540. Full Sail Brewer’s Share Berliner Weiss

More from the West Coast, which is the Best Coast. It has been a while since we’ve punched that Full Sail ticket, but, well, here we are again, sailing on full steam ahead. And yes, that was my attempt at chiasmus. Don’t worry, it’s perfectly acceptable if you need to look that up. And no, I won’t stop peppering my comments with obscure linguistic devices. After all, it is the mad skills that pay the bills, not the mundane ones. Plus, since this guy officially disappeared, it appears I’m back to writing for my lonesome self. That one tragic tear rolling down your cheek is what keeps me blogging, my dear reader. Well, and the beers I get to drink. See? I can be both literal and smarmy in the same post. And if that ain’t the new journalism, then color me incoherent. Anywho, previous Full Sail beers include Wreck the Halls and Grandsun of Spot IPA, as well as the spectacularly made up Full Sail Super Fantastic Magic Carpet Ride. It’s a carpetbagger’s delight!

Brewer’s Share Berliner Weiss pours a crystal clear and vibrant gold with a light white head and plenty of tiny streaming bubbles along the side of the glass. As well, the beer feature numerous gold highlights as light cuts through the glass. The nose has the dusty dry cardboard of lactobacillus, along with a slight sharp tang mixed with a certain pungency, while behind that, there is a touch of wheat gumminess. Basically, the aroma is the drier, earthier lactobacillus and not the brighter, sharper and tarter that I prefer. Flavors are dry and paper-y with a touch of apple juice in the front, accompanied by cracker, biscuit, and wheat. There is a tang from the lactobacillus—and probably some from the wheat—as the beer moves into the middle, a tang short of tart but almost to lemon. I get a sharp dry bite as the beer turns towards the finish from both the carbonation and the lactobacillus, and there is a touch of the lingering champagne brut character on the middle back of the tongue that also manifests itself in the feeling of a slight mineral residue on the back of the tongue. Additionally, there is a touch of residual vegetal flavor as well as some lingering cracker sourness, along with a touch more of the apple. The body is simultaneously gummy and cracker dry, a mix of the effects of the wheat malt and the carbonation. And after everything passes across the palate, there is a slight candy sweet tang that is the last flavor left behind. While this is not the best of the commercial versions of this beer—a good bottle of 1809 is hard to beat—it is still well made. I do wish it had a more prominent—and by that I mean tarter—lactobacillus presence. There is too much wheat without the reciprocal cleansing tartness, and the earthy cardboard flattens flavors on the palate. But I’m still happy to see a beer like this produced and distributed in the United States. It warms the cockles of my heart.

From the bottle: “Featured Brewer: Chris Haveman. Four times a year we hand the keys to our massively talented brewers and let them throw down. Whoever comes up with the most insanely delicious new brew gets to share it with the entire beer-geekosphere. It’s something we call Brewer’s Share. And what, pray tell, inspired Chris to brew his wheat-o-rific Summer Delight? A secret desire to have his cake and drink it, too, perhaps? ‘I was inspired by my love of summer actually,’ says Chris. ‘When I found out we’d be brewing at the beginning of the season, I immediately thought of the perfect summer style—a Berliner Weiss.”

ABV: 4.0%
IBU: 9

(11/15/2012)

521. Widmer Marionberry Hibiscus Gose

So Widmer is getting in on the sour beer action. Or, as described on their website, they are “perfecting the art of tart.” Good, but you’re not quite there yet. All told, this is our third beer from Widmer, including Nelson Imperial IPA and Drifter Pale Ale.

We had this beer served to us in a tulip glass at South Park Tavern; it is a delicate bordello shade of dusty rose with a thin white head reduced to a ring by the time it appeared at our table. The nose features a gummy wheat aroma mixed with floral esters and a touch of sour that is almost but not quite lactic. It does better approach a lactic tang in the nose as it warms. As well, there is no real salt or salinity detectable in the nose. Flavors start with a malty bread dough and wheat coupled with salt, followed by hibiscus and a slight saline tang before moving into a soft and refrained cleansing lactic bite towards the finish—it does taste more like acidulated malt than lactobacillus—with hibiscus & berry, both of which linger on the tongue. The body is medium and doughy/gummy with a gentle carbonation that enhances the wheat character of the beer. The delicate, soft, and rounded body is offered a touch of brightness via the hibiscus. The berry flavor comes out as it warms; initially, it is only in the finish, and it took over a bit too much in the final quarter of the glass. An interesting beer, but it needs more lactic sourness and more salt—it is more a gose dressed-up for Joe Sixpack, which ultimately means it is more fruit beer than gose. It is certainly lacking the balance seen in Jackie O’s Raspberry Berliner Weisse, which deftly combines fruit and sour without sacrificing either. I am glad that someone is commercially producing a gose, and I understand the need to make it palatable to wider audience, but, well, I am a bit disappointed.

From the Widmer website: “Gose is a traditional cloudy German-style wheat beer that balances tart and slightly salty flavors with a soft malt background. Our unique take uses a healthy dose of Oregon-grown marionberries as well as dried hibiscus flowers for a tart, floral profile with clove & coriander flavors to round it out. Prost! Or Goseanna!”

ABV: 5.5%

(7/3/2012)

519. Deschutes Hop Henge Experimental IPA

 More Deschutes. After all, if I am in the Pacific Northwest, shouldn’t I indulge the local scene? Besides being from Deshutes, Hop Henge is part of the Bond Street Series, which is just another way of loving lupulins. As previously inferred, we’ve sippy-sipped Chainbreaker White IPA, Conflux No. 2 White IPA, The Abyss, Black Butte Porter XXI, Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Black Butte Porter, Hop Trip, Inversion, and Red Chair IPA. Do that.

Hop Henge pours a rich, deep caramel with a thick creamy eggshell head. There is even some lacing. Let’s be honest—it looks British. The nose is more eccentric: it starts with chewy caramel malt and a creamy butterscotch before the hops kick in. Then you get the hop bitterness and aroma: pine and resin with touches of earth and vanilla. The delicate aromas of citrus, must, orange, and pear flirt at the edges, but are a bit lost in the caramel. See? More British. Flavors follow the nose, with a spicy caramel at the start before the hop assault takes over. Then it is a herbal pine and evergreen blast. The bitterness picks up in the middle, and continues on into the finish, with pine resin and creamy butterscotch duking it out towards the end. The bitterness in the finish is just short of sharp, while the lingering bitterness carries a hint of mintiness on the roof and back of the mouth. There is some alcohol warmth in the by finish as well, but it is gentle, not harsh. As well, there is a touch of grassiness and hop astringency in the medium to heavy body. In keeping with the British beer references, I am tempted to call this a British IPA on steriods—the beer is more balanced between the malt and hops than many American IPAs, and lessening the malt body would reciprocally improve the hop punch. I know this is a Northwest IPA, but even by those standards it is very British. The Deschutes characteristics shine through—clean, balanced, malty, and delicious—but a reduced malt profile in conjunction with the same hop profile would yield an IPA that better fit the “experimental” label of the Hop Henge profile. Nonetheless, a good beer: this is a beer with a British malt character and an American hop profile that sacrifices nothing. While the final product may itself be a bit unbalanced, aren’t most cultural collisons equally hectic and chaotic? After all, this is what makes Deschutes so refreshing. Damn the naysayers and full speed ahead!

From the bottle: “Stonehenge is a mystery. Hop Henge is a discovery. Out monument to hops—Hop Henge is brought to life by the uncompromising creativity of our brewers.

With an immense hop flavor and bitter finish, this experimental IPA will stand the test of time.”

From Deschutes: “Hop Henge Experimental IPA is our annual exercise in IBU escalation. An outrageous amount of Centennial and Cascade hops are added to each barrel, with a heavy dry-hop presence as well. It is dense and muscular, with a blend of crystal, pale and carastan malts creating an overall biscuity characteristic. It’s all hop, no apologies.”

ABV: 8.96%

IBU: 95

Malt: Pale, Munich

Hops: Millennium, Northern Brewer, Cascade, Centennial, Zeus, Simcoe, Brewers Gold, Citra

Best By: 6/28/2012  

(6/14/2012)

518. Deschutes Chainbreaker White IPA

“The trail to tasty is never safe and gentle.”

from the bottle

Another bike-themed beer, which is, of course, awesome. We love bike-themed beer: see here and here for proof of our lofty claims. And regardless of what Jake Harper tells us, this strikes us more as a revision of the Conflux No. 2 than something brand spanking new, which is really a fantastic thing, because it means there is more of that delicious Deschutes White IPA to be had. But I digress. Our previous run-ins with Deschutes include Conflux No. 2 White IPA, The Abyss, Black Butte Porter XXI, Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Black Butte Porter, Hop Trip, Inversion, and Red Chair IPA.  

Chainbreaker pours a soft yellow & hazy straw with a delicate white head that offers good staying power and decent lacing. The nose is perfume-y, with citrus lemon and grapefruit competing with a slight earthy hop  bitterness, coriander, and a touch of tropical fruit. Flavors open with earthy bitterness mixed with citrus and herbal spiciness; there is a soft, slightly gummy malt character that loudly declares “I’ve got a wheat malt backbone,” but is rounded by a light candy malt sweetness. The middle brings in a slight graininess and huskiness, along with a delicate citrus bitterness, shifting to the clean gentle bitterness in the finish that is is slightly spicy and herbal from the coriander. The body is light, bright, & spritzy with a fresh and punchy character that is simultaneously delicate and restrained. The gentle, celan malt character plays well with the hop, spice, and yeast character of the beer. Much like the

Conflux No. 2, this is a delicious beer, but there are subtle differences. While the Belgian character is still present, this is closer to an IPA than Conflux, which struck me as more saison-like in the delicate nuance. This beer is still delicate, but the sage is gone, replaced with citrus and an increased coriander/herbal spice character that suits the beer well. As well, the hop character is more complete across the beer—more flavor and aroma, and a more nuanced bitterness playing across the beer. The ABV is also appropriately toned down from the 7.3% of Conflux to make this a wee bit easier on the stump-jumpin’ mountain bike racing crowd. Not like they couldn’t handle it, but it is drinkable enough that they’ll want more than one or two.

From the Deschutes website: “Deschutes is taking you into the next beer frontier. Brewed with wheat and pilsner malt; this IPA displays beautiful citrus aromas from Cascade and Citra hops that meld with the esters of Belgian yeast. Think thirst quenching hopped-up wit beer with enough IBUs to warrant the IPA name.”

ABV: 5.6%
IBU: 55
Malt: Pilsner, Wheat, Unmalted Wheat
Hops: Bravo, Citra, Centennial, Cascade
Other: Sweet Orange, Coriander

(6/13/2012)

503. Widmer Nelson Imperial IPA

Alright, it is time to get down to brass tacks. We’ve been in Seattle for a week (yes, we’re in Seattle—I know it is so hard to keep track of our incessant shenanigans), and have been lollygagging around. Much like another Lolli I know. Anyway. Widmer. And the Nelson Sauvin hop. It is all the rage with the kids now-a-days. Or something. This beer comes from the 924 Series, which when I searched the Widmer site came back with nothing. So it’s like the Rotator series, but more secret. Again, or something. Surprisingly, only our second beer from Widmer—the last one being Drifter Pale Ale, way back in ’09. How far you going back? Way back. As we go a little something like this...

Nelson Imperial IPA pours a hazy copper, much like a bright shiny penny, with an eggshell colored head that sticks around rather well. The nose is a mix of hop spiciness and caramel malt, with the caramel standing in for the more delicate aromas. A small amount of fruitiness does peek out from behind the caramel, however. Elli describes it as “banana-like fruitiness—not the banana-clove, but the starchy sweet banana aroma of fruit.” I get tropical fruit, but have little to offer besides that. Aromas are more perfume-y as the beer opens up, allowing the tropical fruitiness to come out in the beer. Flavors start with the caramel sweetness and hop spiciness of the nose, although it is still soft on the palate. The tropical fruitiness starts to emerge in the middle, along with a gentle bitterness, leading to the bright floral finish—there are touches of apple and pear, and more of the tropical fruit leading into the concluding bitterness. Nelson Imperial also finishes lightly spritzy; while it starts rather heavy on the palate, it finishes lighter and brighter. There is a good amount of lingering bitterness, albeit of a gentler variety—no sharpness or harshness. A decent beer overall, but it does strike us as rather unbalanced—there is an abundance of caramel malt that covers over the more delicate components of the Nelson Sauvin hop. Or, as Jeffrey would describe it, this is something of a caramel bomb. We’d like to see someone make a light, easy-drinking APA with a boatload of Nelson Sauvin so we can experience the nuanced descriptors ascribed to this hop. Because a caramel-heavy Imperial seems the wrong route to nuance—this beer doesn’t earn its size. Maybe that’s just us. But I doubt it.

From the Widmer website: “Take your taste buds on a journey to the far side of the world. New Zealand’s legendary Nelson Sauvin hop gives us a powerful hoppy character, but none of the heaviness you sometimes find in Imperial IPAs. The result is a big brew with a sweet, malty character that perfectly balances the intense hop aroma and flavor.”

ABV: 8.6%
IBU: 70
Malt: 2-row Pale, Carapils, Caramel 10L
Hops: Alchemy, Nelson Sauvin, Cascade, Willamette
Bottled: August 29, 2011

Didn’t expect the Cockney rhyming slang angle, did you?

(12/26/2011)

502. Prodigal Son Christmas Carol(e)

When you’re on a long road trip, an interesting destination along the way makes the time pass faster. Our destination: Prodigal Son in Pendleton, OR. And since we’ve never been one to let a little thing like 2,147 miles get in our way of fun, off we went! Only one problem: when we got to Prodigal Son, they were featuring a whole slew of guest taps by Terminal Gravity, which is in Enterprise, OR. Foiled again. Or, in the immortal words of Homer Simpson, d’oh! Prodigal Son did, however, have their winter warmer, Christmas Carol(e), on tap, so we started with that, followed by Terminal Gravity IPA.

Christmas Carol(e) was served in an 8 oz. glass (ahem—we did have to drive another 300 hundred miles, thank you very much); the beer was copper brown with a long-lasting tan head. The nose was super-delicious—it was a mix of fruit and esters with a touch of alcohol—and it pretty much embodied the “old ale-like” character Elli pointed to last week in the Ill-Tempered Gnome. Christmas Carol(e) starts with a mix of fruit and bread, specifically fig, pear, and apple, mixed with bread and caramel malt; in the middle, there is a lighter fruit character and a touch of alcohol. There are also hints of malt chewiness, but it tastes a bit too young to come fully through, while the finish is clean with a touch of heat and alcohol lingering on the palate. The mouthfeel has a corresponding light alcohol warmth that fits with the lighter, gentler carbonation. Christmas Carol(e) is good but young; I’d love to see what this turns into next year at this time. A good first impression. I would have loved to try Bruce/Lee Porter (one of the reasons we stopped here), but I guess it wasn’t meant to be. Maybe on the way home.

From the Prodigal Son website: “The Christmas Carol has arrived–A seasonal winter warmer featuring Golden Promise and French Aromatic malts. Dark Crystal and Belgian Candi sugar mingle with herbal Noble Hop bitterness, creating a beer which is ideal for any celebration.”

ABV: 9.0%
IBU: 62

Terminal Gravity IPA came in an imperial pint glass (nice touch, Prodigal Son), and was a hazy caramel—it looked like liquid Werther’s. The head was thin and white, but hung on like the dickens, while the nose was a delicious mix of spicy and resin hop aromas with a touch of floral in the background and clean hop bitterness. This beer was also super fresh and tasty—the hop aroma jumped out of the glass, and flavors really danced on the palate. Flavors started with restrained bread and biscuit malt, along with floral and citrus hop flavors mixed with a slight fruitiness that tasted yeast derived, although we could be wrong. A pleasant clean bitterness also began in the front and continued into the middle, which also contained a faint hint of caramel malt followed by spicy hop flavors. The finish saw a return of the bread flavors before concluding with a lingering clean bitterness. The body was medium as was the carbonation, although it was bright on the palate. The breadiness builds on the palate as the beer warms, as does the hop spiciness, revealing a touch of alcohol warmth. There is also a slight astringent/vegetal note that emerges as the beer warms. Nonetheless, a delicious, approachable, and super-drinkable beer. Too bad we couldn’t stick around for more. But the sweet siren song of the road was calling....

From the Terminal Gravity website: “Terminal Gravity’s ‘India Pale Ale’ is pale copper in color but big in flavor with a heady hop character. It is a true beer drinkers beer and brings a smile to many a face. We use spring water and snow melt from high in the Eagle Cap Wilderness! This is the beer that was named Beer of the Year by the Oregonian.”

ABV: 6.9%
OG: 15.2° P
FG: 3.2° P

Funny side note: all of this photos were shot blind. I broke the viewing screen to our digital camera some time during the first two days of the trip. Color me smooth. Turned out alright, though.

(12/21/2011)

501. Oakshire Brewing Ill-Tempered Gnome Winter Ale

“I appreciate the bitterness. From the nose, I thought it would be a bit sticky sweet, but it’s not.” Elli

Our first beer from Oakshire Brewing, located in lovely Eugene, OR. Damn, I miss Eugene. Can anyone tell me if Frog is still around? I found one of his joke books in my last move, and that took me way, way back. But I digress; Oakshire started in October 2006, well after my time there. Still, it makes me nostalgic, as Oakshire pretty much has their rhymes right and their game tight.

Ill-Tempered Gnome pours a mix of orange and mahogany, with a light tan head that rouses rather easily. It appears mostly clear in the glass, although there might be a slight chill haze. Aromas combine brown malt and candy sweetness—it’s a mixture of English and Belgian, with the elements Elli describes as “old ale-like” winning out. There are also hints of biscuit malt and fruit hiding in the back. As it warms, Elli’s “old ale-like” character increases—there is a bready fruit component that strikes me as figgy bread pudding. Flavors start sweet and bright (and yes, I find that an odd description as well) with biscuit and brown malt; there is a hint of caramel and molasses in the middle before the sharp, clean bitterness takes over. Some of the brown malt comes back in the finish—present as a touch of roast and almost but not quite chocolate—but it is in a losing battle with the bitterness, which lingers pleasantly on the back of the throat. As Elli notes above, the body is lighter than expected—it is medium, with the hop bitterness further contributing to lightening the beer on the palate. The bitterness does pick up as the beer warms, but that’s almost petty to note—this is a winter ale we can both get behind. And, as I am sure Jeffrey is just waiting to blurt out in the comments, no one should be surprised by that. Because as we all well know, West Coast breweries both invented and perfected the winter ale. And yes, that is a fact so transparent, it needs no justification. Now if they’d only do something about all those damn pumpkin ales. Nice work, Oakshire.

From the bottle: “Take a little gnome home this winter! However, don’t put him in the front yard. The neighbors might steal him & he’ll definitely lose his cool! He’s a malty, hoppy brown ale of pure winter deliciousness. Enjoy!”

ABV: 6.8%
IBU: 65
OG: 15.5° P

(12/15/2011)

494. Deschutes Conflux No. 2 White IPA vs. Boulevard Collaboration No. 2 White IPA

This is what a drink-off should be like: two quality beers, both by quality brewers. Experiment and identify a recipe, then both make a version of the beer. It’s like the Rockit Cup, only at the professional level. And let’s be honest—the results are spectacular. Besides myself and Elli, Jeffrey joined in to enjoy the sweat and toil of this beery labor. This is our eighth beer from Deschutes, including The Abyss, Black Butte Porter XXI, Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Black Butte Porter, Hop Trip, Inversion, and Red Chair IPA, and our fourth from Boulevard: Saison, Saison-Brett and Two Jokers Double Wit. Oh, and here’s a little on the whole collaboration process for all of youse looking to read up and stuff.

The Deschutes version pours a slightly hazy straw with a thin white head; it is a lighter than the Boulevard version, which is closer to gold. The head presence is similar on both—a wafty white ethereal covering that drifts across the glass. The nose on both is similar; Deschutes has a delicate herbal spicy bitter aroma mixed with candy malt and a slight wheat gumminess, while Boulevard is more earthy and spicy. There is still the candy malt, but it borders on caramel. Flavors start with light candy malt and spicy hop bitterness; Boulevard has more mineral bitterness and bready malt caramel, while Deschutes has a herbal bitter character with candy malt. Both beers have a light body that drinks more like a spicy, hoppy saison than an IPA; Deschutes is more floral and delicate, with the sage providing a nice herbal emphasis, and Boulevard features a lingering bitterness that strikes us as more bitter orange than hop derived. However, both are fantastic—the subtlety and nuance in both are very close, but distinctly different. Elli and I both lean towards the Deschutes version, while Jeffrey likes the Boulevard best. Both had critical remarks, however; Elli said she would rather appreciate both beers than have to drink them on a regular basis, while Jeffrey thought that the Deschutes version was based more on the idea of an IPA than actually being an IPA. I can see where they are coming from; both beers strike me as more saison-like than anything else—I would drink them both all day every day for precisely the factors Elli and Jeffrey critique. The delicate flavors and nuance present in each beer are both like and unlike traditional IPAs, yet the subtlety of each is well worth examining on its own merits—the discussions we had while drinking these two beers strike me as the very type of discussion that keeps American beer production interesting and innovative. So keep up the innovation. And the Belgian character. Because in many ways, this is just a new varietal on the Belgian IPA format. While it foregrounds a light wheat malt character in conjunction with the hop flavor as opposed to the yeast and malt character of most Belgian IPAs, the overall effect is not that much different. While I would celebrate both trends, the delicate and subtle nature of these two beers does something more for me than other more aggressive Belgian IPAs—this is the version I would laud and endorse. After all, it bespeaks a certain level or nuance and complexity that a lot of American breweries miss. And for that, I am thankful.

From the Deschutes bottle: “Second in a series, this citrusy, smooth white India pale ale is fortuitous meeting of Deschutes’ hop skills and Boulevard’s deft wheat touch. What’s 1800 miles when a great beer is at stake?”

ABV: 7.3%

From the Boulevard bottle: “Combining the refined body of a Belgian-style witbier with the refreshing bite of a hop-forward IPA, this ale puts a new spin on the idea of collaborative brewing. Working from a single shared recipe, Boulevard and Deschutes have created two separate brews, more than 1600 miles apart. To the traditional witbier spices of coriander seed and orange peel they’ve added sage and lemongrass, giving the ale subtle herbal notes which perfectly complement the pungent hop aroma and full, fruity mouthfeel. Hints of pepper linger in the dry, clean finish.”

ABV: 7.4%

(11/18/2011)

493. Hopworks Pig War NW Style Ale

Holy shit. I bought this beer for the name. After all, having grown up in the Northwest, I was privy to the reference—it’s not every day that the shooting of a pig almost leads to an international conflict—and I was always amused by the resulting conflation of neighborly and national aggression. But this beer is much much more than a clever and amusing name. However, I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself. Technically, Pig War is our first beer from Hopworks Urban Brewery in Portland, OR, although we did previously try their IPA (that’s right, keep reading, keep reading—there it is).

Described on the bottle as a “NW style ale” featuring “estate-grown hops,” Pig War pours a rich orange and copper with a pretty minimal tan head. The nose is floral and fruity with a touch of candy malt in the background—it is both delicate and assertive at the same time, with a delicious combination of grape, citrus, orange, and flower-like hints. I’m not sure we get the “herbaceous” aromatics described on the bottle, but I do love their use of the word; there are some faint beguiling dank aromas lingering in the back of the beer, but that is as far as I would go. Flavors open with fruit and citrus followed by a candy sweet malt flavor that is just short of caramel. The initial flavors blossom in the middle, developing into an orange marmalade jamminess that couples with a clean, brisk bitterness carrying touches of resin and hop spiciness. There is a touch of grape and floral brightness in the final third before the flavors give way to a gentle lingering and spicy bitterness. And, as the bottle notes, there is a gentle warmth to the finish that helps round the beer as a whole; mixed with the medium body and the gentle carbonation, the beer provides a subtle, delicate balance that drinks far far easier than the 8% ABV listed on the label—this beer looks to get you in trouble for all the right reasons. Elli calls the malt flavors too sweet for the beer, but I find the candy malt flavors and bitterness in perfect harmony—this beer combines fruity Northwest hop character with candy-sweet Belgian malt sensibilities to create a beer that, well, defies any sort of easy classification. And I mean that in all the good ways. Those who know me know that I’m not inclined to throw around excessive or profuse praise. That said, I would consider calling this beer a revelation to be slightly understating the case. Seriously. Combined with the name, this beer is easily one of the best and most interesting beers of the year. Well done, Hopworks, well done.

Garth Williams illustration from here.

From the bottle: “Our Estate NW Style Ale uses both Willamette and Cascade hops grown exclusively for Hopworks on San Juan Island. These hops impart a fresh, crisp and stunning fruitiness, coupled perfectly with aromatic floral herbaceousness. A rich malt body. And warming finish are followed by a subtle, balancing hop bitterness. The name Pig War commemorates the confrontation in 1859 between American and British authorities over San Juan Island.”

Oh, and I found this Release Party notice on the Hopworks website.

ABV: 8.0%
IBU: 80
OG: 19.8° P

(11/15/2011)

492. BridgePort Hop Harvest Ale 2011

More from the brewery that almost started it all here. My, how time flies. While technically we’ve had this beer before in an earlier instantiation, since it is a seasonal offering I’m declaring it a distinct vintage. Take that, social proprieties! Hop Harvest is from BridgePort’s Big Brews series (well, at least according to their label), and is our fourth beer from BridgePort, all of which have been, not surprisingly, hop-focused: Hop Czar, Hop Harvest 2009 and their IPA are the previous beers we’ve, um, sampled.

Hop Harvest pours a cloudy orange gold with a thin white head that reduces quickly to a ring with thin wispy tendrils extending over the brew. The nose features a combination of the slight spiciness and burnt vegetal astringency found in most wet hops beers; most others, however, contain additional hop aromas beyond this. Sadly, Hop Harvest does not. Maybe there is a touch of mineral brightness that emerges, or a hint of the caramel malt, but not much else. The flavor profile follows suit—there is malt sweetness in the front coupled with spicy mineral hop flavor that builds to the assertive hop bitterness of the middle; the caramel sweetness leads into the dry, tacky bitterness of the finish that mostly covers the malt sweetness, but it is a bit sticky—its imperial pedigree comes through here, even at only 6.5%. Carbonation is prickly and bright, and helps lighten the mouthfeel, but there is still a bit too much residual sweetness here—it borders on being a malt-forward Imperial IPA, and that can’t be a good thing. The spicy mineral bitterness is the highlight of the beer; the lack of distinct hop aroma and the imperial malt character are pretty big strikes against it. I did finish my glass, but kinda disappointing coming from BridgePort—the 2009 version did a much better job of showcasing the subtlety of fresh hops.

From the bottle: “This triple hopped, Imperial style ale gets its most important ingredient from Willamette Valley aroma hops. Caramel malt joins forces with a touch of wheat to produce a deep amber color with a cloudy veil. The result is an ale that will turn even the most pretentious hop fans jolly.”

ABV: 6.5%

Um, no offense, but you didn’t make Elli jolly...

(11/8/2011)

491. Laurelwood Gearhead IPA

Let the goodness reign down! Back from the excitement of both my father’s 70th birthday party and a delightful case of food poisoning (nothing says good times like throwing up an only partially digested fancy cheeseburger—thanks, Red Robin), I come bearing a box of the Northwest’s finest offerings. Don’t worry, we’ll get to the Deschutes soon enough. Today’s offering is from Laurelwood, which we sadly haven’t seen in a while, not living in the Northwest and all. We can add this one to our previous encounters with Workhorse IPA and Prevale IPA, and note that Laurelwood is another reason that Portland is better than Dayton. Sure, we could make a list going the other way (let’s see what you’ve got, Jeffrey), but I don’t feel like courting disappointment right now.

Gearhead IPA proclaims its Northwest roots right out of the gate. The nose is pine, evergreen, and resin (it gets almost spicy as it warms) hop aroma up front with a touch of floral and citrus in the background—Elli gets more of the citrus than I do, but she has a better nose. There is also a faint caramel sweetness in the nose, although less in the body. Flavors open with bready malt mixed with pine and citrus hops before dropping into the bitterness of the middle. There is a good dose of evergreen hoppiness in the middle coupled with a touch of biscuit malt that slowly transforms into the resin of the finish. The caramel flavor does make a brief appearance in the final third—almost as a break between the evergreen and resin hop flavors—but mostly it functions to balance the hop flavor, aroma, and bitterness. In the finish, the lingering bitterness is bright and refreshing: it is the evergreen hop equivalent of the feeling you get after you are done brushing your teeth with mint toothpaste—that pleasant tang sitting in the back of your throat that makes orange juice taste so bad (and no, I didn’t try some orange juice to compare). While the body is medium, it is rather dry, in part an effect of the brighter carbonation. The flavors are a bit muddled in the middle of the beer—they are not as sharp and distinct as I could hope for—but that is more a quibble than a real flaw. For Elli, the finish could be cleaner—she wants less of the caramel in the final third and brighter, more distinct hops at the end. At the same time, Gearhead is a still a solid and enjoyable beer; it is bright and easy to drink with a subtle complexity that rewards those who take the time to unpack the pieces. And that fresh hop breath it leaves you with is something worth coming back for.

From the bottle: “Gearhead IPA is brewed in the Northwest tradition of generous amounts of aroma hops, creating layers of citrus and piney aromatics and flavors, while managing to strike a balance with moderate malt body. This crisp and refreshing beer will provide you with complex and resinous aromas.”

ABV: 6.5%
IBU: 60
OG 15° P
Stamp on label, which I am hoping is the bottled date: 9/28/11

Love the awesome mustache...

(11/7/2011)

435. Upright Five

Our first official beer from Upright Brewing Company (we had Seven on tap at Bottleworks), located in Portland, OR; this was one of the treasures brought home from Seattle. Pouring a hazy dull straw, Five has a prolific and mousse-y ivory head that profusely laces the glass. The nose is perfume-y and spicy with a pleasant hoppy backdrop while the body is dry and crisp on the tongue. Starting dry with cracker and biscuit malt flavors, Five moves into bitterness in the middle with light spicy hop flavors and a lingering bitterness that lasts well past the finish. There is also a slight citrus tang or bite in the finish. The well-attenuated body accentuates the bitterness, leaving a pleasant mix of dryness and slight chalkiness to mix with the bitterness. The carbonation is just short of bright, helping to further balance the beer on the palate. Delicious, crisp, and refreshing, Five combines the best characteristics of a saison with American hopping practices to create an eminently drinkable beer. Nice work, gentlemen. We can only further add that this is a Top 10 Best contender. Kudos.

From the bottle: “Five is our hoppy beer, starting with a strongly aromatic and spicy nose. On the tongue deep herbaceous flavors underscore a firm bitterness that lasts through a dry finish. This beer is made with pale and caramel malts, rolled barley, Willamette, Liberty, and Perle hops, xanthohumol, and French saison yeast. All Upright Brewing Company beers pair well with locally made bread and artisan cheeses, amongst other straightforward foods. Pour into your favorite glass, whatever that may be, and enjoy!”

From the Upright website: “Five is a farmhouse pale ale that was born after enjoying a few small production European brews that use a heavy hand of hops. Ours blends several Mt. Angel grown varieties to create a deep and complex flavor with an underlying earthiness. Pale fruit aromas created during the fermentation brighten the profile and bring the beer balance.”

ABV: 5.5%

Malts: Organic pale & Organic caramel
Unmalted: Rolled barley
Hops: Willamette, Liberty, & Perle
Specialty Ingredients: xanthohumol (bottles only)

Dag. I’m not sure about that 120 gallons part.

(11/28/2010)

431. Laurelwood Workhorse IPA

Today marked our annual pilgrimage to Bottleworks; while we were there, we enjoyed an Upright Brewing Seven, which was a glass of 3711 delicious goodness. That’s right, I’m making beer yeast jokes. It’s for your own good, really. Some day you’ll understand. We also tried Big Time’s Baltic Porter. All while perusing the lovely options available to us at Bottleworks. Sheer deliciousness. Today’s selection is from Laurelwood Brewing Company, which has several lovely locations in downtown Portland; it is our second beer from them—the last one was Prevale IPA.

Workhorse IPA pours a delicate copper with a minimal white head; the nose is caramel sweetness and breadiness combined with spicy resin hop aroma, although there is something bright to the nose as well. Flavors pretty much follow the nose—we’ve got some caramel and breadiness in the front before giving way to bitterness in the middle; there is spicy pine and resin hop flavors in the middle as well, leading into the lingering bitter finish. While there is a slight amount of hop grassiness in the finish, overall Workhorse finishes rather clean. The body is medium with a medium to light carbonation that helps accentuate some of the chewiness in the mouthfeel. Workhorse is well-balanced between malt and hops; you could almost say that it falls to the malt side, but the hops do balance out the body, even with the chewy maltiness. Elli likes Hop Monkey IPA (also by Laurelwood) more than Workhorse IPA; I’m torn, as both have their own strengths despite their differences. In other words, both are winners. Moral of the story: Laurelwood rocks.

From the Laurelwood website: “Our biggest seller in the pubs, this is an extremely well balanced yet super flavorful IPA brewed in the West Coast style. The over-the-top aroma comes from a heavy handed dose of hops in the kettle, hop back and 2 separate dry-hop additions. A slightly sweet finish helps balance the hop bitterness and creates an ale that is both big on flavor yet remains quite drinkable.”

ABV: 7.5%
IBU: 80

Malt: Great Western 2-row, Great Western C 40, & Briess Carapils

Hops: Simcoe, Amarillo, Cascade, & Columbus

(11/22/2010)