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.

ProPho: Suds worth the splurge

Indulge!

By JOSH SMITH | April 27, 2011
http://providence.thephoenix.com/food/119709-suds-worth-the-splurge/?page=1#TOPCONTENT

The proliferation of the age of craft beer means that there is now a beer for every occasion, including very special ones. While it will cost you, these four splurge beers are worth every penny.

NEBRASKA BREWING'S HOP GOD RESERVE SERIES is a beer that has been creating quite a buzz in the craft beer community. This little brewer has succeeded by selling limited quantities across the country at exclusive prices (a 750 ml bottle retails for $23). Having been aged for six months in French Oak Chardonnay Barrels, this IPA has a decidedly Belgian bend to it. Hop God colored my oversized wine glass a glowing orange and coated it with sticky lacing. Aroma is spicy and offers up a smorgasbord of fruity hops: citrus, grapefruit, pineapple, and peach all cross the nose.

Flavor is hoppy, but six months in the barrel plus time on the shelf definitely allowed the hops mellow. Instead, it is the wine barrels that really shine, imparting notes of tart white grapes and oak throughout. I wouldn't have guessed anywhere near the 10.0% ABV on this one. Mouthfeel is both textured and smooth, dry and acidic. A fascinatingly complex beer — Double IPA meets white wine.

SIERRA NEVADA'S FRITZ & KEN'S ALE is an Imperial Stout that was collaboratively brewed with Fritz Maytag of Anchor Brewing for Sierra Nevada's 30th Anniversary Series. Jet black pour and bold smell of coffee and burnt malt impress senses first. Malts in flavor are thankfully more roasted than charred and accompanied by notes of espresso, molasses, and chocolate. There is also a bitter current running throughout with predominantly piney hops. For a full-bodied beer, it has a nice silky mouthfeel and is very easy to drink. While it's no pushover at 9.2% ABV, this is the rare imperial stout that resists going over the top.

CISCO'S MONOMOY KRIEK comes from this Nantucket brewer's Woods Series. All of these Wild Ales are aged on wood, with the Kriek sitting for two years before being aged for ten more months on sour cherries. While alcohol is only 6.7% ABV, most of these Flanders-style Red Ales are sipping beers so I broke out the flute glass. Pours a dark, hazy red while a heavy dose of cherries in the aroma hints at what is awaiting you.

Extremely tart cherries and an unmistakable oakiness dominate the flavor. This is a pretty straight-forward beer with sourness strong enough to border on puckering. Drinkability is surprisingly good as I had no trouble drinking the lion's share of this 22-ounce bottle. I've seen these bottles go for as much as $25, so it almost felt like a bargain for $19 at Nikki's Liquors. I hesitated to endorse this beer since this is an acquired taste that some will hate. However, if you appreciate sour beers, this is one of America's finest.

ALLAGASH'S ODYSSEY is a barrel-aged Belgian-style Dark Wheat Ale that isn't even one of the brewer's most expensive beers at around $17. Odyssey has a deep brown color and sweet, awesomely complex aroma. The body is almost heavy, but still silky smooth. Flavors are so intricately enmeshed that it's hard to know what you're tasting at first. A pleasant sourness registers on the palate but leaves room for sweetness and bitterness too. Figs and plums, vanilla and cloves, oak and bourbon all make an appearance. And at a whopping 10.3% ABV, the alcohol is exceptionally well-hidden. In other words, this beer is perfect from the very first sip forward. It's one of the 10 best beers I've ever tasted.

That this lineup is filled with specialty series releases, barrel aging, and has a Belgian accent should be no surprise. Inevitably it's the most unique and complex styles that demand top dollar in the craft beer marketplace. But let's keep it in perspective here: these beers range from $12 to $25, still short of the average cost of a decent bottle of wine. So treat yourself the next time you see one of these splurge-worthy beers in the liquor store.

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.

Beer Geek Breakfast & Co

Bayerischer Bahnhof Brau Berliner Style Weisse
Sample -- Ebenezer's Pub, Lovell, ME
dan thought this tasted a lot like a mimosa. with the taste of sour lemon and an almost pulpy texture, it was hard to disagree. each berliner weiss i've had has been very different... and none rival the one i had on tap at full sail with the syrup added. nevertheless... not bad.
Score: 5

Cervesera del Montseny Lupulus

Bottle -- Ron's Liquors, Farmington, ME

first beer from spain. light, hoppy, and enjoyable. scary name for a beer though.

Score: 7

Chang Beer
Bottle -- Thailand Restaurant, Easton
flavor is of grainy and grassy hops, but just barely. what you would expect in an asian macrolager: washed down my green duck curry just fine.
Score: 3

Hofstetten Kubelbier
Bottle -- Ron's Market, Farmington, ME
both my first keller bier and beer from austria. a fascinating beer that is tangy and bitter. enjoyed every minute of this one.
Score: 9

Lion Stout
Bottle -- The Lighthouse, Manchester, ME
i have had lion's lager before, so had pretty low expectations going in. quite good though. lots of dark flavors.
Score: 6

Mikkheler Beer Geek Breakfast
Bottle -- Nikki's Liquors, Providence, RI
dark roasted coffee malt flavor. hops add liveliness to beer. great name, great beer.
Score: 10

Nogne Special Holiday Ale

16.9 oz -- Lighthouse, Manchester, ME

poured into my maine stein glass to cheer on the umaine black bears hockey team. so i can't rate the appearance, but the aroma has a hoppy note to it. burnt malts hit tongue first... although i do taste both the sage and the juniper. an interesting winter warmer. nogne brewed this with jolly pumpkin and stone brewing, so pretty good company too.

Score: 7

Pinkus Mueller Organic Ur Pils

Bottle -- Nikki's Liquors, Providence, RI

an organic german pilsner. only slightly cloudy with primarily bready aroma. fruity taste that is balanced by bready malts. mustiness that i pickup in most german beers is only minor here. spicy hops work stealthily in background. overall, a very tasty, balanced beer.

Score: 8

Ridgeway Seriously Bad Elf
Sample -- Ebenezer's Pub, Lovell, ME
an english strong ale that is fairly light in color. you smell the 9% more than you taste it. malts seem toasted to me, and very sweet. not bad.
Score: 6

Unibroue Maudite
Bottle -- Prezo Grille and Bar, Milford
malty aroma. robitussin / dark fruit flavor. very lively. accompanied my sushi pretty well i thought. dan was less impressed, calling it "simple." suppose i am a simple guy.
Score: 8

Guy's Weekend, Part 2 of 2

Back in January, I posted an article about the Number 1 beer bar in the world (according to BeerAdvocate.com.) Ebenezer's Pub is a Belgian beer bar located in the backwoods of Maine, in the town of Lovell. And I can say, it was possibly the greatest beer experience of my life.

With three friends in tow, we made the drive (thanks to our Designated Driver Nate) and settled in for the next five hours. Below are the results and note the high marks.

Cantillon Gueze 100% Lambic
Tap -- Ebenezer's Pub, Lovell, ME
i had never had a beer from cantillon and was anxious to get started with this one. ebenezer's did a short pour on this one since it has such a strong taste. pours a translucent amber with a pretty sour nose. taste is closest to apple cider and very acidic. as dry as a white wine too. interesting, but probably ended up being my least favorite beer of the night.
Score: 7

Val-Dieu Grand Cru
Tap -- Ebenezer's Pub, Lovell, ME
planning for a session of drinking, i ordered what i thought would be a relatively light drinking beer. instead, i got a murky brown, 10.5% quad. i never would have guessed the abv though. all i could pick in the flavor was sweet molasses, and a note of coconut / vanilla. silky smoothness made this a pleasure to drink. the fact that the tap kicked 3/4 of the way through and this was on the house made it that much sweeter! thanks, guys!
Score: 10

Avec Les Bons Voeux
Tap -- Ebenezer's Pub, Lovell, ME
a saison from dupont. and just what you would expect: yeasty aroma and fruity taste. 9.5% doesn't prevent drinkability at all. nice if somewhat simple.
Score: 7

Duchesse De Bourgogne
Tap -- Ebenezer's Pub, Lovell, ME
a flanders red ale. has that sour cherry taste and is balanced by some candy sweetness. medium bodied. my friends weren't feeling it; too salty they thought. i'm going to have to agree to disagree on this one though -- i thought this was amazing.
Score: 10

Pannepot - Old Fisherman's Ale (2007 Version)
Tap -- Ebenezer's Pub, Lovell, ME
served quite cold, which was a little sad. dark fruit materializes as dates. burnt malt also present while hops are in mouthfeel more than flavor. nice texture.
Score: 9

Kasteel Tripel
Tap -- Ebenezer's Pub, Lovell, ME
has 11% of most tripel's, but fruity overtones dominate. a very good tripel that dan fell in love with.
Score: 9

De Proef Reserve Signature Ale (w/ Tomme Arthur)
750 ml -- Ebenezer's Pub, Lovell, ME
this will go down in history as my thousandth beer. i chose this beer since it was a collaboration between two legendary brewers: De Proef and Port Brewing. it being "a hybrid of American and Belgian brewing techniques" just seemed appropriate. brettanomyces flavor, biscuity malts, and healthy hopping make this a tasty brew. well-balanced too. a little steep at $25 for the bottle, but it was a special occasion, after all!
Score: 10

Beer number 1,000 ushers in a new era here at Josh's Beer Blog. First off, after writing the words malts and hops at least a thousand times, I am ready to cut back on my descriptions in ranking each beer. I will still keep scoring beers and adding them to my Complete Rankings, but will only do a full write-up on the most interesting beers.

More importantly, I have been offered a position to write a regular column about beer for The Providence Phoenix! What's Brewing will be printed every-other week in The Providence Phoenix and on their website. My first column debuted last weekend and can be found at: http://thephoenix.com/providence/food/97663-mix-the-ultimate-six/ I will put up the whole article shortly. And you can look for a little more info on this epic trip to Ebenezer's on The Phoenix in the coming weeks...

Some amazing Belgians

In preparation for a trip to the #1 beer bar in the world, I am starting to fill in the numerous gaps in my Belgian beer knowledge. Expect for a few more of these entries upon my return from Ebenezer's. Lovell, Maine, here we come!

Lindemans Kriek Lambic
Bottle -- Blanchard's, Brockton
"malt beverage with black cherries added." well, that makes it the most expensive malt beverage i have bought. has a pleasant sourness that i am starting to really enjoy in my beers. i liked this quite a bit better than their framboise lambic.
Score: 8

Orval Trappist Ale
Bottle -- Luke's
fascinating billowy head. smell is very funky, acidic, tart, and wine-like really. one of most unique aromas i have ever encountered. flavor is much softer than expected: lemon, tart, and phenolic. incredibly smooth. the kind of beer you could write a 1,000 words on, no problem. but i will spare you and just say you have to try it.
Score: 9

Saison Dupont
Bottle -- Luke's
different sort of yeast for sure, but tasty. lots of flavors happening here, which makes for a very bold beer. refreshing too.
Score: 8

St. Bernardus Abt 12
Bottle -- Luke's, Rockland
this quad comes in at #24 in the world, according to beeradvocate. cherry-alcoholic smell lasts from start to finish. dark fruit, vanilla, and alcohol, but i actually enjoy the taste of it. a beer that lives up to the hype.
Score: 10

St. Bernardus Witbier
Bottle -- Luke's
beautiful pour with good ammount of carbonation. spicy with a dry yeast. very crisp -- one of the things i like best about witbier's. this beer inspired me to brew a wit next. two perfect scores in a row... that is impressive.
Score: 10

St. Feuillien Tripel
750 ml -- Maine
i was starting to become biased against tripel's for its in your face alcohol levels and sometimes heavy maltiness. this was a tripel how it was meant to be though: bright gold with a thick head, spicy, bitter, and fruity (in that order), and light drinking. excellent.
Score: 9

Trappistes Rochefort 10
Bottle -- Cork's, Mansfield
another quad that comes in at number 18 overall. lots of dark flavors: plums, raisins, and caramel malts. drinks pretty smooth too. warming alcohol takes its toll. gotta say, i preffered st. bernardus' abt 12...
Score: 8

Westmalle Trappist Tripel
750 ml -- Luke's, Rockland
fruity, yeasty flavor. 9.5% abv is well-placed. chalky mouthfeel makes a real impression, very textured. as good as advertised.
Score: 10

Bell's

Earlier I mentioned my recent successful trip to Brasserie Beck in Washington, D.C. This was Franklin's idea, but my real ambition was the legendary Brickskeller near Dupont Circle. They boast over 1,000 different bottles of beer (but to be fair, they are inevitably out of a sizeable number of these, and even more surprising, had no taps!) The upstairs was definitely more spacious than the basement, and throughout there was lots of classic beer memorabilia up on the walls.

The list of beers was not as varied as I might have hoped, but there were definitely some gems and interesting regional beers. My favorite find was Bell's, that much respected and elusive brewer from Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Bell's Java Stout
Bottle -- Rick's Wine and Gourmet, Alexandria, VA
lots of burnt coffee with note of vanilla. not very drinkable.
Score: 5

Bell's Pale Ale
Bottle -- Brickskeller, Washington, D.C.
very clear with minor head. grassy / hay hops and quite grainy. was not impressed.
Score: 5

Bell's Porter
Bottle -- Brickskeller, Washington, D.C.
cola mouthfeel, primarily chocolate flavor, and very smooth. not bad.
Score: 7

Bell's Two Hearted Ale
Bottle -- Rick's Wine and Gourmet
good smell, but didn't blow me away. but the flavor -- oh, wow! piney, fruity, and balanced with caramel malts. leagues ahead of the other beers i tried from bell's. looking forward to the rest of this six-pack!
Score: 10

Updated Beer Scores

One thing that I have been remiss in on this blog is not updating beer scores as time goes on. My taste in beer has continued to mature and at this point some scores in my complete rankings are downright inaccurate. Let's start to correct that with a few beers I have returned to recently.

Anchor Steam Beer
Bottle -- Canterbury Ales, Oyster Bay, NY
i remember being unimpressed the first time i had this, but have returned to it a number of times since. the style (california common) definitely grew on me. its got a real earthy bitterness. i often recommend it to friends.
Orignial Score: 5, Score: 8

Atlantic Coal Porter
Bottle -- Ellsworth, ME
heavy roast, vanilla, cola carbonation, and smooth. i didn't find it too burnt like last time though. very good.
Orignial Score: 5, Score: 7

Cape Ann Fisherman's Pumpkin Stout
Tap -- Lower Depths, Boston
this is a real stout with some nice pumpkin and spice flavors fitting in. one of the few seasonal beers that i genuinely look forward to each year.
Orignial Score: 8, Score: 9

Ipswich Original Ale
Growler -- Cork's, Mansfield
this past year ipswich original ale has become my go-to session beer. flavorful, balanced, easy-drinking. what more can you ask for?
Orignial Score: 8, Score: 10

Ommegang Hennepin
750 ml -- Julio's Liquors, Westborough
spicy and medicinal, lemon and grassy hops, and quite dry. more sophisticated than your typical farmhouse. one of my favorites.
Orignial Score: 9, Score: 10

Smuttynose IPA "Finest Kind"
Bottle -- Union Brewhouse, Weymouth
i don't know why, but i have found this to be a very inconsistent beer from an otherwise reputable brewer. flavorful, bitter, piney hops... almost to the point of puckering the mouth. not bad -- when there aren't all kinds of floaties in the beer...
Orignial Score: 3, Score: 6

Sam Adams Octoberfest
Bottle -- Weymouth
like many people, i cut my teeth with sam adams and have some fond memories. but i have grown and jim koch has not. (i could swear this used to be a bolder beer, but it is probably just me...) little too sweet and a lot too bland. i can think of a dozen better octoberfests off the top of my head... from new england. i am going to seriously downgrade this beer, something that probably should be done for most of the sam beers i rated in the early days...
Orignial Score: 8, Score: 4

My Top 25 Beers

People are constantly asking me what my favorite beers is. Of course this is an impossible question. That said, I decided to take it on. I pulled the beers that had scored a 9 or 10 from my complete rankings (no small task since they number about 150...) and started whittling them down. What was left was the 25 best beers I have ever tried, in order. I recommend trying each before you die; all but a few are available on the east coast. No surprise, a lot of IPA's and stout's on the list, and all but three are domestic brews. Obviously, everyone's Top 25 is different, but please weigh in with any objections or ommissions.

Top 25 Beers
1. Russian River Pliny the Elder
2. Founders Breakfast Stout
3. Bar Harbor Cadillac Mountain Stout
4. Dogfish Head 90 Minute Imperial IPA
5. Deschutes Mirror Pond Pale Ale
6. Hopworks IPA
7. Allagash White
8. Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat NV Duvel
9. Bear Republic Hop Rod Rye
10. Alesmith IPA
11. Ommegang Hennepin
12. Deschutes Black Butte Porter
13. Thomas Hooker Liberator Doppelbock
14. Chimay Premiere (Red)
15. Sixpoint Sweet Action
16. Russian River Blind Pig IPA
17. Smuttynose Robust Porter
18. Allagash Grand Cru
19. Oskar Blues Dale's Pale Ale
20. Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel Peche Mortel
21. Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron
22. North Coast Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout
23. Founders Reds Rye
24. Stone India Pale Ale
25. Sebago Lake Trout Stout

Some far flung beers

Let the flurry of posts continue! I've got to pack them in before putting up some long overdue complete rankings. Anyways, pretty interesting list here. Relatively widely available too.

Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel Peche Mortel
Bottle -- Lighthouse, Manchester
#17 beer on planet earth according to beer advocate. i have been especially curious about this beer since one liquor store managed to sell my dad on it, even though a small bottle sells for $6. he absolutely hated it. my guess was it wasn't all that terrible. sure enough, beautiful pour and rich coffee smell. taste is quite sharp, with burnt coffee and an acrid bitterness kind of duking it out from start to finish. very complex, interesting beer. no offense dad, but this is definitely a keeper.
Score: 8

Craigmill Fraoch Heather Ale
Bottle -- Luke's
a scottish gruit, with heather flowers taking the place of hops. aroma is of bread and fruit. heather tips do play on mouth like hops. very fruity, light, and drinkable. lovely balance. i will get this again.
Score: 9

Hitachino Nest Red Rice Ale
Bottle -- Luke's
a belgian strong pale ale from japan. unusual appearance that you might find in a grapefruit juice. tart and spicy aroma. flavor is tart and yeasty, with an undefined something that i suppose could be cooked rice. well enough brewed.
Score: 7

Lindeman's Framboise Lambic
Bottle -- Luke's
i passed this around to my family after a lobster feed up in maine. like a digestief, or something. has the qualities of raspberry puree really. extremely sweet and tart, just like the fruit itself. carbonation is strong enough to make me think of a sparkling cider. i think you could pour this as a sauce on vanilla ice cream and it would be pretty good. yeah, i think i could find a use for this beer... the rest of my family wasn't so convinced.
Score: 7

Van Steenberge Monk's Cafe Flemish Sour Red Ale
Bottle -- Luke's, Rockland
my first flanders oud bruin. apparently this belgian brewer makes this beer specifically for a bar in philly. interesting. pours a reddish brown with sour smell of rhubarb. fascinating flavor that manages to give you cherries that are both sour and sweet at the same time. came on way too bold for my taste, but well worth the try.
Score: 5

The Best:
Chimay Premiere (Red)
Tap -- Victory Cigar Bar, Sudbury
i had this legendary beer for the first time at dan's favorite cigar bar. i've got to say, it paired absolutely perfectly with my cigar. (perhaps dan would be willing to talk a little more about what kind of beers work best with cigars -- whether it be a short post or in the comments section below...) as for the beer itself, beautiful hazy pour into chimay chalice. steady carbonation. spicy, phenolic nose. in addition, both malts and fruit build solid profile in middle of taste. smooth doesn't begin to describe. you could write a book about what is going on in this beer. one of those perfect beers.
Score: 10

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

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

Doing Belgian as well as Belgium?

I think this is a really interesting list of Belgian-style beers. Five of them (Chimay, Delirium, Duvel, Hoegaarden, and Leffe) are from Belgium, and among the best known beers in the world. The others come from Lost Abbey and Jolly Pumpkin, who in my mind, are in that elite class of Belgian-style brewers that call the US home (alongside Allagash and Ommegang...) I'd argue that any of these four US brewers can hang with the big boys of Belgium... agree or disagree?

Chimay Triple
Sample -- Great Lost Bear, Portland, ME
for a beer like this, you really can't write a review off of a sample. so here are a couple of initial thoughts. hazy with steady carbonation... honey sweet malts, fruity hops, yeastiness in both aroma and flavor. lot of complexity here. liked my first impression very much.
Score: 9

Delirium Tremens
Sample -- Great Lost Bear
no missing this one with its famous pink elephant on the label. big lacing on the pour. wheaty base is accompanied by fruity esters and even a little pepper. alcohol comes big here, so be ready for it. another beer that deserves more than a sample.
Score: 8

Duvel
Bottle -- Loco Restaurant, Easton
i have been looking forward to this beer for some time... and yet it still surpased my expectations. very light colored pour with amazing thick head that covers the entire glass on its way down. smell is fruity with measured yeast and spice. and what a tasty yeast strain! fruit, grain, spice and alcohol all register. light, crisp, and lively. fantastic!
Score: 10

Hoegaarden Original White Ale

Sample -- Battleship Brewhouse, Fall River

a witbier that has the light and cloudy appearance you would expect. aroma is of funky yeast and lemon zest. flavor is very spiced, but yeast is held in check. citrus grants nice drinkability.
Score: 6

Jolly Pumpkin Oro de Calabaza
750 ml -- McKean & Charles, Waldoboro, ME
my first biere de garde (that i can think of) and my first offering from jolly pumpkin, all of which is very exciting. seriously overcarbonated, as it doesn't stop boiling over. spice and white wine grapes on nose and dry texture also of white wine. extremely tart. alcohol is well placed. fascinating beer that has just a few too many white wine qualities for me.
Score: 7

Jolly Pumpkin La Roja
750 ml -- McKean & Charles, Waldoboro
a wild ale -- what a cool style name. dan points out label is a little ridiculous with the kitten pirates and all... smell of sour patch kids candy and red wine... flavor is hard to put a finger on -- watermelon and quite oakey... chalky, very fizzy mouthfeel... very interesting and i liked it.
Score: 8

Leffe Blonde
Sample -- Great Lost Bear
clear golden pour. smell is yeasty, but also of fruity bubble gum. syrupy, candy-like sweetness in taste is way too much for me. very light and clean... to the point of dumbing down this classic belgian style. a disappointment.
Score: 4

Lost & Found Abbey Ale
Bottle -- Luke's, Rockland
reddish body with aroma of sweet alcohol and hops. could swear this was a barleywine. nice floral hop flavor and smooth. nice.
Score: 7

The future of Cadillac Mountain Stout

One of the advantages of blogging about beer is that a lot of people will think of you when they think about beer, and pass along any interesting beer related news/information. My latest thanks go to my Aunt Edie for passing along an interesting article in Maine's Bangor Daily News about possibly my very favorite beer: Cadillac Mountain Stout.

MDI brewery buys cross-town competitor
By Bill Trotter, Bangor Daily News, April 20, 2009

BAR HARBOR, Maine — A brewing firm that has grown steadily since its start 18 years ago in the alcove of a local restaurant just got a little bigger.

Founded in 1991, Atlantic Brewing Co. now has two production facilities in Maine and distributes its beers to multiple locations on the East Coast. And earlier this month, with its purchase of cross-town competitor Bar Harbor Brewing Co., Atlantic has added a few other well-known Maine beers to its roster of brews.

Doug Maffucci, who co-owns Atlantic Brewing with his wife, Barbara Patten, said Saturday that the purchase makes sense for his company. Bar Harbor Brewing, which was founded in the village of Otter Creek a year before he started his beer business, has established some award-winning beers that have attracted a strong following, he said...

Maffucci said he found out last fall that Bar Harbor Brewing was again for sale and that he didn’t want to see it sold to a larger company from away that wasn’t interested in maintaining the Fosters’ legacy.

“It’s good beer. It’s great beer,” Maffucci said. “I was afraid the brand was going to die, which would have been silly.”

The Atlantic Brewing owner said he wasn’t sure how his brewers would react to the prospect of taking over what had been a competing product and keeping it going, but it turned out not to be an issue. Brewers James Taylor and Jon Hill were eager to learn how to make the Bar Harbor Brewing brands, he said.

“They were super-excited about it,” Maffucci said. “They’re totally into it.”

Maffucci said he intends to resume making Bar Harbor Brewing’s three main beers, which have been out of production since October, and he hopes to keep them close to their original recipes. His company already has started making them and hopes to have Cadillac Mountain Stout, Thunder Hole Ale and Harbor Lighthouse Ale available in stores by the beginning of May. He said he also plans to make them available in draught, which none of the previous owners ever did.

As for Bar Harbor’s other beers, which include blueberry, peach and ginger-flavored ales, he said he would take a wait-and-see approach. Atlantic Brewing already has its own ginger- and blueberry-flavored beers, he said, though his blueberry ale and the one the Fosters developed are different enough that they might be able to co-exist. He said Atlantic’s nine existing beers would stay as they are.

Maffucci plans to continue making and marketing the additional beers as Bar Harbor Brewing Co. products. To help with the transition, Maffucci has hired Bar Harbor Brewing brewer Dave Kilgour to continue making the beers...

He said all beers would be produced at facilities in Town Hill or in Portland. Since 2001, Atlantic Brewing has had space at Shipyard Brewing Co. in Portland, where it brews its own beer. Atlantic contracts with Shipyard to bottle some beer for out-of-state distribution...

Bar Harbor had just cracked into my Top 10 list of favorite brewers with their authentic English style ales and world-class American stout. To lose such a treasure would have been a real loss for Maine's craft beer community, so this is very welcome news. Honestly, I haven't exactly been blown away by Atlantic Brewing Co. but they are a solid brewer that appear to be taking the challenge of continuing to brew Cadillac Mountain Stout seriously.

So here is to wishing Doug and Barbara the best of luck! Thank you for saving this personal favorite (and even putting it on tap!) The new batches should be hitting stores shortly, so please go do yourself a favor and buy some of this exquisite beer next time you see it. You won't be disappointed.

IPA phase continued

In the wake of my successful IPA homebrew, my IPA phase has continued. Where many of the winter beers are heavy and muddled, IPA's are lighter and crisp, yet flavorful. There are some really fantastic beers on this list.

Bear Republic Racer 5 India Pale Ale
Bottle -- Washington, D.C.
hops are piney to the point that this smells and tastes like a christmas tree. i like it a lot though. very tasty.
Score: 8

Eugene City Tracktown IPA
Bottle -- Luke's, Rockland
a west coast style red (read hoppy). nice translucent red at first, but yeast at end of bottle makes this one cloudy. big flavorful hops. enjoyable.
Score: 7

Oak Pond White Fox Ale
Growler -- Oak Pond Brewery, Skowhegan, ME
they called this an ipa, but it is unlike any ipa i have ever had. citrus hops are at forefront, balanced by crisp malts. slightly odd flavor, but i dug it. we finished this growler in about 5 minutes.
Score: 7

Opa Opa IPA
Bottle -- Gordon's, Waltham
grassy hop aroma but taste only has a few bitter grapefruit hops at the start... perhaps trying to cut costs with the hop shortage?? maltiness does come through in taste though. and i was surprised to see it register a 6% abv, so well hidden alcohol.
Score: 6

Thomas Hooker Hop Meadow IPA
Tap -- Union Brewhouse, Weymouth
huge frothy head... flavorful bitterness, but malts balance it out enough not to be overpowering... sticky texture but very drinkable. east coast brewers are not known for their ipa's, but this could go toe-to-toe with the best of the west coast. as much as i hate connecticut, thomas hooker has not disappointed me yet!
Score: 9

Woodstock Inn Pemi Pale Ale
Bottle -- Gordon's, Waltham
an american ipa, despite the name. translucent pour with nice lacing. sweet malts probably make bigger mark on nose than hops... fairly assertive grapefruit hops in flavor. some butteriness in mouthfeel. not bad.
Score: 6

My favorite (and this was a close one):
Bear Republic Hop Rod Rye
Bottle -- Luke's
ballooning billowy head... big, sharp hops in aroma... taste is a big wow. very flavorful piney hops but without harsh aftertaste that makes many west coast ipa's hard to drink. in fact it is very smooth going down. a perfect ipa.
Score: 10

CBC Winter

Figured this was my last chance to try the winter seasonals at Cambridge Brewing Co. You might be able to catch some of these solid beers too if you hurry!

Big Man Ale
Sample -- Cambridge Brewing Co.
a strong ale as their winter seasonal -- nice. cloudy, dark amber pour... balanced aroma with fruitty esters... pretty assertive bitterness but plenty of toasted malts to build this one up. excellent.
Score: 9

Blunderbuss Barleywine 2008
Sample -- CBC
perhaps my tastes have changed, but i have fonder memories of the blunderbuss from last year. taste is too sweet for me, with assertive hops pushing their way towards front of flavor.
Score: 7

CaCow! Chocolate Milk Stout
Sample -- CBC
to be fair, i am a sucker for milk stouts... but this was great! awesome aroma of strong java and sweet chocolate malts. roasted coffee comes through in taste along with hop bitterness to give it some depth and complexity. velvety smooth and medium-bodied. i would have bought a growler of this for dessert had it been available.
Score: 10

Never Mind the Bollekes!
Sample -- CBC
a belgian pale. the smell is of some unusual musty yeast... reminds me of some german styles. sour flavor, with yeast and floral hops making their mark. not my favorite.
Score: 5

Regatta Golden
Sample -- CBC
the one house regular that i had not tried in my previous trips, a kolsch. light and golden appearance with fresh grain and lemon in aroma. light floral, grassy hops balance flavor. very drinkable.
Score: 7

Publick House

Publick House and Monk's Cell

1648 Beacon Street, Brookline, MA
as a place that was once voted the #1 beer bar in america, the publick house was at the top of my to do list. located on a nice pocket of beacon street, when you walk in you are immediately impressed with the hominess of the place. my group of 8 found a nice large table with wooden stools in the dining room down off the bar. decent sized place but i can see how it would get really crowded on a weekend night. first off, beer menu was very well put together (grouped by style)... something that is very important to me. there must have been at least 15 beers on tap, (including quality stuff like allagash, founders, and smuttynose) as well as countless bottles. proper glassware, knowledgeable waitresses, fancy food menu -- this place has it all. alright, its beer was served too cold, but i am a realist. not cheap (mostly $6 pints) but quality makes this the best beer bar i have found in boston.
Atmosphere: 4/5, Selection: 10/10, Quality: 9/10, Service: 5/5, Overall: 17/20, Total: 45/50

Total rating: A

Founders Dirty Bastard
Tap -- Publick House & Monk's Cell
i stole a taste of this scotch ale from my friend matt. very dark in appearance. strong smell of raisins and other dark fruit. taste makes you think of bourbon at 8.3% abv. very good.
Score: 9

Great Divide Denver Pale Ale
Bottle -- Publick House & Monk's Cell
sweet hop aroma... smooth and well balanced... strong hop presence with nice finish... good drinkability.
Score: 7

Oskar Blues Ten FIDY
Can -- Publick House & Monk's Cell
russian imperial stout in a can! jet black with minor head... chocolate and alcohol on nose, black patent malt and creamy chocolate in taste. rich, heavy, yet drinkable. a good imperial stout and i had to give an extra point for it being in a can.
Score: 8

Sixpoint Sweet Action
Tap -- Publick House & Monk's Cell
an american blonde. hazy and golden... spicy hop aroma... full, flavorful hop taste that matches well with fruity, peach malts. a perfect session beer.
Score: 10

The Tap Dopplebock
Tap -- Publick House & Monk's Cell
dan had to get this being from haverhill. and i, not knowing the tap even had a dopplebock had to steal a sip. muddled aroma, sweet malt taste with distinctive sour mash of dopplebock's not emerging until very end. this didn't work for either of us, and i think dan would consider my score generous.
Score: 4

Victory Bags Packed Porter
Tap -- Publick House & Monk's Cell
victory is as traditional a brewer as you will find, and this porter is no exception. deep brown with reddish tint, emphasis on roastiness all around, smooth with moderate body. a solid, if unadventurous porter.
Score: 7