want some Marionberry pancakes. 7.8% ABV.

 

Jan. 21: Tonight’s Beer: Snowshoe Brewing’s: Grizzly Brown Ale: Before a few days ago, I’d never heard of Showshoe. But, my son was scheduled to go on a camping trip to the foothills above Stockton so I looked to see if there were any breweries in the area. Since I knew the chances of going to a brewery while on a Boy Scout function were zero, I looked at a local store and found two varieties. This is the one I chose to try first. The beer is a very dark brown, closer to a porter than many browns. The head is medium-thick and light tan and smells of coffee. There is a slight tartness, akin to what you’d expect from a porter rather than the initial sweet caramel that most browns display. I find it to be a bit smoky and coffee like, and the sweetness does show up after all. There is a slight metallic flavor as well. Overall, a decent beer, though one I wouldn’t go out of my way to find. But if in the area, it is worth a try. Perhaps it’s better on tap. No information on ABV

Beer Log: Jan. 1-15, 2013

Beer Log: Dec. 16-31, 2012

Dec. 16: Tonight’s Beer: New Belgium’s: Fat Tire Amber: This is the flagship beer for New Belgium, the one that is most likely to be found on tap or in bottles in more places than any of their other varieties. While it is supposed to be an amber, it is about the color of may pale ales – sort of an orange-hued amber honey color. It has a thick foamy head and pleasant sweet aroma. The flavor is mildly hopped with a crisp citrus sweetness. The malts are well balanced and provide a very lightly toasted flavor sort of like a burnt caramel. Good drinkable, serviceable beer, though most of the rest of their collection is more interesting. 5.2% ABV.

Dec. 17: Tonight’s Beer: Stone’s: Lucky Basartd: OK, before even discussing the beer, one of the things I love about the packaging is the writing on this one. The descriptions of the beer always are entertaining reading, but this one more than most. The reason is the use of a technique that preserves the first and last letters of a word and messes with the order of others. Yet, the words are still  readable. Not only is the label in this style, the narrative on the back is as well. Oh, the good people at Stone. The crazy thing is I didn’t notice at first. It wasn’t until the second paragraph that it struck me. The beer is a blend of Arrogant Bastard, Oaked Arrogant Bastard, and Double Bastard. It has a deep brown-amber hue and thick creamy head. The aroma is fruity hops, more toward the cherry-berry side than citrus. The flavor is deep and earthy with burnt caramel and deep bitter hoppiness. The aftertaste keeps the bitter going – relentlessly clinging to every crevice of the palate, and only reluctantly yielding. But every sip brings reinforcement and the waves of bitter keep washing over the tongue. 8.5% ABV

Dec. 18: Tonight’s Beer: New Belgium’s: Snow Day 2012: I had the 2011 last year, but never had a chance to write about it. So, now, with a new batch in hand, let the ruminating begin! It boasts the use of Styrian Goldings, Centennial, and Cascade hops along with a Midnight Wheat syrup. It has an invitingly dark complexion just a shade lighter than a porter. The head is thick, foamy, and light tan. With the first sip there is a tasty burnt sugar maltiness along with a roasted coffee flavor and a sharp bitterness. Very good combination this year.

Dec. 19: Tonight’s Beer: Stone’s: Oaked Arrogant Bastard: And thus inspired by the Lucky Bastard, I have now secured for myself an Oaked Arrogant Bastard. It had the familiar dark brown-amber color and thick creamy head. The aroma is floral with a hint of pine. The initial taste is sweet burnt caramel and floral – and then comes the bitter. Creeping in and taking over. But, there is also a blunting of the beer’s sharp edges, perhaps the influence of the oaked chips with which the beer is aged. In some barrel aged beers it is easier to pick up on the wood’s influence. Less so here. Perhaps at some point I’ll put a regular and an oaked Arrogant Bastard side by side to try to discern the oak influence. 7.2% ABV

Dec. 20: Tonight’s Beer: Stone’s: Vertical Epic 12-12-12: The end of the line. Sadly I came to the Vertical Epic series pretty late in the game with 10-10-10, which was a very tasty quasi-sour. I wish I’d gotten more of it. The 11-11-11 was good, but less distinct, and in fact is still available in stores. I still have a bottle of it around. This one is going to be a great one to keep. It has a wonderful complexity and should age well. It is inspired by dark Belgian abbey beers and is brewed with cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, clove, sweet orange peel, and rose hip. The foam is thick and creamy and dark tan. The scent is like a well spiced Christmas beer, kind of like Anchor’s. It is wonderfully sweet and fruity, something in the dried fruit family, somewhat like raison. The beer’s description lists it as more dry than sweet, but I don’t agree. It may finish dry, but starts sweet. The malts are very dark and slightly smoky with a burnt caramel flavor, which blends well with the spiciness. The cinnamon is the most prominent flavor, but the nutmeg, clove and allspice all come through as well – especially the clove. Usually I hate the flavor of clove, but it is subtle enough here to contribute to the flavor without becoming annoying. Strong at 9%ABV and in spite of the generally well balanced character, the alcohol does creep through. Overall excellent beer. I need to get a few more to age.

Dec. 22: Tonight’s Beer: Firestone Walker’s: Firestone 16: Their annual release. Always cause for celebration – these are some of the most magnificent beers around. The 16 is a deep rosy brown color with limited carbonation. It has a sweet bourbon scent. The flavor is rich and complex. It has a subtle sour cherry flavor, with bourbon elements and a hint of licorice. Merry Christmas, indeed.

Dec. 25: (Christmas): Tonight’s Beer: Schmaltz Brewing (He’Brew): Jewbelation Fifteen: This is their 15^th Anniversary ale, which boasts 15 malts, 15 hops varieties, and 15% ABV. That last one sounds a bit intimidating, but onward I soldier! I wanted to try something unusually provocative on Christmas, so this is the selection of the day. This is a lovely, dark, thick beer with a thick foamy head. The aroma is deep and roasted with a bit of a coffee scent and a hint of licorice. The first sip brings in a deeply sweet flavor. This is very much a barley wine, and the dense sweetness masks the alcohol well. While the alcohol hides from the tongue, the throat is keenly aware of the high ABV. The dark sweetness spreads warmly across the palate to the sides of the tongue and the effect is that it is hard not to smile while sipping. Odd sensation, really. The hops are a relatively minimal presence. The malts simply overpower all. Yet even there no single characteristic dominates outside the molasses sweetness. There is a hint of the coffee and licorice, but the dominant flavor is blackstrap molasses. Did I mention the 15% ABV? It does bear repeating. This is a good beer for a long cold night and a thick warm blanket huddled on the couch watching some film noir. Suddenly I’m in the mood for a Bogart film. I wonder if The Maltese Falcon is on . . .

Dec. 27: Tonight’s Beer: Mikkeller’s: Spontankrkriek: I have wanted to try something from Mikkeller for quite some time but haven’t gotten around to it. He is an itinerant brewer who has a very good reputation and cult-like following. I was given this bottle as part of a Christmas present and was very excited to try it. This particular variety is and ale brewed with cherries and aged in wine barrels. It does not say whether red or white, but in either event, aged in wine barrels. The beer has a reddish color – cloudy, hazy and somewhat orange. There is virtually no head. What there was disappeared very quickly. The aroma is tart and sweet and reminiscent of wine – very much the scent of a sour. Though, I’m not certain whether any of the brettanomyces yeast was used, so it may not technically be a sour, but certainly has that kind of character. The flavor is very tart and somewhat dry. It is somewhat like a sparkling wine, but with a deeper tart-bitter flavor; the tartness morphs into more of a subtle bitter as the flavor recedes.  7.7% ABV

Second Beer: Perfect Crime’s: Smoking Gun: This is a smoked stout out of Belgium. I have become a big fan of smoked dark beer since coming across Stone’s Smoked Porter. This one has the classic blackness with a thick, creamy tan head that one expects with a quality stout. It has a sweet, roasted scent, though very subtle on the nose. The flavor is intriguing. It has a fruity sweetness – something in the cherry family – mildly sour with a hint of bourbon. It has a flavor and character of a beer that was aged in bourbon barrels, though there isn’t the oaky flavor that accompanies the barrel aged beers. The roasted flavor is subtle, but has an espresso essence. The smoky flavor is very subtle and is overpowered by the bourbon flavor. Yet it adds another layer of complexity, and is most welcome. I got this as part of my Christmas present this year – excellent selection – Thanks, Andrew! 10% ABV

Dec. 28: Tonight’s Beer: Devil’s Canyon’s: Full Boar Scotch Ale – Bourbon Barrel Aged (#1787/2500): Dark brown color, like a porter. It has a thick foamy head that looks like a light tan meringue. The scent is oddly tart with a hint of blue cheese. Very unlike the normal Full Boar. The first taste is sour. This is unexpected. I usually don’t bother reading what other people write since I don’t want to be influenced, but with this one I stopped writing after reflecting on the fact that this is a sour and wasn’t intended to be. I checked out a few review on ratebeer and found others make the same observation. While I can enjoy it as a sour and it is pleasantly tart, I am very disappointed in Devil’s Canyon for allowing this. Something was clearly wrong at quality control. There is none of the caramel smokiness and no hint of the bourbon aging. So, what I was looking for in this beer when I bought it is simply not there. 9.4% ABV.

Dec. 29: Tonight’s Beer: Brouweij De Molen’s: Tsarina Esra (Imperial Porter): Another part of Christmas 2012! I like the simplicity of the label – the front label is all text and could be the back label of most beers. It pours dark black with a short head. It has a dark roasted aroma. The flavor as the first sip hits is wonderfully dark roasted coffee with a hint of black licorice. There also is a very subtle bitter tartness like sour cherry. This is wonderfully complex, layered and delicious. Excellent beer. Though I think my favorite element is a comment on the label that suggests that beer be consumed within 25 years. It also lists the ingredients, which I also like. The key malts and hops are: pils malt, munich malt, chocolate malt, cara barley malt, sladek and premiant hops. And no hint of alcohol flavor despite the robust 11% ABV.

Tonight’s Second Beer: Brouwerji Troch’s: Hopdraeck: This is another part of the Christmas package 2012! So much to like about Christmas! The pour sets up a cloudy golden honey color with a thick foamy head. The aroma is floral and citrus – like a lemon rose. It has a light, crisp, fruity flavor with a pleasant, subtle sweetness, with a hint of tart. Excellence! While I do firmly believe that this is the Golden Age of American beer, it’s good to see that the Belgians are unwilling to cede the crown of the greatest beer country on the planet without a fight. This is referred to on the bottle as a “Draeckenier Ale, dry-hopped with Citra”. 7.5% ABV

Dec. 31: New Year’s Eve: Tonight’s Beer: Speakeasy’s: Butchertown Black Ale: So, my last beer for 2012. It’s been a good year of beer drinking. This one looks to be a black IPA from the description on the bottle – a heavily hopped black ale. It pours nice and dark, about the color of a porter. There is very little head and what is there disappears pretty quickly. The aroma has a deeply roasted character with a hint of sweetness. Good burnt malt with a hint of espresso flavor that matches well with the bitterness of the hops. The hops are deeply bitter – a straight-up bitter rather than the floral or citrus of other hops. Very good dark, highly hopped beer (Cascadian Dark? Black IPA? – no really good name yet, so Black IPA will probably stick). 8.2% ABV.

Beer Adventure: Martinez Beer Walk, Dec. 15, 2012

Dec. 15: Beer Adventure. My buddy Terrill sent me a text a few days ago referencing a Santa Crawl in Martinez. We arranged to go. Never having been to Martinez, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised that Martinez has a nice downtown area that stands in stark contrast to its industrial surroundings. The event was organized by the Creek Monkey Tap House. They are supposed to have about 30 taps, but for some reason we didn’t actually go into the establishment. I’m not really sure why not. Most of the locations around town were local businesses, many of which were not restaurants or bars. So, there were boutiques with various knick knacks for sale that hosted various beer samplings. While a few were able to bring in portable kegs, most of the locations were serving from bottles. While that was somewhat disappointing, I did get to sample a few things that I hadn’t seen. The two most notable were Heretic’s Gramerye, a rye beer and Torment, a barley wine – both of which were quite tasty. Since it was a roving beer night, I didn’t take notes, so nothing distinct to write about any of the beers I tried. The other notable stop was at a beer radio station that brings on local home brewers and does interviews with noted local brewers. Very cool. Will have to listen to their  internet radio site. They had a saison that was done by a local brewer that was excellent. They also had a beer called Janet’s Brown, which is a collaboration between a local home brewer and Russian River Brewing. Very tasty brown with a mild sour element to it.. The other brewery I took note of was E. J. Phair, which shares some of its space with Heretic. They have a tap room, so I must visit. I hadn’t seen their beers before but they have a new distributer and may make it to San Jose soon. I hope they do since I like the IPA they served – it was somewhat savory. Also tried some standards from Drakes, Lagunitas, Omegang, and Rogue. Cool event and small enough to be low key. Would definitely go back. Ended the evening at a BBQ place that had really good hamburgers. Very successful night. And good recon on E.J. Phair, so new knowledge acquired. Also heard that Heretic is in the process of moving to a facility in Fairfield that will have a taproom. So, good times ahead.

Beer Log: December 1-14, 2012

Dec. 1: Tonight’s Beer: New Belgium and Brewery Vivant’s: Biere de Garde(Collaboration with Brewery Vivant from Michigan; Part of the Lips of Faith Series): Oh, the excitement of collaborations! I have never heard of Brewery Vivant, so this one is very exciting for me. It also is brewed with orange peel, and I find that I like that ingredient very much, but few breweries use it, and even fewer use it well. My favorite is still the Moylan’s Congrats Orange and Black from 2011. But, alas, it has not returned. Perhaps in 2013. OK, kind of inappropriate to dwell on another beer while discussing a current beer. So, this one is bright yellow-gold in color with a minimal head and light carbonation. The flavor has a nice crisp citrus taste riding the sweet, yet subtly earthy maltiness. The hops are at a minimum and the mild bitterness and citrus character in the hops support the citrus character of the beer. The bright citrus flavor reminds me somewhat of Bridgeport’s Haymaker. The orange flavor is very subtle and hits right at the end of the sip in the interlude before the aftertaste. Very tasty offering and with a very sneaky 9% ABV with no alcohol flavor. Only 18 IBU.

 

Dec. 4: Tonight’s Beer: Rogue’s: Voodoo Doughnut Bacon Maple Ale: OK, this is easily the strangest beer I have ever purchased or seen. It came in a pink bottle with the Voodoo Doughnuts logo on it. It is a nice medium amber color with a minimal head. The scent is very maple. Often with maple beers there is very little in the way of an actual maple flavor. Not so here! It screams maple! And it also has the smoky bacon flavor as well. If you have ever had a Voodoo Doughnuts maple bacon doughnut, this is very much like drinking a cold carbonated version of it. It does taste like a doughnut. It is oddly compelling. I don’t think I could drink it every day, but as an unusual break, I’m enjoying it very much.

Dec. 11: Tonight’s Beer: Stone’s: Enjoy By: 12.21.12 IPA: This is a new special release from Stone. They are bucking the trend toward beers that can be kept and cellared and instead are pushing the idea that some beers are meant to be consumed soon after production in order to enjoy the full complexity of the hops. This is not an easy beer to secure. The Whole Foods reportedly sold out in 2 hours. Fortunately for me, my buddy Garrett was able to track some down at a specialty liquor store, otherwise I would never have gotten a bottle. The beer is a light honey gold color with a very minimal head. The scent is wonderfully inviting – piney an sweet and floral – so alluring! While taking the first sip, the aroma is impossible to evade and the taste hits simultaneously with the scent. Very few beers have the ability to hit multiple senses at once – this one does. It is crazy smooth as well. While the hops are very robust, they are not overwhelmingly bitter. Instead, they envelop the palate and caress and entice. While the piney-floral flavors are the most dominant, there also is a pleasant citrus undertone that provides a fruity balance. The hops are center stage and the malts, while providing the sweet structure, definitely take a back seat. The original batch of Enjoy By was produced back in August and was meant to be consumed by some time in September. This one is to be consumed by 12/21/12. This is a bit of a joke since the mythology of the Mayan calendar had the end of the world on the following day (or at least that 12/22/12 is the end of an era and the beginning of a new one). As a result, I suspect that this may be the most popular release. I’m hoping that Stone will continue with this line and distribute more widely and consistently. 9.4% ABV (but it doesn’t taste like it). Consumed with 10 days to spare!

Dec. 13: Tonight’s Beer: Speakeasy’s: Prohibition Ale: This is a classic amber – nice and ruby-hued. The head is lacey and the carbonation is moderate. There is a slight metallic scent amid the sweet hoppy aroma. The malts are sweet, but with a slightly toasted flavor. Good strong bitterness of the earthy variety with a slight citrus influence. But, there is also a slight metallic taste. Overall, tasty amber. 6.1% ABV.

Tonight’s Second Beer: Speakeasy’s: IPA: Crisp golden color with a slight orange hue and a nice thick lacey head. It has a pleasantly sweet floral aroma. It has nice earthy bitterness with a mild citrus flavor. Good solid IPA. 6.5% ABV.

Dec. 14: Tonight’s Beer: New Belgium’s: Ranger IPA: This is one of the standard releases from New Belgium. It boast Simcoe, Chinook and Cascade hops. It is a pale honey-gold color with a foamy head. The aroma is floral with a hint of pine. It is hard to describe the hoppiness – it is almost savory and bitter rather than sweet or citrus or floral. Something in it calls out for accompanying a really good chicken pot pie. Or maybe I’m just hungry for chicken pot pie. In any event, this beer seems like it would pair nicely with it. It is a very good IPA, but it’s a hard style to be a stand out with. 70 IBU. 6.5% ABV

Beer Log: November, 2012

Nov. 5: Tonight’s Beer: Kona’s: Koko Brown (part of Aloha Series): Just revisiting. Brown beer brewed with toasted coconut and natural flavor. This is a very tasty brew – almost a dessert beer. It has a very frothy, lacey head that is a nice light tan. It has the pleasant sweetness combined with a  toasty flavor that all good browns have, but it also has a sweet toastyness as well that tastes like toasted coconut. And it works brilliantly! The aftertaste maintains the toasted malty flavor long after the sip is gone. Quite satisfying. I realize that I’m drinking this the night before the 2012 election. I wonder if choosing a Hawaiian brown is an omen. Cheers, Mr. President!

Nov. 7: Tonight’s Beer: Kona’s: Wailua Wheat: Brewed with Passion fruit. Aloha Series. Light golden color with light frothy head and sweet scent. The passion fruit flavor is subtle and blends well. There is very little hoppiness so the fruit and sweetness from the malt share the attention from the taste buds. It is a very light flavor with a nice bright, sharp fruity character. Excellent summer beach beer. No listing of ABV or IBU.

Nov. 8: Tonight’s Beer: Lagunitas’: Brown Shugga’: (Sweet Release). This is the annual holiday season release from Lagunitas. It uses brown sugar to supplement the malt syrup and the result is a very sweet and strong beer. I’d tried it a few years back and it was one of the earliest of the high alcohol beers I’d tried, and it packed a wallop. Well, in fact, it still does, but now I’m at least prepared for it. The color is a deep brown caramel and the head is thick and creamy. There is a hint of pine in the scent, appropriate for a cold weather brew. The flavor is sweet, yet earthy. The alcohol flavor also comes through, but unlike many strong beers that have a bourbon-like character, this one is more like brandy. The hops are a piney, earthy, bitter that compliments the sweet. Definitely a sipper, not a chugger. Excellent winter treat. But at 9.9% ABV, pace yourself. 51.1 IBU.

Nov. 16: Tonight’s Beer: Jolly Pumpkin’s: Maricaibo Especial (bottle). I tried this one on tap in February. Now with a bottle of the Maricaibo to see how it differs. It is a nice light brown color – not quite an amber since it doesn’t have the red hue, but it has a similar look, just brown. The head has a nice creamy look to it, but is very light and dissolves quickly on the tongue. The foam has a nice tart quality to it, almost like fermented raisons. There is a tart, orange flavor – subtle and sweet. I stand by the description of the beer as a brown sour. 7.5% ABV. I don’t get the same hint of the earthiness from the cacao that I got when I tried it on tap, but I do pick up a hint of the cinnamon. It is very subtle and comes out more as the sip subsides. The initial taste is very much the sour and orange, but as that mellows on the tongue it lets some to the hint of cinnamon peek through.

Nov. 20: Tonight’s Beer: Stone’s: Double Bastard (2012 Release): This year’s is a bit more of a dark amber hue and is crystal clear, and with more of a head. Even stronger at 11.2% ABV. I’d describe it in similar superlatives to the 2011, but there is more of an alcohol flavor this year. It’s not overwhelming, but it is more distinct than last year’s. But, the sweet, caramel, hoppy experience is most certainly back! There also is a citrus-sour flavor that morphs into an earthy burnt caramel. The aftertaste is all bitter.

Nov. 21: Tonight’s Beer: Sierra Nevada’s: Narwhal Imperial Stout: It’s nice to see Sierra Nevada putting some effort into darker beers since most of what they do tends to riff on their Pale Ale. But, they do have one of the better porters on the market and they have a very good stout. But, with the explosion of the beer market, they have done little to develop newer beers on the darker side, so I was very excited to try this one. It is very deeply dark with a thick dark tan head. The aroma gives off a strong scent of coffee and black licorice and the flavor follows. The opening is tart yet sweet with a hint of molasses flavor. The licorice flavor is a very mild influence deep in the interior of the sip. The residual flavor is dark and roasted and bitter with a strong aftertaste of roasted coffee. The label tries to sell the flavor as “baker’s cocoa and dark roasted coffee”. The coffee is definitely there, but I don’t pick up a cocoa flavor. Yet I do pick up on the blackstrap molasses and licorice notes. Either way, this is a most welcome offering from Sierra Nevada. And at a sneaky 10.2% ABV, one to approach with caution.

Nov. 23: Tonight’s Beer: Deschutes’: The Stoic: Excellent Quadrupel. Well balanced between the hops and malt. Bright citrus flavor, very complex, yet approachable. (2/15/2012). I had tried this initially on tap at Harry’s during SF Beer Week. So, now I have a whole bottle. The description on the bottle lists it as a “Belgian Styled Quad of Stiffing Depth and Complexity”. It is brewed with Pomegranate. 16.5% was aged in oak wine barrels; 16.5% was aged in oak rye whiskey barrels. The pour sets up a golden-orange bright highly carbonated beer with a frothy-lacey head. Amid the bubbles are bits of the settled yeast that came with the pour. The scent is sweet and yeasty. The taste has a fruity sweetness that is slightly tart. There is a limited hop presence, so the malts, yeast and fruit do the heavy lifting. I stand by my first impression – complex, yet approachable. And, at 11% ABV, definitely a sipper. The sweetness also makes it so that you wouldn’t want to drink it quickly – definitely a sipper.

Nov. 25: tonight’s Beer: 2011 Stone Double Bastard: OK, just cracked last year’s and I am confirmed that the 2011 was vastly superior – smoother, more caramel flavor and a better balance of hops. And no hint of alcohol – just smooth, tasty wonderfulness.

Nov. 26: Tonight’s Beer: Dogfish Head’s: Chicory Stout: Brewed with roasted chicory and Mexican coffee. It has a deep blackness and a light tan head. The flavor in the foam is of a burnt wood. Not that I’ve ever tasted burnt wood. But, if burnt wood smells like it tastes, than this is what it would taste like. Now I’ve confused myself. No matter. I stand by my declaration about the burnt wood flavor in the head. Great. Now the foam is virtually gone. A quick sip brings a similar burnt flavor, but with the traditional stout sour backdrop. There is a coffee flavor in the mix as well between the burnt wood and the sour. The closest style I can relate it to is a smoked porter, though this is less of a heavy smoky flavor than with other smoked dark beers. Perhaps it is the chicory moderating the flavor. I’ll assume it is. There is also a nice coffee flavor in the aftertaste. Yep, much deliciousness and very full flavor for a modest 5.2% ABV.

Nov. 29: Tonight’s Beer: New Belgium’s: Imperial Coffee Chocolate Stout: (Part of Lips of Faith Series): The coffee aroma coming off the rich, creamy foam is the first thing I was struck by. The dark black color is what one expects, and this one fulfills. The foam is light and airy and full of coffee flavor.  I was very very excited about this beer – after all a good stout with coffee or chocolate is always a welcome sight and taste. The lure of both coffee and chocolate was quite a draw. While the first sip was tasty, it was less than I was hoping for in this beer. The flavor was not as robust and full as I was expecting in an imperial stout. It has a nice dark roasted flavor and the coffee presence is distinctly there, somehow the end result is less than a sum of the parts. Part of it is that the alcohol flavor comes through overly much, particularly toward the end of the sip. It leaves almost a vodka-like aftertaste. The bitterness is more toward the astringent residue of stale coffee than the rich roasted maltiness that I want in a stout. Great bottle design, concept, color and foam. Rest is disappointing. 9% ABV.

Beer Log: Oct. 16-31, 2012

Oct. 16: Tonight’s Beer: Dogfish Head’s: Black & Blue: Brewed with Black Raspberry and Blueberry puree.  Wispy deep foam that looks slightly blueish. Maybe its just my imagination, but it really does look a little blue. The beer itself looks like a deep pale ale color – with a reddish orange hue, though not quite as deep as an amber. The flavor is distinctly berry. Sweet and tart. The raspberry comes through without being overly sweet as is the case with some berry beers. I don’t really pick up much from the blueberry, but it may just be blending in to the overall berry flavor. In any event, it is quite tasty. And at 10%, while you get a hint of the beer’s strength in the flavor, it packs more of a punch than you generally expect from a fruit beer.

Oct. 17: Tonight’s Beer: Lagunitas’: Undercover Investigation Shutdown Ale: Special limited release. I do love the Lagunitas. So, this is one that a friend of mine came across and decided to share with me. I hadn’t seen it in the store so I didn’t know it existed. But, always glad to get  a chance to try something new. This one has a nice orange-brown hue. Kind of like an amber, but really not red – more of a muted burnt orange. Good head and deep hoppy scent, reflecting the 66.6 IBU. I kind of wonder if that really is the IBU content and not some sort of joke. Point 6? Really? The flavor is like a maltier version of the IPA. The malt is deeper with a rich caramel flavor. The alcohol packs a punch at 9.8% ABV and it comes through. Not so much that there is a strong alcohol flavor per se, but the type of sweetness and the intensity of the flavor reflect the significant alcohol presence. In addition to the sweetness and hoppiness, there also is a slight citrus flavor, somewhere in the orange family. But, more of a bitter orange rather than sweet. Powerful stuff.

Oct. 18: Tonight’s Beer: Deschutes and Hair of the Dog’s: Conflux #1: This is the second of the Conflux offerings I was able to try, though oddly enough I saw #2 before #1. This one is a blend of Deschutes’ The Stoic and The Dissident along with Hair of the Dog’s Fred and Adam. Of them, I’ve only had the Stoic and am a fan. The Dissident is a brown and I’ve wanted to try it, but have yet to get a hold of a bottle. The concoction was aged in wine and spirit oak barrels. While the first Conflux came in a 22 oz. bottle, this one is a 12 oz. bottle. And, at 11.6% ABV, that may be for the best. The pour revels a deep brown color with a mid-level head and inviting sweet bourbon scent. The first taste is sensational. And I do mean that in the sense that it brings with it complex taste sensations and it’s hard to process everything that is going on. All at once it is sweet, tart, bourbon, with a hint of sour cherry. It’s very hard to dissect. A slower sip starts with the bourbon flavor, which hits sharply with a peppery bite, but quickly backs off and mellows into the tart sour cherry with some sweetness and apple cider elements at the edge of the palate and finishes back to a mellow bourbon. Definitely a sipper beer. Quite unique. It would be too challenging for a daily beer, but is a wonderful experience beer. I wish I had another bottle in reserve.

Oct. 20: Beer Adventure: Hop Yard. Pleasanton, CA. So, back to the Hop Yard to try a couple of beers. This time I ended up with two old favorites, the Lagunitas Brown Shugga and the Russian River Blind Pig IPA. Both excellent beers. The Brown Shugga is back after a year’s hiatus as the brewery expanded its capacity. Last year the Brown Shugga was absent and was replaced by Sucks. The Blind Pig is one of the great IPAs out there. I also tried small sips of the Drake’s Hausfest and the Moylans Gaelabration, both of which were pretty bland. I was hoping to like one of the well enough to get a pint, but neither was worth it. Also had a sip of the E.J. Phair Cumbre Del Diablo Double IPA. Good and tasty beer, but not as hoppy as the Blind Pig.

Oct. 21: Tonight’s Beer: Sierra Nevada’s: Oatmeal Stout (Beer Camp 2012): I tried last year’s Beer Camp selection and was suitably impressed, so I was excited to see this year’s offerings. I’ve already tried one of the offerings, the Imperial Pilsner and it is quite good. Though, I’ll have to comment on it later since I wasn’t in a position to make notes since I was hanging out with a friend of mine while trying it. This has all the basic characteristics of a stout – very black pour, with tan head, and burnt roasted malt aroma. The flavor is very sharp. That’s really the best descriptor I can use. The flavor has a bitter bite to it. Once the bite loosens, the remaining flavor is decent, but not overwhelming. There is a citrus flavor that yields to a deep burnt bitter flavor, with a hint of a bourbon taste (perhaps from the 9% ABV). Something is just a bit off in the balance. It’s OK, but there are far better stouts available. Not a fan of this individual offering, but I still love the Beer Camp approach and experimentation.

Second Beer: Sierra Nevada’s: Floral IPA (Beer Camp 2012): This one is brewed with whole cone hops and also rose hips, so it is genuinely floral. This one is a cloudy, orange-gold hue with a limited head. It does indeed have a floral scent, though not distinctly rose. The flavor has a deep bitter, but also has a sweet floral character and oddly enough the rose flavor comes through. It has an element in the flavor that tastes like the scent of a rose. There is also a citrus flavor that competes for attention with the sweet rose and the bitter hoppiness. Intriguing offering. I like the use of the rose, but think it might be better served in a variety that was less bitter to reduce the conflicting sweet perfume like flavor and the bitter hoppiness. They seem to be fighting on the palate rather than cooperating. The palate should not be a battleground.  5.9% ABV.

Oct. 22: Tonight’s Beer: Full Sail’s: Wassail 2012: This year’s release is a nice dark brown. It has a light toasted scent. The flavor is different than last year. It is less sweet and a bit more hoppy. There doesn’t seem to be any of the spice as in last year’s. It is a solid brown with more hop and bitter than many browns, but it lacks some of the distinctness that made the 2011 so tasty. 7.2% ABV.

Second Beer: Deschutes’: Jubelale 2012: I do get excited at the onset of winter beer season. I love the darker, heavier beers, and love the experimentation with spices and other infusions that accompany the winter beers. The 2010 version of Jubelale was one of my favorites as it was essentially a high octane version of the porter. I bought a case and it ran out far too quickly. So, while I enjoyed the 2011 very much, I am very excited after pouring out a bottle of this year’s that is it nice and dark! It is an exceptionally dark brown that lets through very little light and has a nice deep tan head. The taste is rich and roasted with an earthy sweetness that is offset by a mild sour character that most porters have. There are hints of coffee, particularly in the aftertaste. It’s going to be a great winter. 6.7% ABV

Oct. 23: Tonight’s Beer: Sierra Nevada’s: Imperial Red Ale (Beer Camp 2012): Another Beer Camp offering from 2012, this one has a wonderful, deep red color. It boasts using double IPA levels of hops and it is a very hoppy beer. It has a nice bright citrus character, somewhere in the grapefruit family, though not as overt as the Lagunitas IPA on tap. The finish is a deeper, earthier bitter hop. Since the beer uses darker malts than an IPA, there is a lightly toasted sweetness in the background, crying out for attention. So, far this is the best of beer camp 2012. And it has a sneaky 8.1% ABV that is undetectable.

Oct. 24: Tonight’s Beer: Sierra Nevada’s: Imperial Pilsner (Beer Camp 2012 #13): So, I actually tried this one a few days ago with by buddy Paul and decided not to write about it at that point. Not that I’m above being rude and writing in the presence of others – I’m not. But, for some reason it didn’t feel right at that moment. Anyway, the upshot is that I’ve had a preview and already know that I like this one. Generally Pilsners are not my favorite variety. I just don’t find most of them that interesting. But, there is enough creativity in the craft industry nowadays, so I generally give every variety a fair chance. And this one is impressive and tasty. It is light and crisp, as you’d expect. But the malts are more interesting than one generally finds. In most pilsners the malts are bland and inoffensive and you hardly know they are there. This one, though, has a nice sweetness that blends nicely with the hops (listed as Crystal and Pacifica). It has a nice citrus flavor that dances about the tongue and very gradually gives way to a mildly floral, pleasant bitterness. The color is a beautiful gold – I even held up my ring to compare – yep, gold. I prefer the Imperial Red from this year’s Beer Camp, but this is a very strong entry. Very drinkable 5.6% ABV.

Oct. 25: Tonight’s Beer: Upright Brewing’s: Six: This is a dark rye beer. I’ve never tried anything from Upright – it’s always very exciting to try a new brewery. This one is a very dark brown color with an ivory tan head. It has a mildly sour yeasty scent with just a hint of smokiness. The flavor is lighter and brighter than the color. It has a bright citrus flavor to start that is shadowed by a mild yeasty presence. These ride over the palate and yield to a subtle toasted malty flavor. There is also a mildly savory undertone in the finish that is distinctively rye. I do so love the use of rye in beers – I am quite enamored of its use. This isn’t a beer that will overwhelm, but it comes across well and it is more complex than a first sip would indicate. It strikes a nice balance of its influences and allows each to shine both individually and collectively. The malts, the hops, the yeast, the rye, all share center stage, yet, each receives its moment in the spotlight. 6.7% ABV.

Oct. 27: Tonight’s Beer: Rogue’s: Hazel Nut Brown: This is one of my favorite brown beers. I have tried it a few times, but never was in a position to put down any thoughts about it. So, the beer is a brown, but the color is on the light end of the brown spectrum, or at the dark end of the amber/red spectrum. Really, it could go either way. It has a sweet caramel scent and the flavor pretty much follows. There is very little hop presence. The hazel nut flavor does add a nutty character that gives the beer kind of a toffee flavor. What am I saying. “kind of”? No need to waffle on this – it is most certainly a toffee flavor. There is very little head or carbonation. At the end of the sip, there is a slightly sour flavor that is like that found in a porter. Overall, a very sweet, tasty, brew.

Oct. 28: Tonight’s Beer: Dogfish Head’s: Punk: Best Pumpkin beer, bar none. Very good brown sugar flavor with hints of pumpkin pie spice without being overwhelming. Excellent balance between the spice and sweet. Just writing about it makes me want one.(Fall 2011) And now it is back! The bottle calls the beer “A full-bodied brown ale brewed with real pumpkin, brown sugar, allspice, cinnamon & nutmeg.” And it is still delicious. While it calls itself a brown, it is very light for a brown. It looks like the color of caramel – a light yellow brown. It has a nice fizzy head that disappears very quickly. The scent is spiced and is reminiscent of pumpkin pie. The flavor tastes of caramel and pumpkin pie spice – sweet and comforting. Despite the light color, there is the feel of a brown in the caramel flavor of the malts. The alcohol flavor comes through more so than in other beers of comparable strength. This one is 7% ABV.

Oct. 29: Tonight’s Beer: Dogfish Head’s: Midas Touch: More of a mead than a beer. Dominated by honey. Sweet and strong. The scent is somewhat like a white wine, but with a honey sweetness. It is brewed with barley, honey, and white muscat grapes and saffron. So, it is kind of like a combination white wine, mead, beer all in one. With saffron. The color is a honey gold color with a light lacey head. It is one of the more unusual drinks out there. It starts out white wine tart and transitions to more of a honey sweetness, but the entire taste is very dry. And the alcohol flavor comes through toward the end of the sip. And at 9% ABV it is certainly entitled to do so. While it is present, it isn’t overwhelming as is the case with some of the stronger beers out there.

Second Beer: Deschutes’: Chain Breaker: Described as a White IPA. Very similar to the Stoic, but a bit lighter and definitely lower alcohol. Bright citrus flavor with a hint of the yeasty taste that you get with Belgian beers. (2/15/2012) Ok, now I have one from a bottle and can add a bit. This is very much as I described it – a lighter version of the Stoic. This is a friendly, Belgian-inspired beer. It is very bright and crisp and has an inviting citrus flavor – mostly lemon, but a hint of lime. It also is cloudy – not something I’m used to seeing from Deschutes. The color is a pale yellow straw color. But for such a light color, it packs a tremendous flavor. Amidst the yeasty citrus flavor, there is also a hint of spice – almost clove, but not quite. I can’t believe it, but it is challenging the Black Butte Porter as one of my favorite of Deschutes’ everyday  production beers. (5.6% ABV).

Oct. 31: Tonight’s Beer: Stone’s: Cali-Belgie IPA: This is the Stone IPA, but with a Belgian yeast. The color is a cloudy honey color and the pour sets up a lacey froth, as is appropriate for a Belgian influenced beer. The yeast flavor is more subtle than in most Belgian beers, but it is there and it adds an earthy sweetness. While it is an IPA, the hops are more subtle than in most. They tend toward the citrus side of life while retaining a hint of the bitter. The sweetness of the malt and the overall balance seems to blunt the effect of the hops. However, there is a nice bitter hop aftertaste. So, perhaps the hops were merely hiding behind the malts and waiting for them to get the hell out of the mouth so that the hops could dominate the palate unopposed. Very clever, hops. Well played. 6.9% ABV.

Beer Log: Oct. 1-15, 2012

Oct. 1: Tonight’s Beer: Bridgeport’s: IPA: Bridgeport is generally credited with pioneering the IPA style as a distinct style. It has a cloudy golden orange color and thick head. The aroma is floral and sweet. The flavor is crisp, brightly bitter, and sharply citrus. Compared to later incarnations of the IPA, this one seems relatively mild in the hop department. Yet, there is a wonderful balance of the floral and citrus notes, and unlike many IPAs, this one allows the malts to participate in the flavor, lending a light caramel influence. Still a classic. And at 5.5% ABV, a very friendly and drinkable beer. Also, I noticed as the beer warmed, that the fruity taste was somewhat akin to apricot.

Second Beer: Bridgeport’s: Hop Czar: Imperial IPA. Hop Czar is a hoppier, higher alcohol version of Bridgeport’s IPA. The malt is a slightly darker roast and the color is a deeper amber honey color than the orange gold of the original. There is a nice malty caramel flavor surrounded by an earthy peppery piney hoppiness. It has a nice level of bitterness that as the sip pulls back turns mildly sour then turns to a straight bitter in the aftertaste. Good, solid, tasty IPA.7.5% ABV. 87 IBU.

Oct. 2: Tonight’s Beer: Ninkasi’s: Nuptiale Cream Ale (Pub): NW Pale. Citrus and smooth. And more citrus. Very smooth finish (8/1/2012) OK, now I have a bottle (22 oz.). Ninkasi generally does not release this beer and instead uses it for wedding orders. The bottle I got was part of a special 4-pack that used this one as a lure. I fell for it. I do enjoy their special releases and wish I had greater access to them. But, what you gonna do? So, anyway, this is a wonderful light golden honey color (the bottle refers to it as “straw”) with a limited head.  It is very smooth and citrusy with very little hoppiness. Definitely a great summer beer. Light, refreshing, yet with enough flavor to keep you sipping. (5.7%).

Oct. 4: Tonight’s Beer: Stone’s: Saison du Buff (Stone 2012 Collaborations): Brewed in collaboration with Dogfish Head and Victory. This is a session beer brewed with parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. No, seriously. And with all due respect to Simon and Garfunkel. This is a pale gold colored brew with a light fizzy head that dissipates rapidly. It’s  a lace foam – very airy and insubstantial. The aroma is sweet and mildly floral, hinting at the herb garden with which this was brewed. It has a crisp, citrus flavor surrounded by a yeasty taste. It is almost like a less sweet version of an apple cider. But with a mildly bitter finish. Though even that is tempered by what I believe is the rosemary. The unusual flavor and character are compelling. With additional sips, as the beer warms slightly, the sage comes through more distinctly in the aftertaste. 7.7% ABV.

Second Beer: Dogfish Head’s: Aprihop. As much as I love Pyramid’s Apricot Wheat, this is in many ways a better beer. Very subtle apricot in comparison to Pyramid, and more of a hoppy presence. But very bright and citrusy as well. (Summer 2011). Since this is a seasonal release and I had enjoyed it so much last year, I was eager to try it again. The first bottle I didn’t write about, but it seemed less apricot than the prior year. Still very good, but less of the fruit influence. It’s been a couple of months since and I am sitting down once again to try another. The color is a medium amber and the scent from the frothy head is very deeply apricot. And the flavor has a more distinct apricot taste. The apricot flavor seems to come out with age and that’s a good thing. It is still much more subtle than Pyramid, but still very tasty and refreshing. The malts also are much more complex and present than in Pyramid’s. And, since it is based off an IPA, there also is a strong hop presence to balance the fruit. The hops add a layer of bitterness that accentuates the fruit. 7% ABV

Oct. 5: Tonight’s Beer: Drake’s: 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. (6/14/2012) Well that description is from the sample I had at the brewery. Now, I have a whole bottle to savor! The pour sets up a deep black beer with a thick deep tan head. The flavor of the foam is a deep roasted smoky espresso with a hint of licorice. The taste is deep and rich. There is a astringent sour reminiscent of a dry red wine that gives the beer an additional layer of complexity. The espresso bitter lingers in the aftertaste. Wonderful, tasty, sipping beer. Great for a cold winter night.

Oct. 10: Tonight’s Beer: Drake’s: 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 (6/14/2012). Now I have a bottle of the Denoginizer. Excellent golden honey color with a hint of an orange hue. Creamy head and piney scent with a hint of citrus. The flavor is sweet and lightly toasted caramel. It’s much like the tap version. (10/10/12)

Oct. 11: Tonight’s Beer: Fort George Brewing’s: Sunrise Oatmeal Pale: Cloudy and honey colored. Earthy piney with a nice deep bitter and a hint of sweet. 5.5%(8/13/2012) This is one of the few beers that Fort George cans. All their beers are canned. The design on the side is wonderfully cheery – bright orange and yellow – very friendly. This version is  less cloudy than the tap version. The aroma is sweet and slightly piney. I do love the smoothness and character that oats add and I like the trend toward Oatmeal Pale Ales. This one isn’t as distinct as the version done by Burnside Brewing, but it is very tasty. There is a confluence of the piney, citrusy , earthy flavor that combines to give almost an orange flavor. The aftertaste is pleasantly mildly bitter.

Oct. 13: Tonight’s Beer: Dogfish Head’s: India Brown Ale: The label describes the beer as a “brown ale brewed with caramelized sugar and hopped liberally and often.” How could anyone resist? I’d been eyeing this one for a while, but when the local Whole Foods had a 20% off all beer sale, it was time. The pour sets up a deep brown beer with limited head. The aroma is enticingly sweet and almost smoky with a hint of coffee. The first sip is wonderfully inviting and complex. There is the sweet promised by the label and the scent, but it is tempered by a toasty malty flavor and enough hops to keep the sweetness from being overwhelming. There is almost a toasted marshmallow hint in there as well. It is somewhat reminiscent of Kona’s Koko Brown, but less sweet and more hoppy. Very good fall time beer. 7.2% ABV.

Oct. 14: Tonight’s Beer: Stone’s: Levitation: This is one of the beers commonly available in 6-packs from Stone. I tend to gravitate to the 22 oz. specialty beers, so going with their standards is a bit of a departure, but a welcome one. The beer is a rich light brown color and it has a thick fizzy, sweet smelling head. The foam is invitingly sweet with little hint of hop, so different than the typical Stone approach. While the malt has a strong presence, the hops do announce their contribution with some authority. There is a quick bitter on the tongue, but little of it in the aftertaste. It is hard to categorize. I’d put it somewhere between an Amber and a Brown. The malts are not quite burnt caramel enough to be a brown, but they are close, and the beer isn’t light enough in color and does not have enough of the orange red hue to make it an amber. There is more hoppiness than in most Ambers. And at 4.4% ABV, it is a friendly, and drinkable, but it also has a very rich flavor for such a low alcohol beer. Very crafty Stone!

Oct. 15: Tonight’s Beer: New Belgium’s: Peach Porch Lounger: (Part of Lips of Faith Series): Golden color with hint of orange hue. it has a nice foamy head, and a citrus and sour peach aroma. The flavor isn't distinctly peach, it is somewhat like a mild version of an apricot beer. There is a more distinct peach flavor in the aftertaste. It starts very fizzy and is somewhat like a dry cider or perhaps a white wine. More cider. In some ways the fruity flavor is overwhelmed by the high alcohol content. At 9.4% you notice its ABV. Made with the Brettanomyces yeast to accentuate the sour flavor. It's also bottle conditioned to provide a hint of yeasty flavor and a bit of cloudiness.

Beer Log: Sept. 17 - 30, 2012

Sept. 17: Today’s Beer: Alameda’s: American Rye: So, today is Constitution Day. September 17. A little celebrated moment, except for public educational institutions, which must celebrate in order to receive federal funding. So, as a good Historian, I am part of the celebration. To honor the day, I chose the most patriotic looking beer in the ‘ol beer fridge. This one not only has the name “American” in it, it also has a picture of Washington crossing the Delaware, so it even is somewhat contemporary (and, after all, Washington presided over the Constitutional Convention). The beer itself is a beautiful honey gold with a thick frothy head. It has a friendly earthy aroma that hints at the type of bitter hops it must have. It has a sharp citrus, earthy bitter, like a good pale ale would, but it also has the distinctive rye character. In some ways it is similar to Devil’s Canyon’s California Sunshine, but less sweet, and more savory. The deep bitter lingers in the aftertaste, but with a persistent reminder of the citrus. Very nice offering from Alameda. Only 5.5% ABV.

Sept. 18: Today’s Beer: Drake’s: Aroma Coma IPA: This is Drake’s seasonal IPA for summer. The description is of 2-row barley malt with some Caramalt brewed with Cascade, Chinook, CTZ and Citra hops. This beer has a very positive reputation and I know several people who anticipated its release. I had never tried it so am very excited about it. The pour sets up a light orange honey color and thick head that dissipates quickly. The scent is very floral and piney and the taste backs it up. The combination of floral and pine blends to create a wonderful earthy bitter that hovers above the piney taste. Very hoppy, bitter and tasty. 6.75% ABV. 75 IBU

Sept. 20: Today’s Beer: Collaboration between New Belgium and Lost Abbey: Brett Beer: (Collaboration with Lost Abbey: also part of the Lips of Faith Series):  Pale and golden in color with a limited head and cloudy. It has a bright citrus sweetness and pleasant yeastiness. It uses the Brettanomyces yeast, used in sours, but it doesn’t have the sharp, deep sour of many sours. It also uses Sorachi Ace hops to enhance the fruity character. Very tasty and drinkable. 7.5% ABV.

Sept. 23: Today’s Beer: Widmer Brothers: Pitch Black IPA (Part of Series 924): Another entry into the black IPA category to compete with Hop in the Dark, or Back in Black. The pour sets up a very dark beer – darker than a porter, almost as dark as a stout. It has a thick foamy tan head and a sweet and roasted scent. The first sip of foam has a hint of blue cheese that softens and moves toward a toasted flavor. Past the foam there is no blue cheese, which is probably for the best. Further sips don’t make much of a distinct impression. It is a tasty beer, but nothing really stands out at first. There is a friendly sweet lightly toasted flavor with a hint of citrus. The hops accentuate the citrus but aren’t overly present. The aftertaste is probably the most interesting part of the beer. As the sweet and citrus recede, what is left is a pleasant roastyness. Overall  tasty, but not overly distinct.

Sept. 24: Today’s Beer: Stone’s: Smoked Porter with Vanilla Bean:  This is very exciting – a new variety of one of my favorite beers, the Stone Smoked Porter. It has a lovely creamy foamy tan head and deep roasty scent. And the taste – heavenly! It hits the mouth with a mildly peppery smokiness that is paired with a subtly sweet vanilla. A friend of mine likes to refer to beer as a “man soda” and this one definitely qualifies. It could be a soft drink. The vanilla blends quite well with the smoky dark maltiness. As it finishes, the vanilla leaves the show and the deep smokiness dominates the aftertaste. Mmmm. 5.9% ABV. Comes only in specialty 12 oz. bottles.

Sept. 24: Second Beer: Stone’s: Smoked Porter with Chipotle Peppers: Another variation on the Smoked Porter. While the Vanilla Bean version builds on the chocolate/coffee flavors of the beer, this one plays with and enhances the smoky elements. Same color, same tan head as the regular porter and the vanilla version. With this one, the smokiness hits the palate first and then redoubles its assault with a deeper smokiness and an aggressive peppery flavor. Very different effect from the Vanilla. Whereas the Vanilla version is a sweet, subtly sweet desert beer, this one packs a powerful, savory sensation akin to chocolates made with peppers. Very tasty, but not so easily inviting as the vanilla. 5.9% ABV. Comes only in specialty 12 oz. bottles.

Sept. 25: Tonight’s Beer: Knee Deep’s: Hoptologist DIPA (Double IPA): Having had one of Knee Deep’s beers and being impressed by it made me much more eager to try other of their varieties. This one is quite good as well.  It has a nice orange-amber color and frothy head. The foam has a bright citrus-pine flavor, almost evocative of a sour pineapple. This is a very very hoppy beer. All hops all the time. But it also does a nice job of balancing the hop influences, opening with citrus and finishing with a deep pine bitter. With all of the hoppiness, it is still a very inviting beer. Surprisingly, sneaky strong at 9%ABV, but it may be the overwhelming hop character at 102 IBU that helps to camouflage it. Rock on Knee Deep!

Sept. 26: Today’s Beer: Mt. Shasta Brewing’s: Jalapeno Weed Ale: Crisp golden yellow color with a very fizzy heat that dissipated very quickly. It has a strong peppery scent. The description of the beer explains how it was brewed with jalapeno peppers and dry hopped with fresh jalapenos as well. The taste is very much like taking a bite out of a jalapeno and then sipping a sweet light ale. There is a lingering burn as well, which is unusual in pepper beers. Most have a hint of heat that disappears quickly; not so here. Definitely only for jalapeno lovers. Others would be most unhappy drinkers.  5.5% ABV.

Sept. 27: Today’s Beer: Rogue’s: Santa’s Private Reserve (2012): Wonderful reddish-brown hue! It has a frothy, creamy head and an inviting sweet citrus aroma. The taste is wonderful as well. It is very subtly sweet with a hint of hop and toasty flavor. Excellent balance of hop and malt. Not quite a brown, but very special. Excellent beer.

Second Beer: Rogue’s: American Amber Ale: Beautiful deep amber color and frothy creamy head. Sweet and nutty flavor with a mildly sour with finish that ends with a mild bitterness. Most of the emphasis is on the malts, as with many of the Rogue offerings. Another tasty offering.

Sept. 29. Tonight’s Beer: Bear Republic’s: Tripel’s Alley: This one I tried on tap at the Hopyard in Pleasanton. It was one they don’t bottle, so I was glad to come across it. It is a light golden color. It has a sharp, piney hoppiness with a pleasant yeastiness. It is based on a Belgian tripel, so one would certainly expect the yeastiness.  There also is a pleasant fruitiness, somewhat like a sour cherry. Distinct, yet subtle.

Sept. 30: Tonight’s Beer: Stone’s: 16 Anniversary IPA: Brewed with lemon verbena and lemon oil. I would have bought it for that description alone. Plus I try to try everything I can from Stone. So, the color is a pretty orange-gold hue. There is a nice thick creamy head and a delightful piney citrusy scent. Tasty tasty lemony foam. The first taste envelopes the entire mouth. There is a sharp, peppery character that is closely followed by citrus. It is a stronger beer at 10% ABV, but the alcohol isn’t dominant. But, it is definitely there. The more sips I take, the more I notice it. But, it still doesn’t distract from the overall flavor. The piney flavor also comes through more distinctly the more sips I take. The bitterness also lingers on the palate long after the sip is gone. The dominant character is definitely hop. The malts are there, to be certain. There is a mild sweetness in the middle of the taste, but it is bookended by the pepper citrus of the opening and the pine bitter of the conclusion. Happy 16^th Stone IPA!

Beer Log: Sept. 1 -- 15, 2012

Sept. 1: Today’s Beer: Ninkasi’s: Total Domination IPA: Dark golden honey colored IPA with a medium thick head.  Slightly piney and floral scent gives a preview of the character of the beer’s hops. The first taste opens with a burst of earthy floral sweetness. There is a bit of citrus in the flavor as well and even a subtle banana presence as it transitions to a pleasant, mildly bitter finish. The malts are mildly sweet and compliment the floral nature of hops quite well. Very tasty IPA.  6.7ABV.

 

Sept. 2: Today’s Beer: Ninkasi’s: Tricerahops (Double IPA): Very boldly hopped. I know I usually start with the color and foam, but with this, it seems right to go straight for the hops. The beer hits the palate with a blast of sweet floral hoppy goodness. Once that recedes, the flavor moves to the periphery of the mouth and morphs of a mildly sour bitter flavor and ends with an earthy bitter. The beer feels thicker than most, both in the mouth and as it travels down the throat; this could be in part a result of the high level of malt needed to create a beer that is 8.8 ABV. The color is a cloudy deep golden honey, and it has a very limited head and carbonation. There is a flavor in the malts that reminds me of an English Bitter. It is a very good beer, but I think the balance of the hops and malts is a bit off. I think it would be better served to have favored the floral hops throughout to balance the overall heaviness of the beer.

Sept. 3: Today’s Beer: Ninkasi’s: Maiden The Shade (Special Release Summer Beer; first brewed in 2009; only available in the 4-pack of 22 oz. beers): Sweet and floral ale.  It has a lovely golden honey color, though somewhat cloudy. Limited head and carbonation. It had 72 IBU, and is very hoppy, but it seems less than that. The balance of the sweetness from the malts and the floral hops makes this a very pleasant summery beer. There is a nice fruity character, reminiscent of peach or apricot as wel. 6.8% ABV

Sept. 4: Today’s Beer: Ninkasi’s: Oatis (Oatmeal Stout): This is a great stout. There are so many good stouts nowadays that it is difficult to find a favorite. Well, OK, so the Oakshire espresso stout qualifies for me, but below that is a wide field of excellent dark beers and this is most certainly among them. It is a deep dark black with a medium tan head. The initial flavor is almost refreshing for a stout with a bright, almost citrus opening that reveals a pleasant and limited sour flavor. Many stouts and porters have a similar mild sour character. Then, as the sip passes the tongue and down the throat, what lingers is a wonderful, roasted flavor with a hint of coffee. This is a very smooth and tasty beverage and does everything right in a stout. Of all of their offerings, this is my unparalleled favorite, though I am now also quite a fan of Maiden the Shade and think they should bottle and distribute that more regularly. Oatis boasts a mid-range 7.2% ABV.

Sept. 5: Today’s Beer: Southern Oregon Brewing’s: Holy Water Maibock: While most of the beers produced are ales, this one is a lager. Lagers are usually smoother and less interesting, but they can be quite delicious. This is a good one. It had a light honey color and virtually no head and not much in the way of carbonation. Nice pleasant sweetness with a hint of alcohol in the flavor; though at 7.2% ABV, it isn’t overly powerful – it is more that the limited hoppiness allows the alcohol to come through. It has a bit of a sharp peppery flavor at first that is balanced with the sweetness. As the sweetness subsides, a mild bourbon flavor lingers and fades. Good beer, though SOB’s porter and IPA are more interesting offerings.

Sept. 6: Today’s Beer: Ninkasi’s: Radiant Ale: Beautiful orange-gold color and medium thick head. The beer doesn’t have much of a scent to it. Very crisp with a citrus and peppery start that mellows to a mild bitter, with still a hint of sour. Very bright taste. Good, but not particularly distinct. Though, as it warms toward room temperature, there is a kind of peach quality that is quite nice. Perhaps it is more interesting than I initially thought. 6% ABV.

Sept. 7: Today’s Beer: Ninkasi’s: Spring Reign: This is one of Ninkasi’s seasonal releases. It had a deep golden honey color and creamy head. The foam dissipates quickly in the mouth. Very refreshing and mild on the hops. It opens with a sharp citrus flavor (almost like a grapefruit rind) that pulls back quickly. It also has a mildly peppery character in the opening as well. There is a pleasantly sweet maltiness that is very mildly toasted. The finishing flavor is a mildly earthy bitter. Another fine offering from Ninkasi. 6%ABV

Sept: 9: Today’s Beer: Ninkasi’s: Mason’s Irish Red: A Special Release.  Nice dark red amber color in the pour with a medium head. Good sweet hoppy scent coming off the foam. In the first sip, there is a sweet earthiness that emphasizes the caramel maltiness. While there is a mild bitter, it is definitely in the background, a subtle accompaniment. The sip finished with a mildly citrus note and a return of the sweet earthiness. Very nice offering and pleasant drinking. Just 5.2% ABV, but with plenty of character.

Sept. 10: Today’s Beer: Alameda’s: El Torero IPA: Golden-Orange-Honey color with limited head. It opens with a unique blend of an earthy hoppy flavor with a citrus accompaniment. Just a hint of floral. Quite an intriguing approach. As it warms, there is a pleasant sweetness – a caramel flavor that is reminiscent of Cracker Jacks. Very drinkable and complex. 7.2% ABV.

Sept. 11: Today’s Beer: Dogfish Head’s: Theobroma: Haven’t visited a Dogfish Head beer in a while and this was a favorite from last year. It disappeared quickly in the initial offering, so it took on a bit of a mythic quality among me and my friend Garrett. Saw it in the store yesterday and today happened to be my birthday and Garrett stopped by. So, it seemed that all of the stars were aligning and telling me to drink this beer. While some beers lose their luster in a second offering, especially if the mind has created a special mythic place of honor for it, this one lives up to the mental hype. As with many of their offerings, this is an unusual brew. It is brewed with ancho chilies, cocoa power, cocoa nibs, honey, and ground annatto. Not your typical ingredients. The recipe is based on a chocolate beverage of the Americas and the term Theobroma means “food of the gods”. The recipe is based on archeological evidence dating to 1100 B.C. The beer is a light honey color with virtually no head. It has a pleasant sweet, caramel scent and a whiff of alcohol coming off of the 9%ABV concoction. There is a bright citrus and bourbon flavor with a peppery sharpness that feels almost like carbonation, until you remember that there is virtually no carbonation, so the sensation is actually from the heat of the ancho chili. The chocolate presence is subtle, yet distinct, and comes out more overtly in the aftertaste, where you can discern a bitter cocoa flavor. This is an excellent, and unique drinking experience that makes its own myth.

Second Beer: Rogue’s: Mocha Porter:  Deep dark brown color that allows very little light through. It has a nice tan frothy head and sweet and roasty scent. The flavor is sharp and sour, but as that softens it opens up a subtle coffee flavor that deepens in the aftertaste. There is somewhat of a dry, astringent quality as well, but not unpleasant. It is tasty and complex, though I would like a bit more of the burnt roasted flavor to bring out the coffee character a bit more. It is good, but not as interesting as some of Rogue’s other dark beers like the Chocolate Stouth, the Oatmeal stout, the Ditroir Black Lager, or the Daddy’s Little Helper.

Sept. 12: Today’s Beer: Papa Noel’s Olde Ale: Clearly a Holiday beer from the name and from the label (which shows Santa through a window), though I don’t know if it is left over from last year, or early for this year. But, you know what, it doesn’t matter. This is an awesome beer! It has a wonderful deep brown color, just shy of a porter. There is very little carbonation or head.  The first sip was surprisingly devoid of any hoppiness, and instead was slightly sour. But, after that, the glory of the roasted malts kicks in and the true joy of the beer shines. There is a nice mild roasted character that blends well with the sour flavor. It rolls around the mouth and lingers, leaving a wonderfully deep smoky roasty flavor. Unassuming, yet inviting and with unexpected depth of character. And it has a sneaky 7.2%ABV

Sept. 15: Today’s Beer: Rock Bottom’s: Porter: There is a Rock Bottom in Campbell that I go to on  occasion. Since they don’t bottle, I hadn’t really taken the chance to think about their various offerings and write about them. However, I recently got a growler of their porter, and decided that I really should say something. While there are better porters out there, this is a very tasty one. While most focus on the balance of the sour and the burnt flavor, this one is much more about the burnt malts. There is an inviting deep roasted smokiness that dominates. There also is a tasty bitter quality that blends with the deep malts. While it might not be in the same league as Stone, or Deschutes, or Firestone, it is tasty and takes a distinct approach that I enjoy.