Beer Log: Aug. 12-13, 2012

Beer Log: Aug. 12-13:

Aug. 12: Today’s Beer: Cascade Lakes’: 20” Brown: Excellent brown. Very inviting deep caramel brown color. Limited head on the pour and limited carbonation. Sweet, malty scent. Opens with a pleasantly sweet flavor with limited hoppiness. Morphs to a lightly toasted flavor and finishing with a mild earthy hoppiness. Very likable and approachable. Boasts that is it brewed with 6 malts grown in the Northwest. Named for Brown Trout.

 

Aug. 12: Today’s Second Beer: Laurelwood’s: Portlandia Pils: Love that they use the term Portlandia since I love the show. This is a nice, complex lager that takes its hopping cues from the pale ales. Nice light golden color and minimal head. Tasty peppery-piney hoppiness that yields to a sweet citrus taste and finishes bitter. There is also a mildly earthiness in the finish. Good balance between the malts and hops. Exceptionally good Pils. 5.5% ABV. 50 IBU

 

Aug. 13: Southern Oregon Brewing: Pin Up Porter: Excellent porter. This was the first beer I tried from S.O.B. out of Medford. I need to stop by sometime on my way up to Portland. Similar to Deschutes’ Porter, but more smoky and less of the mild sour character of the Black Butte. (Aug. 2011) Trying again just to confirm. Same basic assessment. Good smoky, roasty flavor with a hint of sour to offset, which is what you expect from a good porter. It also has a very tasty undercurrent of coffee. 5.5% ABV.

Beer Adventure: Laurelwood Brewing. Portland. Aug. 11

Aug. 11: Beer Adventure: Laurelwood!

I picked my sister up in Portland to take her out to the beach to join the rest of the family. I volunteered in part as an excuse to stop at a brewery before heading to the coast. I got to be a nice guy, and I got to try new beers. Win-Win. And I got to introduce my sister to new beers as well, so win-win-win.

I Tried:

Hooligan Brown. One of the best browns I’ve ever had. Dominated more by the dark brown caramel malts than by the hops. Enough hops to make it interesting, but subtle enough to let the malt do most of the talking. I’m glad that they bottle it since Laurelwood is a pretty small operation. I just wish it could make it a little further south than Medford. (Aug. 2011). Tried again in Pub. Deep roasty malty goodness. Smooth and earthy with a hint of sour. Very pleasant with limited hoppiness. 5.3% ABV. 31 IBU. (8/11/2012)

Organic Pale Ale.  Strong, competent pale. Comparable to the flavor of Firestone 31, or Drifter. And no pesticide residue! What’s not to love. Another winner from Laurelwood. (Aug. 2011). Tried again in Pub. Light honey color and piney hoppiness. There also is some earthy maltiness. 5.1%ABV. 32 IBU. (8/11/2012)

Gearhead IPA:  Tried again in the Pub. Good piney floral flavor; reminded me somewhat of Firestone Union Jack. Citrus undertones. 6.5% ABV. 60 IBU. (8/11/2012)

Deranger (Pub): Heavy pale ale with a deep malty, sweet flavor. Piney-floral hoppiness and a nice reddish color. Technically an imperial red, but it feels more like an intense pale ale. 8.6%ABV. 100 IBU. (8/11/2012)

Mother Lode Golden Ale (Pub): Light yellow color. Light, crisp, and summery flavor. Good hot weather beer, but somewhat thin flavor compared to other offerings. 5.1% ABV. 20 IBU. (8/11/2012)

Free Range Red (Pub):  Beautiful reddish orange color. Citrusy hops with a slight floral presence. Slight sweetness. At 60 IBU it should have a strong hop presence, but it is relatively subdued. 6.1% ABV. 60 IBU (8/11/2012)

Workhorse IPA (Pub): Pale ale-like color it is amber-honey. Nice piney-sweet flavor. Also a nice earthiness that is reminiscent of a rye. 7.5% ABV. 80 IBU. (8/11/2012)

Tree Hugger Porter: Slightly sour and burnt flavor. Also hints of licorice and coffee. Not as roasty as the Hooligan Brown. There is a hint of bourbon flavor. Good but not a stand out. 5.6% ABV. 30 IBU. . (8/11/2012)

Space Stout. Deep dark roasted flavor. Hint of sour and bourbon and bitter chocolate. Solid stout. 6.1% ABV. 40 IBU.  (8/11/2012)

Aged Deranger (Pub): Deeply sweet with vanilla character. Very strong flavor. Very intense bourbon-alcohol flavor. Good. Though not as complex as some aged varieties I’ve tried. (8/11/2012)

Beer Log, Aug. 5-10, 2012

Beer Log, Aug. 5-10
 

Aug. 5: Today’s Beer: Oakshire Brewing’s: Watershed IPA: Deep golden honey colored. Limited head and foam. It has a very pleasant floral-fruity scent. The first taste brings sweetness with a hint of fruitiness, in the peach/apricot family. The fruitiness recedes and is taken over by an earthy bitter. It’s is a good, middle of the road IPA. It is tough to be a standout in this variety with the intense competition and volume of IPAs available.

 

Aug. 6: Today’s Beer: Bridgeport’s: Summer Squeeze: Summer Squeeze: Great summer beer. So light and hoppy with a strong citrus presence. This may be my new summer favorite from Bridgeport – even better than the Haymaker. The citrus comes from the lemongrass and yuzu fruit that the beer is brewed with. Very limited scent. Medium golden color, similar to a blonde honey kind of color. Good fizziness, but limited head. Tasty and refreshing – as noted a great hot day kind of beer.

 

Another Today’ Beer: Seven Brides Brewing’s: Becky’s Black Cat Porter:  Super black and super dark. No light penetrates, so really this is more like a stout than a porter. But, I can get past that. It has a limited head and foam. There is a subtle roasty scent to it. The first taste is wonderful. It is initially sweet and immediately turns mildly sour and quickly transitions to a deep espresso roasted coffee flavor. The roasty flavor lingers and envelops the tongue and top of the mouth. This is the first I’ve tried from Seven Brides. In fact, it’s the first I’ve heard of them. Nice medium strength of 7%. 55 IBU. It features Wilamette valley Cascade and Nugget hops.

 

Aug. 7: Today’s Beer: Deschutes’: Obsidian Stout: OK, I have finally gotten a chance to write about the regular Deschutes Obsidian Stout in the bottle (as opposed to on tap with Nitro). This is a very good, black, stout. It pours with a nice latte colored head with a roasted flavored foam. Good roasty malted scent. It has a hint of black licorice and coffee. Also it begins with a sourness and ends with a deep bitter. Good normal drinking stout. Along with the Firestone-Walker Velvet Merlin, these are probably the 2 best everyday stouts.

 

Aug. 7: Today’s Second Beer: Burnside Brewing’s: Oatmeal Pale Ale: New Brewery alert! Another small Portland brewery for me to try – oh, goody! So, the pour reveals very little head, so limited carbonation. It has a nice golden orange honey color. Nice floral-fruity smell. Opens sweet and fruity – somewhere in the peach family. The peachy flavor takes over for a brief moment and gives way to a more bitter hoppiness, but in the background there also is a earthiness and mildly burnt sugar flavor. 5.6% ABV. 44 IBU. I’m liking this one a great deal – pleasant, yet complex. On the bottle’s description, it lists the use of Crystal, Galena, and Fuggle hops. It also boasts the use of 75 pounds of rolled oats to provide increased creaminess.

 

Aug. 8: Today’s Beer: Northwest Brewing’s: Mango Weizen: Beer fermented with mango. New brewing company! Well, for me. This one is a cloudy, honey-orange colored ale. The description is that it is 50% wheat malt, along with mango puree and a minimal use of Saaz hops, which explains the IBU of a whopping 3. Yes, 3. It is very carbonated and has a very thick head. It is in some ways like a Belgian beer with a thick foamy head that can fill a glass with foam even with the most gentle pours. Nice, sharp fruity scent. Very sweet taste and very fizzy. Too fizzy – it gets in the way. It has a small hint of sour, but would benefit from a more sour flavor. Usually the more acidic fruits like apricot or peach work well, so I had higher expectations for a mango beer. But, this one has too limited a fruity presence to make it interesting. So, with limited hoppiness and limited fruitiness, this has too little to offer. If you drank this beer blind with no description, and someone asked which fruit it was brewed with, you would be hard pressed to answer. Mango certainly does not come to mind.

 

Aug. 9: Today’s Beer: Deschutes’: Twilight: This is their summer specialty release. As such, it is light, crisp, and displays a refreshing lemony flavor that comes in part from the Amarillo hops. Not overwhelmingly hoppy or carbonated. Cloudy and honey colored. 5% ABV. Good summer drinking on the beach beer. Sweet, citrusy and smooth.

 

Aug. 10: Today’s Beer: Alameda’s: Black Bear XX Stout: Pours deep and dark and thick – lovely. Minimal head or carbonation. Deep dark roasted bitey taste, but with a  creamy sweetness. There is a hint of sourness, but only a hint. There is a mild hint of bourbon, but only a hint. There is also a mild espresso flavor as well. Toward the end, there is also a mild fruity presence that you generally don’t get with stouts. This is a very nice, tasty, and complex stout. 7%.

Beer Advnture: Deschutes Pub, Portland. Aug. 4

Aug. 4: Beer Adventure: Deschutes Brew Pub, Portland, OR.

Yet another visit to the Deschutes Pub. This was a short one, but well worth it as it allowed me to try 6 new beers (sampler of 4 oz.).

 

Belgian Bandit (Pub): Yep, Belgian. Tasty yeasty with a hint of banana. Hazy golden color. Did I mention how tasty it is. Super smooth. Fruity with a mildly sour finish. 8.5%

Deep Red Belgian (Pub): Nice amber brown color. Sweet smell. Very tasty with hints of bourbon. Fruity with hints of raison. Deep and complex. 8.9%

 

Rye-T ON (Pub): Piney rye flavor – like eating rye bread it has a hint of caraway seed. You could soak a pastrami in it and do very well for yourself. Honey orange color. Sweet and savory. Unusual and delicious. Very earthy, it paired will with the sausage I ordered. 6%

 

Flagline Ale (Pub): Very low hop presence. Crisp, and mildly sour it emphasized the malt. It is a lighter malt, so not much of the deep caramel or burnt character of darker malts. Slightly sweet. It’s OK, but not their most distinct work. 4%.

Black Butte XXIV (Pub): OK this is the reason I came here. I love the XXIII and was most anxious about getting to try this one. Deep and dark as you would expect. Smooth opening with a sweet vanilla that morphs into a burnt bourbon and finishes sweet and roasty. MMMMM! The Deep Red was excellent, but this is the winner of the night. I haven’t even tried the 6^th offering, yet, and still I know this one wins. Definitely worth a 12-hour drive. 10.8%

Miss Spelt (Pub):  Cloudy honey color. This is a sour Hefe. Nice tart opening. Very little hoppiness. Quite refreshingly sour with a hint of sweetness. 5.3%.

Aug, 1-3, 2012

Beer Log: Aug. 1-3

 

Aug. 1: Today’s Beer: Laurelwood’s: Gearhead IPA:  Nice golden-orange honey color with a thick foamy head. The scent is mildly earthy with a hint of pine. It also has a nice sweet molasses maltiness. There is also a slight, subtle citrus flavor – mostly orange. The earthy bitter hops linger most pleasantly. Still loving the Laurelwood. Though, I don’t know that I’d classify it as an IPA. It is really more like a British Bitter. But, what’s in a name?

 

Aug. 2: Lompoc Brewing’s: Proletariat  Northwest Red Ale: Honey amber red color, with almost no head or carbonation. Very pleasantly sweet and refreshing with an almost berry-like fruitiness. Limited bitterness or hoppiness with a slight very mild roasted undertone in the finish.  Good medium strength at 6.2% ABV. Another very tasty offering from a Portland –area brewery.

 

Aug. 3: Today’s Beer: Oakshire Brewing’s: Amber Ale: This is actually the second offering I’ve tried from Oakshire. I tried the Espresso Stout last summer and loved it, but didn’t write about it, so I don’t have any detailed record of it, but it was awesome. I have another bottle now, but am somewhat anxious about trying it, fearing it may not live up to the hype I’ve created about it in my mind. So, the Amber it is. The color is not quite as red as most ambers, but it is still generally in the amber family – just more to the honey gold end of the spectrum. It pours with little head and has limited carbonation. Very smooth on the first sip. It opens sweet and fruity with a hint of a floral hoppiness. It hits the top of the palate with a sharp pepperiness that recedes quickly and pulls back to sweet and earthy. Very tasty and unassuming, but complex enough to intrigue. At 5.4%, it won’t put you down quickly. This bodes well for my memory of the stout.

Beer Adventure: Eugene, Oregon. Aug. 1

Aug. 1:  Beer Adventure: Eugene, Oregon.

On my way up to the Oregon Coast with my kids, we needed a break during the drive. We stopped in Eugene to get some food, but it also seemed an opportune time to have a small sample of the local offerings. We first went to Voodoo Doughnuts to sample the Maple Bacon doughnut. Pure deliciousness! The others we tried were equally impressive. I don’t think I’ll ever be allowed to pass by Eugene without stopping again.

And the Voodoo Doughnuts is a very short walk from the Rogue Public House. The great thing about the modern brew pub is that so many of them offer great food and Rogue certainly lives up to this new trend. I had one of the best reubens I have ever had. But, being there also afforded me an opportunity to try a few samples with lunch.

At Rogue:

I tried:

False Start (Part of Track Town Ales Series) (Pub): Brown IPA. Slightly piney and earthy. Good burnt caramel sweetness and medium roasty flavor. Slight orange undercurrents. Lingering earthy bitter hoppiness. Overall medium hoppiness.

Honey Orange Wheat (Pub): Crisp and fizzy. Light and fizzy and crisp. Overall not as interesting as it sounds. Low hoppiness and little aftertaste. Thin yellow color. Somewhat hazy.

Porcini Scotch (Pub): Dark amber brown color. Strong and somewhat sweet. Hints of whiskey. Earthy and savory. Definitely a sipping beer. And definitely the most interesting selection.

Oregasmic (Pub): Cloudy amber color. Earthy hoppy bitterness. Slight bourbon flavor. Lingering bitterness, but good.

 

I have come to develop a tremendous respect for Rogue in the last couple of years. They have some solid standards, but also have a great amount of creativity. I could have spent a couple of days there with the variety of offerings that they had available.

Second Mini Beer Adventure: Ninkasi:

After lunch, we drove over to Ninkasi. It was partly to see the operation, but also to buy a t-shirt. I am a big fan of their standards, particularly their stout. I have not seen much in the way of experimentation from Ninkasi, but they do have a number of special seasonal releases. The tap room is decorated in a very modern way – lots of metal and straight lines. I would have assumed a more rustic décor, but it was a well done modern. And they have great beer.

I tried:

Sleigh’r 2011 (Pub): Christmas brown. Deep roasty maltiness. Definitely mellower than it was during winter, but very pleasant, smooth, sweet brown beer. (8/1/2012)

Nuptuale (Pub): NW Pale. Citrus and smooth. And more citrus. Very smooth finish (8/1/2012)

 

Since I had already had samples at Rogue and needed to drive, I only had very small samples at Ninkasi (2 oz each). I still would like to stop in town when Oakshire is open since I love their espresso stout and would love to try it on tap.

Beer Log, July 1-31, 2012

Beer Log: July 1-31:

July 1: Today’s Beer: Lagunitas’: Lucky XIII Alt.    Blonde, strong, and tasty. (July 2011). OK, I didn’t write about this one last year. I did try it sometime in July when I came across a bottle in Sebastopol.  The Lucky 13 is the summer release, which means that the 2012 WTF is soon to disappear. So, now that I have my trusty beer computer in front of me while sampling this year’s release, I can comment in somewhat greater detail. First off, the scent is alluring. Very sweet and floral. And a quick sip of the foam confirms this combination of flavors. The sweetness is akin to a light caramel flavor. While the malty sweetness is the first impression, it is followed quickly by the floral hoppiness. Nice one-two punch. After, there is a lingering pronounced bitter. The color is a golden honey blonde – very pretty. But with 8.8% ABV, it packs a punch.

 

July 5: Today’s Beer: Stone’s: Ruination 10^th Anniversary: (Ruining Palates for ten years) This is a high alcohol (10.8% ABV) version of the Ruination, with more types of hops than the normal version. Deep golden honey colored beer with limited carbonation. It does have a nice foamy head that gives off a distinct wave of bitter that infiltrates the sinuses. Extraordinarily bitter. The first wave of bitter hits, followed by another, and yet another. Not for the faint of heart or the novice beer drinker.  Compared to any other beer, Ruination 10 es mas macho. The overwhelming biter hides the alcohol nicely – it sneaks up on you. After a few more sips, it is easier to find the malts, which also have been hiding – no doubt quivering in the corner up until now, terrified by the mass of hops. But, the malts also have a place. They provide a very subtle sweetness that supports the bitter. The only detracting factor is that there is also a hint of the burnt rubber taste that I noticed in the Escondidian 15. But, it’s not as present as it was in the E-15, so I can get past it. But, of their recent special releases, I probably prefer the Imperial Russian or the Old Guardian.

 

July 7: Today’s Beer: Triple Voodoo’s: Grand Cru: Gotta say, I’m kind of excited about this one. It is the first I’ve tried from Triple Voodoo. They are a contract brewer that works at the Devil’s Canyon Brewery site in Belmont. So, not only is it a new brewery for me to try, but I’ve loved everything I’ve tried from Devil’s Canyon, and I’m thinking that some of their magic must carry over to others who share their space. Right? The description also is intriguing. It is brewed with Belgian malts and hops, but also incorporates Agave nectar, coriander, and orange peel. How could you read that and not want to try it? So, the pour revealed a light amber color with medium carbonation and head. The foam smelled enticingly sweet and fruity and offered a hint of the beer’s character. For those accustomed to the hoppier beers, this one opens with the malts. The hops are there, but as support, not as the star. There is a distinct sweet, fruity flavor, not quite banana, but that type of sweet. There is also a nice citrus presence. Overall, it seems to have a nice amber simplicity, but the flavor is subtly complex. You would never suspect that it is a 9% ABV. It could pass for a sub 5%, so it is sneaky strong. Good one to enjoy on a hot day. While you could drink it quickly, slowly sipping helps to reveal some of the beer’s subtlety. So, don’t rush this one, even though it is tasty enough and friendly enough to put down quickly. I’m quite delighted that my own internal hype did not over promote. Triple Voodoo is a welcome addition to the local beer scene. Now to find it somewhere on tap.

 

July 8: Today’s Beer: Lagunitas’: Maximus IPA: A higher octane version of their IPA. More hops, more alcohol, just  . . . more. Nice medium carbonation and frothy head with a pleasant floral –citrus aroma. Not as much of the grapefruit flavor as their standard IPA, but still a nice citrus taste. There is almost an apricot undertone as well. Beautiful orange-amber color. Not as distinct as many of their beers, but still very tasty. There is also a deeper bitter finish than in many of their beers. 8.6% ABV.  72.41 IBU.

 

July 16: Today’s Beer: Rogue’s: Dad’s Little Helper: Black IPA. Brewed for Father’s Day. Where was this one on Father’s Day? I would have loved to have had it then! Oh well, better late than never. Love the bottle with the Rogue guy wearing three ties. Very dark color, almost like a porter in its color. Very dark, but still lets some light through. Very deep bitter aroma with a hint of a deeply toasted malt. The flavor is like a bitter porter. Among the Black IPA family, most have a hint of the darkly toasted malt, but in this one it is more distinct than in many others (I recently had a 21^st Amendment Back in Black, so I’m using that as my reference point here). There is also a hint of the kind of sourness that you generally get with a porter. The key difference here is how heavily hopped it is compared to a porter. Maybe it should be a India Porter Ale. Not much carbonation and the head was not very substantial. This is a very good, very distinct beer. 70 IBU. Wow. I realize that I haven’t tried something new for over a week! Just relying on old standards. Not a bad thing to do, but there are so many new beers showing up almost daily, it seems almost irresponsible to be so limited. Mostly bitter, earthy hops, but there is also a nice piney flavor as well.

 

July 18: Today’s Beer: Knee Deep Brewing’s: Tanilla: Described as a Porter brewed with Vanilla Beans and “natural flavor”. Don’t know what the “natural flavor” is here. This is the first I’ve seen of any Knee Deep offerings. Picked this one up in a Raley’s in El Dorado Hills on the way back from a camping trip. The description intrigued me since I love a good porter to begin with and it’s fun to see what types of sub-varieties that can be created. The pour was dark brown, almost like a cola. The scent has a strong vanilla presence, but also a hint of a deeply roasted coffee. Limited head, but it too had a strong vanilla-espresso flavor. The head also had a bit of a metallic flavor, which made me a bit anxious, but the beer itself did not have the metallic taste. Holding the glass up to the light, very little light gets through. The first sip opens with vanilla up front, followed quickly by a dark burnt roasted flavor that gives way to a deep espresso that lingers on the palate. Yum! I approve. Not too strong at 6.3% ABV and limited hoppy bitterness at 30 IBU

 

July 22: : Today’s Beer: Full Sail’s: Black Gold Imperial Stout: Limited release high-octane stout aged 11 months in bourbon barrels. Brewmaster Reserve 2011. This is a sipping beer. At 11.4% ABV, it definitely kicks ass. OK, I’m getting ahead of myself. The pour was thick and deep black. No light can get through, because, you know, the deep, deep blackness. Very little foam to this one, in fact, no head to speak of. Oh, the aroma. So seductive. You can smell the bourbon barrel influence coming through, but also a hint of soy sauce. There is also a sweet vanilla undertone in the scent. The taste is wonderfully layered and complex. It hits with a tart sensation, followed by a distinct bourbon-alcohol character that mellows into a vanilla and settles on a deeply roasted espresso. Very satisfying. Obviously, this is a sipping beer, so no chugging. That would end badly, so no cheating. As with many of the darker beers, especially the barrel aged ones, it also benefits with warming to near room temperature. As it warms, more of the oaky, bourbon flavor comes through and the espresso mellows and lingers. Goo d beer for a special occasion.

 

July 23: Today’s Beer: Bison Brewing’s: Organic Chocolate Stout: Brewed with cocoa. I like chocolate stouts. They can be quite tasty. I wanted so very much to like this. I went to Bison in its early years and enjoyed a beer there (it was quite a long time ago, so I don’t remember what I had). It is relatively local, and a small operation. It is a style I generally quite like. All the stars seemed to be aligning for me to love this beer! And it has a very cool bison on the logo. What’s not to like? Turns out the beer itself. Sigh. It is nice and dark; no light penetrates. That part was good. And it had a nice frothy tan head. Also a plus. But the first taste of the foam revealed something amiss. There was an odd flavor. Not quite burnt rubber, but something along those lines, and quite unpleasant. A taste of the beer supported the first impression. There is an odd taste. Almost like the beer was conditioned inside of a car tire. There also was a strong metallic flavor as well. Overall, not pleasant. The only saving grace was the aftertaste. Once the beer has left the mouth, it leaves a hint of a nicely roasted dark malt. I’m sure I’ll try something else, but most likely won’t be in any rush. Sorry Bison.

 

July 27: Today’s Beer: Green Flash’s: Double Stout: Black Ale: Very thick and dark pour, with a nice thick tan head. The foam had a nice burnt malt flavor with a hint of sourness and a slight blue cheese note. I know it sounds odd, but it is there. Blue Cheese. I’m serious. I generally don’t like blue cheese, but the hint here is somewhat intriguing – it adds an unusual layer and recedes quickly.  Very tasty stout. Smooth and deeply roasted. It doesn’t have the deep espresso flavor that some stouts do, but there is a hint of it in the aftertaste. At a sneaky 8.9% it creeps up on you quickly.

 

July 31: Today’s Beer: Mt. Shasta Brewing’s: Weed Lemurian Golden Lager: New small brewery to try! Stopped in a gas station in Dunsmuir and came across a couple of offerings from them. This one is named for mythical peoples that live in the Shasta area, so a little local lore, as well as a fine beer. Made with Noble hops and German malts, it owes much of its inspiration to German lagers. It has a nice golden color, and is moderately carbonated. The first taste is classic lager – crisp, bright, and citrusy. But as it clears the throat, a nice, roasty aftertaste settles in. Excellent use of and balance of malts. Very tasty.