Bridgeport Old Knucklehead #12

I finally got my hands on a bottle!

Ever since I've found out about this beer in my Beers of the World book, I've wanted one. I have always been a fan of the barley wine: its thickness, its ability to warm you from the inside, its high alcohol content, and especially its rich flavor. I have not reviewed too many barley wines, the only ones being Young's Old Nick and Hair of the Dog Doggie Claws.

BridgePort Old Knucklehead marks my second Oregon barley wine and my second BridgePort beer reviewed, my first being Ebenezer Ale (see that entry for a history of BridgePort). First brewed in 1989, this beer was designated a BridgePort Big Brew in February 2008. The batch I have, number 12, was aged in American Oak Bourbon barrels and blended back into the cask, which adds a wealth of flavor and complexity to the brew. The numbers not only correspond to the batch, but used to also designate a "knucklehead," or someone who has contributed to the brewing process. I'm not sure to whom #12 is or if they even do that anymore. Oh, and I believe it's bottle conditioned too, but it doesn't say so on the bottle. More fodder for the e-mail. (BridgePort - Our Beers → Old Knucklehead)


Here come the stats:

BridgePort Old Knucklehead #12
BREWERY: BridgePort Brewing Co., Portland, OR, USA
STYLE: Barley wine
FIRST BREWED: 1989 (this vintage brewed 2008)
CALORIES/SERVING:
BITTERNESS: 60 IBUs
ABV: 9.1%
ORIGINAL GRAVITY: 20.8° Plato (1087.32)
MALTS:
HOPS:
SERVING TEMPERATURE: 55 °F (13 °C)
FOODS TO PAIR WITH: Desserts, by itself as "an after-dinner libation" (Beers of the World also suggests sausage casserole)
AWARDS: 2002 Brewing Industry International Awards (silver medal), 2000 Great Alaska Beer and Barley Wine Festival (2nd place), rated "Highly Recommended" by the Beverage Tasting Institute in 2002

I got all but the calories, malts, hops, and serving temp from the Old Knucklehead page. (Since they've switched to Flash, you need to go to Our Beers and click "Old Knucklehead".) The serving temp came from Beers of the World. A phone call or e-mail may get me the rest of the info.

This beer has a strong aroma, most evident as I poured it into my glass. It definitely had a malty syrupy nose that had just a little sweetness to it. A clear brown color also exposed an off-white, almost tan-colored head. The beer itself had a little bit of sweetness to it, but quickly transformed into an alcoholy malt flavor that, like the smell, was syrupy and thick. Because of all the alcohol (I mean, it is 9.1%), that was the flavor left in my mouth, which to me tastes similar to a hop aftertaste, but better.

This beer is excellently crafted, and I can appreciate its complexity. Since I had it laying around for almost a year in varying temperatures, who knows what a fresh Knucklehead, or one that further conditions for another year or two, will taste. Pick one up in the next month or so. Hell, grab three or four and let some sit for awhile before trying them.

Also: Stay tuned to The Beerocrat because next I will get to some beers I've been dying to review: Trappist beers!

Prost!

Widmer Okto

For the last two or so years, I've always wanted to try this beer. Unfortunately, whenever I ran to the stores to try and grab one, they were always sold out, and the season was always almost over. Finally, when I was in Portland during Labor Day 2008, I managed to find this beer (with the help of my parents).

I don't know much about the history of Widmer Okto, such as how it came about and when it was first brewed. Those will be asked in an e-mail I send to Widmer. (I'm gonna have them running around for a long time!) I do know that this beer is a Munich style ale intended to match the style of beer found at Oktoberfests worldwide. Widmer itself holds an annual Oktoberfest in Portland, with food, music, and a lot of good beer. Sounds like a party to me.


Here come the stats:

Widmer Okto
BREWERY: Widmer Brothers Brewing Co., Portland, OR, USA
STYLE: Munich Style Ale
FIRST BREWED:
CALORIES/SERVING:
BITTERNESS: 25 IBU
ABV: 5.5%
ORIGINAL GRAVITY: 13° Plato (1052.85)
MALTS: Pale, Caramel, Munich 60L, Extra Special, Carapils Malt
HOPS: Bittering: Alchemy; Aroma: Mt. Hood, Tettnanger
SERVING TEMPERATURE:
FOODS TO PAIR WITH: "Grilled bratwurst, burgers & other hearty fall fare"
AWARDS:

Most of my information comes from Widmer's Okto webpage. An e-mail to the brewery is in order for the rest of them.

This beer poured a dark amber, but not dark brownish, color with an accompanying small cream-colored bubbly head. I really enjoyed the nose of this beer, which contained malts, hops, and a slight hint of fruit. The taste was a little too carbonated, in my opinion, but then the maltiness came through along with some citrus flavors. The aftertaste was faint and malty, and didn't wear out its welcome.

I enjoyed this beer, like I do so many other Widmer beers. This would be a great beer for any occasion, but especially for your local Oktoberfest. Since it's available nationwide (except Utah and Oklahoma) between early August and late October, I guess you'll just have to wait until then.

Prost!

Widmer Brrr

This was the other (actually, the first) beer that I snagged in Portland over my Christmas vacation. At the time, most of the northern states, including Oregon, were buried under massive amounts of snow; Portland in particular had 15 inches of the white stuff between December 20th and December 24th, when my wife and I landed at PDX. It was amazing that we were even able to fly into the airport at 1 in the morning. We honestly consider it a miracle that we made it.

While stocking up on some supplies at the Safeway in town, I couldn't help but notice that there was a new Widmer brew for sale: Brrr, described on the bottle as a "seasonal ale." What was the most shocking about finding this beer was that there were no 6-packs of Widmer's traditional winter seasonal, Snow Plow Milk Stout. A little research reveals that their website has changed the availability to "Limited Release," whatever that means. I think I need to place an e-mail to the brewery and find out what's what.

As far as Brrr is concerned, this is a new brew, coming out as Widmer's first new winter seasonal in four years. It's possible that this may have been brewed before 2008, but only served in their Gasthaus Pub; I'm checking on that. Speaking of which, Gasthaus says that their beer has "[n]otable hop aroma and flavor" and "[s]tealthly alcohol content." I guess when you clock in at 7.2% ABV, it should be classified as "stealthy." (Widmer Newsletter from Nov 11 2008, Widmer Brrr website, Gasthaus Pub's What's on Tap)


Here come the stats:

Widmer Brrr
BREWERY: Widmer Brother Brewing Co., Portland, OR, USA
STYLE: Seasonal Ale
FIRST BREWED: 2008
CALORIES/SERVING:
BITTERNESS: 50 IBU
ABV: 7.2%
ORIGINAL GRAVITY: 17° Plato (1070.25)
MALTS: Pale, Caramel 10L & 80L, Munich 10L, Carapils, Dark Chocolate
HOPS: Bittering: Alchemy; Aroma: Simcoe & Cascade
SERVING TEMPERATURE:
FOODS TO PAIR WITH: "Holiday favorites like turkey and ham"
AWARDS:

I got most of this from Widmer's Brrr website. An e-mail to Widmer should net me the rest.

When I originally went to taste this beer, it had been frozen solid by my stupid beer fridge (speaking of "brrr"), so I let it thaw in the fridge for a couple days, drinking and reviewing Hinano Tahiti instead. When it was ready and I finally poured it into the glass, it had a gorgeous dark reddish-brown color with some flecks (probably yeast or remnants of the freezing). The head was a puffy light tannish color. The nose was very hoppy and reminded me a lot of Widmer's own Broken Halo IPA (they use the same or similar malts and hops in each), though not as strong. This beer, however, had a stronger hop flavor than Broken Halo, and was carbonated to boot. Like many IPAs, this beer did leave that hoppy aftertaste in my mouth.

This is the problem I have with reviewing IPA-style beers. One may think that I'm bad-mouthing this beer because I didn't particularly enjoy its flavor, and that is blatantly false. Is Widmer Brrr a good, well-crafted beer? Yes. Did I enjoy its flavor? No, because IPAs aren't my beer style of choice; stouts, porters, and strong ales are. However, anyone who enjoys IPAs will love this beer hands down. It is a well-crafted beer, yet another winner from Widmer, and perfect for hop-heads. Me? I'll be stealing some bottle-conditioned Snow Plow from my father-in-law's fridge. Mmmm.

Widmer says it was only available through the first week of January, but if you hurry, you may still find some on the shelves.

Prost!

Widmer W'08 Crimson Wheat

With this post, the Beerocrat will celebrate its Golden (50th) Beeriversary, so drink up! I know I will!

Today's beer, the 50th I've reviewed so far, is Widmer Brother Brewing's 2008 Brewmasters' Release, called W'08 Crimson Wheat. This is the fourth release in their "W" series of beers, available from January to July of this year, but there may still be some 6-packs floating around somewhere. While other Widmer W releases, save for their W'05, have never been re-released as a regular bottled beer (they may have been served at their Gasthaus Pub), this one may have a decent shot for re-branding, as it has already won a silver at 2007's Great American Beer Festival, under the cryptic name "Brewmaster Reserve." A promising start, indeed. (Widmer W'08 homepage, GABF 2007 award list [alternative if GABF link goes stale])


Here come the stats:

Widmer W'08 Crimson Wheat
BREWERY: Widmer Brothers Brewing Co., Portland, OR, USA
STYLE: American-Style Ale
FIRST BREWED: 2007
CALORIES/SERVING:
BITTERNESS: 20 IBU
ABV: 4.9%
ORIGINAL GRAVITY: 13.75° Plato (1056.07)
MALTS: Two Row Pale, Dark Wheat, Caramel Wheat, Red Wheat, Caramel 10 L, Rye, Chocolate
HOPS: Bittering: Alchemy, Aroma: Sterling
SERVING TEMPERATURE:
FOODS TO PAIR WITH: A variety of entrées including hamburgers, roast beef sandwiches, and seafood
AWARDS: 2007 GABF Silver Medal Award Winner (American-Style Wheat Beer category, as "Brewmaster Reserve")

Most of this information came from Widmer's own W'08 homepage, with help from the GABF 2007 award list (and it's alternative link).

This beer poured a deep reddish-orange color, a very different color than what I've seen out of Widmer. The head was small, bubbly, and white, staying for a little while. The nose of the beer had a nice malty-sweetness to it and was very pleasing, not overpowering. This malty-sweetness extended to the taste, mixed in with a faint hoppiness indicative of a beer with only 20 IBUs. The finish was grainy in origin, but it didn't go flat or stale in my mouth, instead fading away gently into oblivion.

This is a nice beer, worthy of their W series. Hopefully it will be rebranded as something else like their Broken Halo in the near future, or at least featured in their Gasthaus Pub. If there are any left in stores, pick some up.

Prost!

P.S. Also, if anyone knows a better file hosting situation (free sign-up and hosting, direct link to file downloads), please do not hesitate to drop a comment. I'd love to switch from Uploading.com early in the game if possible. Thanks.

Widmer and Redhook Breweries Merge

My dad forwarded me an article from the Portland Business Journal about Widmer Brothers Brewery of Portland and Redhook Brewery of Woodinville, WA, merging to form a new company, Craft Brewers Alliance. The co-CEOs of the new company are David Mickelson, president and COO of Redhook, and Terry Michaelson, president of Craft Brands Alliance (Craft Brewers Alliance's marketing and sales arm, created before the merger). Kurt Widmer (guess which brewery he's from) is chairman of the board, and Paul Shipman (recent chairman and CEO of Redhook) is chairman emeritus. You can read more about it in this Portland Business Journal article (if the link is stale, here's a PDF version).

I think this is a good thing for both breweries, especially Redhook. According to a January 5, 2007 Oregonian article, Redhook hasn't posted an annual profit since 1996, compared to Widmer's double digit growth between 2002 and 2006. Since both companies A.) are partially owned by Budweiser and B.) have been working together for at least a few years now, I think this merger will go over well, so long as their beers remain separate. You know, keep the Widmer beers Widmer and the Redhook beers Redhook. I do like my Widmer Hefeweizen and my Redhook Chinook, and it would be a shame if they decided to combine all the beers and dropped or combined some.

I do have to say that the Widmer/Redhook conglomerate now presents some decent competition to Sam Adams, the other large craft brewer on the market today. Who knows, we may see some Widmer and Redhook commercials on TV in the next few years.

Apparently, Widmer and Redhook released a joint press release (on Widmer's site, or from here if that link gets stale) about the merger back in November 2007, and have been talking about it long before that, so the Portland Business-Journal is a little slow on the uptake.

Prost!

Deschutes Obsidian Stout

Coming in at Number 6 on the Clean out the Fridge Countdown Part Deux is another brew from the Deschutes crew: Deschutes Obsidian Stout (for Deschutes' history, see my Black Butte Porter review). This beer, like so many from Bend's first brewery, is named after a nearby landmark, specifically the Newberry National Volcanic Monument, located 13 miles south of Bend, which contains one of the world's largest obsidian flows (over 700 acres), called the Big Obsidian Flow. According to Deschutes' head brewer Brett Porter, Obsidian Stout has a solid following amongst beer drinkers, and is brewed using whole-flower hops, which means that the hops are not in pellet-form and allegedly give off a better aroma and flavor. They must be doing something right, because it has won a myriad of awards over the past decade. If you can, try it at their brewpub; it is served in nitrogenized form, where nitrogen and CO2 are infused into the beer to give it a smoother, creamier taste. (Cascades Volcano Observatory website, Deschutes Obsidian Stout website, phone call with Brett Porter)


Here come the stats:

Deschutes Obsidian Stout
BREWERY: Deschutes Brewery, Bend, OR, USA
STYLE: Stout
FIRST BREWED: 1988
CALORIES/SERVING: 220 per 12 oz. bottle
BITTERNESS: 50
ABV: 6.4%
ORIGINAL GRAVITY: 16° Plato (1065.84)
MALTS: wheat, black barley, roasted barley, carapils, munich, higher-colored British caramel
HOPS: Nugget Willamette northern brewer
SERVING TEMPERATURE: Either room temperature or cold (in the fridge for 1 hour prior to drinking)
FOODS TO PAIR WITH: Chocolate, red meat, shellfish, oysters
AWARDS: A ton...2007 World Beer Awards World's Best Stout (Export) Award, 2007 Readers' Choice Awards, Northwest Brewing News Best Stout Award, 2007 Australian International Beer Awards Gold Medal & Champion Stout Award, 2007 United States Beer Tasting Championship Best of the Pacific Northwest & Grand Champion (Stout Category), 2006 European Beer Star Gold Award (Dry Stout), 2006 Australian International Beer Awards Silver Medal (Stout - Other Category), 2006 North American Beer Awards Silver Medal (Stout - Foreign Stout Category), 2005 World Beer Championships Gold Medal Award Winner, 2005 European Beer Star Gold Award (Stout), 2004 Great American Beer Festival Bronze Medal (Foreign-Style Stout), 2003 Great American Beer Festival Bronze Medal (Foreign-Style Stout), 2003 North American Beer Awards Gold Medal (Foreign Stout Category), 2003 Real Ale Festival (American Stouts) Silver Medal (Individual Category Awards), 2002 World Beer Cup Silver Medal (Foreign-Style Stout), 2002 Real Ale Festival (American Stouts) Bronze Medal (Individual Category Awards), 2001 Real Ale Festival (Bottle-conditioned Beer Awards) Gold Medal (Bottled Stouts), 2001 Real Ale Festival (Bottle-conditioned Beer Awards) Silver Medal (Best of Bottles), 2001 West Coast Brew Fest Silver Medal (Stout Category), 2000 California Brewer's Festival Gold Medal (Foreign Stout Category), 2000 World Beer Cup Silver Medal (Foreign Style Stout), 1999 NABA Competition Gold Medal (Foreign Stout), 1999 Great American Beer Festival Silver Medal (Foreign Stout), 1998 Real Ale Festival Best of Fest (Bottle-Conditioned Beers)

I got the calories, IBUs, ABV, and awards from the Deschutes Obsidian Stout website. The rest came from a phone conversation with head brewer Brett Porter on February 18, 2008. (Another cool guy who called me in the early evening on a holiday to answer my questions. I really appreciated the time he took for some Reno beer blogger.)

Like many stouts I've had, this one poured thick and black, with no light visible on the other side. Despite my best efforts to keep the foamy tan-colored head within the confines of the glass, it almost overflowed. A strong smell of roasted coffee and dark chocolate emitted from the beer, including, I think, a slight hint of smoked wood. The taste was a hoppy roasted coffee with a little carbonation, but it transformed into a strong hoppy finish. The beer was very velvety, and I really wish that I had some chocolate on-hand.

This beer has a lot more flavor than your average Guinness stout. Pick one up at a nearby retailer, or stop by their brewpub the next time you're in Bend (soon to expand to Portland).

Prost!

Hair of the Dog Doggie Claws (2007 Vintage)

Today, I opened up my fridge and found that I have a lot of beer in there. Which is usually good, except I keep wanting to buy more beer. However, I need to drink this beer before I buy more so that the beer I bought doesn't go bad and thus go to waste. Hence, I have decided to start another Clean out the Fridge Countdown. You at home can follow along with me as I go through all the beer that's in my fridge in no particular order.


From L to R: JosephsBrau Winterfest Lager, Deschutes Obsidian Stout, Hair of the Dog Doggie Claws Barley Wine Ale, Buffalo Bill's America's Original Pumpkin Ale, Full Sail LTD #2 Lager, Sierra Nevada Anniversary Ale, Kennebunkport Blueberry Wheat Ale
First on my list (and coming in at Number 7) is the 2007 vintage of Hair of the Dog's Doggie Claws (for brewery history, see Hair of the Dog Ruth), a barley wine that's "brewed in the west coast style." Brewed in September/October of every year and released in November, it's a winter seasonal that will truly warm you up with it's 11.5% alcohol content. This is officially the strongest beer I've had, with HotD's other strong beers, Adam and Fred, being the runners up. This will mark the fourth Hair of the Dog beer I've had, and I haven't been disappointed yet. I'm expecting this one to pack a wallop.

After speaking with Alan Sprints, he revealed that it was first brewed in 2000 as "Fido" and it was only available on draught when he entered it in the Toronado Barley Wine Festival (which is actually going on right now in San Francisco). He bottled it one year later and changed its name to Doggie Claws. He now brews 350 cases a year, half of which is sold at the brewery and the rest is sold in Oregon and Washington. Every November, he throws a big release party, an event that I'll have to attend sometime soon.


Here come the stats:

Hair of the Dog Doggie Claws
BREWERY: Hair of the Dog Brewery, Portland, OR, USA
STYLE: West-coast barley wine
FIRST BREWED: 2000 (draught), 2001 (bottle)
CALORIES/SERVING: ~200 per 12 oz. bottle
BITTERNESS: 70 IBU
ABV: 11.5% (my bottle says 11%)
ORIGINAL GRAVITY: 25.67° Plato (1110)
MALTS: Organic pilsner, British crystal
HOPS: Amarillo, simcoe
SERVING TEMPERATURE: 55°F (13°C)
FOODS TO PAIR WITH: Spicy cold cuts, cured meats, pizza, ginger cake
AWARDS: 2006 Hard Liver Barleywine Fest 1st Place

I got the style, IBUs, and ABV from the Doggie Claws webpage, and the award came from the Hard Liver Barleywine Festival Past Winners site. The rest came from an interview with Alan Sprints on Saturday February 16th. (By the way, I thought it was really awesome that he called me back on the weekend. He's a classy guy and I appreciate him taking the time to talk to a little blogger like me.)

Once I opened the bottle, I first noticed the hoppy aroma that radiated from the bottle. It poured a clear amber color and produced a foamy off-white head. The interesting thing about this beer is that over a matter of minutes, the beer grew darker and less transparent, evidenced in this photo:


The taste was hoppy, but not overly so; I could taste the 11%-plus alcohol content and the honey that came from Mt. Hood. The aftertaste started off sweet and alcoholic, but transformed into a little bit of the hoppy taste that I don't like; however, that did not deter me from drinking this beer. And I was right: it did get me buzzed.

This beer is a great value for the price and ABV and is one of the most interesting barley wines I've had. Pick up one the next time you're in Washington, Oregon, California, New York, or Denmark (random distribution, I know).

Woof!

Full Sail Session Premium Lager

On Friday the 14th, me, my wife, and some family friends decided to drive down to Douglas County immediately south of Carson City in search of a neighborhood adorned with Christmas lights. Unfortunately, we couldn't find the neighborhood, or we did and they just weren't doing the lights this year, so the travel down south was a bust. However, we decided to stop in Carson at Red's Old 395 Grill. What's so special about this place? They boast an impressive "vault" of 101 beers, whether on tap or in bottles. They even have hundreds, if not thousands of bottles lined up along the wall.

I was beyond impressed and overwhelmed with all the choices that the restaurant had to offer, beer-wise. But I wanted to have a beer that I don't usually have the opportunity to snag. So I decided upon a Full Sail Session Premium Lager, brewed by the Full Sail Brewing Co. of Hood River, Oregon. I've had their Amber Ale before, and I've always wanted to try some of their other beers.

Full Sail Brewing was founded in the small Columbia Gorge town in old Diamond fruit cannery in 1987. At the time, Oregon was starting to become a beer haven and Hood River was gaining notoriety for windsurfing, which is why the brewery is named Full Sail. What really put Full Sail on the map was A.) their ability to put their microbrews in a bottle, something that critics said was almost impossible, and B.) Full Sail Amber's gold medal at the 1989 Great American Beer Festival. Still another milestone was achieved when the company became entirely employee-owned in 1999, with profits split evenly amongst its 47 workers, a fact that they boast on their web site and bottles. Recently they've brewed another beer, Session Premium Lager, as a hearkening back to the beers that were popular before the wrath of Prohibition. Like Red Stripe, this one is sold in a pre-Prohibition-era 11 oz. stubby bottle which helps it stand out amongst other beers. (Full Sail Story, Session Lager)


Here come the stats:

Full Sail Session Premium Lager
BREWERY: Full Sail Brewing Co., Hood River, OR, USA
STYLE: Continental pilsner
FIRST BREWED:
CALORIES/SERVING:
BITTERNESS:
ABV:
ORIGINAL GRAVITY:
MALTS:
HOPS:
SERVING TEMPERATURE:
FOODS TO PAIR WITH:
AWARDS: 2007 World Beer Awards (World's Best Premium Lager), 2007 North American Beer Awards Gold Medal Award Winner, 2007 L.A. County Fair Silver Award Winner, "a silver medal in a New Zealand international beer competition"

The awards came from the November 2007 newsletter (currently found here). I plan on placing a call to the brewery to pick up all the remaining information, as well as clarify the awards.

The beer arrived in the stubby bottle, which I poured delicately into the glass (see, I'm trying to improve my pouring technique), resulting in an amber colored beer with no head in a frosted mug. It had a relatively strong aroma of wheat and hops. The taste also had a strong wheat flavor with a hint of hops and strong carbonation. The finish was very smooth and grainy-tasting. The whole experience was very pleasing to the mouth.

I enjoyed this beer a lot, and it was a great thirst-quencher as I was waiting for my delicious chicken fajitas. Pick one up at a liquor store or grocery store near you. Your great-grandfather would be proud.

~Prost!

BridgePort Ebenezer Ale

After a lack of alcohol over Thanksgiving weekend (except for the night out with the guys, and the basketball game...so maybe there was no lack of alcohol after all...), I've decided to get back off the wagon and start reviewing my six pack that has been waiting for me in Reno. Well, it's a six pack now that I picked up some beers that I couldn't get in Nevada. One of them, Hair of the Dog Doggie Claws, is a bottle-conditioned beer that will be ready for a review on Christmas morn. The other is the subject of this review: BridgePort Ebenezer Ale, a brew that is available in just about every western state...except Nevada. I think it's even available in Utah. (NOTE: The beer is not available in Utah.)

BridgePort touts itself as Oregon's oldest craft brewery, even trademarking the phrase "Oregon's Oldest Craft Brewery™" to boot. Founded all the way back in 1984 (take that, Widmer and Portland Brewing!) by Richard and Nancy Ponzi and Karl Ockert as the Columbia Brewing Co. in a century-old former rope factory in Portland's Pearl District, it has had a front-row seat to the microbrew revolution that has taken place in Portland and nationwide. In fact, it has led the way for Oregon's breweries to take their place in the world of beer. BridgePort Brewery is currently owned by The Gambrinus Co. of San Antonio, who has owned it since 1995. In addition to a brewery, BridgePort owns an ale house in addition to a brewpub/bakery of all things. (BridgePort History, Gambrinus Co. History, BridgePort Brewery Info)

It is best known for its flagship IPA, but has expanded its lineup to include an ESB, an amber ale, a stout, a pale ale (Blue Heron, itself well-known), and even a barleywine called Old Knucklehead, a beer I've tried to find on several occasions in Portland to no avail. So I snagged this one instead at Whole Foods at Bridgeport Village (not related) in Tualatin, Oregon, and brought it back to the Biggest Little City. It was originally brewed as a winter seasonal called Winter Brew back in 1986 and was sold exclusively in their brewpubs. Their first bottling was in 1999, but they realized that some other brewery had a beer called Winter Brew. So they held a company-wide contest to rename the beer, and Ebenezer Ale was the winner. They are now on their 9th bottling of the stuff, described as a "winter warmer" style ale.


Here are the stats:

BridgePort Ebenezer Ale
BREWERY: BridgePort Brewing Co., Portland, OR, USA
FIRST BREWED: 1986 as Winter Brew (first bottled in 1999)
CALORIES/SERVING: ~180 per 12 oz. bottle
BITTERNESS: 40 IBUs
ABV: 6.4%
ORIGINAL GRAVITY: 16° Plato (1065.84)
MALTS: Three kinds of crystal, two kinds of roasted, and 2-row pale
HOPS: English Goldings, a little bit of Chinook
SERVING TEMPERATURE: 45-50°F (7-10°C)
FOODS TO PAIR WITH/USE IN: Gravies, basting meat, vegetable stew, pot pies
AWARDS: 2002 Brewing Industry International Awards (London, England) Silver Medal Award Winner

I got the IBUs, ABV, gravity, and awards from BridgePort's Ebenezer Ale webpage. The rest came from a phone call to the brewery at 4:15 PM on November 28th, 2007. I spoke with brewmaster Karl Ockert, the same one who helped found the brewery back in 1984, so you can be assured of its veracity. Thanks for the info Karl!

This beer is defined by its brewmaster as a "strong ale," and this description is no more accurate than with its nose. A strong nutty scent emanated from the beer once it hit the glass, which was very pleasing to my nostrils. Once in my glass, the beer's color was a rich dark brown that was slightly translucent. It was accompanied by a long-lasting head that didn't go away until I was done with two-thirds of the beer. The taste perplexed me, filled with a nutty taste with fruit undertones, a very delicious combination; it also was a very smooth beer with not a lot of carbonation. The only thing I didn't like was the aftertaste, which was a bit stale. However, I was able to taste the nutty-fruitiness of the beer with a slight hint of hoppiness mixed in.

This beer was in fact a winter warmer, as I felt the chills go away towards the end of the beer. Pick one up if you're in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, or Washington. But not Nevada. Or Utah.

Prost!

Widmer Broken Halo IPA

Happy Silver (25th) Beeriversary to me!

The third-to-last beer in the "Clean Out the Fridge Countdown" is also the 25th beer I've reviewed for this blog, the Widmer Brewery's Broken Halo IPA. While Widmer has released many an IPA in the past, they have usually been as seasonals. Their first one that I know of was Spring Run IPA, which was brewed in the spring months until 2004. After changing their hopping technique and lowering the ABV slightly, an IPA was released as the first of their "W" series of craft beers for the first part of 2005 (the beer itself was called W'05). My guess is that the beer was such a success that it was re-branded as Broken Halo IPA in 2006, complete with a new logo and packaging. (I confirmed that W'05 and Broken Halo are almost identical.) The best part for hop-heads: this Widmer IPA is available year-round.


Here are the stats:

Widmer Broken Halo IPA
BREWERY: Widmer Brothers Brewing Co., Portland, OR, USA
FIRST BREWED: 2005 (as W'05)
CALORIES/SERVING: 190 per 12 oz. bottle
BITTERNESS: 45 IBU
ABV: 6.0%
ORIGINAL GRAVITY: 14.25° Plato (1058.22)
MALTS: Pale, caramel 10L & 20L, carapils
HOPS: Alchemy, cascade, zeus
SERVING TEMPERATURE: 42-46°F (6-8°C)
FOODS TO PAIR WITH: "Spicy hot foods like Mexican, Asian dishes, or hot wings"
AWARDS:

I got all information but the calories, awards, and serving temperature from Widmer's Broken Halo website. The rest came from e-mails to the brewery.

Once again, the aroma hit me like a ton of bricks. This time, it was a hoppy aroma that spilled forth from the beer as I poured it. Seeing as how it's an IPA, that's par for the course. The beer poured a cloudy golden-amber color with a nice foamy white head that took awhile to dissipate. The head itself was very hoppy and tickled my upper lip as I drank the beer. While this beer was hoppy, it didn't really turn me off to it (I'm not usually a fan of IPAs) and was quite drinkable. The only problem with the hoppier beers is that they tend to leave a bit of a dry aftertaste in my mouth, but that's quickly solved by drinking more of the beer.

Overall, I like this IPA, but it may be a little tame for total hop-heads. It's a good beer, but if you want a true hoppy adventure, stick with Stone Arrogant Bastard Ale. For those of us not so IPA-inclined, this one is a good-tasting romp through a hop patch.

Prost, and here's to at least 25 more beers reviewed!

UPDATE: I filled in some of the blanks from an e-mail I received on September 25th, 2007. Thanks so much David! I really appreciate it.

Deschutes Black Butte Porter

Did you ever have one of those days where everything went wrong? I did today. It just seemed like no matter what I did, the computer code I was working with just wouldn't work properly. I won't bore you with the details, but it drove me mad. That's why at the end of the day I was looking forward to the next beer I could review. For this one, I selected a beer from my home state (and there are plenty to choose from): the Deschutes Brewery's Black Butte Porter.

The Deschutes Brewery was founded in 1988 in Bend, Oregon (in the middle of the high desert) by Gary Fish (who is still the president). It started off as a small brewpub in Bend, a city along the Deschutes River, for which the brewery is named (des chutes is French for "the rapids"). At that point, it started by brewing three beers, Black Butte Porter, Bachelor Bitter and Cascade Golden Ale. The Black Butte Porter is named in tribute to Black Butte, an extinct volcanic cinder code located near Sisters, Oregon (NW of Bend). A planned resort community nearby is also named Black Butte due to its view of the mountain. Other information about the brewery is that it is completely vegan (their clarifying agent is an algae called Irish Moss) and that they moved into their current brewing facility in 1993. They also brew tons of specialty beers, some of which appear to only be available at their brewpub or thereabouts (they may serve them at their forthcoming Portland brewpub, due to open April 2008). Finally, they use a process called Kräusening (don't ask me how to pronounce it) where actively fermenting beer, yeast, or wort is added. Hair of the Dog also does this, but they call it "bottle conditioning" (see my review of Ruth). (Deschutes Brewery information and FAQ, plus info on the bottle itself)


Here are the stats:

Deschutes Black Butte Porter
BREWERY: Deschutes Brewery, Bend, Oregon USA
FIRST BREWED: 1988
CALORIES/SERVING: 192 per 12 oz. bottle
BITTERNESS: 30 IBUs
ABV: 5.2%
ORIGINAL GRAVITY: 13.735° Plato (1056)
MALTS: Chocolate, wheat, and mid-level caramel
HOPS: Cascade, galena, tettnanger (not "tettenanger")
SERVING TEMPERATURE: 44°F (6-7°C)
FOODS TO PAIR WITH: Beef with heavy sauces, steak, ribs, BBQ, chicken (basically any meat you can grill)
AWARDS: A ton...1996 GABF Gold Medal Award Winner (Brown porter category), 1998 GABF Bronze Medal Award Winner (Brown porter category), 1998 World Beer Cup Silver Medal Award Winner (Brown porter category), 1999 North American Beer Awards Gold Medal Award Winner (Brown porter category), 2000 North American Beer Awards Gold Medal Award Winner (Brown porter category), 2001 Real Ale Festival Gold Medal Award Winner (Bottled American brown ales and porters category), 2002 Brewing Industry International Awards Silver Medal Award Winner (Dark milds, stouts and porters class 3), 2002 GABF Bronze Medal Award Winner (Brown porter category), 2002 North American Beer Awards Gold Medal Award Winner (Porter category), 2003 20th Annual International Beer Festival (Best porter, people's choice), 2003 North American Beer Awards Gold Medal Award Winner (Brown porter category), 2003 Real Ale Festival, Individual Category Awards Silver Medal Award Winner (American dark ales category), 2004 Australian International Beer Awards Gold Medal Award Winner (Porter category), 2004 North American Beer Awards Bronze Medal Award Winner (Brown porter category), 2005 European Beer Star Gold Award (Porter category), 2005 World Beer Championships Silver Medal Award Winner, 2006 Australian International Beer Awards Silver Medal Award Winner (Porter category), 2007 Australian International Beer Awards Gold Medal Award Winner (Porter category)

(whew!)

The calories, first brewed, bitterness, ABV, and awards information came from the Black Butte Porter website. The rest came from a phone call I placed to the brewery on September 19th, 2007. Special thanks to Jimmy Seifrit of the Deschutes Brewery for answering my questions!

This is a very dark opaque beer, with a rich dark brown color, almost black; the accompanying head was a light coffee color and refused to go down, its puffiness lasting for upwards of 5 minutes as I enjoyed the beer. Its aroma was of a sweet dark chocolate type that was pleasant to my nose. The taste also had this dark chocolate flavor with some coffee undertones combined with a slight bitterness, which pleased my tastebuds enormously. The aftertaste finished almost clean, with just a slight hoppy aftertaste. I can handle slight hoppiness in my taste, but not my aftertaste.

Overall, this is a great beer, and it's plain to see why Deschutes stands by this brew. It's coming up on its 20th anniversary next year, and who knows what this brewery will do to celebrate. I only wish I could be there.

Prost!

Widmer Snowplow Milk Stout

The beer that I've decided to try today is a blast from the past. I picked up this bottle of Widmer Snowplow Milk Stout last December, the last time that I was up in Portland. I drank most of them before I created this blog, but I found one last one in the fridge as I was deciding what beer to have tonight. This dark beer is traditionally released by Widmer between late October and early January as their winter seasonal, perfect for warming you from the inside on those cold snowy days. In stark contrast, I drank this beer when the high temperature outside was 98°, not exactly dark beer-drinking weather, but it still hit the spot.

According to the Widmer Brothers' page for this beer, this beer was the result of the Collaborator Project, a joint venture between the Brothers and the Oregon Brew Crew, one of the oldest and largest homebrewing clubs in the country. The first beer that was brewed out of the project (Summer of 1998), the Collaborator Milk Stout became the Snowplow Milk Stout, launched as the winter seasonal in 2004. It won the Gold Medal at the Great American Beer Festival, and is now their best-selling seasonal beer. (This according to the Collaborator Project homepage.) An interesting fact: They add 1500 lbs. of lactose per batch of Snowplow. (E-Mail)


Here are the stats:

Widmer Snowplow Milk Stout
BREWERY: Widmer Brothers Brewing Co., Portland, OR, USA
FIRST BREWED: 2004
CALORIES/SERVING: 235 per 12 oz. bottle
BITTERNESS: 28 IBUs
ABV: 5.5%
ORIGINAL GRAVITY: 17° Plato (1070.25)
MALTS: Pale, Caramel 60L, Wheat, Oats, Carapils, Black, Roasted Barley
HOPS: Alchemy, Willamette
SERVING TEMPERATURE: 50°F (10°C)
FOODS TO PAIR WITH: "Rich and decadent dishes like London broil with demi glaze sauce," dark chocolate
AWARDS: 2004 GABF Gold Medal Award Winner (British stout category)

Most of the information came from Widmer's Snowplow page. The rest came in e-mails I sent to the brewery.

Now, when I mean dark, I mean that this beer is dark as the night itself. Its color reminds me of Guinness, but the Snowplow's head is a rich caramel color that lingered and almost overflowed my Widmer glass. The aroma was slight and appealing, making my nose very happy. The first taste was extremely smooth with a thick, velvety flavor that was reminiscent of chocolate beers. It finished clean with a slight milky/coffee aftertaste that was very pleasant to taste.

This is a great beer to enjoy over the winter holiday season in front of a nice roaring fire with that special someone as the snow is falling outside. It probably will even taste better than my bottle, which means that you'll enjoy it even more than I did.

Prost!

UPDATE: I filled in some of the blanks from an e-mail I received on September 25th, 2007. Thanks so much David! I really appreciate it.

MacTarnahan's Amber Ale

The fourth and final beer that I brought back from the Northwest is a MacTarnahan's Amber Ale. The MacTarnahan's Brewing Company was started in 1986 as the Portland Brewing Company with one mission: "Crafting delicious beers for a small (but growing) number of discerning beer lovers." Starting out as a 1,000 barrel per year brewpub in Portland, Oregon, MacTarnahan's started producing award winning beers such as Portland Ale, Original Oregon Honey Beer, and what has been dubbed Portland's Original Amber Ale, MacTarnahan's Amber Ale. Recently, MacTarnahan's was acquired by Pyramid Breweries of Seattle, expanding its mini-empire into three states. I picked up an Amber Ale in the Made in Oregon store at Portland International Airport before heading home. Yes, it's still made in Oregon, so it counts.



Here are the stats:

MacTarnahan's Amber Ale
BREWERY: MacTarnahan's Brewing Co., Portland, OR, USA (a division of Pyramid Brewing Co., Seattle, WA, USA)
FIRST BREWED: 1992
CALORIES/SERVING:
BITTERNESS: 30 IBUs
ABV:
ORIGINAL GRAVITY: 13° Plato (1052.85)
MALTS:
HOPS: Cascade
SERVING TEMPERATURE: °F (°C)
FOODS TO PAIR WITH: Grilled and smoked meats, full-flavored fish, fish and chips
AWARDS: A ton...1992 GABF Gold Medal, 1993 Sunriver (OR) Lodge Best of Show, 1993 Karnival of Beers (Fullerton, CA) Silver Medal, 1994 World Beer Championships Silver Medal, 1995 World Beer Championships Silver Medal and Best Buy, 1996 Association of Brewers' International Beer Competition Bronze Medal, 1996 World Beer Championships Silver Medal, 1996 International Beer Summit (Osaka, Japan) Gold Medal, 1997 World Beer Championships Silver Medal, 2006 GABF Gold Medal

I got some of this information from the Mac's Amber Ale page, and I hope to get the rest of it from an e-mail that I plan to send tonight.

This beer poured very well and had a nice aroma that was a mixture of grains and citrus. The beer itself was a rich clear amber color with an off-white head that looked very soft and puffy, retaining its shape long after being poured. At first taste, it did not have any trace of over-hoppiness (compare that to the Hale's Red Menace) and went down smoothly. It definitely gained a hoppy texture, but it was comparably muted throughout. The finish left a nice grainy aftertaste, but after a little while it started to go stale, the only downside to an otherwise pleasant beer.

Overall, this beer is a good one to go with a nice meal, especially the fish and chips at the Mac's brewpub (or so I'm told).

Prost!

Hair of the Dog Ruth

First off, I would like to dedicate this post to all the dogs in my life: Tess (my dog, pictured left), Spanky (my fiancée's dog, pictured right), Truckee (my friend's dog, not pictured), and Hercules (my friend's other dog, not pictured). They are the four-legged loves of my life.

Now, on with the beer.

The third beer I purchased in the Northwest was from a brewery called Hair of the Dog (hence the dog dedications above), a small brewery founded by Alan Sprints in November 1993 out of Portland. Most of their beers have are named for people or at least seem like they do. I personally have had two different Hair of the Dogs before, the flagship Adam (named for an extinct German beer style, Adambier), and Fred (named for beer writer/historian Fred Eckhardt, the inspiration for brewing the Adam and first person to purchase it). Both of those beers have an impressive 10% ABV, and utilize "bottle-conditioning," or when new yeast and beer is added to finished beer to make it age like a fine wine. To help determine how much an Adam or Fred has aged, Hair of the Dog has put "vintage numbers" on their bottles denoting the batch of the brew. They still have their first vintage of each (Adams from 1994, Freds from 1997) that the brewers taste every so often to see what new flavors have developed. Hair of the Dog is still a small outfit, essentially a one-man operation that brews 5,000 cases of all their beers (not 5,000 per beer) each year.

The Ruth, a 4.5% All-American Ale, is named after founder/brewmaster Alan Sprints' grandmother, Ruth, a fitting tribute if I do say so myself. When I spoke with Alan, he said that he expected it to be one of his most popular beers, but it actually is the least popular. However, it has maintained a loyal following of people who do not enjoy the stronger Adam and Fred. The bottle says to "Have one on Granny," so I did just that.



Here are the stats:

Hair of the Dog Ruth
BREWERY: Hair of the Dog Brewing Co., Portland, OR, USA
FIRST BREWED: 2000-2001
CALORIES/SERVING: ~180 per 12 oz. bottle
BITTERNESS: ~30 IBUs (varies year to year)
ABV: 4.5%
ORIGINAL GRAVITY: 12° Plato (1048.58)
MALTS: Pale
HOPS: Crystal
SERVING TEMPERATURE: 50-55°F (10-13°C)
FOODS TO PAIR WITH: Pizza, hamburgers, hot dogs, sushi, even apple pie
AWARDS: Never entered in judging contests

The ABV came from the bottle's label, and the rest was answered by a phone call to the brewery on June 29th, 2007 at 12:45 PM PDT. Thank you very much Alan!

This beer, while light on alcohol, definitely packs a great color and scent; the color was a rich cloudy amber color and its scent was wheaty with a hint of citrus, a pleasant surprise. The head was nice with a slight off-white color, and it did not dissipate. It's taste was very smooth and inviting, with only the slightest bite that I actually liked. The finish was equally smooth, with a milky aftertaste that didn't last long enough to go sour. I thought that the alcohol was starting to settle at the bottom towards the end, something I don't like in beers, but it wasn't enough to deter me from truly enjoying it.

Overall, this beer is a keeper, perfect for kicking back this Independence Day.

Woof!

Laurelwood Mother Lode Golden Ale

Well, I'm back from my trip to the Northwest. I hung out at the wedding, had an awesome time at a wedding party my parents threw for me, and caught up with old friends. I also brought back a few choice Northwest brews from a couple of stores around the area. I bought a MacTarnahan's Amber Ale, a Hale's Ales Red Menace Amber Ale, a Laurelwood Mother Lode Golden Ale, and a Hair of the Dog "Ruth" All-American Ale. Basically I picked up a bunch of ales, all of which I plan to enjoy. Here's the line-up.



I decided to start off the Northwest Beer review with the first one I got: the Laurelwood Mother Lode Golden Ale. The brewery/brewpub was started in 2001 by Mike and Cathy DeKalb in the Hollywood District of Portland on 40th and Sandy, brewing the Mother Lode as part of their initial line-up. In 2002, two of their beers, the Free Range Red and the Tree Hugger Porter, were certified organic by Oregon Tilth, "a nonprofit research and education membership organization dedicated to biologically sound and socially equitable agriculture," the first Oregon beers to be given this distinction. Their second brewpub opened on NW Kearney St. in Portland, and their new brewery is located at 51st and Sandy in Portland with a brewpub on the way. The original location is going to become the Laurelwood Pizza Co., because as you know, pizza goes very well with beer.



Here are the stats:

Laurelwood Mother Lode Golden Ale
BREWERY: Laurelwood Brewing Co., Portland, OR, USA
FIRST BREWED: 2001
CALORIES/SERVING: Never been tested
BITTERNESS: 20 IBUs
ABV: 5.1%
ORIGINAL GRAVITY: 12° Plato (1048.58)
MALTS: 2-Row, Acidulated
HOPS: Northern Brewer, Cascade
SERVING TEMPERATURE: 40-45°F (4-7°C)
FOODS TO PAIR WITH: Bisque, green salad, grilled fish
AWARDS: 2002 World Beer Cup Gold Medal (Golden-Blonde Ale category), 2003 GABF Bronze Medal (Golden or Blonde Ale category), 2004 GABF Silver Medal (Golden or Blonde Ale category)

I procured this information from Laurelwood's Mother Lode page, Laurelwood's Awards page, and responses to a couple of e-mails I sent them. Thanks Chad and Desi!

The beer poured very nicely, giving a nice white head that lingered. The ale had a nice light wheaty scent that wasn't too strong. I have to admit that I felt that the first taste was a little too bitter for my palette, but after the initial, the beer was very enjoyable, with the flavor building upon itself after every sip. It finished clean with a slight wheaty aftertaste that you know I love. Unlike some beers, this one kept its flavor after sitting for awhile, making it a good beer to nurse on or sip occasionally.

Overall, I enjoyed its flavor after that first sip. It's nothing against the beer; I really just don't like bitterness, which is why I favor the lighter beers and don't drink a lot of IPAs. If you enjoy beers with a little bit of bite to them, this is your beer. If you travel through Portland, you can pick one up at Portland International Airport, where I grabbed this one; Laurelwood has a café in Concourses A and E. It'll make your trip that much more enjoyable.

Prost!

Update: I got some information from their website and blog (the latter being more up-to-date).

Widmer Hefeweizen

For my inaugural beer review, I decided to sample one of my favorite beers: the Widmer Hefeweizen from the Widmer Brothers brewery in Portland, Oregon. According to their website, the brothers Widmer (Kurt and Rob are their names) introduced hefeweizen to the United States in 1986 as their flagship beer, and they have never looked back. Hefeweizen is a type of wheat beer in which the yeast isn't filtered out (in fact, hefeweizen is German for "yeast wheat"), and this lack of filtration also leaves in wheat proteins, making the beer cloudy. And boy, is this beer cloudy.



Here are the stats:

Widmer Hefeweizen
BREWERY: Widmer Brothers Brewing Co., Portland, OR, USA
FIRST BREWED: 1986
CALORIES/SERVING: 156 per 12 oz. bottle
BITTERNESS: 30 IBUs (International Bitterness Units)
ABV: 4.9%
ORIGINAL GRAVITY: 11.75° Plato (1047.52)
MALTS: Pale, Munich, Wheat, Caramel 40L
HOPS: Bittering: Alchemy; Aroma: Willamette, Cascade
FOODS TO PAIR WITH: "A wide range of foods from salads to seafood to robust ethnic foods."
AWARDS: 1998 GABF Gold Medal Award Winner, 2004 Gold Medal Beer Cup, 2006 GABF Gold Medal Award Winner

It's pretty safe to say that I really enjoyed this beer. It started off with a bitter opening, but finished clean with a nice wheat aftertaste. It's been 40 minutes since I finished this beer and I don't have that skunky beer breath, so it must be clean.

Now, I've heard that it's pretty much a law in Germany to never order a hefeweizen with a lemon. But with American style hefeweizens like Widmer's, it's not only preferred with a lemon, it's also encouraged. Widmer even has its own website, http://www.lemonyourwidmer.com/, where people demonstrate the extreme ways that people put the lemon in their Widmer. Some of the more creative ways include rockets and slingshots (the aim of those people is amazing).

In short, Widmer is a very delicious, yet slightly harsh wheat beer that is crisp and enjoyable. It is available country-wide, except in six states (Arkansas, Louisiana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Utah, otherwise known as the "party-pooper states"). Prost!

UPDATE: I got the beer's stats from Widmer's Hefeweizen website, http://www.widmer.com/beer_hefeweizen.aspx, and the FAQ, http://www.widmer.com/faq.aspx.