522. Fremont Homefront IPA

Our third beer from Fremont Brewing, following Bourbon Abominable 2011 (love that name) and Harvest Ale. I picked this up in Seattle during my recent visit with my dad, and brought it home because I figured Elli would like it. And I was right.

Homefront IPA pours a hazy butterscotch with a thick, rocky eggshell head. The nose is a delicious blend of spice, pine, and resin hop aromas mixed with floral and perfume yeast esters, with an emphasis on the evergreen. Flavors follow suit, with pine and a touch of caramel in the front, followed by bitterness and dryness in the middle coupled with more evergreen and pine hop flavor. There is a slight chalk and mineral bite in the turn to the finish, then the pine returns, along with a tannic bite on the tongue from the oak that lingers with the bitterness. The oak bite also dries out the beer on the palate, as does the bright carbonation, although it simultaneously makes the beer clean & fresh on the palate. The malt character strikes me as more British than American; while the flavor is more caramel than crystal, the malt contributes more of a chewy mouthfeel than any clear, distinct flavor in the beer—it serves mainly as a backdrop for the hop flavor. Homefront also strikes me as not as definitively a Northwest IPA as others I’ve tried, although I’d be hard pressed to pin down the intangibles that have led me to this claim. Nonetheless, a well-balanced and easy drinking beer—it is simple, upfront, clean, and fresh. Homefront IPA is both approachable and refreshing. Nice work, Fremont.

From the bottle: “Homefront IPA is a special beer created with Chris and Phil Ray of COTU Brewing to honor our veterans as they return home from their tour of duty. Homefront is aged on oak bats donated by Louisville Slugger and is released nationwide in collaboration with 21st Amendment, Perennial Artisan, St. Arnold, Cigar City and Sly Fox Brewing. This beer is our way to say thank you to our service members for their sacrifice. Operation Homefront (OH) provides emergency financial assistance to the families of our service members and wounded warriors. All proceeds from the sale of this beer will be donated to OH.”

ABV: 6.2%
Malt:  2-row, Crystal 60 & Aromatic
Hops: Cascade & Chinook

(7/4/2012)

508. Two Beers Heart of Darkness CDA

More perambulations in the Seattle region. Two Beers Brewery is located in a light industrial wearhouse district in south Seattle—just south of the West Seattle freeway. We’ve been enjoying as many of their fine canned products as possible during our time here, so we figured a trip to the brewery was in order. Plus, who doesn’t love poking around? Thus, while this is not our first beer from Two Beers, it is the first one we’ve bothered to inform all you lovely readers about. I hope you don’t take it personally—it’s not you, it’s us. Oh, and let’s be honest—straight up awesome name for today’s beer. Even Joseph Conrad would approve.

Since we got there early, we had to sit in the car for five minutes or so before they opened the tasting room for the day—we didn’t want to start out by pushing our luck barging in, and it was raining (Seattle and rain? No way!). We were the first ones in, and after surveying the beer offerings, Elli went with the Echo IPA while I opted for the Heart of Darkness CDA—Cascadian Dark Ale for all of you that don’t know—it’s just a black IPA with a fancier name. Heart of Darkness was a luscious deep chocolate with a tan head; the nose was a mix of spicy resin and evergreen hops coupled with sweet caramel and a touch of roast/oatmeal. Flavors open with malt—light roast and sweetness with accompanying lighter chocolate and coffee hints. The hop flavor comes in after the initial malt rush, with spicy and resin hop flavors and reciprocal bitterness peeking through the darker malts. The finish features a touch of roast with a creamy bitter finish, and lingering flavors of roast and resin on the back of the tongue. There is a little warmth and graininess in the mouthfeel—the spicy hops contribute to the impression of warmth, but it is also 8.4% ABV, so it ain’t all just the hops. The creamy, rounded flavor leads me to suspect oatmeal or rolled barley in the grist, but the underlying beer strikes me closer to a sweet stout than a dry stout—the roast is subdued, allowing the sweet caramel flavors to come to the forefront. Nonetheless, an excellent beer—this is by far the best and most approachable CDA I’ve tried—the fresh flavors and bright, spicy hops make the beer pop, and it is certainly delicious.

In our discussions with the gentleman running the tasting room, we found out that the Echo IPA is a Northwest IPA, while the Evolutionary IPA is closer to a San Diego-style IPA. We tried the Evolutionary in conjunction with the Echo, and both concluded the Echo is far better, which kinda struck us as odd, since Evolutionary is Two Beers’ flagship IPA. We also got to wander around in the back and check out the brew kettle and the conicals, and ask a couple of questions. All in all, an afternoon well spent—we’d happily visit again anytime the opportunity presented itself.

From the Two Beers website: “Whether it’s hiking a moonlit trail or sleeping under the stars, our senses are heightened in the dark. We notice the little things and discover the word anew. This complex Cascadian Dark Ale is our tribute to those moonlit experiences. This hoppy yet smooth ale is an adventure all its own.”

ABV: 8.4%
IBU: 67

(1/6/2012)

505. Fremont Brewing Bourbon Abominable 2011

Today’s goals were modest: check out a couple of things in Seattle, go shopping at REI, and then head to Fremont to tour the Fremont Brewery. After all, breweries in Seattle are like Simpsons reruns: ubiquitous and yet silently informing our national consciousness. (Note: I spent 20 minutes trying to come up with an appropriate simile involving Dayton, but I failed miserably. My only consolation: Elli couldn’t come up with one either. Jeffrey and Kevin, the ball is in your court.) Which means that we need to choose carefully. Fremont Brewing is at the top of the list—after I tried the Harvest Ale, they jumped to the front of the line. Damn, that beer was good. Plus, they decided to tap a keg of their Bourbon Abominable Winter Ale today, which is the regular Abominable Winter Ale aged in bourbon barrels. Thank you, beer gods, for always making me feel like a rock star.

Fremont Brewing’s tasting room is located on the edge of the brewery—our table looked down a row of the fermenters. While I chose the Bourbon Abominable (try saying that 10 times fast, by the way), Elli went with Interurban IPA, which was super-fresh and yummy—the hop aroma itself was worth the price of admission, and the rest of the beer followed suit. Bourbon Abominable, or B-Bomb, pours a rich, deep chocolate with a long lasting tan head. The nose is bourbon and chocolate mixed with burnt sugar, vanilla, and a touch of oak. The front features flavors of caramel, burnt sugar, toffee, and vanilla, while the middle exudes creamy bourbon and chocolate. The mouthfeel here is also slightly slick, like you would find in an oatmeal stout, and the finish features a touch of roasted malt with chocolate and coffee, followed by vanilla and oak. The carbonation is light, while the mouthfeel is chewy yet slick—the medium-heavy mouthfeel is simultaneously rounded and smooth while also rich, even, and creamy. There is some alcohol warmth and flavor, but this is still a young beer. The key element to describe this beer is balance—while it is a big beer, it is far smoother and more evenly balanced than many other similar bourbon barrel-aged beers. Part of this might be via the winter ale body, but I think it also has something to do with production—there is bourbon flavor, but only as it complements the beer. A damn fine beer that will only get better.

From the Fremont website: “Lovingly referred to by Fremonters as the B-BOMB, this bourbon barrel-aged edition of our winter ale has a warming spicy aroma and rich carmelly notes of bourbon, wood and vanilla added to dark roasty chocolatey malt flavors and subtle hopping.”

ABV: 9.5%
Malts: Pale, Crystal, Munich, Roast Barley, Chocolate & Carafa
Hops: Centennial, Willamette & Goldings

I also tried the Universal Pale Ale Shandy cask—this beer featured their normal UPA, but had a bag of ginger and lemon zest in the cask. The nose was lemon and lightly hoppy, while the front was a mix of lemon citrus and ginger bite, leading into a gentle bitterness that rolls into the finish—flavors were fresh, clean, and sharp. While there was a slightly astringent note that lingered on the tongue, the beer as a whole was pleasant. The one criticism would be that this beer might not be best served as a cask—it would be better with some brighter, spritzier carbonation. But I was told that this was day 2 on the cask before I got it, so I was given due diligence.

Oh, and I do feel compelled to observe: B-Bomb is just more proof that West Coast breweries invented and perfected the Winter Ale. So suck it.

(12/30/2011)

490. Fremont Harvest Ale

Happy Birthday to me. And since today is my birthday, it means beer. Specifically, this beer, which is our first beer from Fremont Brewing Company, located in Seattle, WA. And, as their label informs us, “Because Beer Matters.” To which we would, of course, agree. And who wouldn’t? While I could go with the all-purpose bad guy, and proclaim Nazis, that’s too easy an answer today. So instead, let’s go with Lolli, because, well, he at least responds with indignation. Maybe not to this, but he’s got plenty of indignation to go around. And general indignation is better than outright apathy. Because Nazis certainly aren’t bringing their A-game.

Harvest Ale pours a hazy dull gold—there are hints of orange and copper, but mainly it is a dirty gold. The head is thin and white, while the nose has bright floral, perfume, and fruit notes, with the fruit the strongest of the three. There are delicate pear and apple aromas along with scent of orange marmalade—it is just short of jammy, but distinctly preserve-like with the candy sweetness to match. Finally, there are also toast and candy malt aromatics and just a touch of hop spiciness to round things out. Flavors start soft, bready, and spicy. The fruitiness of the nose comes out in the middle; along with the candy sweetness, there are floral and fruit hints that lead to a distinct orange mixed with a touch of grapefruit. As the beer warms, the grapefruit flavor takes on a pith character. The finish dries out and features a lingering mineral bitterness—bright, but bitter—that I associate with Magnum hops. There are also lingering orange and grapefruit pith flavors on the tongue as it warms, and the final sensation on the palate is apple bitterness. Harvest feature a lightly chewy but dry body with a bright, prickly carbonation on the tongue; there is a touch of alcohol warmth at the end as it warms, but nothing detracting. The dry saison body is an excellent vehicle for this beer—the yeast esters combined with the hop flavors create a complex set of subtle flavors. Harvest is a delicate, nuanced beer. This was a good call for the birthday beer—I could drink this all day long.

From the bottle: “We are a family-owned microbrewery founded in 2009 to brew small-batch artisan beers made with the best local ingredients we can find. Located in the historic Fremont neighborhood of Seattle, we know why the chicken crossed the road—but we’re not telling. Harvest Ale is our offering for this time between here and there. A fall beer graced with fruit and bread aromas and touched by wine notes reminiscent of apricots and apple. Harvest Ale finishes dry and crisp and is unfettered by spices. Fall into a Harvest Ale today...”

From the website: “Our Fall seasonal. A French farmhouse-style saison brewed with Northwest hops. Harvest Ale is our offering for this time between here and there, a Fall beer with fruit and bread aromas and white wine notes reminiscent of apricots and apple. Harvest Ale finishes dry and crisp. Fall into a Harvest Ale today, you won’t be disappointed. Unfettered by spices.”

ABV: 6.5%
IBU: 40
Malt: 2-row Pale & White Wheat
Hops: Magnum, Cascade, & Goldings

(11/04/2011)

432. Iron Horse Hop Hub Pale Ale

Our first beer from Iron Horse Brewery, located in Ellensburg, WA, “straight from hop country” as it says on the bottle. This is their 4th Anniversary ale, labeled as the “Beer Shoppe Anniversary Ale” on the bottle, although there is nothing on the Iron Horse website to indicate that this beer ever existed. And the bottle is bike-themed! So in other words, it is all good. We also had Caldera Ür Bock Rauch Beer, which was a bit too sweet in relation to the smoke flavors—it was more Kansas City BBQ than smoky rich bacon-y goodness. Our third beer for the day was Hopworks Urban Brewery (or HUB) IPA; HUB is located in Portland, OR, and is pretty much a straight up West Coast IPA: say hello to Amarillo, Centennial, and Cascade hops coupled with a lighter malt load—organic Canadian pilsner and organic German Munich and Caramunich. Big hop flavor coupled with a chalky dry malt body. Dee-licious. HUB IPA also contributes to the bike-theme of today’s post: Hop Hub Pale Ale and HUB IPA (see the bottle photo if you’re more into the visual thing)—we couldn’t plan this if we tried. Sure, the Caldera is dragging down the bike-themed post, but you’ll all suck it up and deal, won’t you? Because if not, I’ll be forced to taunt you a second time.

Pouring a hazy tan with a light white head, Hob Hub Pale Ale has a restrained spicy hop aroma with lower levels of caramel malt sweetness underneath. There are also light fruity and apple hints along with the spiciness in the nose. Flavors are crisp and bright; there is light breadiness in the front followed by light bitterness and fruity and floral hop flavors. The finish is bready and bright with lightly lingering bitterness. Hop Pub Pale Ale is medium-bodied with a crisp body and brisk carbonation that helps round the bitterness and the body, along with a light chalky dryness. Elli liked it more when it was cold; I liked it more as it warmed up—the hop character ended up much like the fresh hop beer we made (well, minus the bitterness)—the floral, fruity, and light apple components are a lot of what we got of those hops we pulled off of the bike path. The difference here is the bitter components, which do help the overall beer. Nice job, Iron Horse. Wish we had more, but I doubt I’ll be seeing this in Dayton anytime in the near future. Ah, beer: why must you taunt me so?

HUB IPA says “Ride your bike,” dammit.

From Rate Beer: “Hop Hub is fermented just up the street from America’s hop mecca; the Yakima Valley. In this pale ale we are showcasing two strong and odiferous domestic hop varieties; chinook and amarillo. Hop Hub has ample citrusy hop aromas and flavors. We backed up these two high roller hops with a snappy blend of specialty malts, including caramel, honey et al., to keep this beer from tipping over.”

ABV: 6.0%

(11/23/2010)

365. Rainier

Here’s to the conclusion that no one saw coming. We bought this Rainier at Polebridge Merchantile in Polebridge, MT (they have awesome huckleberry bearclaws), just outside Glacier National Park on a camping trip two years ago. Since then, this beer has traveled to Seattle and then back to Dayton, where it has resided in the back of our refrigerator, just waiting for a moment worthy of being cracked open. And here we are. I don’t think I need to say much about the merits of Vitamin R; for you naysayers who don’t know, Rainier is a Northwest classic. It is one of the two Northwest beers I cut my teeth on before the microbrew revolution took hold—the other being Olympia. I shotgunned pounders of Rainier before seeing Run DMC on New Year’s Eve in 1986. So you know it’s old school like that. Oh, and Rainier used to be brewed in good ol’ downtown Seattle, WA—you always knew when you were rolling up on the big old R outside the brewery next to I-5—but it has since been bought out and is now part of the Pabst stable. Rainier got bought out and shut down in 1999. Fuckers. This can says it was made in Irwindale, CA, but Rainier’s heart is still a part of the great Northwest. Oh, and just so all you haters know, Ranier won GABF gold in 1990, 1998, and 2000 in the American Light Lager category. Don’t hate the player, hate the game.

Yes, that’s Mickey Rooney in a Ranier ad.

Described on the can as a “naturally brewed mountain fresh beer,” and “made with Yakima Valley hops,” Rainier pours a crystal clear straw color. The light white head quickly disappears, and the nose is a grainy and slightly sweet malt—let’s just say it smells like teen spirit, and leave it at that. Flavors start dry and biscuit-y, with some graininess in the background; the middle is slightly sweet and even, and the finish has a bit more graininess coupled with a light bitterness and a clean, crisp finish. Some of this could be from the age of the beer—after all, Rainier is not a candidate for aging—but a lot of it is just straight up Rainier. Rainier has a light, fresh body (even after two years!) with a dry, clean mouthfeel—as American lagers go, this falls on the dry, crisp side, not on the sweet, malty side. The carbonation is medium, with a light bite that helps the beer finish crisp and light. Rainier reminds me of those younger, carefree days, and tastes like my youth—it’s a nice place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there. Nonetheless, I’d happily crack a Rainier any chance I can get—nostalgia is getting harder to come by when it comes in 12 oz. cans.

From the Rainier website: “Rainier beer brings together nature’s bounty from the great Northwest. Pure spring waters combine with golden barley and verdant hops to produce a beer rich in taste and texture. Fermented slowly with a pedigree yeast culture under tightly controlled conditions, Rainier comes forth with a satisfying malty flavor over a slightly fruity background, spiced with Chinook, Mt. Hood, and Willamette hop notes.”

Here’s to a good year!

(6/30/10)

197. Elysian Loser Pale Ale

This marks our third beer from Elysian; the last two were Avatar Jasmine IPA and The Immortal IPA. Loser was brewed to celebrate 20 years of Sub Pop records—the picture on the label is of Mudhoney. My favorite Sub Pop artist is Steven Jesse Bernstein—he rocked my world back in the day. More Noise Please, Or, Thank You for Making Noise. And if you’ve never heard of Sub Pop, may Nirvana have mercy on your soul. I saw Mudhoney play in the old Crocodile Cafe back in around ’94—it was some sort of birthday party for Mark Arm, and much of the Seattle music crowd was in attendance. Eddie Vedder was there, and spent the whole night looking disgruntled and like he needed a hug, but his 6’ 6” 250 lb. bodyguard said otherwise. Inadvertant kind gesture? I’m sorry, meet Mr. Fist.

Pouring out Loser, we can almost taste the grunge already...

Loser has a toasty sweet malt aroma with low levels of hop spiciness; the hazy aged copper color (it has a fine patina on it) works well with the creamy white head, which laces the glass rather well. Loser starts bready, biscuity, and caramelly; most of the sweetness drops out in the middle, allowing low levels of bitterness to come through along with a slight dry maltiness—almost cracker-like—in the middle before ending dry and clean with low levels of lingering hoppiness. Medium-bodied (not like Tad) with medium carbonation bite, Loser has a dry mouthfeel that is slightly paper-y. Interesting and most certainly for a worthwhile cause, but as beers go, it is not super-exciting (although it does kick the crap out of Avatar Jasmine IPA). We’d both happily drink it again, but we’re not sure we’d search it out, unless we were ready with all of our appropriate Sub Pop references.

From the bottle: “Celebrating 20 years of celebrating Sub Pop Records, with beer. Specifically, this beer: Brewed with Pale, Munich, Crystal and Cara-hell malts. Bittered with Sorachi Ace & finished with Crystal hops.”

ABV: 7.0%

This one might make up for the Jasmine IPA...

(1/13/2010)

189. Elysian Avatar Jasmine IPA

“Why does this beer taste like a Jolly Rancher?”
Elli’s response to today’s beer, before she even knows what it is.

This is our second beer from Elysian Brewing Company; our last beer was The Immortal IPA—you remember, the one with the big muscles.

Avatar starts with some malt breadiness in the nose, as well as floral, vegetal, and slightly musty notes, which can’t really be from age, as it was bottled on September 4, 2009. Visually, Avatar has a light copper color with a white lacy head; there is also some sort of hazy particulate matter in the beer—while very clear, there is still a bunch of shit floating in it (see picture), and I didn’t even pour out half of the bottle, so I know it ain’t crud from the bottom. Starts with bready malt flavor and moves quickly into floral flavors and what we took to be jasmine flavors with some fruitiness before ending sweet with some slight bitterness. There was not a lot of hop presence in the beer; the medium-light body had some carbonation bite, but not much else. For an IPA, Avatar is rather light on hops across the board—little to no hop aroma, flavor, or bitterness. Flowers are fun, but IPA signals hoppiness, and we’re not seeing a lot of that in this beer—too much floral and flower, and not enough hop. Oh, and the floral we’re referring to here was not of the hop variety. The best way to describe our feelings about this one is to label it a Top 10 Worst contender and leave it at that.

From the Elysian website: “Florally fragrant and refreshing with a balanced taste allowing the subtle flavor of jasmine to prevail while still delivering the I.P.A.'s essential hoppiness.”

ABV: 5.2%

OG: 15.6° P

(1/5/2010)

176b. Hood Canal Dabob Bay IPA

Dabob Bay IPA (like how that rhymes?) comes from the Hood Canal Brewery in Kingston, WA. There’s also a nice oyster that comes from Dabob Bay—give me two dozen of those and a couple of bottles of this, and I’ll call it a good evening.

Dabob Bay IPA has a grassy hop and slightly metallic nose; flowing a clear and slightly light copper into the glass, it also has a light white head. Beginning with a dry, flat biscuit malt front, Dabob Bay IPA moves into bitterness in the middle without any discernable hop flavor. The finish is dry & crisp with more bitterness that lingers nicely on the palate. Medium bodied with a dry but lightly creamy mouthfeel; the carbonation was medium to low, leaving the work to the flavor profile. Dabob Bay IPA was enjoyable, but not extremely exciting. The hops are mostly in the bitterness, making this more of an English IPA, especially with the lower levels of carbonation.

From the Hood Canal website: “Dabob Bay IPA has a golden color and prominent hop flavor provided by numerous hop additions during the boil and dry hopping in the kegs. The supportive malt flavors and body make this ale a great multi-dimensional beer.”

ABV: 6.7%

IBU: 63

OG: 1.066

FG: 1.016

(12/23/2009)

164. Pike XXXXX Extra Stout

This is our first beer from Pike Brewing Company, located in the Pike Place Market in downtown Seattle, WA, where it has been operating since 1989. You, know, the place with the flying fish from that Levi’s ad from back in the day. Some of all y’all must know what I'm talking about, because everytime I go home there’s a swarm of people snapping photos and standing around gawking. So be wary of the flying fish, and give the pig some love...

XXXXX Extra Stout has a malty nose with hints of chocolate and molasses; there’s not much in the way of roastiness, at least in the nose. It pours a deep brown with garnet highlights, and has a brown head that leaves behind very little lacing on the glass. Extra Stout begins with a sweet chocolate front before moving into a roasted middle with some bitterness and a touch of burnt malt flavor. It finishes dry with a return of some of the sweetness as well as drawn out bitterness and some lingering burnt flavors. There are also some chalky and/or alkaline flavors in the ending of the beer, although nothing distracting. Extra Stout has a medium to light body with lower carbonation that contributes to building the creamy mouthfeel. In addition to the creaminess, it has a smooth and rounded body; while there is some slight puckering on the tongue (it does have 65 IBUs), it works nicely with the overall mouthfeel. There might be some slight warmth buried in the beer, but it doesn’t appear to be alcohol-derived. A very even beer; there is no real harshness or cindery mouthfeel components from the unmalted roast barley—it only comes in as part of the flavor profile, and very evenly when it does. The heavier hop bitterness does cover over some of the sweetness, and gives XXXXX Extra Stout the distinction of being an Extra Foreign stout with a Northwest hop profile, which we think works quite well.

From the Pike website: “Full-bodied velvety malt texture; hints of chocolate, licorice & espresso. Appropriate anywhere a red wine would be served, yet goes beautifully with delicate dishes like oysters. Originally known as ‘porter’ because the train porters sold it. Some ‘porters’ were called ‘stout’ or ‘extra stout porters.’ In the 19th century, the biggest breweries dropped the word porter. London was the most famous stout capital in the 18th century. In the 19th century, Dublin became famous for a light dry style that advertised its restorative and nutritional benefits. The craft beer movement re-introduced oatmeal, imperial and cream stouts in the early 1980s.”

ABV: 6.6%
IBU: 65
OG: 1.073
Malt: Pale, Crystal, & Roasted
Hops: Chinook, Willamette, & Goldings

(12/11/2009)

150. Aldergrove Brown Eyed Girl British Mild Ale

“Do you remember when we used to sing?”

This version of a British mild brown is from Steffan’s Aldergrove Brewery in Tulalip, WA. I’m guessing that Aldergrove is a fairly small brewery—their label looks about a half step up from being printed out on home computer. We found this at Bottleworks in Seattle.

Brown Eyed Girl has a light malt nose with a slight estery smell; it smells—quite literally, in fact—like a light brown ale. While it is brown colored, it is very clear, and, keeping with the British style, has very light carbonation. It begins with almost no front; there is a slight light faint sweetness that moves into some brown sugar, nutty flavors, and light spiciness, and it finishes with low levels of bitterness and rather dry. Brown Eyed Girl has a light body and very low carbonation; both qualities contribute to making this beer rather thirst quenching and quaffable: with the low ABV, you could easily drink a whole boatload of this stuff, which is most certainly the point with a mild. Although there is something a bit cola-ish in the beer, a taste that does increase with warmth, it is nonetheless complex and interesting, even for such a light beer—the smooth rounded malt profile in the middle hits all the right notes. For our money, this is easily the best 115 calories you are going to find in a twelve ounce bottle. To quote M.C. Hammer: “Proper.”

From the Aldergrove website: “Brown Eyed Girl is a classic ‘session’ beer that is full-flavored yet low in alcohol and low in residual sugars. With hints of chocolate and caramel it is deceptively dark yet refreshingly light on the tongue. Hmmm, is this beverage conflicted or is it complex? Try it and tell us what you think. As beer styles go, the mild is one of the least well-known. At it’s height of popularity in the UK it outsold all other styles combined. However, since the Industrial Revolution many more different ales were springing up and taking their turns at the top of the hill. Stronger brown ales, porters, bitters and pale ales eventually pushed the small mildly flavored session beer out of popularity. Session beers have gotten short shrift in the modern marketplace. Steffan believes this has only to do with the legacy of Prohibition. Since Prohibition the few American breweries that survived had to compete for scarce raw materials to make beer in large part due to the war-time shortages arrising from WWI & WWII. The dumbing-down of American beer resulted in the pale fizzy tasteless beverage that soon came to dominate the world as the post-war economy expanded. Instead of returning to making more robust beers that were popular in the prior century, brewers used the lower costs and increased profits to attempt to gobble up more market share. This type of beverage was typically cheap and of very low alcohol content, another legacy of Prohibition. Many local jurisdictions in America by law restricted the alcohol content of beer to 3.2% by weight. In these locations the only beer that could be had legally was by definition a session beer. Once the craft beer revolution began in the 1970’s the pendulum swung very far to the stronger end on the alcohol spectrum. Now that stronger beers are more widely available the desire for stronger beers has begun to become satiated. Not everyone who likes full-flavored beers wants to get blotto after two pints. Enter the craft-brewed full-flavored session beer.”

ABV: 3%
Calories: 115

(11/27/2009)

148. Big Time Perspective IPA/Scarlet Fire IPA

We had these two beers at Big Time Brewing Company, which is located at 4133 University Way NE, Seattle, WA; I’ve been going here off and on pretty much since I was of legal age (ahem), or at least there abouts; they’ve been brewing for 21 years now, since 1988. We even took my friend Dave there for his bachelor party—he was dressed as a clown (and a really sketchy clown—see below), so that made it extra fun. This was Elli’s first visit to Big Time, so we decided to try a couple of their IPAs. As always, they had a solid beer line up and everything was delicious and fresh tasting.

Perspective IPA has a bready nose with light hop aroma, but nothing clearly distinct; with a hazy copper color and a creamy white head, it laces the glass nicely. Beginning with a malty front and some light biscuit and cracker flavors, Perspective shifts to bitterness in the middle along with some floral hop flavors, and ends dry with some lingering and well-balanced bitterness & some just plain hoppiness. The bitterness in the middle blossoms as the beer warms. Medium bodied, Perspective is creamy but also dry with a light tongue curling from the hops. The hop profile leaves it somewhere between English and American versions of an IPA—there is too much hop aroma and flavor to be English, but is a not quite as much as some of the classic American examples, but it is nonetheless well crafted and very enjoyable. Overall, a well balanced and drinkable beer; it has a good “on tap” flavor—fresh, and not too crisp—and is a very good house beer.

From the Big Time website: “Yet another of Big Time’s signature big, bold and assertive IPAs. Simcoe and Amarillo hops dominate this one. Clinton, from the Park Pub in Seattle’s Woodland Park neighborhood, famously described this beer as ‘this S#!% is off the hook!’”

ABV: 6.5%
OG: 16.8° P

Scarlet Fire IPA has a caramel malt nose mixed with citrus, grapefruit, and resin hop flavors; it is a hazy dark copper with a white head. It opens with a sweet caramel malt front with maybe some crystal malt sweetness, and moves into a bitter middle with resin, grapefruit, grassy, and floral hop flavors; Scarlet Fire finishes sweet, with a little tongue curling from the lingering bitterness. Scarlet Fire is medium bodied, has a bit of tongue curling astringency, and a bit softer feel on the palate than Perspective, possibly from a bit lower level of carbonation. The hop profile is much more aggressive than Perspective; although very enjoyable, it is a bit less drinkable. Most certainly a solid version of an American IPA; while the balance is skewed towards hops, the malt profile does carry its load here.

From the Big Time website: “It’s come to be known as our fifth regular beer. A little bit bolder than the Bhagwan, with a greater depth of hop character through extensive first wort hopping. It's got all the C hops stuff that we love, just more.”

ABV: 6.4%
OG: 16.5° P

(11/25/2009)

141. Scuttlebutt Porter

Our first beer from Scuttlebutt Brewing Company in Everett, WA. They do start with a definition on their opening page, which we always appreciate: Scut*tle*butt (skut’l-but) n. 1. Nautical. A drinking fountain on a sailing ship. 2. Slang. Idle, often sensational and groundless talk about other such as might be passed at a scuttlebutt. Syn. Gossip. 3. Proper Noun. The name given to Cynthia L. Barrett by her fun loving father prior to her birth more than one half century ago. 4. Geographical. The name given to a micro-brewery on Everett’s waterfront by its owner to placate his wife regarding their financial security being forsaken to invest in a harebrained brewery at a time in their lives when things should be a little less hectic.

Scuttlebutt Porter has a chocolate malty nose that is rich and slightly roasty; it pours a deep opaque brown with a creamy head that laces the glass well. Chocolate and roasted malt flavors make up most of the front; there is a slightly biscuit malt flavor that emerges in the middle along with some perceptible hop bitterness, although in very low quantities, and finishing with a return of some chocolate and more roastiness, although the chocolate is flatter and less sweet at the end—tastes more like carob with dry and chalky flavors rather than the sweetness of the front. There is also some slight bitterness in the end—we’re not sure if this is in relation to the hops or roasted malts, but we think it’s the hops. The body is light, although rich in flavor; there is a creamy mouthfeel that is enhanced by the minimal carbonation, which is pretty low and provides little bite. A very drinkable beer overall; it is light and enjoyable enough for a whole night of drinking, especially as it is not overpowering on the palate. Scuttlebutt Porter could have a more complex malt profile—it is good but a bit bland—and maybe a touch more hops, but that might change this into something else.

From the Scuttlebutt website: “Full bodied with a creamy, chocolate, roast coffee finish.”

ABV: 5.5%
IBU: 20
Hops: Cascade

(11/18/2009)

136. Snoqualmie Falls Harvest Moon Ale

Our first beer from Snoqualmie Falls Brewing Company in Snoqualmie, WA.

Harvest Moon is described on the label as a German Style Festbier; it has a light bready malt nose with a cloudy caramel orange color (I did inadvertently dump the yeast from the bottle into the glass, so my bad) and an ivory head that laces the glass. There is some sweetness in the front of the beer that mixes well with the bready and toasty malt flavors; the middle has low levels of bitterness and an emphasis on the bready malt flavors, and Harvest Moon closes with some lingering candy sweetness, but also dry. The mouthfeel is creamy and chewy with a medium body; the carbonation helps round out the beer, and rolls well across the tongue. Well-balanced overall, but harvest Moon has a bit bigger of a body than most of the other fest and Oktoberfest beers we’ve had this year; it is good, but not very lager-esque at all, and a bit sticky in the overall mouthfeel—none of the crispness you’d expect. While not as finished or refined as it could be, Harvest Moon is still an interesting and enjoyable beer.

From the Snoqualmie Falls website: “We used highly kilned Munich, Two-row Pale and light Crystal malts to create a Harvest Moon Festbier, a fire-orange beer flavored with German noble hops. Enjoy the rich color and exceptionally clean, satisfying taste of this seasonal ale with your favorite foods.”

ABV: 5.3%

OG: 1.056

IBU: 24

(11/13/2009)

117. Elysian The Immortal IPA

From the Elysian Brewing Company in Seattle, WA.

Immortal IPA starts with a bready, biscuity, and lightly toasted malt nose mixed with some sweetness and light floral hop aromas. The cloudy copper body and creamy white head reveal a subtle sweetness and a bready malt flavor to start. The middle is characterized by a well-sized but balanced bitterness with floral and citrus flavors, and finish is dry with some biscuit notes and a relatively clean and pleasant bitterness. Immortal IPA has a medium body with a creamy and chewy mouthfeel, lively carbonation, and a well-suited slight drying on the tongue. An excellent and enjoyable beer; it is well balanced between maltiness and hop bitterness, and has a well developed chewy mouthfeel. This beer is also a good example of the possibilities available in mixing English and American IPA styles—the malt body has bready & toasty sweetness (English), but also a large dose of hops across the beer profile (American)—the hop bitterness, flavor, and aroma work well, although it could use a bit more hop aroma. The label, however, is kinda chumpy. I know they're playing off of Zeus and Greek gods and all, but overly-muscly steroid monster looking Greek gods are kinda creepy.

From the bottle: “A beautiful blend of hops and malts, the Immortal IPA is a Northwest interpretation of a classic English style, golden copper in color and loaded with New World hop flavor and aroma.”

From the Elysian website: “Refers to Zeus, supreme ruler of Mount Olympus and of the Pantheon of gods who resided there.”

ABV: 6.3%
IBU: 42

OG: 1.063

Malts: Pale, Munich, Crystal and Cara-hell

Hops: Chinook, Amarillo, and Centennial

According to the label, this beer was brewed for Elysian Brewing Company by New Belgium Brewing.

(10/25/2009)

104. Trade Route Ginger Pale Ale

Ginger Pale Ale comes from the Trade Route Brewing Company in Seattle, WA.

Trade Route Ginger Pale Ale has a ginger, citrus, and floral nose; it is hazy gold with a creamy white head. Starting with a soft malt front dominated by ginger and candy notes, Ginger Pale Ale drops into a rather neutral and flat middle before finishing with citrus and floral flavors. The mouthfeel is creamy and soft; the carbonation is quite spritzy—it creates a rough transition with the softer, creamier front of the beer. There is no discernable hop flavor, aroma, or bitterness, which we found a bit troubling. The label also calls this a “malt beverage,” which would further imply that there are no hops in the beer, which is a problem for a beer labeled a pale ale—what kind of pale ale has no hops? The malt profile is pretty bland and neutral; there is little to no depth to the malt flavor—it is mainly ginger, citrus, and then gone, and the orange flavor at the end is a bit too distracting. All of this is a fancy way of saying this one is a Top 10 Worst contender.

From the Trade Route website: “An appetizing beer brewed with fragrant ginger and Mandarin orange peel.”

(10/12/2009)