What I've Been Drinking

It's been a while since I posted what I've been drinking so here we go. Here are 10 beers that traveled some distance from their birthplace to my refrigerator.

Abita Save Our Shore, Score: 5
a german pilsner whose proceeds go to charity. now how can you beat that? just a sweet, bland pils though. no regrets.

Founders KBS, Score: 10
one of those rare beers where the first sip makes you go "wow!" a no-doubter perfect 10. beautiful capuccino head. rich complex nose. flavor is mainly coffee with hint of vanilla but there is a lot of other things going on too. simply amazing.

Full Sail Bump in the Night, Score: 6
not as dark as you would think with nice piney aroma. taste is mostly bitter with note of smokey charcoal that didn't quite jive.

Kasteel Donker, Score: 8
a quad so sweet you had no choice but to sip it. smooth though, and well put together. while my friends didn't like it, i found it fairly enjoyable.

Professor Fritz Briem 1809 Berliner Weisse, Score: 7
one of my favorite styles but unfortunately it can rarely be found in a bottle. here the lemon zest and tartness dominates. little raw for my taste though. still worth trying.

Schlafly Biere De Garde, Score: 8
a brewer from st. louis, missouri that i have been looking for. even better, this is a style that i rarely get to try. light, fruity, yeasty, with some wine-like qualities, and a splash of alcohol at the end. pretty good, i thought.

Stone Cali-Belgique, Score: 7
not the bombastic, over-the-top, take-no-prisoner ipa i was expecting. but not bad either.

Tallgrass IPA, Score: 6
an ipa from kansas in a tall boy. i found this down in pennsylvania, so it may be a little while longer before it gets to us. little watery, but good.

Widmer Pitch Black IPA, Score: 7
a spring seasonal. a little thin and delicate for a black ipa, but still enjoyable.

Williamsburg Alewerks Coffeehouse Stout, Score: 7
using "coffeehouse" in the title is misleading, this is a milk stout... and a simple one at that. still enjoyable though.

The Cascades Come East

Diving into the "Black IPA's"
By JOSH SMITH March 16, 2011
http://providence.thephoenix.com/movies/117177-cascades-come-east/

According to the latest Beer Style Guidelines released by the Brewers Associations, there are 73 styles of ales and 64 lagers in existence. That's 137 different styles of beer! Despite this plethora of options, the world's newest style of beer has created quite a stir.

While the style has been well-received by the craft beer community, there has been considerable controversy surrounding what to call this unique style. If you ask me (or more importantly the Pacific Northwest brewers who popularized the style), it is called Cascadian Dark Ale (CDA). Others prefer the more universal Black IPA (ignoring the fact that you can't really have a black pale ale . . .). And the official name designated by the Brewers Association is American-style Black Ale. At the very least I think everyone can agree that saying, "Hey, can I have an American-style Black Ale?" is a rather awkward drink order.

Even the style's origins are contentious. The term Cascadian Dark Ale was coined by Oregon home brewers Abram Goldman-Armstrong and Bill Wood. However, brewers from Oregon to Colorado to Vermont have claimed to be the first to brew the style. Though others have brewed black, IPA-like beers before, Goldman-Armstrong and Wood have the strongest claim of ownership by bringing together experts to define the style in 2010.

What is agreed is that CDAs are characterized by aromatic, citrusy hops like Cascade, Amarillo, Centennial, Chinook, and Simcoe. The malts used should be dark and roasty, but not heavy or burnt as in a stout. This unique pairing of malts and hops can result in some unusual flavors like rosemary, mint, or ginger, as well as healthy levels of bitterness and alcohol. Medium-bodied and easy to drink, CDAs are the perfect beer to challenge that friend who "doesn't drink dark beers."

Unfortunately, some of the style's best examples are out of our reach in the Pacific Northwest. DESCHUTES HOP IN THE DARK CASCADIAN DARK ALE is my favorite for the way the citrus hops and roasted coffee harmonize rather than contrast. The good news is that now plenty of other top-notch CDAs can be found in this area. In no particular order, here are eight Cascadian Dark Ales worth looking for:

• STONE'S SUBLIMELY SELF-RIGHTEOUS ALE started as Special Release until a cult-like following demanded it be brewed year-round. One of the hoppiest CDAs I have encountered, it is exactly what you would expect from this extreme San Diego brewer.

• SIERRA NEVADA'S BLACKBIRD BLACK IPA has a considerably lower profile for some reason — I've only seen it on tap once. Not exactly sessionable at 8.7% ABV, it's still considerably smoother than its rivals.

• And you know CDAs are here to stay when they start showing up in a can! 21ST AMENDMENT'S BACK IN BLACK is a little thin for my taste, but would still be an enjoyable companion for that springtime picnic.

• Out east, VICTORY'S YAKIMA GLORY is a winter seasonal that deftly meshes the opposing flavors together. The body is almost creamy, making it easy to drink a couple in a sitting.

• Some of the smaller breweries from Massachusetts have also taken a swing at the style. CLOWN SHOES HOPPY FEET 1.5 DOUBLE BLACK IPA is enjoyable as long as you don't mind some aggressive hoppiness.

• BLUE HILLS' BLACK HOPS, on the other hand, falls on the maltier side of the spectrum. Still an easy drinker though.

• ELEMENT BREWING, a nanobrewery out of western Massachusetts, interestingly refers to their CDA as a cross between a Schwarzbier and IPA. DARK ELEMENT is dark and complex, with both sweetness and bitterness emerging throughout. Best to take your time with this one; you can drink it near-room temperature.

• NEWPORT STORM'S '10 special release would also have to be considered a Cascadian Dark Ale. As mentioned in this column a few weeks ago, this big beer is definitely worth seeking out.

Stock watch

Entering year four of this blog, my taste in beer has definitely evolved and grown more sophisticated. These are some of the risers and fallers that stick out most in my mind:

Berkshire Dean's Beans Coffeehouse Porter
love everything about this beer. so smooth, delicious flavor. a perfect 10.
Original Score: 9, Score: 10

Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA
sweetness has become rather cloying to me.
Original Score: 10, Score: 8

La Chouffe
more watery than i remembered, but still very good.
Original Score: 9, Score: 7

Liberal Cup Backhouse Bitter
as smooth and creamy a beer as you will find. definitely bitter, but i love it. a great english beer. Original Score: 7, Score: 8

Ommegang Hennepin
while i prefer allagash, the price point for ommegang is definitely better and results in my drinking it more often.
Original Score: 10, Score: 9

Samuel Adams Boston Lager
my ranking of sam adams' beers tend to be too high across the board, which is understandable since this was my introduction to craft beer. i still end up drinking the boston lager all the time as it is often the best beer available at dive bars and functions. the bitterness and drinkability make this a solid beer but hard to get excited about.
Original Score: 9, Score: 6

Samuel Adams Summer Ale
not unpleasant but not a good beer by any stretch of the imagination.
Original Score: 7, Score: 4

Shipyard Export Ale
same deal as with sam adams. this is one of my favorite session beers, but 7 is a more accuarate scoring.
Original Score: 9, Score: 7

Shipyard Pumpkinhead Ale
too spiced for my tastes now.
Original Score: 8, Score: 4

Stone IPA
for around $4 for a bomber this has become one of my favorite buys.
Original Score: 9, Score: 10

Widmer Brothers Hefeweizen
tasty, if slightly watery. it's nice to have access to some portland beers out east.
Original Score: 9, Score: 6

Breaking news: Full Sail in Massachusetts!

I had a hunch this was coming and today I found out for sure: Full Sail brewery of Hood River, Oregon is now available in Massachusetts!

This is a big deal. I have been clamoring for years to get some of those fine Oregon brews (beyond Rogue and Widmer) out to New England, and now it has happened! All we have to do now is get Deschutes and Hopworks...

Full Sail is an excellent brewer. Their Session, Amber, and Pale Ale are all top-notch, balanced, drinkable beers. The IPA is nice and flavorful, if not quite a full tilt West Coast IPA. Their Chris's Summer D-Lite is still the best Berliner Weisse I have ever had (but I don't expect to see it out this way any time soon...) Regardless, Full Sail has a great track record and really knows what they are doing.

For more details, check out the writeup from one of my favorite Massachusetts beer bloggers, Beer Nut: http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/features/x893358815/The-Beer-Nut-Full-Sail-ahead-in-Massachusetts

So keep an eye out for Full Sail so you can enjoy a Pale Ale along with me!

Suitcase survivors

Another skill I have honed in the process of destroying my liver has been that of successfully packing a ridiculous number of beer bottles in a single suitcase. My last trip to Portland was especially productive. These three beers I enjoyed while on vacation at my cabin in Maine... and alone were worth the effort.

Cascade Kriek Ale '09, Score: 8
i feel like i am arriving a little late to the sour party (although i am quite certain this isn't the second coming of ipa's as some predict.) tartness comes on strong at first but mellows slightly. certainly an enjoyable beer.

Midnight Sun Sockeye Red IPA, Score: 6
midnight sun is a well respected alaskan brewer that i was eager to try. bitterness is quite brash, making this an over-the-top ipa in my opinion. i still enjoyed it though.

Best in show:
Alesmith Speedway Stout, Score: 10
the hype is justified. coffee shines through while booze is held at arms length. silky smooth only begins to describe. i savored this over the course of two nights with hardly any decrease in quality. put this one on your bucket list.

The Rest of PDX

While the Oregon Brewers Festival was the highlight, we tried a few other beers while in Portland. Starting with a trip to two of my very favorite brewers: Deschutes and Hopworks.

Deschutes Sagebrush Classic Pils, 8 is a very clean, crisp German pils. Deschutes The Greens IPA, 7 has a nice piney bitterness without the harsh aftertaste. Deschutes Fresh Squeezed IPA, 9 delivers citrus, as advertised. Very, very good. Deschutes Hop in the Dark Cascadian Dark Ale, 10 is a great example of this new Black IPA style. 70 IBU, 7% abv. Citrus hops dominate with some roasted coffee on the side. While the two contrasting flaors blend nicely, I wouldn't drink more than one in a sitting. I may have to brew one of these.

Hopworks What the Helles, 5 was a "light summer lager" without any umph. Hopworks Velvet Underground, 7 has some nice sweet, piney hops. Hopworks Noggin Floggin, 6 was supposed to be an "imperial black ESB." Dark as night and at 8.7% abv this seemed closer to a Russian Imperial Stout to me. Smooth, but you really taste the alcohol. It is worth noting that the other beers from the sampler were 8's, 9's, and 10's.

Full Sail Hop Pursuit, 7 was on cask. The grassiness reminded me more of an ESB than an IPA. Quite gulpable. Full Sail Saison A Pleine Voile, 4 is a saison, but too watery with a funny aftertaste. Pass. Lucky Lab Bavarian Crystal Hefeweizen, 6 was surprisingly clear for a hef. Not badly made with lots of yeast and cloves on the nose and banana's on the taste. Not sure I would drink a whole pint of this though. Lucky Lab Super Dog IPA, 6 heavy citrus hops with a raw bite at the finish. Not great. Caldera Pils, 7 was well made and made for a nice time shopping for bottles at Belmont Station.

OBF: Another perspective

By Kelly Smith

Being married to a craft beer connoisseur, such as Josh, has its share of drawbacks. Every available inch of our garage is lined with hundreds of different craft beer bottles. Our house is known as Brewery North. The home office has been transformed into a beer storage facility. The aroma of wort frequently fills our home. However, it also has its perks. The Oregon Brewers Festival was certainly one of those perks! I was so inspired by this fine collection brewers with quality beers that I have decided to share my thoughts with you.

10 Barrel Brewing Company, ISA: 7
Citrusy aroma, moderate hop bitterness, surprisingly decent flavor, 6.7% ABV

21st Amendment Brewery, Hell or High Watermelon Wheat: 2
This is a watermelon jolly rancher in a bottle. I love wheat beer. I love fruit beer. But this is a poor excuse for a beer.

Boulder Beer Co, Kinda Blue: 2
Ehhh. The best quality of this beer was that it was cold. (Too cold for most craft beer drinkers, but that’s how I like it!) Little blueberry flavor, light and easy to drink but with no taste, why bother?

Boulevard Brewing Compan, Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale: 7
There is a lot going on here. Nice citrusy hopped aroma, medium body, sharp yeast

Boundary Bay Brewery, German Tradition Double Dry Hopped Pale Ale: 7
Nice and hoppy with no sharp aftertaste. Not my favorite style, but I can still appreciate a well crafted brew.

Buckbean Brewing Company, Original Orange Blossom Ale: 8
With the aroma of a frozen ice pop, this is an inviting, fun summer beer. This medium bodied pale has a unique citrus flavor and is easy to drink.

Caldera Brewing Company, Hibiscus Ginger Beer: 7
Very pleasant floral aroma, pleasantly mild flavors with a floral taste, medium body, lightly hopped, unique beer, fairly easy drinking

Cascade Brewing, Summer Gose: 9
I don’t particularly care for anything sour, so the fact that I found this beer to be fabulous was a shock! This lightly sour beer is unique and refreshing. Surprisingly, with a ABV of 4%, it is also sessionable.

Collaborator, Sunstone Pilsner: 4
Slightly hoppy for a pilsner, stale in taste

Fort George Brewery and Public House, Vortex IPA: 5
Overly hopped northwest style IPA, fairly good balance and medium body. Not my favorite style, but I appreciate the ambition.

Great Northern Brewing Company, Wheatfish: 6
I love wheat beers but it is hard to find a fabulous one. This one is no exception. Low in bitterness and very drinkable but not very flavorful either.

MacTarnahan’s Brewing Company, Lip Stinger Farmhouse Ale: 4
Peppercorns do not, I repeat, do not belong in beer! They are very present in the aroma and distinctive in the taste. Medium body, a touch lemony.

Marin Brewing Company, Bluebeery Ale: 8
Yum! My kind of beer! Sweet (not syrupy) blueberry flavor, light, balanced, very drinkable

Maui Brewing Company, CoCoNut Porter: 4
Porter is not my favorite style. Perhaps this is a well crafted beer, but it is lost on me. Unique light coconut flavor at the end.

Natian Brewery, Destination: 5
The combination of the dark roasts and sweet bee sugar gives this beer a malty, sweet balance. A bit too malty for easy drinking, but interesting to try.

New Belgium Brewing Company, Ranger IPA: 8
Northwest hops through and though- yum!! From first taste to aftertaste, it is crisp and clean.

Pelican Pub and Brewery, Kiwanda Cream Ale: 4
Floral, citrusy aroma, creamy and smooth mouth feel, bit of stale lemon in the aftertaste- doesn’t linger too long but certainly doesn’t increase enjoyment.

Ram Restaurant and Brewery, Barefoot Wit: 8
Clean and crisp aroma, slightly citrus flavor, refreshing and easy drinking. A solid wit, although I would have enjoyed a bit more flavor.

Surly Brewing, Bitter Brewer: 4
Very bitter beer, which flavor lingers. If you like IPAs, this may make a good camping beer.

The Bruery, 7 Grain Saison: 6
Not nearly as complex as expected from this well regarded brewery with a solid line up. Moderately hopped, light body, creamy mouth feel

Upright Brewing Company, Reggae Junkie Gruit: 8
Heather tips make this beer floral in fragrance and taste. Slightly sweet, low malts. If you are up for a unique, easy drinking beer, then give it a try!

Oregon Brewers Festival!

While on the west coast, my wife and I had the chance to attend the Oregon Brewers Festival. Arguably, the best outdoor beer festival in the country, this event took place in the picturesque Tom McCall Waterfront Park. 81 different domestic brewers showed up with one special beer. The festival itself worked on a token system; 1 token (or about $1) for a 4 oz sample, or 4 tokens for a full mug of beer. Of course, our goals was to try as many different beers as possible, but totally insane lines (we were there on a Saturday) led us to switch over to pints at the end of the afternoon. Regardless, this was easily the best festival we have been to and an awesome afternoon of drinking.

Tier 1:
Firestone Walker Union Jack (8) was my number one priority coming in and was a very piney, sweet IPA. Not on my radar was New Belgium Ranger IPA (8) with an equally big flavor. Double Mountain The Vaporizer (9) and Boundary Bay German-tradition Double Dry Hopped Pale Ale (9) two excellent pale ale’s, and possibly my favorite beers of the whole day. Surly Bitter Brewer (10) belongs in those discussions as well; I would love to be able to buy six of these cans at a time. Cascade Summer Gose (9) was certainly my wife’s favorite beer of the day and I too found it to be a very refreshing sour. Boulevard Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale (9) was another top priority and I was duly impressed with the use of corn flakes to smooth out the mouthfeel. Rounding out the top tier was Upright Reggae Junkie Gruit (8). New to the scene, Upright did an excellent job of simulating the sensation of hops by using heather tips, orange peel, and a healthy level of carbonation.

Tier 2:
Tier 2 started out with three solid IPA’s: Beer Valley Leafer Madness (7), Laurelwood Organic Deranger Imperial Red (6), and Fort George Vortex (6). Surprisingly, Laughing Dog Dogzilla Black IPA (8) was the only “Cascadian Dark Ale” to make an appearance. This newly-emerging style has great potential, and indeed the hops and roasted malts played very well with each other. Maui Coconut Porter (7) took the prize for longest line of the day and kicked pretty early on. Coconut worked well, if imparting slightly too much sweetness in the middle of the flavor. Buckbean Original Orange Blossom Ale (7) tasted like a frozen orange ice pop according to Kelly, which was actually pretty good. Easy drinking Pelican Pub Kiwanda Cream Ale (7), 10 Barrel ISA (7), and Collaborator Sunstone Pils (7) round out this class.

Tier 3:
Our last grouping features some very ambitious beers that didn’t quite come together. Caldera Hibiscus Ginger Beer (4) and Caldera Rose (5) came on too strong to be enjoyable but didn’t miss by much. Natian Destinatian (5) is a new nano-brewer that got the invite and responded admirably with an interesting brew containing Oregon honey. MacTarnahan’s Lipstinger Farmhouse (3) utilizing peppercorn was less good. Same goes for Ram Barefoot Wit (4) and Great Northern Wheatfish Wheat Lager (5). The surprise of the day though had to be not one, but two beers from The Bruery falling to the last category. The Bruey Oud Tart (6) and The Bruery 7 Grain Saision (5) were very one-dimensional offerings.

Quick hits

Baltika #4, Score: 6
dark pour, good flavor, easy drinking. good value.

Brooklyn Local 2, Score: 8

soft, flavorful malts. very well brewed.

Butternuts Porkslap Pale Ale, Score: 4
pretty bland -- even for beer in a can.

Cascade Sang Rouge, Score: 8

a sour, and a good one. 750 ml is kind of a lot to drink by yourself though... nice to see some of these oregon beers popping up all of a sudden.

Frosty Knuckle Ale, Score: 6

out of ispwich... surprising amount going on here: hops, yeast, and quite crisp.

Goose Island 312 Urban Wheat, Score: 6

got this at bleachers bar at fenway. pretty light though.

Goose Island Matilda, Score: 7

good but didn't blow my socks off.

Harpoon Belgian Pale Ale, Score: 5

fine.

He'Brew Jewbelation Bar Mitzvah (13), Score: 8
i will always give them extra points for such a brilliant name.

High & Mighty Two-Headed Beast, Score: 4
thought i would give these guys another chance, but just another slickly marketed beer afterall.

Hitachino Nest White Ale, Score: 4

a severe disappointment: medicinal aftertaste that i couldn't get into.

Just Beer Moby D, Score: 5

the successors to buzzards brewing. this mild is one of several unexciting styles now hitting the shelves. cheap to start though...

Lagunitas Hop Stoopid, Score: 7

one of the best values you will find for a bomber at $5.49.

McSorley's Irish Black Lager, Score: 4

i added some of this to a black bean dip. definitely a beer you don't feel bad cooking with.

Okocim Beer, Score: 3
watery, fairly sweet macrolager. i hear their porter is much better and the same price...

Pretty Things February 27th, 1832 Mild Ale, Score: 7

a historic recreation, which is fun. nice to drink for 10.5%

Stone Smoked Porter, Score: 8

especially enjoyable alongside barbeque.

Agree to Disagree

A few weeks back I mentioned that I should do a post about my most overrated and underrated beers. Which begs the question: overrated and underrated by who? I have said it before, but I find Beer Advocate to be a tremendous resource for my research needs. It is interesting to see what the broader beer community thinks of a beer, and their reviews have helped me pin down an unidentifiable flavor or aroma. That said, sometimes I have to agree to disagree with you other craft beer drinkers out there.

Most Overrated

Bell's Java Stout

BA Rating: A-, Josh's Rating: C+

Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA
BA Rating: B+, Josh's Rating: C+

Rogue Brutal Bitter Ale
BA Rating: A-, Josh's Rating: C+

Sam Adams Chocolate Bock
BA Rating: B+, Josh's Rating: C-

Southern Tier Jahva
BA Rating: A-, Josh's Rating: B

Most Underrated

Cape Ann Fisherman's Brew
BA Rating: B, Josh's Rating: A-

Deschutes Mirror Pond Pale Ale
BA Rating: B+, Josh's Rating: A+

Geary's Pale Ale
BA Rating: B, Josh's Rating: A

Olde Burnside Ten Penny Ale Reserve
BA Rating: B, Josh's Rating: A

Widmer Hefeweizen
BA Rating: C+, Josh's Rating: A-

Countdown to 1,000

I have alluded to this point already, but we are nearing a big milestone on the beer blog: 1,000 beers rated! A countdown has been added so stay tuned. To aid us in our march, here are a dozen new beers that cover the spectrum.

Bear Republic XP Pale Ale
22 oz -- Luke's, Rockland
i only have access to the most basic of bear republic products, so any time i have a chance to try another, i do. this had the prominent floral hops you would expect and is well balanced with nutty / biscuity malts. good not great.
Score: 7

Brown's IPA
Bottle -- Minogue's, Saratoga Springs, NY
a pretty raw beer. eric warned me against it and he was right. not reccommended at all.
Score: 2

Genesee Cream Ale
Can -- Minogue's, Saratoga Springs, NY
not sure how it started but i have kind of taken to trying the local equivalent of bud where i travel. genesee is one of those beers that have been around forever, but now is pretty much limited to upstate new york. kind of fun to drink, and slightly better than i expected.
Score: 4

Hair of the Dog Adam
Bottle -- Corks's, Portland, OR
barleywine or old ale, either way i wanted to age this beer as long as possible (it is left over from my honeymoon in may.) i finally broke down but eight months was a pretty good run. smokey, hoppy, with a hint of liquorice. does remind me of a scottish. creamy and drinkable. worth the wait.
Score: 9

High & Mighty Home For The Holidays
22 oz -- The Lighthouse, Manchester, ME
my first high and mighty beer didn't go over too well, which made exceeding expectations doable. while its a holiday ale, there is no spice, it is a straight up brown. alcohol was high, but drinks pretty easy. not bad, but wouldn't rush back.
Score: 6

Liberal Cup For Richer or Porter
Tap -- Liberal Cup, Hallowell, ME
roasty and smooth. i like most all porter's, but this was good. heavy enough though that i had to switch over to their backhouse bitter after just one...
Score: 7

Ommegang Witte
Bottle -- Julio's Liquors, Westboro
a very light translucent color. spicy, yeasty, almost musty smell. taste is unmistakably tart lemon. thin and chalky mouthfeel. good not great. victim of high expectations to be sure.
Score: 6

Southern Tier Cuvee Series 2 (Oak Aged Series)
22 oz -- Cork's, Mansfield
a strong ale. tons of vanilla here. all kinds of sweetness. unlike anything had tried before -- never a bad thing.

Score: 6

St. George Summer Ale
Bottle -- Rick's Wine and Gourmet, Alexandria, VA
the last beer remaining from my dc trip. biscuit malts provide more body than you would expect in a summer. not bad.
Score: 6

Victory Yakima Twilight
Bottle -- MA
i saw this referred to as a double ipa, but beer advocates designation as a strong ale seems much more on point to me. a bold beer with 9% abv, plenty of hops and malts. pretty good, i thought. thanks, dan.
Score: 8

Weyerbacher Insanity
22 oz -- Luke's, Rockland
i am kind of off of barleywines right now so this bottle sat on my shelf untouched for over a year. didn't exactly mellow in that time though. big sweetness and definitely warming.
Score: 6

Wild Goose IPA
Bottle -- Luke's
product of maryland. i knew this was an english ipa before i looked it up because it definitely has those distinctive biscuity malts. didn't meld together especially well though.
Score: 5

West Coast Beers

Sadly, the last of the beers I brought back from the honeymoon are listed below, along with a few west coast brewers that are a little more widely available.

21st Amendment IPA
Can -- Superstar Discount Beverage Center, Huntington, NY
sold to me as a drinkable ipa, and it was all of that. very enjoyable. one notch below dale's pale ale, but that is all.
Score: 7

Alaskan Smoked Porter 2008
22 oz -- Cork, Portland, OR
big aroma: smoke, cola, and coffee. smoked meat features in flavor, but it really does fit. very smooth and lively. its a shame i won't see any more of these alaskan beers for a while.
Score: 9

Hair of the Dog Blue Dot Double IPA
22 oz -- Cork, Portland, OR
first thing that strikes you about this beer is the somewhat unusual aroma. sweet, with citrus hops and fruity esters... and very heavy, hanging in your nostrils. malts balance hops nicely, but still finishes with some punch. a fun beer.
Score: 8

Heater Allen Pils
22 oz -- Belmont Station, Portland, OR
a czech pilsner with simple, classy label. nice golden color with thick lacing that clings to my stange glass. sharp aroma of fresh hay. decent bitterness up front. textured mouthfeel, but easy to drink. highly recommended but you may have to be on the west coast to find it...
Score: 8

North Coast Old Plowshare Stout
Bottle -- Luke's, Rockland
an organic stout from one of my favorite brewers. somewhat see-through black. nice coffee aroma and some molasses, i think. tasty, with bitterness giving edge to beer. almost thin, but doesn't necessarily detract from beer. delicious.
Score: 8

Port Brewing High Tide Fresh Hop IPA
22 oz -- Luke's, Rockland
yet another fresh hop beer -- these are really hot lately. hazy, dark golden pour... distinctive cascade hops at work here... sharp bitterness on finish... wears a little thin over the course of the bottle.
Score: 7

Pick of the litter:

Alesmith IPA
22 oz -- Shoreline Beverage, Huntington, NY
especially impressive head on this one, perfectly proportioned. what a great smell: rich and tropical fruit. and the flavor is almost as big, grapefruit and bready malt. as hoppy a beer as you will find, but without being over-the-top. excellent.
Score: 10

Cambridge & Somerville

My friend Heather, who I met in PDX, recently moved to the city of Somerville (located just north of Boston.) This is happy news for many reasons, not the least of which is it will give me a much better opportunity to get to some of the bars I have been meaning to get to on the other side of the Charles River.

Cambridge Common Restaurant
1667 Mass Ave, Cambridge, MA
#1 on my to-do list for several months now. It has an interesting ambiance to it, with both indoor and outdoor seating, dark lighting but bright colors. Heather seemed to think it was a little too trendy, but I thought it struck a good balance that would appeal to most people, whether they are most inclined toward that dive bar or an upscale restaurant. And it is a restaurant. The food is very good, with more of an emphasis on comfort food than the "imaginative cuisine" of cross-town Cambridge Brewing Company. What I will be returning for is one of their "beer dinners," with several courses and an accompanying beer for each. (Stone is coming on August 25th...) As for the beer, there are 30 taps, with way more new options than I am used to. I loved their idea of having a tap for certain brewers, but rotating the style regularly. Berkshire, CBC (which is generous of them), Sixpoint, Troegs, and Rogue all are on this list, which is pretty cool. My sampler tray was great and the service was excellent, so high marks all around..
Atmosphere: 3/5, Selection: 10/10, Quality: 9/10, Service: 5/5, Overall: 14/20, Total: 41/50
Total rating: A-

The Independent
75 Union Square, Somerville, MA
Heather didn't have a good first impression of this place, but I talked her into giving it a second chance. There are three parts to this place: a roped in patio section on the square, a nice looking dining room, and a dark, study-esque bar, which we chose. Very comfortable with lots of leather books lining the walls and the ballgame showing on several TV's. The beer list is pretty impressive in terms of quality, but they are mostly familiar choices (Dead Guy, Boont Amber, Avery Brown, Hennepin, Old Rasputin.) Service was lackluster but the Korean Calamari was delicious! I think Heather was a convert.
Atmosphere: 4/5, Selection: 8/10, Quality: 8/10, Service: 2/5, Overall: 12/20, Total: 34/50
Total rating: B+

And then there were the beers...

Moylan's Hopsickle Imperial IPA
Sample -- Cambridge Common Restaurant, Cambridge
clear with nice head... really hoppy aroma you would expect in a double IPA... grapefruit flavored hops have sharp edge. didn't particularly enjoy this.
Score: 6

Peak Organic IPA
Sample -- Cambridge Common Restaurant, Cambridge
totally see-through... yeasty / grainy smell I can't place... floral taste with light bitterness, very grassy. i enjoyed this.
Score: 7

Rogue Captain Sig's Deadliest Ale
Sample -- Cambridge Common Restaurant, Cambridge
another one of rogue's gimmicky beers, this one a nod to the show deadliest catch. (i find this whole racket very annoying -- let's hope it doesn't catch on...) very cloudy amber with thick head... sharp hop nose... very bitter citrus flavor, verging on grapefruit... very textured and drying. not bad actually.
Score: 6

Sixpoint Righteous Ale
Sample -- Cambridge Common Restaurant, Cambridge
a rye. reddish and translucent with head that coats beer. balanced aroma. interesting, a distinct cherry taste materialzes in flavor. some citrus too, but bitterness is checked. best of the bunch.
Score: 8

Stoudt's Gold Lager
Bottle -- The Independent, Somerville
translucent... grain and light hops on aroma... flavor is malt and mild corn... quite clean, sterile bitterness... perfect beer to accompany most any meal.
Score: 8

PDX illustrated

The 100 beers I drank pale in comparison to the hundreds of pictures taken by Kelly over the course of our one-week honeymoon. Many times when I asked why we were taking this particular picture, she would exclaim "It's our honeymoon!" Apparently, this was an explaination in and of itself. But I digress.

I thought I would put at least some of these pictures to use. Since much of our time was devoted to pub crawling, they are very relevant to this beer blog. They also give you a better idea of how one drinks 100 beers over the course of 7 days. (I am not a terrible husband, I swear!) Anyways, enjoy!

Day 1: Arrive at our hotel / brewpub, McMenamins Kennedy School. It was really late, but thankfully I did manage to get started by finding their Terminator Stout.















Day 2: I got started early, with Deschutes Black Butte Porter for breakfast at Tin Shed. Tell me that doesn't look amazing. By midafternoon, I was hungry again at Alameda Brewhouse.

With samplers at Alameda and Laurelwood on our first full day, we accomplished two of my top priorities right away. 21 different beers is a pretty solid day, too.

Day 3: Logging 22 beers on Day 3, this Brockton-based beer blogger was at his most prolific. Now this was a pub crawl: checkers at Roots [above], an out-of-body experience at Hopworks Urban Brewery, the very fun Horse Brass Pub, and delectable Pix Patisserie.

More pics from HUB. Wow, I have already tried 44 different beers after only two full days of drinking...










Day 4: Token happy married couple picture -- pretty sure I had to include this. Day 4 was our winery tour too. Moving on.

Ah, Full Sail! Kelly was particularly taken by their mural of the brewing process, from field to table.

I, however, was taken by Full Sail's Berliner Weiss -- red on the right and green on the left.

Day 5: Natural hot springs, a mason jar, and The Bruery's farmhouse ale... now how can you beat that?

Back in PDX, we hit old favorite Amnesia Brewpub [left] and the new (to me) Old Lompoc [right] in succession. Note the HUB t-shirt. Wow, I have already drank 73 beers with two days to go! What if...

Day 6: My bride up at Portland City Grille enjoying a... hey, that isn't a beer, at all! Well, at least I enjoyed a few beers at Deschutes, even though there aren't any pictures of my favorite brewery, for some reason. Here is the aftermath, anyways...

Day 7: Sampler number 10 at Bridgeport. And without even trying, I wound up at an even 100 beers! That is something. Well, bye, bye, Beervana. We will miss you!

PDX... and beyond

So we have covered much of the best of Portland (besides Hair of the Dog.) But what of the rest of Oregon -- Eugene and Enterprise, Newport and Ontario? Not to mention the rest of the west. Cali, Washington, Colorado, Alaska. Some high scores here. Good bottle stores and great beer experiences. Read on.

Alaskan Amber
Bottle -- Portland City Grille, PDX
Had heard a lot of positive things about this beer, so I ordered it when I got the chance at the uber-swanky Portland City Grille's happy hour. I was surprised to see this is classified as an altbier, not an amber. I was surprised again to find mostly fresh hops on nose. Solid flavor and washed down my sushi more than adequately.
Score: 7

Beer Valley Pigskin Pale Ale
22 oz -- Vindalho Restaurant, PDX
Bought a big bottle from this western-Oregon brewer to accompany our fancy Indian meal. Very active in appearance... smell of stale hops and taste of sweet malt... medium bodied and quite sticky. Little one-dimensional, but washed down my samosas well.
Score: 6

Big Horse Russian Redneck
Tap -- Big Horse Brew Pub, Hood River
Kelly and I stopped at this brewpub almost on a whim while in Hood River. Glad we did though because this was a really cool place. Built on a hillside overlooking Columbia Gorge, the view was as good as any you will find at a brewery. Comfortable atmosphere with these pretty cool two-tiered tables that work well with bar stools and pitchers of beer (I would definitely copy these for my bar...) Anyways, 7 staple beers on tap but how could I pass on a beer called Russian Redneck. You definitely taste the bourbon that this Russian Imperial Stout is aged on. Malts produce strong sweetness, while hops are quite tasty. Alcohol does come through. Velvety smooth. Very impressed.
Score: 8

Dick's Best Bitter
Bottle -- Belmont Station, PDX
Product of Washington. I wanted to see how this Oregon neighbor compared, but I don't think the two beers I picked up were a fair judge... Dark brown with sustained head... apple juice, note of coffee, sweet malts -- not as bad as it sounds... pretty light. Just fine.
Score: 6

Double Mountain The I.R.A.
Pint -- Hood River Theater & Pub, Hood River
I had planned on going to Double Mountains brewery in Hood River, but it wasn't meant to be. I was glad to find it when we went to see Angels & Demons at the theater across from our hotel (but I still fell asleep 30 minutes in...) Robust bitterness for a red, but caramel malts strike balance. Smooth. I should brew one of these so called, India Red Ale's.
Score: 9

Hair of the Dog Fred
Bottle -- Horse Brass Pub, PDX
Horse Brass Pub was number one on my list of beer bars to hit for the trip. It matched expectations too: lots of rotating taps, knowledgeable (although slow) waitresses, and a bright, fun atmosphere. Reccomended. First brewer selected off the list? Hair of the Dog, very highly regarded Portland-based brewer, but without a brewpub (or else we would have visited...) Their barleywine was named Fred after a friend of theirs (a theme that is repeated for most of their beers.) Anyways, aroma contains alcohol and fruity sweetness... taste has expected sweetness, but it has a unique apricot-like component... Kathryn opined that Fred has a taste of licorice to it, which I don't disagree with. Would never guess alcohol is 10%, so a well-constructed barleywine.
Score: 9

Hair of the Dog Ruth
Bottle -- Lorenzo's Restaurant, PDX
An "american ale," i.e. pale ale. Pure golden color, hops on nose (but I am pretty stuffed up), solid sweetness smack in middle of taste, creeping bitterness. Alcohol seemed rather raw to me, but it was only 4.5% -- not a good sign. Too sweet in my opinion. But still, when do these guys get a brewpub?!
Score: 6

Hale's Ale Kolsch
Bottle -- Belmont Station, PDX
On our way back to the city from our trip to Mount Hood we stopped at Belmont Station, the southeasts elite bottle store/bar. We don't really see these store-bar hybrids out east, and this one seemed to work especially well with two seperate rooms (much better than the odd atmosphere at Concordia Ale House, which we walked out of.) Anyways, interesting selection here. As for Hale's it had a light straw color, nose of grain, corn flavor, extremely light bodied. Not bad actually.
Score: 6

New Belgium Fat Tire
Bottle -- Belmont Station, PDX
THE Fat Tire. Only beer I drank on the trip outside of the west coast, I believe (Fort Collins, CO.) Very appealing looking beer. Very aromatic caramel/nutty malts... fruity overtones blend seamlessly with nutty malt... level of drinkability that is hard to find in an amber. I'd like to say that one of these qualities is why Fat Tire is so popular, but that is probably mostly the marketing... Good beer, nevertheless.
Score: 8, Original Score: 8

Ninkasi Total Domination IPA
Tap -- Mother's Restaurant, PDX
Another Oregon brewer I wanted to be sure to try. It took until the last day, but I did get to try them. Very fresh nose, citrusy flavor, cloying bitterness in throat.
Score: 7

Ninkasi Tricerahops Double IPA
Bottle -- Hotel Monaco, PDX
Slightly hazy gold... sweeet, hoppy smell of a barleywine... pleasantly sweet flavor... can't spot an imperfection here. I'm really going to miss these west coast IPA's.
Score: 10

Rogue Chocolate Stout
Tap -- Pix Patisserie, PDX
Ah, a beer float! I haven't done one of these in a while! Pix Patisserie is a pretty ingenious creation. It's a desert bar, as in pastries and (mostly Belgian) beer. For a dollar more they served me a glass of the beer in addition to my float. Most memorable characteristics (because this was the end of a long drinking day) were robust charred malts and lots of different chocolates. Pretty heavy but drinkable. The float was delicious too.
Score: 8, Original Score: 8

Rogue Morimoto Soba
Tap -- Portland Saturday Market, PDX
I have talked about this before but Rogue doesn't have the greatest of reputations in PDX. Their brewpub is pretty crappy and they seem more about clever marketing than anything else. Like say, their Morimoto series, brewed for Chef Morimoto of Iron Chef. However, this fruit beer was better than expected. Lightly hopped, good flavor, extremely drinkable. Surprisingly good. Maybe I will give their brewpub a second chance next time too...
Score: 7

Russian River Blind Pig IPA
22 0z -- New Seasons (Grocery), PDX
My first beer from the legendary California brewer, Russian River. I leapt at the chance to buy this highly-rated IPA on our first trip to this grocery store across the street from our hotel. Quite light, straw golden... big grapefruit nose and flavor, bitterness early not late, malt profile is present but minor, no hint of 6% alcohol, very tasty... pretty light body for such a big flavor. A beautfiul beer, and fitting start as the first IPA I would drink in Portland.
Score: 9

Russian River Pliny the Elder
500 ml -- Cork: A Bottle Store, PDX
The #7 beer in the world according to BeerAdvocate! This double IPA is pretty light in color with a huge piney hop aroma. Taste is very orangey with unmissable biscuity malts. Well-balanced with a well-hidden 8% abv. Hype is deserved. This is the best IPA I have ever had.
Score: 10

Terminal Gravity IPA
Tap -- Horse Brass Pub, PDX
An IPA from Enterprise, OR. Fresh, grassy hops. You feel the nearly 7% abv. Good beer.
Score: 7

The Bruery Saison Rue
750 ml -- Cork: A Bottle Shop, PDX
This was one of the brewers I was watching for and my friend at Cork Bottle Shop told me this was one of the best beers he had tried. And you know how I love those farmhouses! I saved this for our trip to Bagby Hot Springs (pictures to follow...) Anyways, poured a slightly hazy orange with a huge head (into my mason jar, to be fair...) Citrus fruit, spice, yeast, and alcohol mix together on nose and flavor. Flavor is in your face, yet nuanced. Balanced and lively. Lovely. Wish I could try more from these guys.
Score: 9

Trumer Pils
Sample -- Horse Brass Pub, PDX
A German pils straight from Berkley, CA (and then stolen from friend Kathryn.) Lemon and hay are main characteristics (alongside a general skunkiness...) Very easy going down. Not bad. And just like that, 100 beers up and 100 beers down.
Score: 6

PDX: The Best

Drum roll, please...

The Best:
#2. Hopworks Urban Brewery – 2944 SE Powell Blvd, PDX
Hopworks Urban Brewery only recently celebrated its first birthday so it wasn't even on the radar screen during my time in PDX. HUB is an all organic brewery, but get this: it is really, really good! Some 3,000 miles away it was hard to figure out how much of this was hype, but it was obviously at the very top of my to do list. It is a little out of the way on a busy street in the southeast, but once you get there it is nothing but convenient. They have four different types of seating: beer garden, family-friendly restaurant, function mezzanine, and, our choice, the biker bar... as in bicycle bar, of course. Most of the bar is actually made of bicycle parts -- pretty cool. Beyond that they turned some brewery equipment into a fireplace, have a solid stein collection, as well as a pool table and the basketball game on. Food looked good and prices were reasonable. What more can you ask for? Tables are very classy but we sidled up to the bar. Here the bartenders were good and even started you off with a water, which I especially appreciate when sampling ten plus beers. This was a very impressive set of styles, not to mention the highest average alcohol by volume from a line-up of beers that I have ever seen!

I hope you will still read about these beers below, but I have to say up front that this place totally blew me away. It was an almost surreal experience, as each beer seemed to get better and better. By the time I got to the real beers (IPA, strong ale, stout), I was downright giddy. I came in expecting good beer, but for every beer to be this well-crafted and be organic is unheard of. I mean, these guys have only been around for a year and the quality is more consistent than any brewer I have ever encountered yet. Just imagine what is possible for these guys! Or put another way: Hopworks is impressive enough for this cheap bastard to buy a t-shirt on the way out.

Hopworks HUB Lager - Sample
An organic Czech pilsner -- my kind of Budweiser substitute. Fresh hop and pilsner malt aroma. Light hops make this very pleasing. As light as you are looking for.
Score: 8

Hopworks Totally Raddler - Sample
I am going to rate this one and try not to hold it against the brewer. They took that delicious lager I just rated and added 30% lemonade. So, of course, Kelly had to order it. Obviously that delicate lager is totally overwhelmed by sugary sweet lemonade. I'll try not to hold that against HUB, but it was quite sad.
Score: 3

Hopworks Anniversary Cream Ale - Sample
Above the bar where we were sitting HUB had a huge chalkboard with all of the beers on tap listed down to the original gravity. At first glance I didn't see any beer weighing in below 5% abv... except for this one at a still healthy 4.7%. Nitro pour produces creaminess you would hope for. Nice pale malt flavor and again gently hopped. Nice!
Score: 8

Hopworks Crosstown Pale Ale - Sample
An organic pale ale. Clear golden. Potent grassy hops. Flavorful. Sessionable. This was the point that I started getting excited after starting off with three exquisitely crafted beers, in three not-so-exciting styles, mind you! What will they do with an ESB?
Score: 9

Hopworks Velvet ESB - Sample
Attractive red pour... minor fresh hop aroma... caramel malts dominate, not hops as you might have expected in an ESB... chocolate malt and oats do create a very velvety texture... billed as a session beer, which really does. An incredibly unique ESB, and I loved it!
Score: 10

Hopworks Secret Alt - Sample
German Altbier... fruity hop aroma... beautifully balanced flavor... very smooth like all their beers so far.
Score: 8

Hopworks Terry Porter - Sample
Obviously the Trailblazers are huge in town, so how is it possible no one had thought of this beer name yet? Anyways, great name for a beer. Chocolate malt aroma... definite hop presence, with lightly charred malt... heavy aftertaste. When all was said and done, this would actually be the least impressive of the bunch. And it was a pretty good porter!
Score: 7

Hopworks IPA - Sample
Spiderwebs nicely on glass. Big sweet, grapefruit hop aroma. In flavor, hops are deliciously citric and piney. Sweet and lemony flavors come through as well. Flavor has great bitterness, without rawness of East Coast IPA's. Very smooth for an IPA. Probably one of the best IPA's I have ever had... and remember, it is organic!
Score: 10

Hopworks Deluxe Organic Ale - Sample
Well, this is certainly a different sort of name for an American Strong Ale. I had a sense of what I was in for right away since there is no hint of the 6.9% abv on the nose. Any alcohol blends in perfectly with malts in flavor. Lots of caramel malts but very smooth. It would be easy to drink a few of these, so you have to be careful. What an amazing beer!
Score: 10

Hopworks Survival "Seven Grain" Stout - Sample
They used coldpressed Stumptown espresso... and it smells like it too. Coffee in flavor is quite sweet and velvety smooth. Delicious and enjoyable.
Score: 9

Hopworks Rise Up Red - Sample
Cask-conditioned. Strong hoppiness I love in these West Coast/IPA reds. And just like that, HUB's beers finished as strong as they started. This was simply one of the greatest beer experiences I have ever had. Now I cannot in good conscience call them the best brewer in Portland after 1 1/2 hours of drinking their samplers. However, if Hopworks is still churning out beers of this quality next time I get to try them again, they will be sitting atop this list. Go Hopworks!
Score:9

#1. Deschutes Brewery & Public House – 210 NW 11th Ave, PDX
But until that point, Deschutes reigns supreme. One of my favorite trips from my previous time out in Oregon was a road trip to Bend, home of Deschutes Brewing. Since that time they have opened a brewpub in the heart of the previously discussed Pearl District. Huge place with very classy look of a Scottish bar with the large paned windows. Inside there is lots of wood -- from the tables to the spectacular carved murals hanging throughout the building. Good space inside, with several different types of seating, including out on the street. Beautiful stone fireplace and popular gift shop. Did I mention this place is big? We had dinner here and one thing I was not expecting was the quality of the food. Kelly's spicy Tillamook mac and cheese was one of the best meals we had all week. Best of all, they had 17 taps! Yes! Fortunately, I had already had my two favorite Deschutes beers earlier in the week, and was ready to try some new stuff. I had a blast here and it is actually very fulfilling to see one of my very favorite brewers reaching this wider audience. Ladies and gentlemen, the number one brewpub from Josh and Kelly's Beer Trip / Honeymoon! (And yes, that order is correct...)

Deschutes Black Butte Porter - Bottle, Tin Shed Garden Cafe
Deschutes beer was one of the things I was most looking forward to about our trip out to Portland, so it didn't take long for me to find one of their beers. Deschutes Black Butte Porter was available with our first breakfast at Tin Shed Garden Cafe, so I couldn't very well pass. I reranked this beer just a few months ago, so let me just say this beer also goes well with biscuits and gravy.
Score: 10, Original Score: 10

Deschutes Mirror Pond Pale Ale - Bottle, Downtown Chapel Cafe
My #1 favorite beer from my time in Portland. Picturesque pour of amber body with tight head. Distinctive aroma of Cascade hops. Sweet citric hops blend perfectly with crisp malt. Balance and smoothness makes this a perfect beer for session drinking, with a meal, or on its own. If I could only drink five beers for the rest of my life, this would still be one of them.
Score: 10, Original Score: 10

Deschutes Cask Conditioned Bachelor ESB - Deschutes Brewpub, Sample
Oh boy! One of my favorite ESB's from a cask! Big creamy head... sweet malts play with bitterness... served a little colder than I would like, which made it even smoother than normal. Top notch session beer, that is even better from the cask.
Score:9, Original Score: 8

Deschutes Red Chair IPA - Sample
63 IBU, 7% abv. Hops are almost singularly sweet on nose... some of the most flavorful hops I have ever encountered. This IPA is almost creamy with pitch perfect balance. Wow, what a beer! What I wouldn't give for an IPA of this caliber in Massachusetts.
Score:10

Deschutes Inversion IPA - Sample
How have I never rated this beer? Citrusy, but it is caramel that strikes senses first, which is impressive. Hops do tickle your tongue (in a good way.) I would never in my wildest dreams guess this was 80 IBU. Awesome.
Score: 9

Deschutes Obsidian Stout - Sample
Dark with hot chocolate-like head. Unmissable chocolate malt aroma with solid roastiness in flavor. Very tasty. Perhaps a little thin. Still, a great beer, that belongs in class with flagship pale, porter, and IPA.
Score:9, Original Score: 9

Deschutes Cascade Ale - Sample
Hazy golden. Healthy dose of floral hops actually. Graininess is present as well. Refreshing to see a pale ale weigh in at an appropriate 4.6%.
Score: 8

Deschutes Pilsner 005 - Sample
Light color. Recognizable skunky, German malt and a little banana if I am not mistaken. Seemed a little directionless to me. Didn't make it.
Score: 5

Deschutes Twilight Ale - Sample
Three American pales on tap? Niiice. By this point in the trip, my new found allergies were limiting my sense of smell. But my wife was kind enough to observe: "Hoppier in aroma than taste. Hops smell funny, like wort." Okay... I think I know what she means. Nice lacing anyway, with pretty lemony flavor. Pretty good.
Score: 7

Deschutes Armory Extra Pale Ale - Sample
Now correct me if I am wrong, but I thought Extra Pale Ale's were usually lighter, right? This has big sweet hop aroma with sharp bitter finish. Seemed unusual to me. Not bad though.
Score: 6

Deschutes Miss Spelt - Sample
I was curious to see the style designation on this one too, but neither beer was listed on BeerAdvocate (their coverage is much better on the East Coast...) Anyways, cloudy appearance, strongly spiced, flavor of bananas and clove. Not a bad Belgian.
Score: 7

Deschutes Big Mountain Bock - Sample
A Maibock. Sweet malt but raw mouthfeel. Not badly brewed, but a pretty superficial beer.
Score: 5

Deschutes Streaking the Quad - Sample
I ordered this on my first sampler paddle, but quickly realized that if I drank this quadruple (9%) and the barleywine (11%), I would be done. Second sampler paddle later, there strong beers had conveniently arrived at room temp. Deschutes brewed this Strong Belgian Ale for Portland's Cheers to Belgian Beers competition. Smell all of 7% and robitussen. Like taking a shot... specifically like taking a shot of bourbon/whiskey. Too much, unpleasant.
Score: 3

Deschutes Mirror Mirror- Sample
Supposedly Deschutes took the recipe for Mirror Pond and doubled it for this beer. What a great idea. Clever name too. Forget "hint" in description, strong raisin smell. Taste of sweet cherry and licorice, or maybe just cough syrup. I really liked it.
Score: 8

And there you have the top 10 brewpubs we visited in Oregon. Now before you think this series is over, we still have another 18 beers to rate from several other top-notch western brewers. I think you all might appreciate some of the pictures from our beer trip too... stay tuned.

PDX: The Better

Okay, this is going to be a long one. Another 37 beers from Beervana. You have been warned.

Oh, and one thing I forgot to mention last post was that I decided to spice up the order in which I usually list the beers. Being my perfectionist/obsessive-compulsive self, I usually carefully list the beers in alphabetical order. Instead, I thought it would be interesting to list the beers in the order in which I drank them. As I mentioned, most all of these beers were drank as samplers, so I was careful as to the order in which I drank them. Now, as I have talked about in past posts, the order isn't so simplistic as lightest to darkest as most brewpubs will tell you, but rather, considers alcohol by volume, IBU's (bitterness), and heaviness of the beer. More of a judgement call that you would think since I was drinking so many high-IBU IPA's...

The Better:
#7. Roots Organic Brewery – 1520 SE 7th Ave, PDX
I am pretty sure that Roots was Portland's first all-organic brewery, which is worth something. Despite this, I feel like Roots kind of flies under the radar of a lot of Portlanders with its small, somewhat out of the way location. I've always loved this place, since it proved to me that organic beers can be good too. The island theme is pretty fun -- bright colors, surfing, reggae, etc. Outside seating is available and the back of the restaurant has an industial thing going with the brewing equipment fully visible. Probably the least pretentious place on this list, which is just what you need sometimes.

Roots Burghead Heather Ale - Sample
One of the most unique beers you will ever try since it doesn't use hops! How is this possible you ask? Why heather tips, of course. And this is what I love about Roots -- talk about adventurous. (The absense of hops makes it a Gruit, by the way.) It was a little flat, but that was because I got the dregs of the keg (they switched out immediately after...) Lot of fruity esthers, which translates to a certain juiciness. Light and drinkable too. Highly recommended, just to say you once drank a pretty good beer that contained no hops.
Score: 6, Original Score: 7

Roots Organic Pale Ale - Sample
Very nice bitter hops early without bite at end... some bready malts balance this out very neatly... they call this an English style Pale Ale, but it would have to be an English Pale on roids!
Score: 7, Original Score: 8

Roots EXXXcalibur Stout - Sample
One of my fondest memories of PDX was this delicious, smooth Imperial Stout. Sure enough, this is still one of the smoothest beers I have ever tried... big coffee roast and sweet nose... silky sheet of a head... flavorful chocolate joins roast sweetness in flavor while hops work quietly in the background. Love this beer. Best stout in PDX.
Score: 9, Original Score: 8

Roots Woody Organic IPA - Sample
Haven't rated this yet, but I have drank it. Pours a striking orange... big hop aroma... dual hop nature blends in taste, both citrus and grapefruit... what a flavorful IPA... nice body to it too. This is their most popular beer.
Score: 8

Roots Island Red - Sample
Billed as a "red stout"... oats do give this one a heavier body... rosy amber, nice lacing... malts with coffee note and hops in aroma... balanced flavor... very nice red.
Score: 7

#6. Amnesia Brewing – 832 N Beech St, PDX
Probably my favorite brewpub from my time in Portland (of the top 5, 1 is outside the city, 2 are new brewpubs, and 2 brewers I had never tried before...) Basically, it is a tin shed with an enormous partly covered patio of long, communal picnic tables. Very German. As is the food, brats grilled right in front of you, year round. How awesome is that? And there is live music. The beers rotate and are very hop-centric. Most everyone orders pitchers. So basically, it is heaven on earth.

Amnesia Dusty Trail Pale - Sample
Harsh bitterness at end, very bready... lighter than you might expect... flavor/palate is a little unrefined... I really enjoyed the Pale Ale's in town, but you can find better.
Score: 5

Amnesia The ESB - Sample
Nice looking beer with steady carbonation and a creamy head (like seemingly all of Amnesia's beers)... bitter up-front... fruitty overtones and quite nutty... well-balanced but missing some umph.
Score: 7, Original Score: 7

Amnesia Copacetic IPA - Sample
Shockingly creamy head... all oranges and plums in aroma... and flavor... very smooth and creamy mouthfeel... a unique and delicious IPA. Not to mention probably the greatest name for an IPA in the history of the world. How did no one else think of this?
Score: 9, Original Score: 8

Amnesia Slow Train Porter - Sample
Nice tan creamy head... sweet chocolate nose... roastiness seems to cake mouth... little watery. Amnesia specializes in the hoppy, but this really isn't a bad dark.
Score: 7

Amnesia Blonde Beech - Sample
Okay, now hold on. Their seasonal is a blonde ale with 7.2% abv?! Just wow. Smell is grainy German malts... taste is an odd mix of alcohol, skunky yeast, and indescribable fruitiness. You feel all of the 7% and I am pretty sure Kelly got drunk off the first 4 sips of her pint. Don't believe me? Here is Kelly's only rating of the weekend: "Very beery beer but beery delicious! Easy drinking but full of malt flavor with a light hop taste... Beautiful golden color... Gets you buzzed in a hurry... Yum..." If that isn't an endorsement, I don't know what one is.
Score: 6, Kelly's Rating: 9

Amnesia Desolation IPA - Sample
PDX just does IPA's right... thought for sure this 6.2% IPA would be over the top, but surprised me with complexity and subtlety once again. Fruity hops. Mouthfeel has real huskiness at end. Step below Copacetic, but an almost equally cool name.
Score: 7, Original Score: 7

Amnesia Double Dry Hopped Desolation - Sample
Description reads: "If you have to ask, you probably shouldn't order it." Little Arrogant Bastard thing going, I like it. Hoppy aroma is both citrus/grapefruit... extent of malts was unexpected. Missing bite of double IPA, but thought this was more on par with Copacetic.
Score: 8

#5. Laurelwood Public House & Brewery – 5115 NE Sandy Blvd, PDX
Laurelwood has an impeccable reputation about town, so this was at the top of my to-do list. They have a few sites (including pizza pubs) but we went to their main brewery on the Northeast side of town. Whole brewery is visible from the street... it's like chem lab meets garage. Hugeness of place is immediately apparent. Somewhere on the three floors you are going to find the kind of place you are looking for to drink your beer. We chose the rooftop, with a very attractive wooden balcony, replete with a garden boxes everywhere you look. Didn't try the food, but sounded very organic, original, and appealing. Beers were very solid (if a little too slickly marketed), but I feel like if I returned a year from now, the beers on tap would be the same...

Laurelwood Bottled Blonde - Sample
Yellow in glass, not quite see-through with decent head… minor hop aroma, mostly spicy… slight taste of banana comes through… served too cold, so mouthfeel isn’t all that pleasant. Not really true to style at all -- definitely hoppier than most blonde’s.
Score: 4

Laurelwood Mother Lode Golden Ale - Sample
Entirely translucent… grassy hop aroma and taste. I liked this much better than the Golden I just tried at Alameda… Kelly thought this was too one-dimensional, and weak on the malts. What a bride!
Score: 5

Laurelwood Free Range Red (Organic) - Sample
This beer has some buzz around town, and is seemingly available everywhere. Once again very translucent (apparently a common characteristic at Laurelwood.) Mild malt aroma, and hops only punch through in aftertaste. Light/medium body and quite well balanced. Very nice.
Score: 8

Laurelwood Workhorse IPA - Sample
Won a competition as the Best IPA in America! So that is impressive. A clear golden with remarkably potent smell of pine needles and cat dander (it works though)? Aroma stands out as unique, which is hard to do when you are beer number 800-something… Aroma transfers to flavor, and is somewhat balanced at same time. Very lively. Not going to call it the Best IPA in America, but reputation is deserved.
Score: 10

Laurelwood Hooligan - Sample
Is this an amber? A brown? Clear again with note of coffee in aroma. Otherwise nondescript malts are balanced by bitter hops. Not bad. (P.S. It is a brown.)
Score: 6

Laurelwood Hop Monkey IPA - Sample
Slightly darker than the Workhorse. Grapefruit hops on nose alongside small malt profile. Quite bitter and really dries out mouth.
Score: 7

Laurelwood Organic Tree Hugger Porter - Sample
Coffee/cola smell… dry barley flavor with a little chocolate… translucent and fairly light bodied for a porter. Judging by their menu of organic this and free range that, I think tree hugger is meant as a positive attribute…
Score: 7

Laurelwood Space Stout - Sample
Creamy chocolate, heavy roast, and medium bodied. Like most darker beers in Portland – it is well-brewed but doesn’t stand out.
Score: 6

#4. Alameda Brewing Company – 4765 NE Fremont St, PDX
I had walked by Alameda several times but never actually went in. In a very trendy part of town, but I will try not to hold that against it... A lot of different things going on here: concrete, brick, metal, wood, and these pretty cool burlap tapastries hanging on the wall. I kind of liked it. They have a lot of taps on and serving temperature was actually about right. We hit happy hour so prices were really excellent. Seemed pretty busy for a weekday afternoon, mixed crowd. Nice place.

Alameda Bavarian Hefe - Sample
Cloudy with thick lacing… Belgian cloves… lemony, yeasty flavor… good carbonation. A very flavorful Hefeweizen. Seems more Belgian inspired than German, but whatever. I was very impressed by this beer.
Score: 8

Alameda East Village Amber - Sample
A German altbier, that is, half ale, half lager. Toasted caramel aroma… very malty with note of coffee… hops play on tongue… medium-bodied. Not bad.
Score: 6

Alameda Klickitat Pale Ale - Sample
Look is a very opaque amber-orange. Piney hop aroma with a very fruity flavor. Nicely balanced too, which makes me think this would be a good candidate for a starter beer.
Score: 7

Alameda Irvington Juniper Porter - Sample
Juniper as an ingredient, huh? Well, that is new (and exciting.) Brown color, creamy coffee aroma. Nearly charred coffee bean flavor with only a glimpse of juniper at front of taste. Kelly picked it out of the aroma, but I failed to. Interesting beer.
Score: 7

Alameda El Torero Organic IPA - Sample
Copper-orange color… flavor is balanced with malts and an assertive grapefruit bitterness. Another good IPA. Wish New England good figure out how to brew organic beers this well…
Score: 8

Alameda Black Bear XX Stout CO2 - Sample
This is Alameda’s much hyped Stout. Sweet chocolate and cocoa aroma, vanilla makes its presence known in flavor. Simply robust bitterness. Creamy mouthfeel. Enjoyable.
Score: 7

Alameda Black Bear XX Stout Nitro - Sample
Should I rate the nitro separately? They are visibly different beers, so I think so. Nitro produces much bigger, creamy head you would hope for. Smoother and creamier too. Seemed less hoppy – not sure why that would be. I would definitely give the nitro the nod between the two.
Score: 8

Alameda Wolf Imperial IPA - Sample
I have found this to be the case with several other double IPA’s, but there seems to be a tendency toward a very pleasant peach/apricot taste. Not that I am complaining. Really does dry out mouth and you do feel all of the alcohol.
Score: 7

Alameda Siskiyou Golden - Sample
A kolsch. Stale wheat taste. What can I say? This is bad.
Score: 3

#3. Full Sail Brewery – 506 Columbia St, Hood River, OR
Hood River is a very nice little city about an hour east of PDX on Columbia Gorge. Wind surfing on the river is huge here, with lots of good wineries and hiking around as well. Full Sail was one of the first microbreweries to start up in Oregon and is pretty popular as a result. Whole place is employee owned too. Last time I was out here I took a tour of the brewery, but this time Kelly and I had dinner, which was surprisingly good. They had redone the bar and opened a patio since I was last there. Very comfortable atmosphere with good staff and the game on. The beers speak for themself.

Full Sail Chris's Summer D-Lite: Red - Sample
This was a beer drinking experience I was looking forward to after reading about Full Sail’s experiment with the Berliner Weiss on my favorite PDX beer blog, Beervana. This distinctive German style adds flavored syrup to the beer, and it’s your choice, you can order the green or red. The red has an uber-sweet aroma of pixie sticks or a red snowcone. I suppose you could call flavor tart raspberries. Very smooth and easy drinking but it has this syrupy sweetness that sticks to lips and creates kind of odd mouthfeel. Nevertheless, I would choose this over most fruit beers.
Score: 6

Full Sail Chris's Summer D-Lite: Green - Sample
The green was my pick of the two. More traditional smell of subdued hops and spice. For taste you should think of a Flemish sour – which I really like. Very fun sessionable summer beer. Recommended.
Score: 7

Full Sail Session Lager - Sample
Session was one of my fondest memories from Portland. Can't miss it in its stout 11 oz bottle. Light golden, fresh grain aroma, perfect sweetness and modest bitterness in hops, very clean. Session is beautiful in its simplicity. Earns its name -- as good of a session beer as you will ever find.
Score: 9

Full Sail LTD Series - Bottling 03 - Sample
Apparently this is the third of this year round series of rotating seasonals. Stronger bitterness than I am used to in a lager. Crisp and still light, but doesn't translate to an especially nice mouthfeel though.
Score: 5

Full Sail Pale Ale - Sample
Very appealing fresh hop aroma. First impression of taste: delicious! Great flavorful hop mix that is balanced with just enough malt presence. Love that balance! Crisp. One of those beers you would love to drink a few of. Somehow I don't remember trying this beer when in Portland, but this was my absolute favorite Full Sail brew.
Score: 10

Full Sail Keelhauler Brewmasters Reserve 2009 - Sample
Expected malt aroma... flavor has a kick to it... but it is kind of a little off. Didn't run across many Scottish Ales in the Pacific Northwest, so it was nice to find it, but once I did it was nothing special.
Score: 5

Full Sail IPA - Sample
Leaves lacing... modest aroma... at first I read the delicateness of taste as balance, but I really didn't pickup much of a malt profile. Kind of a weak IPA, in truth. Drinkable enough though.
Score: 7

Full Sail Grandsun of Spot - Sample
A double IPA. Would be interested in the story behind the name here. Sweet, strong hoppiness you are expecting. Bit much.
Score: 6