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.