Lhasa Beer

I'm always on the lookout for beers that come from exotic corners of the globe. So when I was reading my September 2009 issue of All About Beer magazine a few months ago, I noticed an ad for a new imported beer from Tibet, called Lhasa Beer. I immediately looked around Reno for the beer, mostly in the Asian markets and at Whole Foods, but I came up empty-handed. Flash-forward to Christmas, when I was visiting family members in Austin, Texas. My wife and I went to the main Whole Foods store there, and while I was looking around, I found that they sold this beer. I had to snag it and bring it back to Reno.

It is important to note that the Lhasa Beer that Americans receive in this country is different than the Lhasa Beer that Tibetans drink. Both are brewed by the Tibet Lhasa Brewery, founded in 1989 in Lhasa, Tibet, as a joint venture between two corporations; half is owned by the Danish Carlsberg Group and a Danish government development fund, and half is owned by a domestic corporation that is traded on the Shen Zhen stock exchange. However, the beer we get is specially designed for the US market, an all-malt Dortmunder lager with up to 30% Tibetan barley (with the remainder coming from Australia) and Saaz hops. The Lhasa Beer consumed in Tibet is a rice beer brewed with a lot of other adjuncts in it, and it is this beer, and others brewed by Tibet Lhasa (which, by the way, is the highest brewery in the world), that accounts for 70% of all beer consumed in Tibet. (Lhasa Beer, Ingredients, Brewery)

What's really cool about this beer is that its U.S. importer, Dzambuling Imports LLC, likes to make a point that 10% of their net profits are reinvested back into "direct philanthropic intervention in Tibet," calling it "good karma." While some people may think that this is just a marketing gimmick, I actually had the privilege of speaking to people in management at Dzambuling who assured me otherwise. They told me that the brewery employs 250 full-time workers, 3/4 of whom are Tibetan, and one worker's salary is sufficient to support one family. Each one also gets full benefits, health care, and a retirement program, and upper management at the brewery even gets housing. The brewery has working conditions that are on a par with a modern well-run American brewery (a photo of the bottling line is below). Finally, even though they aren't yet profitable, they are currently making contributions in support of educating children in Tibet. Good karma, indeed. (Brewery, Interview with Management)


Here come the stats:

Lhasa Beer
BREWERY: Tibet Lhasa Brewery Company Ltd., Lhasa, Tibet*
US IMPORTER: Dzambuling Imports LLC, El Cerrito, CA
STYLE: Dortmunder lager
FIRST BREWED: 2009
CALORIES/SERVING: Never tested
BITTERNESS: ~20 IBU
ABV: 4.6%
ORIGINAL GRAVITY: 11.3° Plato (1045.62)
MALTS: Up to 30% Tibetan 2-row barley, 70% or more Australian 2-row barley
HOPS: Aroma: Saaz; Bittering: (some variety)
SERVING TEMPERATURE:
FOODS TO PAIR WITH:
AWARDS: 2009 WBC Silver Medal (Dortmunder Lager)

*I count Tibet as its own country, even though China technically has administrative control over the region. I would count Taiwan similarly. It's not so much a political thing as it is an "exotic" thing.

Information on the first-brewed, malts and hops came from the Ingredients page, the ABV comes from the Beer page, and the award information comes from the Beverage Tasting Institute's review. The remainder of the information came from an interview with management at Dzambuling Imports LLC.

The first thing that hit me was this beer's strong pilsneresque aroma as it hit the glass. A deeper smell reveals a hoppy floral bouquet. The beer poured a yellow-golden color with a bright white head. The taste was carbonated and a bit hoppy for a 20 IBU beer. The finish was very crisp and light, leaving no trace of the hoppiness it originally had.

Lhasa Beer makes for a drinking experience that you can feel good about, both taste- and karma-wise. Pick one up wherever they distribute it, which will also include Reno and Las Vegas in the near future.

ཉེཔོནང (Nyepo nang)!

Shiner 100 Commemorator

When I went to Texas for Christmas vacation, I of course wanted to check out the local beer flare. And in many parts of the state, when it's not one of the Big 3, the two big Texas beers are Lone Star (what one friend in San Antonio called "Texas' Budweiser") and Shiner. I only had one bottle of Lone Star, but I had a fair amount of Shiner, both the flagship Bock (4.4% ABV) and the winter seasonal Holiday Cheer (5.4% ABV). Both beers were very delicious and were highlights of my trip, along with a trip to the Blue Star Brewery and La Tuna for drinks.

It was when I got home that I discovered that Spoetzl, the brewery that makes Shiner, celebrated their 100th anniversary this last year, and they released a special beer to commemorate the event, called, er, 100 Commemorator, a Doppelbock-style lager that Spoetzl notes was used as "liquid bread" by monks fasting during Lent. The anniversary of the "little brewery" in Shiner was one of the many that occurred involving beer, including Guinness' 250th anniversary and Rogue's Sesquicentennial Ale to celebrate Oregon's 150th birthday. Since it was only available for the entirety of 2009, I figured that I should pick one up while I can find them in 2010.

After doing a little research, I discovered that this is the last of the anniversary beers that Spoetzl brewed. They started in 2006 with 97 Bohemian Black Lager, and followed up with 98 Bavarian-Style Amber in 2007 and 99 Munich-Style Helles Lager in 2008. Too bad I didn't try them when they came out, although I lucked out on the 97, which is back for good.

Spoetzl Brewery, so named after first brewmaster Kosmos Spoetzl, was founded in 1909 as the Shiner Brewing Association by German and Czech immigrants in Shiner, Texas, first releasing Shiner Premium that same year. In 1913, they released Shiner Bock, and in 1914 the Association recruited Spoetzl to head up the brewing operation; he ended up buying the brewery the next year. They managed to survive Prohibition by brewing near-beer (and, rumor has it, Shiner Premium for local farmers), and Spoetzl survived until 1950, when he passed away; at that time, his daughter took over and renamed it the K. Spoetzl Brewery. I'm not entirely sure when Shiner expanded out of Texas for the first time, but I do know they expanded to North Texas officially in 1992, so it probably was pretty recent. (Spoetzl Brewery → History)

Here come the stats:

Shiner 100 Commemorator
BREWERY: Spoetzl Brewery, Shiner, TX, USA
STYLE: Doppelbock
FIRST BREWED: 2009
CALORIES/SERVING: ??
BITTERNESS: 17 IBU
ABV: 6.7%
ORIGINAL GRAVITY:
MALTS:
HOPS:
SERVING TEMPERATURE:
FOODS TO PAIR WITH:
AWARDS:

The style, bitterness, and ABV come from Shiner's 100 Commemorator website (What's On Tap → 100 Commemorator). The rest will hopefully come as a response to an e-mail I'm going to send to the brewery.

The beer poured a mid-amber color and produced a light tannish foamy head. The aroma was fruity in nature and pleasant to my nose. The beer itself also tasted fruity but also very malty as well, proving the liquid bread reputation this style is known for. The taste also is slightly hoppy and also felt "heavy" and complex, if that makes sense. The aftertaste reminds me of a sweet dark bread, and it was pleasant and non-intrusive.

I snagged one from my usual haunt Booze Bros. in Reno, but if you want to grab one, you better do it soon!

Prost!

Nøgne Ø Porter

I am always on the lookout for new beers that come into the Reno area, and one just arrived recently that I had seen before. Over Christmas, in Portland, I told you that I had found a cool beer named "Ø" amongst other foreign beers (I eventually settled on Hinano Tahiti, a French Polynesian beer). Apparently, the brewery itself, not the beer, is named Ø, and it's actually not Ø, it's Nøgne Ø, Norwegian for "naked island". I can't remember the style that I saw in Portland, but the one on sale at Booze Bros. was their Porter. It came highly recommended, so I had to snag it, even though the price tag was a little steep. (Not as steep as in Norway, where it can fetch €12, or $17, a bottle, more than twice what I paid.)

Nøgne Ø (full name "Nøgne Ø - The Uncompromising Brewery" when translated from Norwegian) was started by two Norwegian homebrewers, Kjetil Jikiun and Gunnar Wiig, in Grimstad, Norway (a town about 4 hours SW of Oslo), in 2002. Jikiun, an airline pilot, started homebrewing in 1997 after bringing homebrewing supplies back from Seattle and Chicago. He met Wiig and, after months of persuasion, convinced him to join him in his pursuit. You see, like many countries (including the US), Norway's beer market is dominated by two main breweries, Carlsberg-Ringnes and Hansa-Borg, which control 85% of Norway's beer market. Combine that with strict alcohol control laws (no advertising, alcohol more than 4.75% ABV must be sold in state-run liquor stores, Internet legislation, high taxes, etc.), and it seems unlikely that any micro could survive.

And yet, Nøgne Ø (and many others) has, mostly thanks to exporting 70% of its crop to more tolerant countries. Even though they've had some pretty rough times over the last 7 years, it seems as if Jikiun and his crew have found their niche introducing new beer styles (mostly ales and bottle-conditioned beers) to Norwegians and sharing their interpretations with the rest of the world. The porter in particular was first homebrewed by Jikiun in 2000 and was released commercially in 2003. Jikiun himself has a soft-spot for this particular beer; says Jikiun, "Our porter was developed by me, and I am the one who have made the adjustments required, when we have changed brewing equipment or there has been inconsistencies in malt/hop supplies ... [it] is my baby." (Various pages on Nøgne Ø's site that can't be direct-linked, All About Beer November 2007)

Here come the stats:

Nøgne Ø Porter
BREWERY: Nøgne Ø Brewery, Grimstad, Norway
US IMPORTER: Shelton Brothers, Belchertown, MA
STYLE: Porter
FIRST BREWED: 2000 as a homebrew, 2003 commercially
CALORIES/SERVING: Never tested
BITTERNESS: 30 IBUs
ABV: 7%
ORIGINAL GRAVITY: 16.5° Plato (1068.04)
MALTS: Maris Otter, Munich, caramel, black malt, and chocolate malt
HOPS: Centennial and Northern Brewer hops
SERVING TEMPERATURE: 50 °F (10 °C)
FOODS TO PAIR WITH: Dark chocolate, cheese, red meat dishes
AWARDS: 2008 World Beer Championships Silver Medal (Robust Porter)

I got all but First Brewed, Calories, and the Awards from Nøgne Ø Porter's website (no direct link, so go to the Homepage → Our Beers → Porter). The rest was generously provided by Kjetil Jikiun, head brewer at Nøgne Ø. Tusen takk, Kjetil!

The head exploded out of this beer, even while I was trying to pour it the right way; it emerged a large fluffy copper color. The beer itself was an extremely dark brown, so dark that no light shone through it, despite my efforts. The smell was very pleasant, with a malty and slightly hoppy aroma with strong sweet coffee and chocolate overtones. The beer itself tasted sweet and malty with a larger amount of hoppiness than its smell. The finish dissolves into a strong coffee aroma, but it doesn't leave a bad aftertaste.

Overall, Nøgne Ø is a very well-crafted and complex beer. The beer, and the brewery, deserve all the praise they get for improving the quality of beer in Norway. Jikiun and company are doing something special in that part of Scandanavia, so pick one up in one of the 43 states Shelton Brothers distributes Nøgne Ø's beers to, or also in Finland, Sweden, or Japan for that matter.

Skål!

Pike Kilt Lifter

At the end of our Alaskan cruise, my wife and I were dropped off in Seattle. Now, while I am very biased towards Portland's beer history, Seattle is a great beer town, full of well-known and obscure brews alike. One of them is the Pike Brewing Co., situated a couple blocks from the historic Pike Place Market. Being one of the more widely distributed of Seattle's breweries (they distribute to WA, OR, ID, MT, UT, and AK in the United States and BC in Canada, but not Nevada!), I had to check it out. Unfortunately, I only had enough time to dash in, pick out a bottle I thought looked cool, and dash out. That bottle: Kilt Lifter, a Scotch-style ale that was first brewed in 1990.

Pike itself was opened in 1989 by Charles and Rose Ann Finkel under Seattle's Pike Place Market, in what they call "one of the smallest breweries with the tallest smokestack". There, they brewed their Pike Pale, an Amber ale, and XXXXX Stout, but it wasn't long before they expanded to the Kilt Lifter, as well as numerous other styles, such as a barleywine, IPA, and even Belgian-style doubles and tripels. Pike got a big boost when it was spoken of favorably by the late great Beer Hunter Michael Jackson in 1991, and they've never looked back. They've won numerous awards at many festivals and judgings, and All About Beer magazine ranked their IPA as one of the 5 best in the country and one of the 10 best in the world. Now, as far as Kilt Lifter's awards go, I may have missed some (mostly because I was tired when prepping this entry), but in 2006-2008, Northwest Brewing News rated it the Best Northwest Scotch Ale. (Pike Brewing Website → History)

Here come the stats:

Pike Kilt Lifter
BREWERY: Pike Brewing Co., Seattle, WA, USA
STYLE: Scotch ale
FIRST BREWED: 1990
CALORIES/SERVING: ~190 per 12 oz. bottle
BITTERNESS: 27 IBUs
ABV: 6.5%
ORIGINAL GRAVITY: 15.58° Plato (1064)
MALTS: Peated, pale, crystal, Munich
HOPS: Magnum, East Kent Goldings
SERVING TEMPERATURE: 45-50 °F (7-10 °C)
FOODS TO PAIR WITH: Pike pulled pork sandwich, salmon sandwich, Kilt Lifter mac n' cheese (all of which are on Pike's brewpub menu)
AWARDS: 2006-2008 Best Northwest Scotch Style Ale as voted by readers of Northwest Brewing News
INTERESTING FACTS: It's their most popular beer, equally popular amongst men and women alike, and it's "extremely popular around St. Patrick's Day", which is odd considering that it's a Scottish styled beer on an Irish holiday

Much of the info comes from Pike's Flash-based website; first brewed and awards come from History, and bitterness, ABV, OG, malts, and hops come from the Kilt Lifter "page". The rest of the information comes from Pike's own Head Brewer, Drew Cluley. Thanks again for the info!

The beer poured very smoothly, revealing a medium amber color and a white foamy head. The nose was very malty and sweet, with just a touch of hoppiness to it. The beer itself tasted malty and carbonated in equal amounts, perfectly balanced. As the beer warmed up, a little smokiness emerged as the maltiness and carbonation waned. The finish started off a little stale, but actually ended up quite nicely. Overall, a pretty good beer.

I am more of a wheat beer and stout fan, and not usually one for strong ales, but I really enjoyed this beer. Check this one out the next time you're in Seattle or anywhere in the Pacific Northwest.

Prost!

Alaskan White Ale

NOTE: This entry contains updated information courtesy of the Alaskan Brew Crew.

The Beerocrat is back after a long absence.

My wife and I just returned from an Alaskan cruise last week, where we marveled at the unparalleled beauty of Alaska'a glaciers, mountains, and wildlife. I also had to make a pit-stop at Juneau's Alaskan Brewery to take the tour (and of course, have some beer). While I was there, I noticed that Alaskan released a new beer, Alaskan White, that looked particularly tasty. Our friend from college, who lives in Juneau and was taking us around the city for the day, said that ever since Alaskan released its version of a Belgian witbier, people in Juneau have been drinking it as if it was water. Since I wasn't sure of its availability in Reno, I had to grab a bottle.

Alaskan White Ale has had a long journey. It was originally brewed by Alaskan brewer Tracy Bird as a part of their Rough Draft program in 2001. Ever since then, Alaskan's Brew Crew has been fine-tuning the recipe, finally making it available to the state of Alaska earlier this year. However, they also made it available in the rest of Alaska's distribution area (AZ, CA, CO, ID, MT, NV, OR, WA, and WY) in early May. (I also heard on the tour that New Mexico and Minnesota may be next on Alaskan's list, so keep your eyes peeled!) (Alaskan White Ale Press Release)


Here come the stats:

Alaskan White Ale
BREWERY: Alaskan Brewing Co., Juneau, AK, USA
STYLE: Witbier
FIRST BREWED: 2001
CALORIES/SERVING: ~157 per 12 oz. bottle
BITTERNESS: 15 IBUs
ABV: 5.3%
ORIGINAL GRAVITY: 11.63° Plato (1047)
MALTS: Pale malt, malted wheat, and others
HOPS: (proprietary)
SPICES: Coriander, bitter orange peel
SERVING TEMPERATURE: 47 °F (8 °C)
FOODS TO PAIR WITH: Spicy food, lighter fare, fresh summer salads, grilled shrimp, grilled halibut
AWARDS: Bronze in the West Coast Commercial Craft Beer competition (although Alaskan looks forward to entering it into many future competitions, including the GABF, World Beer Cup, and European Beer Star)

All info except the calories, malts, hops, and serving temperature comes from Alaskan's White Ale homepage and press release. The rest comes from the great folks at the Alaskan Brew Crew. Thanks again for the information guys, and keep up the good work!

This beer had a wafting citrus aroma that erupted from the glass during pouring. The beer had a semi-cloudy golden color to it, accompanied by a bright white fluffy head. The taste was a little hoppy but wasn't overpowering; I also could taste a little maltiness and citrus flavor, and it wasn't too carbonated either. The finish was very smooth with no stale aftertaste.

It's easy to see why this beer is a favorite of Alaskans whenever the sun comes out. I would love to have a pint on tap sometime, but I may just have to settle for a 6-pack. Pick one up this summer anywhere west of the Rockies.

Prost!

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.

Redhook Copperhook Spring Ale

Today's entry covers a beer from one of my favorite craft brewers, Woodinville, Washington's own Redhook Brewery; that beer is their Copperhook Spring Ale. Now, I know you're thinking "hey, wait a minute, it's not spring...it's halfway through summer!" I would like to note that I bought it in spring, and it's been relaxing in a cold, dark fridge ever since just waiting to be drank. It gets its chance today. Looking back on previous entries, I'm surprised I've never done a brewery history on Redhook, at least a comprehensive one.

The history of Redhook starts in the Scandinavian working-class Seattle neighborhood of Ballard in May 1981, when Paul Shipman and Gordon Bowker founded the brewery. The first batch of their Redhook Ale was poured in 1982. Unfortunately, Seattleites were "maybe a little confus[ed]" about this beer, called the "banana beer" because of its flavor. Less than 1,000 barrels were sold that year; sadly, this beer is no longer available in that initial form. However, their next brews, 1983's Blackhook Porter and 1984's Ballard Bitter (now known as Longhammer IPA) were met with much greater acclaim, and 1987's ESB (Extra Special Bitter) became their flagship ale. To keep up with demand, they moved out of Ballard and into a new brewery in nearby Woodinville in 1994, while expanding their east coast presence with a brewery in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, in 1996. As previously mentioned, Redhook and Portland's Widmer Brothers Brewery merged to form the Craft Brewer's Alliance in 2007, which was finalized in 2008. (Redhook's history link, not direct-linkable; go to Redhook main page → About Redhook → Redhook History)

The history of Copperhook itself is not nearly as long-winded. It began life in 2001 as two different beers: the Chinook Copper Ale, and the Chinook Stock Ale, later renamed Late Harvest Autumn Ale. Chinook Copper Ale was sold year-round, but only in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana. It was pulled from the shelf in the summer of 2005 due to a redesign of the bottle and label layout of all Redhook products, combined with Redhook's leasing of the name "Chinook" from Yakima Valley's Chinook Wines. Instead of dealing with all the rights issues associated with continuing to lease the name, Redhook re-christened it as Copperhook Spring Ale, their spring seasonal, in the spring of 2006. It was still temporarily available only on the west coast at that time, with their delicious Nut Brown Ale filling in on the east coast, but as of spring 2007 it is now available nationwide with the exception of Utah and Oklahoma (like all their beers).

On a side note, their Nut Brown is sadly no longer available, but may be due for a glorious comeback soon. One can only hope.

(The above info comes from a combination of recollections of the many Redhook brewery tours I've taken and a phone call to the Redhook Beer Guru on August 7th, 2008 at 2:45 PM PDT. Thanks again, Guru!)

DISCLAIMER: This beer has a soft spot for me, having gotten me through most of my junior year of college. I have tried to be as objective as I can in reviewing this beer.


Here come the stats:

Redhook Copperhook Spring Ale
BREWERY: Redhook Brewing Co., Woodinville, WA, USA
STYLE: BeerAdvocate calls it an American Pale Ale
FIRST BREWED: 2001
CALORIES/SERVING: 174 per 12 oz. bottle
BITTERNESS: 20 IBU
ABV: 5.7%
ORIGINAL GRAVITY: 13.078° Plato (1053.18)
MALTS: Carapils, Caramel
HOPS: Willamette, Saaz
SERVING TEMPERATURE: 40-50°F (4.4-10°C)
FOODS TO PAIR WITH: Barbecue, salads, seafood
AWARDS: (none)

Most of this information comes from Redhook's Copperhook website (not direct-linkable, go to Redhook main page → Our Ales → Copperhook). The rest were answered by Redhook's Beer Guru.

It makes sense that Copperhook pours a copper color into the glass, accompanied by an average-sized soft foamy white head which stuck around a longer than average amount of time. The nose was a grainy texture with accents of subtle sweetness, almost fruity in nature. The taste of the beer itself was hoppy at first, quickly transforming into a malty flavor with carbonation. The aftertaste was a little bit of stale hoppiness, but it didn't stick around; within 30 seconds it had evolved to a slight maltiness that was pleasant on the tongue.

This is a light ale that is perfectly suited for the spring and summer months. It's flavor masks its 5.7% ABV well, making this a higher ABV session beer in my mind. Since Redhook's seasonals for this part of the year are their Sunrye Summer Ale and their newly-nationally-available Late Harvest Autumn Ale, you'll have to wait until mid-January 2009 to pick up a six-pack.

Prost!

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!

Buckbean Original Orange Blossom Ale

Happy 232nd Birthday, America!

My wife and I had our 4th of July barbecue tonight, and of course we invited some friends over to celebrate and watch the fireworks. Because we're poor, it was BYOB, and one of our friends brought 6 cans of Buckbean Brewery's Original Orange Blossom Ale. For those not in the know, it is Reno's only microbrewery (the brewpubs Great Basin, Silver Peak, BJ's, and Brew Brothers presumably don't count because they don't bottle their beers), and it is taking Reno by storm. I went into Ben's the other day, and they were completely sold out, and at the grand opening of Reno's Whole Foods, I saw tons of people taking home 4-packs of Orange Blossom and their other beer, Black Noddy, a schwarzbier like Sam Adams' Black Lager.

As mentioned in previous posts, Buckbean was established in 2007 and just opened earlier this year. The Buckbean name comes from the Buckbean plant, an herb which grows over North America and Europe, and also in Tahoe Meadows. Apparently, Buckbean leaves have been used as a substitute for hops and also as a remedy for scurvy and stomach illnesses. Dan Kahn, the brewmaster, says he plans to use the herb in future brewing projects, and I personally can't wait to try them. Original Orange Blossom Ale was created by Dan while he was brewmaster at Riverside Brewing Company in Riverside, CA for their Orange Blossom Festival, becoming the first to use orange blossoms in the brewing process. They got to try it, but now it's all ours. (All info came from Buckbean's website, which unfortunately does not allow direct linking.)


Here come the stats:

Buckbean Original Orange Blossom Ale
BREWERY: Buckbean Brewing Co., Reno, NV, USA
STYLE: Orange blossom ale
FIRST BREWED: 2008
CALORIES/SERVING:
BITTERNESS:
ABV: 5.8%
ORIGINAL GRAVITY:
MALTS: Caramel, Munich
HOPS: "American"
SERVING TEMPERATURE:
FOODS TO PAIR WITH: Tangy, herbal or spicy foods, soft cheeses or pastries
AWARDS:

I got this information from the can, which can also be found on Buckbean's website. I will talk with the brewers to see if I can get the rest.

The beer poured a beautiful cloudy orange color, accompanied by a decent white head that did not stick around very long. The nose was unlike anything I've ever smelled in a beer before, a swirl of orange and hops; my wife noted that it smelled like a nice perfume. The taste also was unique, a light hoppiness mixed with a smooth orange flavor, best described by one of my friends as a Blue Moon Belgian White and the orange already in the bottle. The finish was crisp and clean with a delightful aftertaste that didn't wear out its welcome.

Buckbean has truly made a great beer that is one-of-a-kind and fits in with Reno's unique culture. I look forward to seeing what else they can do. For now, you can also try out Buckbean's seasonal tap-only brew, Artown Vienna Lager, in honor of Reno's own Artown festival.

Prost!

Sierra Nevada Anniversary Ale (2007 Vintage)

Number 5 on my Clean Out the Fridge Countdown Part Deux was originally going to be Full Sail Brewing's Ltd. Number 2 Lager. Unfortunately, my bottle has long since expired, and Jaime Emmerson from Full Sail said their beers taste their absolute best within the first 120 days of bottling. Hence, it has been taken out of the countdown and replaced with a beer that I've been conditioning for the past year. You'll find out what that is soon.

Instead, the distinction of Number 5 is going to Sierra Nevada Anniversary Ale (for brewery history, see my Sierra Nevada Summerfest and Sierra Nevada Stout pages). This beer, named because it is brewed each year for the anniversary of the opening of the brewery in 1980, was actually only available at their brewpub in Chico until 2007, when it was bottled for the first time. Said founder Ken Grossman:

When we heard people had driven all the way from San Francisco last year to try some of this beer, and how disappointed they were when they couldn't take some home, we figured it was time to make our Anniversary Ale available to everyone on a consistent basis.
Also, according to Sierra Nevada Brand Manager Sierra Grossman (who also happens to be the daughter of the founder), demand for the beer to be bottled grew sharply after the 25th batch was brewed in 2005. It is an American-style IPA that took home the Silver at the Los Angeles County Fair in the American-Style Strong Pale Ale category. (Anniversary Ale Press Release, Sierra Nevada awards)


Here come the stats:

Sierra Nevada Anniversary Ale
BREWERY: Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Chico, CA, USA
STYLE: American-style IPA
FIRST BREWED: 1981 (draft), 2007 (bottled)
CALORIES/SERVING: 189 per 12 oz. bottle
BITTERNESS: 46 IBU
ABV: 5.9%
ORIGINAL GRAVITY: 14.9° Plato (1061.04)
MALTS: Two-row pale, caramel & munich
HOPS: Chinook, cascade
SERVING TEMPERATURE: 50°F (10°C)
FOODS TO PAIR WITH: Assertive aged cheeses, southeast Asian or Indian dishes, west coast salmon, bittersweet chocolates
AWARDS: 2007 Los Angeles County Fair Silver Medal (American-Style Strong Pale Ale category)

All the information except for the calories and the serving temperature came from the Anniversary Ale web page. Those other two pieces of information came from sources at the brewery.

The beer poured a clear bright amber color, producing a foamy slightly off-white head that stayed awhile. Bubbles were clearly seen ascending from the bottom of the glass, reminiscent of champagne (take that Miller High Life). The nose was more hoppy than grainy, but still fainter than usual. The taste was a hoppiness that transformed to a wheaty flavor and texture towards the finish. The aftertaste was a bit hoppy, but not overly so, and it didn't remain for long. It was very fresh tasting overall.

While maybe not hoppy enough for hopheads, Sierra Nevada Anniversary Ale is one beer I'll be having at least once every year. Pick it up at your local beer store. (I don't know about distribution areas, but you could probably get it anywhere on the west coast, the closer to Chico the better.)

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!

Steinhaus Fat Weasel Ale

A couple things before I get into tonight's review: I know I haven't been updating this blog very often. I've been going through a couple changes in my life, from holidays as part of a new family to shifting job responsibilities and overtime on important projects. Now that the rush season appears over, I can return to reviewing that sweet sweet alcoholic liquid known as beer.

Also, for some reason changes to Blogger's internal template handling caused my JavaScripts to go offline since I don't know when. They should be working now.

At our annual Super Bowl party, a friend of mine brought over a beer I had never heard of before: Steinhaus Brewery's Fat Weasel Ale. I asked him to leave one behind so I could try it out. I had never even heard of Steinhaus Brewery; according to the bottle, it's based out of Paso Robles, California, known for acclaimed brewer Firestone Walker. I did a little digging and, according to RateBeer, it actually is either a product of Firestone Walker Brewing Co., also based in Paso Robles, or Mendocino Brewing Co. in Hopland, California. My guess is that Firestone Walker does do the brewing, but I can check up on that. Also, it appears that this is another Trader Joe's exclusive brew, similar to JosephsBrau, though I don't know for sure. (RateBeer Fat Weasel Ale, RateBeer Fat Weasel Pale Ale)


Here come the limited stats:

Steinhaus Fat Weasel Ale
BREWERY: Steinhaus Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA, USA
STYLE: Pale Ale or IPA
FIRST BREWED:
CALORIES/SERVING:
BITTERNESS:
ABV: 7.1%
ORIGINAL GRAVITY:
MALTS:
HOPS:
SERVING TEMPERATURE:
FOODS TO PAIR WITH:
AWARDS:

I guessed on the style based on the taste of the beer, and the ABV was on the bottle. I'll try to find out who really brews this beer and get the info out of them.

Speaking of the bottle, this caught my eye:


The brewery is misspelled "Stienhaus Brewery Co.", though I'm not sure about the spelling myself. If it really is Stienhaus, then the joke's on me.

This beer poured out a thick cloudy copper color, atop of which was a thick, foamy white head that took awhile to fully dissipate. When I smelled it, it had an aroma of fruits, grains, and a hint of citrus, almost lemony. I took a taste, and my initial impression is that it reminded me of an IPA because of its hoppy and carbonated textures. I thought for a second that I had tasted metal, but that may have been the hops. The aftertaste was mostly clean, but after every subsequent sip the bitter taste of the hops lingered and built upon itself. Meh. At least the alcohol didn't settle on the bottom like some beers.

The hoppiness of the beer was definitely an IPA or an APA, though it wasn't spectacular. Then again, I'm not an IPA person. If you want to pick one up, you can find it at your local Trader Joe's. I don't know about availability, unfortunately.

Prost!

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!

Firestone Walker Double Barrel Ale

For today's entry, I decided to re-taste a beer that has already been tasted on this blog. The first time that I tasted Firestone Walker Double Barrel Ale was at the 2007 Great El Dorato BBQ, Brews, and Blues Festival on a hot July day in downtown Reno. While I enjoyed its flavor, this beer was not tasted in the most optimum conditions. Therefore, I decided to give it another try after getting it fresh from a bottle that has been sitting in my fridge for a couple of weeks. Plus, it will give me a chance to elaborate on the history of the beer and its brewery.

Firestone Walker was founded in 1996 by brothers-in-law Adam Firestone and David Walker, hence the brewery name. The two could not be more different: Firestone was an American former Marine Corps captain and Walker was a British expatriate, but they both found they had a mutual love of beer and the common dream to open up the perfect brewery. So that's what they did, originally on a corner of the Firestone Vineyard estate in Los Olivos, California and now at their brewery in Paso Robles. Firestone Walker is a brewery which combines Firestone's family legacy as a vintner with Walker's knowledge of British styles of beer brewing. (Firestone Walker Proprietors, Firestone Walker Brewery)

In fact, it was this knowledge that helped them create their flagship Double Barrel Ale. After a disastrous initial brew in 1995, where Chardonnay residue leaked into the beer from the used wine barrels they were using, Firestone and Walker decided to use their own version of an obscure 19th century oak barrel called the Burton Union system. This system was first used in Burton-upon-Trent in 1840 to feed Britain's shift to pale ales, and was an oft-used system in those times that fell into disuse over the decades. Firestone Walker developed their version in 1996, called the Firestone Union system, to brew a much more well-received Double Barrel Ale. They are the only American brewery to use such a system, which is patented. (Firestone Walker History, Firestone Union Brewing System)


Here come the stats:

Firestone Walker Double Barrel Ale
BREWERY: Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA, USA
STYLE: ESB
FIRST BREWED: 1995
CALORIES/SERVING:
BITTERNESS: 32 IBU
ABV: 5%
ORIGINAL GRAVITY:
MALTS: Premium Two-Row, Maris Otter Pale, Munich, Crystal, Chocolate
HOPS: Mangnum, Styrian Golding, East Kent Golding
SERVING TEMPERATURE:
FOODS TO PAIR WITH:
AWARDS: 2005 Australian International Beer Awards Silver Medal Award Winner, 2003 Real Ale Festival Gold Medal Award Winner, 2003 and 2006 California State Fair Gold Medal Award Winner and 2005 California State Fair Silver Medal Award Winner, 2002 World Beer Cup Gold Medal Award Winner and 2004 World Beer Cup Silver Medal Award Winner, 2002 California State Fair Gold Medal Award Winner, 2002 and 2003 World Beer Championships Gold Medal Award Winner

I got all but the calories, original gravity, serving temperature, and food pairings from the Double Barrel Ale webpage. A quick call to Paso Robles should get the rest of the info I need.

Now that I can actually see the beer, I can tell that it has a rich amber color with a slight white half-foam half-bubble head. It's scent combined a grainy aroma with the English and Slovenian hops that they put in the beer. I still tasted the hops, but it wasn't as pronounced as I thought due to the carbonation. I also tasted the graininess, but it too was muted behind both the carbonation and the hoppiness. The aftertaste still transitioned into that wheaty finish, however I got that gummy residue in my mouth a third of the way through the beer. I do appreciate its complexity, mostly because there were some flavors that I can't describe; I'll chalk it up to the barrel system, definitely a plus.

This beer is complex and unique and is for a beer lover who wants something a little different for a change. The barrel system helps to set this beer apart.

Cheers!

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!

Samuel Adams Black Lager

I've always thought that Samuel Adams makes some very interesting beers. Ever since I first heard about the Utopias (which weigh in at about 25% ABV), I started to keep my eyes on Sam Adams. One beer I noticed when I was buying my latest 6-pack at Booze Bros. (great selection of beer, BTW) was the Sam Adams Black Lager. Since most lagers I've had are light in color, I was intrigued, so I picked one up.

Samuel Adams Black Lager is a relatively new beer that is part of their Brewmaster's Collection. It is brewed in a less known beer style in the United States, called schwarzbier, or "black beer" in German. Unlike strong stouts and porters, schwarzbiers do not have a strong hoppiness to them despite their dark color. The schwarzbier that has been brewed for the longest period of time is Braunschweiger Mumme, which has been brewed since around 1390. However, in an archaeological dig in the German town of Kulmbach (considered the origin of schwarzbier), an ancient Celtic beer vase from the 8th century BCE containing blackened bread, which was used as an early brewing technique by Celtic and East Germanic tribes to subject beer to the forces of airborne yeast. While schwarzbier was thus proved to have been brewed in Bavaria for at least 2,800 years, Sam Adams' black lager version has only been brewed since 2004, a significantly shorter amount of time. (Samuel Adams World of Beer, then Brewmaster's Collection → Black Lager, Bella Online German Schwarzbier)


Here are the stats:

Samuel Adams Black Lager
BREWERY: Boston Beer Company, Boston, MA, USA
FIRST BREWED: 2004
CALORIES/SERVING: 191 per 12 oz. bottle
BITTERNESS:
ABV: 4.9%
ORIGINAL GRAVITY: 14° Plato (1057.14)
MALTS: Two Row Pale, Munich, Weyermann dehusked Carafa®
HOPS: Spalt Spalter
SERVING TEMPERATURE:
FOODS TO PAIR WITH:
AWARDS:

All information except the bitterness, serving temperature, food pairings, and awards came from the Sam Adams website (Flash-based, so no direct linking). I hope to get more information from the brewery itself.

The beer poured a thick almost-black color into my glass, accompanied by a tannish head. The beer's aroma wasn't too strong, but it smelled of a hint of coffee. Unfortunately, the taste was where the beer just vanished. I tasted the carbonation of the beer, with maybe a faint trace of coffee, but nothing else. The good news is that even though the beer tastes like almost nothing, there's no aftertaste that grows stale on your palette.

This beer seems to have been brewed more for novelty than for anything else, but it tastes better than most of those Central American lagers out there (and looks cooler too). Pick one up at your local supermarket; it's available year-round at stores across the country.

~Prost!