Oceans of Ale

Laurelwood's "Organic Portland Roast Espresso Stout"

2012-02-13T12:45:00.000-08:00

I've noticed a definite increase in the number of beers brewed with coffee lately. The first two I remember ever seeing in the late 90s were naturally from two Seattle breweries, Redhook and Pyramid. Now, a good percentage of the highly acclaimed and sought-after barrel aged Imperial Stouts out there are brewed with coffee. Obviously, Stouts and Porters make the most sense when selecting a style of beer to add coffee to. They already have a lot of the burnt and roasty flavors within them that you find in coffee. Laurelwood's Espresso Stout is brewed in collaboration with the Portland Roasting Company and considered to be one of the most aggressively coffee tasting ones around so it's been on my radar for a while now since I'm a huge fan of specialty coffee roasters.

This beer looks and smells much more like an espresso drink than a beer. The aroma is equivalent to a batch of freshly roasted espresso beans. The taste naturally starts out with a heavy dose of espresso and dark roast coffee notes as well as some bittersweet chocolate, berry and roasted malt flavors in the background. In the end, the dark, earthy espresso notes ultimately dominate from start to finish in a great way if you’re a coffee lover. If I was going to start the day with a beer, this would be the one. Score: 4/5

Ballast Point's "Victory at Sea"

2012-02-06T15:27:00.000-08:00

I can't get Ballast Point beers in Washington so it was with great urgency that I sought this one out while visiting family in the Bay Area over the holidays. They make some of the best West Coast style IPAs around, including the legendary Sculpin IPA. I've been wanting to try Victory at Sea for a long time mainly because it's brewed with specialty roasted coffee and vanilla, an irresistible sounding combination for a strong dark beer. I was also curious to see how an Imperial Porter (still not a firmly established style) differs from an Imperial Stout since the principal flavors (chocolate, coffee, roastiness) are so similar. Beer Advocate labels it an American Porter while Rate Beer puts it under the newly created Imperial/Strong Porter category.

I took it as a good sign when it poured out black as the depths of the ocean with a half-inch of enticing cappuccino foam. There's very strong dark roast coffee and espresso notes in the aroma along with a touch of vanilla bean and bittersweet chocolate. The taste is much the same with a strong emphasis on roasted malt, coffee and vanilla flavors in addition to some dark chocolate and rum in the background. Overall, it’s a seamless blend of coffee, vanilla and booze that improves with each sip. A definite must try for Porter and Stout fans. Score: 4.5/5

Beer Review Roundup: Imperial Stouts

2012-02-04T10:57:00.001-08:00

When I first got into big beers, Imperial Stouts were my favorite style. The combination of roasted malt, dark chocolate and coffee/espresso flavors paired with strong alcohol levels was music to my taste buds. I learned rather quickly though that drinking more than one 12 oz glass in a night leads to some serious grogginess the next morning. These are rich beers that are best enjoyed in moderation every now and then.

Therefore, I probably only drink one or two a month and still enjoy the style although I've come to prefer more hop-forward styles like Double IPAs when it comes to strong beers. I also think the majority of barrel aged limited release Imperial Stouts that take the craft beer world by storm generally aren't worth the hassle of hunting down and paying $20-$30 per bottle for unless you've got lots of time and money on your hands. Below are some Imperial Stouts that I've recently tried that showcase different approaches to the style.

Avery Brewing Company's "The Czar" - Part of the brewery's "Dictator" series, this is a winter release that has a slightly different ABV level each year. It's got the classic squid ink black appearance characteristic of the style while the aroma is a somewhat subdued mix of licorice, toffee and black cherries. The taste is more traditional of an Imperial Stout with lots of roast malt, chocolate mocha, espresso and caramelized sugars. Toward the end there’s a strong booze-soaked dark fruit (raisin, currant, fig) presence in addition to some molasses and vanilla. It's a tasty beer for sure albeit massively sweet and boozy. Score: 3.8/5

Great Divide Brewing Company's "Oak Aged Yeti" - Regular Yeti is one of my favorite Imperial Stouts so I was glad to finally get my hands on a bottle of the oak aged version. As it pours into the glass it resembles coffee with a thick layer of cappuccino foam. The potent aroma is loaded with dark roast malts, bittersweet chocolate, caramelized sugars, vanilla and oak. The taste starts out with a strong shot of espresso/coffee and roasted malt immediately followed by the oak flavors (caramel, vanilla, wood). A little bit of dark chocolate, alcohol and bitter hops notes round out the finish. It’s just as rich and flavorful as regular Yeti but with an extra dimension of malt spirit flavors from the oak chips. Score: 4.6/5

Drake's Brewing Company's "Drakonic Imperial Stout" - This is from one of my favorite breweries that unfortunately doesn't distribute in the Pacific Northwest although I was able to try this while visiting family in the Bay Area over the holidays. The aroma is sweet and roasty with lots of dark chocolate, roast malt, licorice and molasses notes. It tastes fairly similar although it’s a little more bitter and less sweet. The most dominant flavors are roasted malt, bittersweet chocolate and dark roast coffee with some brown sugar and citrusy hops bitterness. I'm not surprised at all that Drake's can brew a balanced dark beer as good as its hops bombs. Score: 4/5

Caldera Brewing Company's "Old Growth Imperial Stout" - Caldera is arguably the most acclaimed craft brewery in Southern Oregon right now and brews a variety of different styles in addition to canning its flagship beers. The aroma of this one is naturally dark and roasty with lots of bittersweet chocolate, brown sugar, molasses and coffee notes. The taste starts out with a strong shot of roast malt, dark chocolate and licorice flavors and follows with notes of espresso, dates, vanilla and caramel. Also some mildly herbal hops bitterness in the background. Overall, an extremely rich yet well-balanced Imperial Stout that manages to remain smooth and drinkable after each sip, unlike many overdone versions of the style. Score: 4.3/5

Skagit River Brewing Company's "Trumpeter Imperial Stout" - I haven't tried a whole lot of beers from this brewery mainly because they only bottle a small handful and I've yet to visit the brewpub in Mount Vernon. The IPA and this Imperial Stout are by far the brewery's most popular beers. It pours black as motor oil with an aroma that's surprisingly devoid of the standard Imperial Stout notes of chocolate and coffee. Instead there’s a fair amount of cherry, molasses, roasted malt, licorice and caramelized sugars. The flavor opens up with a heavy dose of caramel, roast malt and espresso as well as some black cherry, date, licorice and alcohol notes. Just a little bit of an herbal hops presence around the edges. The overall flavor is sweet, rich and smoky with just enough complexity to make it worth seeking out. Score: 3.8/5

Sierra Nevada's "Ruthless Rye IPA"

2012-01-30T16:45:00.000-08:00

Ruthless Rye IPA is Sierra Nevada Brewing Company's newest spring seasonal release. It replaces Glissade Golden Bock, a beer I was never too crazy for. This time, they've decided to brew an IPA with rye, a specialty grain that more and more breweries have been experimenting with lately. A typical beer is brewed with 100% barley malts while a Rye Beer's grain profile is usually between 10-20% rye with the rest consisting of barley malts. Rye adds a peppery spiciness to the overall flavor of a beer although it's not quite as aggressive as it is in bread and crackers. The only other Rye Beer I've tried is Bear Republic's Hop Rod Rye, a Double IPA that's one of my personal favorites.

So how does this one measure up? Well, I've now enjoyed a few bottles of it and I can safely say it's a major upgrade over Glissade. In the nose, there's a pleasantly earthy hops aroma along with some citrus and caramel sweetness. The taste has lots of sharp and bitter grapefruit and orange citrus that I've come to expect from Sierra Nevada along with the distinctly spicy and peppery grainy flavor from the rye. It's not an in-your-face rye flavor but you can definitely tell this isn't a typical IPA. So far the reception from the beer geek crowd has been positive so it will be interesting to see if it's a hit with the general public. Score: 3.9/5

Beer Review Roundup: Barley Wines

2012-01-28T11:13:00.000-08:00

Now that the holidays are over, tis the season of one of my favorite beer styles, Barley Wines. Most breweries release theirs in January and February while this is also the time when the major Barley Wine festivals are held. Below is my take on some of the most popular and widely distributed versions of the style.

Sierra Nevada Brewing Company's "Bigfoot" - Without a doubt the most well-known and easy to find Barley Wine in America. Sierra Nevada's been brewing this one since the 1980s. I buy a six-pack of it every year and each vintage tastes slightly different. When it's fresh it definitely tastes more like a Double IPA although the aging process imparts more of a malty, caramel flavor. As soon as I have a beer cellar, I'm going to set one bottle aside each year to age and bust out to compare to a fresh one. Score: 4.3/5

Stone Brewing Company's "Old Guardian" - The recipe for this beer has also changed slightly over the years although every vintage has that characteristic monster citrus hops bitterness I've come to love from Stone. There's lots of caramel and honey sweetness balanced by the resiny hops and a palate warming rum-like alcohol presence throughout. There's also a Belgian and various barrel aged versions of the beer that I hope to try some day. Score: 4.2/5

Dogfish Head Brewery's "Olde School Barleywine" - Conditioned on dates and figs, this one carries a hefty 15% ABV, a good deal stronger than most Barley Wines. The label advises splitting the 12 oz bottle and that's no joke. This is one seriously sweet and boozy brew with lots of dark fruit (figs, dates, raisins) and malt throughout. Sip and savor it like a fine spirit and you'll be fine. Down it like a regular beer and there'll be trouble. Score: 3.8/5

Avery Brewing Company's "Hog Heaven" - Given that most of Avery's strong ales are 10% ABV plus, I was a little surprised to see this one weigh in at a modest 9.2%. Much like Sierra Nevada and Stone, Avery's beers have a distinct hops profile that's consistent in all their beers. In their case, it's a resiny, tropical fruit-like flavor with balanced bitterness. Drank fresh it's a tasty blend of a Barley Wine and a Double IPA while aged it should have a stronger malt presence. Score: 4/5

Lagunitas Brewing Company's "Olde GnarlyWine" - Lagunitas is one of my favorite craft breweries mainly because of the aggressive hops flavors of its beers as well as its affordable prices. This beer has an an excellent blend of caramel and toffee sweetness balanced by the resiny, grapefruit rind flavors from the hops. It's also much smoother than it has any right to be considering its ABV is in the 10-12% range. Possibly my favorite beer from the brewery. Score: 4.4/5

Beer Review Roundup: Fresh Hop Ales

2012-01-22T21:22:00.000-08:00

More and more craft breweries have been producing their own Fresh Hop Ales (or, wet hop ales) lately. These beers are brewed using fresh hops that have been harvested within 24 hours, as opposed to using concentrated dried hops pellets. Fresh hops are mostly water so you have to use quite a bit more during the brewing process. As far as flavor goes, fresh hops are said to impart more of a flowery, herbal character than their dried counterparts although it's really up to the drinker to let their taste buds decide.

Hops are mostly harvested in September so that's when you start to see these beers on the shelves and they're usually gone by the holidays. Most of them tend to fall under either the American Pale Ale or IPA categories. I've become a pretty big fan of this style and compiled a list of brief reviews of some recent releases.

Port Brewing Company's "High Tide Fresh Hop IPA" - This IPA covers all the bases when it comes to hops flavor descriptors (herbal, resiny, piney, citrusy, spicy) in both the aroma and taste. The overall flavor is pure concentrated hops and intense bitterness that overwhelms the senses in a good way. I've come to expect tasty hops bombs from this brewery and this beer is no exception. Score: 4.1/5

Great Divide Brewing Company's "Fresh Hop Pale Ale" - Another brewery that's become quite the master of balanced, hoppy beers among other things. In the aroma, there's lots of floral notes as well as some mint and grapefruit. The flavor has more of an herbal and grassy quality to it without being too bitter. Also some pine and citrus rind toward the end. Definitely one of the smoother and more drinkable Fresh Hop Ales. Score: 4/5

New Belgium Brewing Company's "Lips of Faith-Fresh Hop IPA" - New Belgium has been releasing a ton of beers under the Lips of Faith label lately although the majority are not hoppy. The Cascade, Centennial and Amarillo hops impart a strong floral citrus aroma while the taste has a ripe, tropical fruit (mango, guava, pineapple) flavor going on in addition to some grassy, vegetal hops bitterness around the edges. Nicely done and one of the better hoppy beers from this brewery. Score: 3.8/5

Deschutes Brewery's "Fresh Hop Mirror Pond" - The fresh hop version of Mirror Pond is dominated by the grapefruit, pine and grassy hops characteristics of fresh Cascade hops. Also some sour citrus and earthy hops bitterness in the finish. It's not quite as balanced as regular Mirror Pond but still worth trying for fans of Deschutes beers. Score: 3.6/5

Fremont Brewing Company's "Cowiche Canyon Organic Fresh Hop Ale" - Yet another stellar brew from this Seattle brewery. This one has loads of sweet, resiny hops and tropical fruit in the aroma while the taste has an emphasis on citrus, pine and vegetal hops bitterness notes. Also a bit of malt to balance out all those hops. If you're ever in Seattle around autumn, this one's a must try. Score: 4.2/5

Beer Review: Boundary Bay "Cabin Fever"

2012-01-15T12:35:00.001-08:00

In honor of the first snowstorm of the year, it seems appropriate to crack open a bottle of the Boundary Bay Brewery & Bistro's (Bellingham, WA) winter ale, Cabin Fever. It's stylistically similar to an English Strong Ale and lightly dry-hopped with Cascade hops.

Cabin Fever (7% ABV) pours a solid dark reddish brown color with a half-inch of creamy light beige head. Plenty of dark roasted caramel malt notes in the aroma along with some butterscotch, toffee, vanilla and walnut. The taste begins with a strong dose of toasted malt, caramel and dates followed by raisin, cinnamon and woody alcohol notes. The subtle hops presence is spicy and herbal toward the end. The body is smooth and mildly creamy with more sweet malt and alcohol in the finish. The overall flavor is rich, malty and boozy as a good Winter Warmer should be.

Score: 3.8/5

Beer Review: Lazy Boy "Mistletoe Bliss"

2012-01-14T12:31:00.000-08:00

Lazy Boy Brewing (Everett, WA) describes its holiday ale as a "brown ale on steroids kissed with hints of cinnamon, spice and oranges".

Mistletoe Bliss (7.8% ABV) pours a dark brownish amber color with an inch of foamy tan head. Lightly toasted malts and brown sugar in the aroma as well as some toffee and butterscotch. The taste has a strong caramel and bready malt base along with some spice, date, orange peel and alcohol notes. Just a little bit of a citrusy hops presence in the background. Mildly creamy mouthfeel with moderate carbonation and lots of dark sugar sweetness in the finish. Overall, it’s a sweet and malty blend of a Winter Warmer with a Barley Wine that should best be drank in small doses.

Score: 3.2/5

Beer Review: Scuttlebutt "10 Degrees Below"

2012-01-11T11:34:00.000-08:00

The Scuttlebutt Brewing Company (Everett, WA) decided to go against the grain (no pun intended) and brew a strong German wheat beer as its winter seasonal. It's either a Weizenbock or an Imperial Dunkelweizen depending on who you ask.

10 Degrees Below (7.4% ABV) is a solid dark brown color with an inch of foamy tan head. The aroma is mostly caramel, bready malts, toffee and butterscotch. The dominant flavors are brown sugar, raisins and roast malt with the addition of some cola, medicinal hops and spiced bread notes in the background. Mouthfeel is a little thin with some creaminess and moderate carbonation. The finish is all malt and dried fruit (prunes, raisins). The overall flavor is a hodgepodge of different styles (Porter, Weizenbock, Winter Warmer) but goes down smooth enough.

Score: 3.3/5

Beer Review: Diamond Knot "Ho!Ho! Winter Ale"

2012-01-08T12:13:00.000-08:00

Diamond Knot Brewery's (Mukilteo, WA) winter ale is one of its most popular offerings as well as Head Brewer Pat Hinge's personal favorite beer to brew.

Ho!Ho! (8.5% ABV) is reddish brown in appearance with ample tan head. Aroma is caramel, raisin bread, toasted marshmallow and medicinal hops. The flavor is predominately toffee, bready malts and rum soaked raisins with some cola, cinnamon, brown sugar and herbal hops rounding it out. Kind of like a liquid holiday spice cake. Mouthfeel is medium-bodied with a little bit of creaminess and adequate carbonation. It finishes with more malt and residual sweetness. Overall, a solid winter brew for holiday festivities.

Score: 3.5/5

Beer Review: Fremont "Abominable Ale"

2012-01-07T12:38:00.000-08:00

The Fremont Brewing Company (Seattle, WA) has become one of my favorite Seattle breweries mainly because its beers are consistently high quality, affordable and easy to find. Its winter release honors the Abominable Snowman and also comes in a bourbon barrel aged version.

Abominable (7.5% ABV) is a solid dark brown color along with a half-inch of tan head. The aroma is along the lines of a Porter or Stout with lots of roasted malt, dark chocolate and molasses. The taste is relatively similar with a strong emphasis on the dark roast malt and chocolate mocha flavors in addition to some toffee, fig and raisin notes. Also a mild citrus and herbal hops presence in the background. The mouthfeel is smooth and creamy while the finish is dry, bitter and smoky. Overall, an interesting blend of different styles (Porter, Stout, Winter Warmer) with a good balance between the dark roasty malt and hops flavors.

Score: 3.7/5

Beer Review: Hale's "Wee Heavy Winter Ale"

2012-01-04T11:23:00.000-08:00

Hale's Ales (Seattle, WA) winter release is brewed in the tradition of a Scottish "Wee Heavy" ale. It was also the brewery's first seasonal beer and has been brewed every year since 1985.

Wee Heavy (6.8% ABV) is a cloudy reddish brown color with a half-inch of beige bubbles. The aroma is on the sweet and malty side with toffee, raisin bread and figs being the predominant notes. The taste has more of a smoky, iced tea flavor to it in addition to some caramel, toasted malt and citrus rind. The hops characteristics are mild but definitely balance out some of the stronger malt notes. Fairly smooth and easy drinking for the most part.

Score: 3.5/5

Beer Review: Snoqualmie Falls "Avalanche Winter Ale"

2012-01-01T12:29:00.000-08:00

The Snoqualmie Falls Brewing Company (Snoqualmie, WA) is located 30 miles east of Seattle near one of Washington state's most scenic attractions, Snoqualmie Falls. It was founded in 1997 and also operates a taproom to showcase its Pacific Northwest influenced beers.

Avalanche (6.8% ABV) pours a dark coppery amber color with a solid inch of creamy beige head. Aroma is predominately citrus, caramel and bready malts. The taste starts off with a strong dose of orange citrus, brown sugar and toasted malt flavors followed by some herbal hops, grapefruit rind and toffee. The mouthfeel is thick and creamy with adequate carbonation and a mildly sweet and spicy finish. Nice blend of citrusy hops notes and rich caramel malt flavors.

Score: 3.7/5

Beer Review: Pike "Auld Acquaintance"

2011-12-31T10:43:00.000-08:00

The Pike Pub & Brewery's (Seattle, WA) English style holiday ale is brewed to celebrate the winter solstice. It's made with a variety of hops and malt along with the addition of orange peel, coriander, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Auld Acquaintance (5% ABV) pours a light copper color with off-white head. The aroma is mostly orange citrus, malt, brown sugar and allspice. The flavor starts out with a heavy dose of nutmeg, coriander and orange peel followed by some bready malt, clove, herbal hops and cinnamon notes. Mouthfeel is medium-bodied with strong carbonation and a mildly sweet and spicy finish. The overall flavor offers a pretty good balance between the holiday dessert spices with the malt and hops.

Score: 3.5/5

Beer Review: Maritime Pacific "Jolly Roger Christmas Ale"

2011-12-28T16:41:00.000-08:00

Maritime Pacific Brewing Company's (Seattle, WA) Christmas Ale is one of the more popular winter releases in the Seattle area. It's also the beer that the brewery decided to name its taproom after.

Jolly Roger (9% ABV) is dark copper and amber colored in appearance with a half-inch of beige head. Smells like brown sugar, malt, orange spice and pine resin. The flavor begins with lots of toffee, bready malts and caramel upfront along with some orange liqueur, vanilla, spicy hops resin and grapefruit toward the end. Mouthfeel is creamy with moderate carbonation and a bready, citrus finish with a slight alcohol burn. It’s a little boozy around the edges but it definitely warms you up.

Score: 3.6/5

Beer Review: Silver City "Old Scrooge"

2011-12-25T22:47:00.000-08:00

The Silver City Brewery's (Bremerton, WA) Christmas Ale is brewed in the tradition of a classic European style Old Ale. The name and label also draws inspiration from Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol.

Old Scrooge (8.5% ABV) pours a crimson-hued copper color with a small circle of resiny off-white head. Lots of cherry, caramel, oak, fig and honey notes in the aroma. The flavors begins with a strong dose of toffee, dates and malt along with some brown sugar, vanilla, black cherry and red wine. Mouthfeel is medium-bodied and slightly syrupy with more dark fruits and caramel in the finish. The alcohol flavor is subtle and does its part to hold together all the rich textures. Overall, a rich dessert beer that makes for an enjoyable Christmas Eve indulgence.

Score: 3.8/5

Beer Review: Port Townsend "Winter Ale"

2011-12-24T10:22:00.001-08:00

The Port Townsend Brewing Company (Port Townsend, WA) has been brewing English style ales on Washington's Olympic Peninsula since 1997. There was also a brewery of this name back in the early 1900s that inevitably closed when Prohibition was enacted.

Winter Ale (7.4% ABV) pours a coppery amber color with a small amount of sudsy off-white head. In the nose, there’s hints of brown sugar, raisins, figs and cinnamon bread. The flavor starts out with lots of caramel, toffee, butterscotch and dried apricot notes supported by a toasted malt backbone. Just a tiny bit of a sweet citrus hops presence in the background. The body is adequately carbonated with a dry, sugary finish. In the end, it’s a little too sweet and one-dimensional.

Score: 3.1/5

Beer Review: Redhook "Winterhook"

2011-12-21T18:33:00.000-08:00

The Redhook Ale Brewery's (Woodinville, WA) winter ale has been around in some form or another since 1985. Like many Winter Warmers, the recipe is slightly different each year.

Winterhook (6% ABV) pours a clear copper color with foamy beige head. Mild caramel and citrus aroma with hints of malt and barley. The flavor is along the same lines with more caramel, bready malts and orange citrus in addition to some pine, toffee and brown sugar notes. Mouthfeel is medium-bodied with strong carbonation and a roasty, bitter finish. Overall, it could definitely use stronger malt, dark fruit and alcohol flavors. Decent but not quite up to par with other Winter Warmers from the Pacific Northwest.

Score: 3.1/5

Beer Review: Fish Tale "Winterfish"

2011-12-18T12:43:00.001-08:00

Fish Brewing Company's (Olympia, WA) holiday seasonal release is one of the few organic Winter Warmers. It's brewed with large quantities of Yakima Chinook hops to make it stand out from the less hoppier winter offerings of other breweries.

Winterfish (7.5% ABV) pours a pale apricot golden color with a half-inch of sudsy head. The aroma is sharp and skunky with lots of pine, cannabis, citrus and grassy hops notes. The flavor starts with a shot of hops resin, candied citrus and caramel followed by some pine, grapefruit and spicy hops toward the end. Mouthfeel is mildly creamy with robust carbonation while the finish is mostly citrus and alcohol with a bitter aftertaste. A nice change of pace from other winter seasonals and one of the more original beers from this brewery.

Score: 3.8/5

Beer Review: Lagunitas "Sucks Holiday Ale"

2011-12-17T11:05:00.000-08:00

This year, Lagunitas Brewing Company (Petaluma, CA) had to create a new winter seasonal to replace Brown Shugga' due to a temporary lack of brewing capacity. The brewery promises Brown Shugga' will be back next year and offers a lengthy apology on the label that explains why Lagunitas Sucks. The new beer is described as a dry-hopped cereal medley of Barley, Rye, Wheat and Oats.

Lagunitas Sucks Holiday Ale (7.8% ABV) pours a clear light orange and gold color with a thin layer of white foam. Lots of pungent and leafy cannabis and vegetal hops notes in the aroma as well as some pine, mango and grapefruit. The taste is also an onslaught of hops resin and cannabis along with a blend of tropical fruit, citrus and toasted malt. The body is slightly syrupy and well carbonated with a mildly bitter, floral finish. By far one of the tastiest hops bombs from this brewery and a nice break from malty Winter Warmers.

Score: 4.2/5

Beer Review: Bridgeport "Ebenezer Ale"

2011-12-14T10:23:00.001-08:00

BridgePort Brewing Company's (Portland, OR) holiday brew is one of many named after a character from Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol. It's a blend of four different roasted malts with the addition of local and imported hops.

Ebenezer Ale's (6.4% ABV) appearance is a deep mahogany color with a half-inch of white foam. The aroma is mostly toffee, malt, orange citrus and cinnamon. The flavor opens up dry and sugary with lots of caramel, brown sugar, toasted malt, barley and cardamom. Also a little bit of citrusy, medicinal hops in the background. Fairly smooth and well-carbonated body with more malt and spice in the finish. Simple but well-crafted.

Score: 3.3/5

Beer Review: Widmer "Brrr"

2011-12-11T12:54:00.001-08:00

Widmer Brothers Brewing Company's (Portland, OR) describes its winter seasonal release as a "generous red ale with a bold hop flavor and candy sweet finish". There's also a bourbon barrel aged version of the beer called Barrel Aged Brrrbon.

Brrr's (7.2% ABV) appearance is a coppery amber color with a solid inch of foamy beige head. The aroma is a blend of grapefruit, floral hops, brown sugar and toffee. The flavor matches the aroma with strong ruby red grapefruit, orange and herbal hops notes followed by some pine, caramel and toasted malt. The mouthfeel is mildly creamy and well carbonated with a dry, bitter finish and slight citrus aftertaste. Overall, a tasty brew on the hoppier end of the spectrum for a winter seasonal.

Score: 3.7/5

Beer Review: Hopworks "Abominable Winter Ale"

2011-12-09T16:24:00.000-08:00

Hopworks Urban Brewery (Portland, OR) chose to brew a hoppy strong ale made with Cascade, Centennial and Simcoe hops and six organic malts as its winter seasonal. It's also one of the many strong ales of the craft beer world named after a giant ape man (Abominable Snowman, Yeti, Bigfoot, Sasquatch, etc).

Abominable Winter Ale (7.3% ABV) is golden amber colored with a good inch of thick beige head. The aroma is a strong blend of ruby red grapefruit, floral hops, cannabis and caramel malt. The flavor is herbal hops and grapefruit at the start with the addition of bready, toasted malts, orange citrus and pine the rest of the way. The body is creamy with medium-level carbonation and a finish that’s all citrus and spicy hops bitterness with a little residual sugar sweetness. Overall, a flavorful and festive Winter Ale in the tradition of Sierra Nevada’s Celebration Ale.

Score: 4.1/5

Beer Review: Laurelwood "Vinter Varmer"

2011-12-07T10:38:00.000-08:00

The Laurelwood Public House & Brewery's (Portland, OR) winter strong ale is a blend of six malts and four hops.

Vinter Varmer (6.4% ABV) is dark reddish brown colored with a thin layer of sudsy tan head. Lots of caramel, biscuits and figs in the aroma with a bit of currant and nutty malts at the end. Roasted caramel malt and spiced bread dominate the flavor along with some cocoa, prune and raisin notes in the background. Also some mild herbal hops bitterness in the finish. The body is relatively smooth with plenty of carbonation to round it out. Well-made Winter Warmer with a nice Pacific Northwest style hops bite to it.

Score: 3.6/5

Beer Review: Ninkasi "Sleigh'r Dark Doüble Alt"

2011-12-04T12:20:00.000-08:00

Ninkasi Brewing Company's (Eugene, OR) winter seasonal is named after the iconic thrash metal band Slayer, an ironic choice of a band not exactly known for holiday music. It's brewed in the tradition of a German Altbier, a style that few American craft brewers produce.

Sleigh'r's (7.2% ABV) appearance is a dark brown and crimson color with a creamy layer of tan head. The aroma is mostly dark malts, caramel, cake and raisins. The taste has more of a roasted, bready malt character to it with some molasses, prunes, brown sugar and cocoa. Also some citrus and hops bitterness rounding it out at the end. Mouthfeel is medium-bodied with full carbonation and finishes slightly burnt and bitter. The overall flavor is kind of like a Winter Warmer with a citrus hops bite to it. Decent but not nearly as dark and heavy as a beer made to honor Slayer should be.

Score: 3.4/5

Beer Review: Oakshire "Ill-Tempered Gnome"

2011-12-02T15:30:00.001-08:00

Oakshire Brewing (Eugene, OR) currently offers four seasonal releases throughout the year. Its winter ale is referred to as a "malty, hoppy brown ale of pure winter deliciousness".

The Ill-Tempered Gnome (6.8% ABV) pours a dark mahogany color with sudsy off-white head. The aroma is a blend of dark chocolate, roast malt, toffee and molasses. The flavor starts out with smoky, roasted malt and bittersweet chocolate along with some caramel, dried fig, prune and herbal hops bitterness. Overall, it makes for a satisfying blend of 3 different styles (English Strong Ale, Brown Ale, Winter Warmer).

Score: 3.5/5

Beer Review: Southern Oregon "Old Humbug"

2011-11-30T11:00:00.000-08:00

The Southern Oregon Brewing Company (Medford, OR) was founded in 2006 by Tom Hammond and produces a small variety of British and American style ales. Its holiday seasonal release is a British style Winter Warmer brewed with an ale yeast strain rather than the brewery's usual house lager strain.

Old Humbug (8.2% ABV) is dark reddish brown colored with a half-inch of tan head. In the nose, it’s mostly caramel, butterscotch, toffee and banana bread. The taste has more of a roasted malt and brown sugar flavor with the addition of some molasses, raisin and prune notes. Fairly creamy mouthfeel with adequate carbonation and a little bit of rum and burnt sugar in the finish. Nothing fancy but gets the job done as a Winter Warmer.

Score: 3.4/5

Beer Review: Port "Santa's Little Helper"

2011-11-27T11:50:00.000-08:00

Port Brewing Company (San Marcos, CA) is one of the few breweries to offer an Imperial Stout as its winter seasonal rather than a Winter Warmer. Made with copious amounts of roasted and black barleys, it's also available in a much more limited bourbon barrel-aged version.

Santa's Little Helper (10% ABV) pours black as coffee with lots of bubbly cappuccino foam. Roasted malt and caramelized sugar notes in the aroma with some dark roast coffee and mocha in there as well. The flavor begins aggressively dark and roasty with a strong showing of bittersweet chocolate, malt, espresso and brown sugar. Also some molasses, raisin and vanilla notes toward the end. The mouthfeel is thick and creamy with lively carbonation and dry, roasty bitterness in the finish. Leave a glass of this out on Christmas Eve and Santa may just pass out under your tree. Good stuff.

Score: 3.9/5

Beer Review: The Bruery "4 Calling Birds"

2011-11-20T22:55:00.000-08:00

Each year, The Bruery (Placentia, CA) releases a new entry in its "Twelve Days of Christmas" series of holiday ales. 4 Calling Birds is the fourth release and was naturally preceded by Partridge In A Pear Tree, 2 Turtle Doves and 3 French Hens.

4 Calling Birds (11% ABV) is charcoal black in appearance with massive chocolate mocha head and plenty of active carbonation. The aroma is tart and spicy with lots of pear, ripe banana, clove, ginger, allspice and caramelized sugars. The taste kicks off with a heavy dose of sugary dark fruits (plums, prunes, currants, figs) along with Belgian yeast and candi sugar notes. The spice flavors are mostly ginger, nutmeg, cardamom and cinnamon. The malt profile starts out bready and doughy but has more of a roasted quality toward the end. Mouthfeel is thick and syrupy with some creaminess and alcohol burn in the finish. Overall, a flavorful and festive brew that’s just a tad too sweet and boozy right now but should age well.

Score: 3.7/5

Beer Review: Avery "Old Jubilation"

2011-11-19T13:42:00.000-08:00

Avery Brewing Company's (Boulder, CO) winter strong ale is a blend of five specialty malts. It doesn't have any spices added to it and is cellarable for up to 2 years.

Old Jubilation (8.3% ABV) pours a crimson-hued dark brown color with solid tan head. The aroma blends caramel and bready malts with brown sugar and walnut liqueur. The taste is toasted malt, toffee and butterscotch at the start with raisins and figs in the middle and some caramel and alcohol at the end. Mouthfeel is mildly creamy with soft carbonation and a roasted malt finish with some rum in the aftertaste. Overall, a respectable Winter Warmer with plenty of malt flavors to savor.

Score: 3.7/5

Beer Review: Great Divide "Hibernation Ale"

2011-11-17T21:00:00.000-08:00

Great Divide Brewing Company's (Denver, CO) winter seasonal is an English-style Old Ale. This is a style that tends to be on the strong side with assertive malt and oak characteristics.

Hibernation Ale (8.7% ABV) pours a deep dark amber and mahogany color with creamy beige head. The aroma is all dark fruits and caramel malt with some bittersweet chocolate and rum in the mix. The flavor starts out with toffee, dates, black cherry and raisins followed by some chocolate, prune and woody alcohol notes toward the end. Also a very mild and bitter herbal hops presence in the background. The mouthfeel is thick and creamy with medium-level carbonation. The overall flavor is aggressively malty and complex with a strong shot of alcohol holding it all together. Definitely a good choice for a cold winter night.

Score: 3.9/5

Beer Review: Big Sky "Powder Hound"

2011-11-14T16:43:00.000-08:00

The Big Sky Brewing Company (Missoula, MT) was founded in 1995 and is currently Montana's largest craft brewery. It brews a range of English style ales with Moose Drool Brown Ale being its most popular beer. The brewery refers to its winter seasonal as a Northern Rockies Strong Ale.

Powder Hound (7.2% ABV) pours a ruby-hued gold color with a half-inch of sudsy head. The aroma is mostly floral hops, grapefruit and caramel malt. The taste is spicy, herbal hops and orange citrus upfront followed by some dried mango, pine, caramel and earthy malt notes. Mouthfeel is medium-bodied with strong carbonation and finishes with more sweet citrus then hops bitterness. Definitely one of the hoppier winter brews out there and a good choice for a weekend amongst the mountains and snow.

Score: 3.6/5

Beer Review: Pyramid "Snow Cap"

2011-11-12T12:03:00.000-08:00

Pyramid Breweries (Seattle, WA) originally started out as Hart Brewing back in 1984. In 1996, the name was changed to Pyramid after its best-known line of beers and the brewery became one of the largest on the West Coast and currently operates 5 different alehouses in Washington, Oregon and California.

Recently, the company was bought by the North American Breweries corporation, joining Magic Hat and MacTarnahan's among others. Snow Cap is brewed in the tradition of an English holiday ale and remains one of the brewery's most popular seasonals.

Snow Cap (7% ABV) pours a light brownish copper color with a full layer of beige head. The aroma is predominately pecan pie, brown sugar and dates. The flavor matches the aroma with a strong emphasis on caramelized sugar and dark fruit (prunes, currants, figs) characteristics. The malt backbone is suitably thick and bready while the mouthfeel is creamy with medium-level carbonation. The finish has more toasted malt and toffee with a tiny bit of alcohol. Overall, a fairly decent interpretation of the style and one of the better brews from Pyramid.

Score: 3.5/5

Winter Is Coming

2011-11-10T22:22:00.000-08:00

Well, the Pumpkin Ales have all but vanished from the shelves so it's time to move on to Winter Ales. The majority of breweries release their winter seasonals in October and November and they generally stay on the shelves through January. Most are dark, malty and infused with traditional holiday dessert spices although some breweries decide to brew something hoppy instead. They are all designed to warm the belly on cold winter nights and enliven the holidays a bit. I'm on a quest to try every Winter Ale I can find so that's primarily what I'll be blogging about until the holidays are over.

Beer Review: Midnight Sun "T.R.E.A.T."

2011-11-06T15:27:00.000-08:00

Midnight Sun Brewing Company's (Anchorage, AK) T.R.E.A.T. is what the brewery calls an Imperial Chocolate Pumpkin Porter and stands for The Royal Eccentric Ale Treatment. It's brewed with pumpkin, cocoa nibs, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg and also comes in an oak-aged version which is naturally much more limited and harder to find.

T.R.E.A.T. (7.8% ABV) is black with a half-inch of dense mocha head. The aroma is a potent mix of roast pumpkin, nutmeg, bittersweet chocolate and allspice. The taste starts off with a blend of dark chocolate, pumpkin pie filling and toasted bready malts upfront followed by cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. Also some more chocolate and espresso notes right at the end. The mouthfeel is smooth and creamy with light carbonation while the finish is sweet and roasty with a shot of allspice. Overall, a rich and flavorful blend of chocolate, pumpkin pie and dessert spices that makes for the perfect accompaniment to All Hallow’s Eve.

Score: 4.2/5

Beer Review: Howe Sound "Pumpkineater"

2011-11-03T22:43:00.000-07:00

The Howe Sound Inn & Brewing Company (Squamish, Canada) was established in 1996 and has become one of British Columbia's premier craft breweries. It brews a wide range of traditional British styles as well as Pacific Northwest style hops bombs. Pumpkineater is part of the brewery's "John Mitchell" series of beers made to honor the pioneer of Canada's micro-brewing scene.

Pumpkineater (8% ABV) is deep amber and burnt orange colored in appearance with creamy beige head. Aroma is fresh pumpkin, anise, nutmeg and brown sugar with some herbal hops notes in the background. The flavor opens up with bready, toasted malt and pumpkin followed by cinnamon, caramelized sugars, ripe banana and cloves. Also some citrus and hops characteristics toward the back end. The body is smooth with moderate carbonation and a finish that’s all dark sugars and spices. Overall, an enjoyable blend of spices and malt flavors although the pumpkin is more dominant in the aroma than in the taste.

Score: 3.7/5

Beer Review: Southern Tier "Pumking"

2011-10-31T17:51:00.000-07:00

The Southern Tier Brewing Company (Lakewood, NY) was founded in 2002 by Phineas DeMink and Allen Yahn to revive the small batch brewing scene of Western New York. It's now one of the top craft breweries in the country and brews a number of highly regarded strong ales and decadent dessert beers. Pumking is an imperial Pumpkin Ale brewed in honor of Púca, a creature of Celtic folklore and All Hallows Eve.

Pumking (8.6% ABV) pours a rusted orange and ruby color with off-white head. The aroma is all pumpkin pie with lots of cinnamon, toasted pumpkin, pie crust, cardamom and vanilla. The taste begins with a strong dose of pumpkin pie, brown sugar, graham cracker and toasted malt. Toward the end it’s mostly nutmeg, cloves and orange spice. The body is smooth and creamy with soft carbonation and a mildly sweet, spiced finish. The overall flavor is loaded with rich and spicy pumpkin pie characteristics without being overbearingly sweet or syrupy. It makes for and extremely tasty dessert in a glass type beer.

Score: 4.3/5

Beer Review: Elysian "Night Owl Pumpkin Ale"

2011-10-27T21:42:00.000-07:00

Night Owl is Elysian Brewing Company's (Seattle, WA) original Pumpkin Ale and its most widely available although it's still somewhat limited. It's brewed with over 7 lbs. of pumpkin and spiced in conditioning with ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and allspice.

Night Owl (5.9% ABV) pours a solid dark ruby and peach color with foamy tan head. Aroma is a fragrant blend of allspice, cinnamon, cooked pumpkin and caramel malt. The taste starts with lots of spices (nutmeg, ginger, cardamom, cloves) and pumpkin filling flavors as well as some toasted malt and hops bitterness notes at the end. The mouthfeel has a slightly creamy body with full carbonation and a dry, spicy finish. The overall flavor has a chai tea like spice profile and a very subtle pumpkin presence.

Score: 3.6/5

It's Pumpkin Ale Time

2011-10-24T17:23:00.000-07:00

Now that fall is in full swing it's time to start crackin' some Pumpkin Ales. Until recently, I wasn't a huge fan of these beers but once I tried Dogfish Head's Punkin Ale there was no going back. American craft brewers are finally starting to produce quality Pumpkin Ales and having trouble keeping up with demand.

For example, Elysian Brewing Company brews and bottles three different ones that quickly sell out throughout the Seattle area. I was lucky enough to get my hands on one of them but will probably have to wait until next year to try the others, most likely at Elysian's Great Pumpkin Beer Festival in early October. For now, the majority of Pumpkin Ales are being produced by East Coast breweries but hopefully more West Coast breweries will get in on the action.

Beer Review: Scuttlebutt "Hoptopia"

2011-10-19T16:23:00.000-07:00

Scuttlebutt Brewing Company (Everett, WA) finally decided to bottle its popular Imperial IPA Hoptopia this past summer. It's brewed with a significant amount more hops than the brewery's Gale Force IPA but actually designed to be less bitter.

Hoptopia (8% ABV) is a hazy orange and honey golden color with creamy beige head. Aroma is a sweet and floral blend of hops, toasted malt and candied citrus. The taste opens up with bitter, resinous hops and ruby red grapefruit followed by pine, orange citrus and alcohol toward the back end. The malt holds up against the hops onslaught for the most part. The body has a slightly syrupy, creamy body with moderate carbonation. The finish is mostly citrus and vegetal hops bitterness. Along with the Barley Wine, it’s the brewery’s most enjoyable offering that I’ve tried.

Score: 3.8/5

Beer Review: Redhook Blueline "Dunkelweizen"

2011-10-14T17:07:00.000-07:00

This year, Redhook Ale Brewery (Woodinville, WA) is celebrating its 30th anniversary by digging up some old recipes. This Dunkelweizen is the first release of the "Blueline Series" of throwback beers.

Dunkelweizen (6% ABV) pours a solid reddish brown color with an inch of foamy light brown head. The aroma is a mix of wheat, cloves, earthy malts and banana bread. The taste starts out strong on the cloves and caramel malt with the addition of some banana, toffee and butterscotch. The body is mildly creamy with strong carbonation and a malty, clove finish. Overall, a respectable interpretation of a classic German style.

Score: 3.5/5

Beer Review: American Brewing "Breakaway Caboose"

2011-10-12T14:46:00.000-07:00

Breakaway Caboose is the third bottled release from American Brewing Company (Edmonds, WA) along with an IPA and a Blonde Ale. It's brewed in the tradition of an Oatmeal Stout and made with six different malts.

Caboose (7% ABV) is charcoal black in appearance with creamy cappuccino foam. Lots of burnt, roasted malt and espresso bean notes in the aroma as well as some brown sugar. The taste is chocolate mocha, roast malt and coffee at the start and then caramel, oats and herbal hops toward the end. The body is a little thin with some creaminess and a burnt, dry finish. A decent Stout that could use a little more caramelized sugar flavor to balance out the strong roastiness.

Score: 3.4/5

Beer Review: American Brewing "Breakaway IPA"

2011-10-12T14:26:00.000-07:00

The American Brewing Company (Edmonds, WA) was established earlier this year by entrepreneur Neil Fallon (not the guy from Clutch) with longtime craft brewer Skip Madsen in charge of brewing operations. Breakaway IPA is the brewery's flagship ale and is made with Vienna and Munich malts along with Amarillo and Simcoe hops.

Breakaway (7.2% ABV) pours a deep gold and rusted orange color with foamy beige head. Aroma is a blend of floral hops, candied citrus and earthty malt notes. The taste opens up with strong herbal hops bitterness and ruby red grapefruit flavors along with some pine and alcohol at the end. Underneath it all is a solid toasted malt backbone. The body is mildly creamy with medium-level carbonation and a citrusy, bitter finish. Well-balanced with a good dose of hops flavors.

Score: 3.7/5

Beer Review: New Old Lompoc "C-Note"

2011-10-09T12:12:00.000-07:00

The New Old Lompoc Brewery (Portland, OR) celebrated its 15th anniversary this year and currently operates 5 different pubs throughout the Portland area. C-Note is the brewery's flagship ale and is brewed with seven varieties of "C" hops (Crystal, Cluster, Cascade, Chinook, Centennial, Columbus and Challenger).

C-Note (6.9% ABV) is reddish copper colored with foamy tan head. The aroma is mostly floral hops, grapefruit and caramel. The flavor goes back and forth between earthy, bready malts and herbal hops with the addition of some orange, grapefruit and apricot notes in the background. The body is creamy for an IPA with moderate carbonation and a bitter finish with a slight citrus aftertaste. For 100 IBUs, it’s surprisingly smooth and easy drinking.

Score: 3.8/5

Beer Review: Odin "Freya's Gold"

2011-10-06T13:22:00.001-07:00

Freya's Gold is Odin Brewing Company's (Seattle, WA) take on the Kölsch ales native to Cologne, Germany. In Norse mythology, Freya is the goddess associated with love and fertility among other things.

Freya's Gold (4.5% ABV) is straw golden colored with pillowy white head. Aroma is a mix of barley, citrus hops and honey malt notes. The flavor is predominately cereal malt, lemon citrus and grains along with a little bit of grassy hops in the background. The mouthfeel is medium-bodied with heavy carbonation and a clean, bitter finish with a slightly grainy aftertaste. Overall, a light and refreshing Kölsch that would go well with spicy food and BBQ.

Score: 3.4/5

Beer Review: "Odin's Gift"

2011-10-06T13:03:00.000-07:00

The Odin Brewing Company (Seattle, WA) was established in 2009 and dubs itself "The Most Adventurous Microbrewery In America". The brewery applies the adventurous spirit of the ancient Vikings and Norse mythology to the beers it makes. Odin's Gift is an Amber Ale brewed with the addition of juniper berries.

Odin's Gift (5.4% ABV) pours a dark brownish ruby red color with an inch of foamy beige head. The aroma is a blend of herbal hops, malt, wheat and berries. The taste starts out with lots of cranberry, black cherry and lemon flavors upfront and follows with notes of toasted malt, brown sugar and citrus hops. The body is mildly creamy with medium carbonation and a finish that’s mostly tart fruit and grains. Definitely one of the more unique Ambers out there. The juniper berries give it a nice kick.

Score: 3.6/5

Beer Review: New Belgium "Clutch"

2011-10-02T12:04:00.000-07:00

As a longtime fan of both Clutch and the New Belgium Brewing Company (Fort Collins, CO), I've been looking forward to trying this beer since it was announced last June. Released as part of the "Lips of Faith" series of experimental beers, it's a blend of 80% Stout and 20% dark sour wood beer.

Clutch (9% ABV) is black with a layer of creamy cappuccino foam. The aroma is a Stout like mix of roasted malt, caramel, bittersweet chocolate and dark roast coffee. The flavor begins with espresso, dark chocolate and roasted malt followed by some sour fruit notes (cherries, lemons) and then finishes with more malt, caramel and alcohol. It has a mildly creamy body with adequate carbonation and finishes dry, sour and malty. Overall, an interesting blend of dark, roasty Stout flavors and tart fruit characteristics.

Score: 3.8/5

Beer Review: Stone "15th Anniversary Escondidian Imperial Black IPA"

2011-09-29T17:47:00.000-07:00

This year, Stone Brewing Company (Escondido, CA) decided to celebrate its 15th anniversary by brewing a self-described Escondidian Imperial Black IPA. The name is a subtle jab at the beer style experts can't seem to decide whether to call a Black IPA, American Black Ale or a Cascadian Dark Ale.

Escondidian Imperial Black IPA (10.8% ABV) is pitch black in appearance with a thick layer of creamy cappuccino foam. The aroma is a sharp and pungent mix of hop oils, tropical fruit, pine and malt that’s rounded out with a little bit of bittersweet chocolate. The flavor starts with loads of resiny hops followed by ripe mango, ruby red grapefruit, caramel, dark chocolate, rum and pine resin. The malt backbone has a slightly roasted quality to it but is more like an IPA than a Stout. The body is creamy with mild carbonation and a finish that’s all hops bitterness, sweet citrus and booze at the end. The overall flavor is a sweet, bitter and roasty blend that overloads the taste buds in a good way.

Score: 4.1/5

Beer Review: Ninkasi "Maiden The Shade"

2011-09-25T12:13:00.000-07:00

Maiden The Shade is Ninkasi Brewing Company's (Eugene, OR) summer seasonal release. It's an IPA brewed with 7 different varieties of hops and 3 types of malt.

Maiden The Shade (6.8% ABV) is pale honey golden colored with an inch of pillowy white head. Aroma is floral hops, tangerine, pine and toasted malt at the end. The flavor starts out with sharp and tangy grapefruit and orange citrus notes as well as some hops bitterness, pine resin, dried mango and caramel malt. The mouthfeel is full-bodied with strong carbonation and a clean, bitter finish. Overall, a quality summer IPA with lots of complex citrus characteristics from the hops.

Score: 3.9/5

Beer Review: Schlafly Reserve "Barleywine"

2011-09-22T18:34:00.000-07:00

The Saint Louis Brewery (St. Louis, MO) was established in 1991 and was the first brewpub in Missouri since Prohibition. Schlafly is the brand name of beers produced by the brewery and is named after its co-founder. The "Schlafly Reserve" series of beers are stronger styles aged in oak and whiskey barrels.

Oak-Aged Barleywine (10.2% ABV) pours a deep reddish oak color with a thin layer of resinous white head. The aroma is appropriately sugary and boozy with a potent blend of toffee, malt, candied dates and rum. The taste matches the aroma with lots of bready malt, caramel, vanilla, dried cherry, candied figs and rum-soaked raisins. The body is mildly syrupy with smooth carbonation and a finish that’s mostly malt and booze. The dry, bourbon-like alcohol flavor nicely holds together the sweet malt characteristics. This beer should definitely be slowly sipped and allowed to warm up a bit to get all the oak flavors out.

Score: 4.1/5

Beer Review: Green Flash "Le Freak"

2011-09-19T11:30:00.000-07:00

Le Freak is one of the more unusual offerings from the Green Flash Brewing Company (San Diego, CA). It's a dry-hopped and bottle-conditioned beer that blends a Tripel with a Double IPA.

Le Freak (9.2% ABV) pours a solid dark honey golden color with lots of sea foam head and active carbonation. The aroma blends floral hops and tangerine citrus with Belgian yeast. The flavor starts out like a traditional DIPA with some herbal hops, pine and grapefruit. Then it shifts to more of a Tripel with Belgian yeast, cloves, malt and alcohol notes. The body is smooth with lively carbonation and a finish that’s all hops bitterness and cloves. Overall, a unique and flavorful brew that’s a must-try for fans of DIPAs and Tripels.

Score: 4/5

Beer Review: Alaskan "Perseverance Ale"

2011-09-15T17:42:00.000-07:00

For its 25th anniversary, Alaskan Brewing Company (Juneau, AK) chose to brew a Russian style Imperial Stout. It's made with all local ingredients including glacier-fed water, Alaska birch syrup and fireweed honey.

Perseverance Ale (9% ABV) pours black as tar with foamy chocolate malt head. The aroma is a sweet and roasty mix of caramel, roasted malt, honey and vanilla. The taste starts with a heavy dose of roasted malt, coffee and molasses and follows with mocha, raisins and alcohol notes. The body is smooth and creamy with soft carbonation while the finish is malty and mildly boozy. Overall, a well-balanced Imperial Stout that’s not overly sweet or burnt tasting.

Score: 3.9/5

Beer Review: Silver City "Whoop Pass Double IPA"

2011-09-11T11:19:00.000-07:00

Silver City Brewery's (Bremerton, WA) Whoop Pass Double IPA is a summer release and one of the brewery's many seasonal beers. Each batch is brewed with over 50 lbs. of Washington State Cascade and Columbus hops.

Whoop Pass (8.5% ABV) pours a solid rusted orange and amber color wih an inch of dense beige head. Lots of potent grapefruit, caramel, pine and hops resin notes in the aroma. The taste begins with a strong dose of resinous hops, candied tropical fruit and grapefruit citrus along with some toasted malt, pine and alcohol toward the end. The body is slightly syrupy with medium-level carbonation while the finish is all hops bitterness, booze and citrus. The aggressive, complex hops flavors and balanced malt and alcohol characteristics make it one of the best DIPAs to come out of Washington that I’ve tried.

Score: 4.2/5

Beer Review: Silver City "Fat Scotch Ale"

2011-09-11T11:02:00.000-07:00

The Silver City Brewery (Bremerton, WA) was established in 1996 by brothers Steve and Scott Houmes. Thanks to brewmaster Don Spencer, the brewery has won numerous awards for its interpretations of a variety of different beer styles. Fat Scotch Ale is labeled as a "big, dark, malt accented brew with a touch of peat malt for a scotch-whiskey-like character".

Fat Scotch Ale (9% ABV) is dark brown with crimson highlights and thick tan head that quickly disappears. The aroma is a sweet mix of malt, caramel and vanilla. The flavor is roasted malt, toffee and black tea upfront followed by molasses and rum-soaked raisins at the end. The body is slightly creamy with moderate carbonation and finishes with more malt, burnt sugar and a woody alcohol aftertaste. Overall, a smooth and rich blend of malts, dark sugars and booze.

Score: 3.9/5

Beer Review: Hopworks "Galactic Imperial Red"

2011-09-07T16:18:00.000-07:00

Galactic Imperial Red is the latest summer seasonal from Hopworks Urban Brewery (Portland, OR). Imperial Red isn't an established beer style yet so it can either be considered an American Strong Ale or an Imperial IPA depending on who you ask. The label is an homage to classic 80s space ship shooter arcade games.

Galactic (9.5% ABV) pours a dark ruby red color with creamy off-white head. The aroma is a fragrant blend of floral citrus, hops oil, caramel and malt. The taste begins with ruby red grapefruit and bitter hops resin upfront followed by toasted malt, pine, dried mango and a slight alcohol kick at the end. The body is creamy with adequate carbonation and a ripe citrus finish and sharp bitter aftertaste. Overall, a surprisingly smooth blend of rich caramel malt and aggressively bitter citrus hops flavors.

Score: 4/5

Beer Review: North Coast "La Merle"

2011-09-04T12:05:00.001-07:00

La Merle (The Blackbird) is North Coast Brewing Company's (Fort Bragg, CA) interpretation of a Belgian style farmhouse ale, also known as a Saison. It was inspired by the rich brewing traditions of the Flanders region of Belgium.

La Merle (7.9% ABV) pours a pale lemon and golden straw color with lots of active carbonation and ample pillowy white head. The aroma is an acidic and tart blend of grassy hops, lemons, Belgian yeast and pears. The taste starts out with honey, yeast and cloves followed by some toasted malt, lemon rind and warming alcohol at the end. The body has strong carbonation with a mildly tart and peppery finish. Well-balanced and highly drinkable.

Score: 3.8/5

Beer Review: Iron Horse "Quilters Irish Death"

2011-08-31T21:24:00.000-07:00

The Iron Horse Brewery (Ellensburg, WA) was founded in 2004 and specializes in English and American style ales. This beer isn't brewed in the tradition of any particular style and is simply labeled by the brewery as a "dark, smooth ale".

Quilters Irish Death (7.8% ABV) is solid dark brown colored in appearance with creamy light brown head. Aroma blends roasted malt, molasses, barley, cocoa and citrus. The taste starts out strong on the toasted malt, toffee and caramel followed by some prunes, oats and alcohol. The body is very smooth and creamy with a malty, dry finish. Kind of like a Dark Lager crossed with an Oatmeal Stout. Definitely worth a try for dark beer lovers.

Score: 3.5/5

Beer Review: Harmon "Rajah's Royal IPA"

2011-08-28T12:04:00.001-07:00

Harmon Brewing Company (Tacoma, WA) has six seasonal beers that are released throughout the year. Rajah's Royal comes out in the summer and is the brewery's take on the Double IPA style.

Rajah's Royal IPA (7.6% ABV) pours a dark honey golden color with creamy off-white head. The aroma is a sweet and earthy blend of toasted malt, toffee and medicinal hops. The flavor begins with strong herbal hops and caramel malt notes followed by some butterscotch, pine and alcohol. The body is creamy with moderate carbonation and a dry, malty finish. It’s basically a stronger version of the Point Defiance IPA that’s a little too sweet and medicinal for my tastes.

Score: 3/5

Beer Review: Harmon "Point Defiance IPA"

2011-08-28T11:51:00.000-07:00

The Harmon Brewing Company (Tacoma, WA) was founded in 1997 and currently operates two brewpubs and a taproom. The IPA is one of the brewery's five flagship ales and its most popular beer.

Point Defiance IPA (6.1% ABV) is solid copper colored with dark orange highlights and a half-inch of sudsy white head. The aroma is a mix of caramel malt, herbal hops and citrus. The taste starts off with floral hops and earthy malt notes along with a little bit of caramel, orange citrus and vegetal sweetness. The body has medium-level carbonation and a subtle citrus and malt finish. The overall flavor is relatively mild in the hops department for a Pacific Northwest style IPA and has more of an emphasis on the sweet malt notes. Simple but drinkable.

Score: 3.3/5

Beer Review: 21st Amendment "Hop Crisis"

2011-08-24T22:27:00.000-07:00

Hop Crisis is one of the latest Double IPAs to be aged in oak. It was first brewed a few years back by the 21st Amendment Brewery (San Francisco, CA) during a hops shortage with a recipe that ironically contained loads of hops.

Hop Crisis (9.7% ABV) pours a bright, clear orange and gold color with foamy white head. The aroma is predominately caramel malt, tropical fruit (mango, guava) and hops resin. The flavor starts off with lots of citrus (orange, grapefruit, tangerine) and toasted malt along with some herbal hops, vanilla and alcohol notes. The body is slightly syrupy with medium-level carbonation and a bitter, boozy finish. It’s a little rough around the edges but definitely delivers on the hops front.

Score: 3.7/5

Beer Review: New Belgium "Abbey Grand Cru"

2011-08-21T12:34:00.000-07:00

New Belgium Brewing Company's (Fort Collins, CO) Abbey Grand Cru is a stronger version of the brewery's Abbey Belgian style ale. It's part of New Belgium's "Lips of Faith" series of lesser-known and experimental beer styles.

Abbey Grand Cru (9.5% ABV) pours a solid dark maroon and brown color with off-white head. The aroma opens up with strong caramel and banana liqueur notes as well as some cloves and yeast. The flavor starts aggressively dry and malty with a good dose of caramelized sugars, black cherries, cardamom and rum-soaked raisins. The alcohol is definitely there but does a good job of holding all the sweet and spiced flavors together. The body is silky smooth with a dry, burnt sugary malt finish. Overall, a flavorful Belgian style brew that should taste even better aged.

Score: 4.1/5

Beer Review: New Belgium "Abbey"

2011-08-21T12:25:00.001-07:00

Abbey is a Belgian style ale that was one of the first beers to be produced by New Belgium Brewing Company (Fort Collins, CO). It's brewed with six different malts and bottle-conditioned along with an authentic Belgian yeast strain. I first had this beer in college and it was the first Belgian style ale I tried along with the Trippel.

Abbey (7% ABV) pours a deep mahogany color with dense beige head. Lots of potent ripe banana and toffee notes in the aroma along with some butterscotch and cloves. The taste starts with a bit of caramel malt and banana bread followed by brown sugar, cinnamon and cola. It’s smooth with a lot of malt and dark sugar complexity while not overly sweet. The body has medium-level carbonation and a slightly sweet, bready aftertaste. Certainly one of New Belgium’s strongest offerings.

Score: 4/5

Beer Review: Oakshire "Watershed IPA"

2011-08-17T19:03:00.000-07:00

Oakshire Brewing (Eugene, OR) was established in 2006 by brothers Jeff and Chris Althouse. The IPA is one of the brewery's three year-round ales along with an Amber and an Espresso Stout.

Watershed IPA (7.1% ABV) pours a hazy burnt orange and gold color with a half-inch of dense off-white head. The aroma is a pure Pacific Northwest IPA blend of floral hops, pine, grapefruit and caramel malt. The flavor hits on all those notes in addition to some candied citrus and toasted malt characteristics. The body has medium-level carbonation and finishes aggressively bitter with more citrus. Another quality Oregon IPA that could use just a tad more malt to balance out the hops bitterness.

Score: 3.7/5

Beer Review: Boulevard "The Sixth Glass"

2011-08-14T11:52:00.000-07:00

The Sixth Glass is another release from the "Smokestack Series" of beers from Boulevard Brewing Company (Kansas City, MO). It's brewed in the tradition of a Quadrupel, the richest and strongest of all Belgian beer styles.

The Sixth Glass (10.5% ABV) pours a deep amber-highlighted mahogany color with an inch of pillowy beige head that quickly disappears. The aroma has lots of sweet and syrupy candi sugar characteristics as well as some bready malt, raisins and green apples. The taste starts off with cherries, candied dates and figs upfront followed by a strong caramelized sugar malt backbone. There’s also a subtle and spicy yeast flavor in the background along with an assertive alcohol presence. The body is silky smooth with active carbonation and a dry, malty finish. Overall, a rich and potent Quad that should definitely be split between two people.

Score: 4.1/5

Beer Review: Boulevard "Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale"

2011-08-14T11:40:00.001-07:00

The Boulevard Brewing Company (Kansas City, MO) was founded in 1989 by John McDonald and started out as a vintage Bavarian brew house. It's now the largest specialty brewer in the Midwest and predominately produces Belgian and German inspired ales. Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale is part of the brewery's "Smokestack Series" of artisanal strong beers.

Tank 7 (8% ABV) is sparkling lemon yellow and gold colored in appearance with active carbonation trails and massive sea foam head. The aromatic notes are mostly lemon zest, honey and pears with some sharp yeast funkiness in the background. The flavor starts off tart and acidic with a blend of grapefruit citrus, honey and cloves. After that, it’s mostly malt and yeast notes with a little bit of peppery spiciness. The body is slightly creamy with heavy carbonation and a dry, tart finish and mild clove aftertaste. Overall, a smooth and refreshing Saison with a nice alcohol kick to it.

Score: 4.2/5

Beer Review: Stone "Japanese Green Tea IPA"

2011-08-10T21:55:00.000-07:00

Japanese Green Tea IPA is a collaboration brew between Stone Brewing Company (Escondido, CA), Baird Brewing Company (Numazu, Shizuoka, Japan) and Ishii Brewing Company (Tamuning, Guam). It's a West Coast style Double IPA that's been given a Japanese twist with the addition of whole leaf green tea. In addition, all sales proceeds are donated to Japanese tsunami relief programs.

Japanese Green Tea IPA (9.2% ABV) pours a deep golden orange color with foamy white head. Lots of leafy, herbal hops in the aroma with a little bit of sweet citrus. The taste starts with grassy hops notes and astringent bitterness upfront which coat the mouth followed by toasted malt and candied tropical fruit flavors toward the end. The body has normal IPA level carbonation and an extremely dry, bitter finish. The green tea blends well with the hops and adds a slight vegetal quality to the overall flavor that’s similar to a wet hop ale.

Score: 3.6/5

Beer Review: Avery "The Maharaja"

2011-08-07T11:42:00.001-07:00

The Avery Brewing Company (Boulder, CO) was established in 1993 by Adam Avery and is one of Colorado's preeminent craft breweries. It produces a number of different beer styles with an emphasis on strong ales and most recently barrel-aging. The Maharaja is part of the brewery's 'Dictator Series' of imperial ales which also includes The Czar and The Kaiser.

The Maharaja (10.5% ABV) is amber colored with orange highlights and dense, sudsy white head. The aroma is an intoxicatingly sweet blend of malt, hops resin and candied grapefruit peel. The flavor delivers on that promise with loads of rich caramel malt and bitter, resiny hops notes. It follows with lots of sweet, pungent tropical fruit (mango, guava, papaya) characteristics as well as some pine resin in the background. The body is slightly syrupy with medium-level carbonation and a mildly boozy, fruity finish. The alcohol works to hold all the flavors together rather than numb the palate. Nicely done DIPA that delivers a flavorful bouquet of hops flavors.

Score: 4.4/5

Beer Review: Hair of the Dog "Blue Dot"

2011-08-03T18:14:00.001-07:00

Blue Dot is Hair of the Dog Brewing Company's (Portland, OR) tribute to Planet Earth. It's a Double IPA made with organic Pilsner and Rye malt along with a combination of Northwest hop varieties.

Blue Dot (7% ABV) pours a cloudy tangerine and gold color with dense white head. The aroma is loaded with pungent cannabis oil and hops resin notes with a bit of orange spice in the background. The flavor starts with strong floral hops bitterness and grapefruit rind along with some toasted malt, tangerine, pine and dried mango. The body is moderately carbonated with a bitter, resiny finish and mild citrus alcohol aftertaste. Lots of complex hops flavors that make for a tasty brew that straddles the line between an IPA and a DIPA.

Score: 4/5

Beer Review: Maritime Pacific "Decompression Ale"

2011-07-31T12:36:00.001-07:00

The Maritime Pacific Brewing Company (Seattle, WA) was founded in 1990 by George and Jane Hancock. The brewery naturally has a seafaring theme since it's located in Seattle's traditional home port to Northwest mariners, Ballard. In 1997, it opened a taproom called the Jolly Roger (named after its holiday seasonal beer) that's one of the top craft beer destinations in Seattle. Decompression Ale is an American Strong Ale that was brewed specifically for Seattle Beer Week 2011.

Decompression Ale (8% ABV) pours a deep amber with dark orange highlights color along with a half-inch of creamy beige head. The aroma is a blend of bready caramel malt and candied citrus. The flavor is toasted malt and caramel upfront followed by grapefruit rind and herbal hops. Also some brown sugar, pine resin and alcohol notes in the mix. Creamy body with mild carbonation and a slightly malty, citrus finish. Overall, an enjoyable Strong Ale with characteristics of DIPAs and American style Barley Wines.

Score: 3.7/5

Beer Review: Bridgeport "IPA"

2011-07-27T18:26:00.000-07:00

Bridgeport Brewing Company's (Portland, OR) IPA is the brewery's flagship beer and one of the original Pacific Northwest style IPAs. It's brewed with five hops varieties and each bottle is double-fermented to give it extra effervescence.

IPA (5.5% ABV) pours a bright orange-hued golden color with thick bubbly white head. Lots of floral hops and grapefruit notes in the aroma with some barley malt at the end. The taste is fairly similar to the aroma with the addition of more tangy citrus, apricot and hops bitterness characteristics. There’s also a mild biscuity malt presence in the background but for the most part the flavor is all floral hops and citrus. Overall, a quality IPA for summertime drinking as well as pairing with pizza and grilled meat.

Score: 3.6/5

Beer Review: Boundary Bay "Scotch Style Ale"

2011-07-23T11:30:00.000-07:00

Scotch Style Ale is one of the Boundary Bay Brewery & Bistro's (Bellingham, WA) six house brews that's always available on tap and now bottled. It's brewed with a similar malt profile as Scotch whiskey with the addition of hops.

Scotch Style Ale (6.4% ABV) is dark brown and crimson colored in appearance with a half-inch of sudsy tan head. The aroma is a roasty and malty blend of molasses, burnt caramel and sarsaparilla. The taste begins with roasted bready malt and toffee flavors followed by some caramel, cola and medicinal hops notes in the background. The body has medium-level carbonation and finishes with more malt and brown sugar sweetness. The overall flavor is mellow, malty and smooth.

Score: 3.4/5

Beer Review: Boundary Bay "Inside Passage Ale (IPA)"

2011-07-23T11:12:00.000-07:00

The Boundary Bay Brewery & Bistro (Bellingham, WA) was founded in 1995 by Ed Bennett and is currently the largest producing brewpub in America. In addition, it has racked up over 70 national and international awards over the years for its English-style ales. The brewery is named after a bay north of Bellingham that was used by bootleggers during Prohibition to bring alcohol over from Canada.

Inside Passage Ale (6.4% ABV) pours a burnt orange golden color with a good inch of foamy white head. Lots of fragrant pine and citrus notes in the aroma as well as some toasted malt. The flavor starts with a potent dose of bitter, resiny hops and grapefruit citrus followed by some pine resin and a solid caramel/earthy malt backbone. The body is slightly creamy and adequately carbonated with more bitterness and a little bit of alcohol in the back end. The finish can best be described as biting into a candied citrus rind. Overall, a flavorful and refreshing PNW style IPA.

Score: 3.9/5

Beer Review: Dick's "Imperial IPA"

2011-07-20T18:47:00.000-07:00

Dick's Brewing Company's (Centralia, WA) 'Dedication Series' of beers are made to honor the brewery's late founder, Dick Young. Imperial IPA is brewed with all Columbus hops and is based on one of Young's recipes.

Imperial IPA (8.5% ABV) is dark rusted orange and amber colored in appearance with thick off-white head. The aroma is a pungent blend of sweet citrus and caramel with a bit of cannabis around the edges. The flavor starts heavy on the tangerine and pine followed by a good dose of alcohol, malt and herbal hops characteristics. The body is definitely on the sticky and syrupy side with mild creaminess and medium carbonation. The finish is aggressively bitter and boozy with more citrus at the end. Not a bad DIPA but the alcohol and hops bitterness are overwhelming at times.

Score: 3.3/5

Beer Review: Dick's "IPA"

2011-07-20T18:32:00.000-07:00

Dick's Brewing Company (Centralia, WA) was founded in 1994 by the late Dick Young and currently brews over 20 varieties of ale. Its flagship IPA is brewed with large quantities of Chinook and Tomahawk hops from the Yakima Valley.

IPA (5.5% ABV) pours a solid orange highlighted golden color with lots of active carbonation and massive sea foam head. The aromatic notes are predominately barley malt and yeast with a little bit of apricot and citrus. The taste has a much more noticeable hops presence with primarily herbal and resiny flavors at the front along with some orange blossom honey and dried pineapple at the end. There’s also a subtle bready malt and yeast component in the background. The body has moderate carbonation with a clean, bitter finish and a slightly fruity aftertaste. The overall flavor needs a little more hops bitterness and caramel malt to balance out the fruity sweetness.

Score: 3.1/5

Beer Review: Great Divide "Yeti Imperial Stout"

2011-07-17T12:33:00.000-07:00

Yeti Imperial Stout is one of the beers that put Great Divide Brewing Company (Denver, CO) on the map as an elite craft brewery. There are currently 5 additional versions of this beer which include barrel aged, oak aged, espresso oak aged, chocolate oak aged and Belgian style.

Yeti's (9.5% ABV) pour is black and impenetrable as you’d expect from this style with creamy dark brown head and ample lacing around the glass. The nose is rewarded with a fragrant blend of dark chocolate, caramel and roasted malt with a bit of resiny hops toward the end. The flavor delivers on that aroma with an onslaught of rich and roasty malt, espresso and bittersweet chocolate. There’s also some citrus, vanilla and caramelized sugar notes in the background. The body is thick and creamy with a dry, malty finish and mild alcohol burn at the end. The overall flavor is rich and complex with all the necessary characteristics of a great Imperial Stout.

Score: 4.5/5

Beer Review: Great Divide "Hercules Double IPA"

2011-07-17T12:17:00.000-07:00

Great Divide Brewing Company's (Denver, CO) flagship Double IPA has a significant amount more hops, malt and alcohol than the brewery's regular IPA, Titan. As with many of its beers, it's named after a hero from Greek mythology.

Hercules (10% ABV) pours a solid amber and orange color with dense sudsy head and lots of lacing around the glass. The aroma is a potent bouquet of hops resin, caramel and candied tropical citrus fragrances. The taste starts out strong on the resiny hops and sweet caramel malt flavors in addition to some pine, toffee and bittersweet grapefruit citrus. The body is a tad syrupy with a mild alcohol bite to it and a bitter, citrusy finish. The overall flavor is a little more sweet and malty than most DIPAs but still has enough aggressive hops characteristics to hold it all together.

Score: 4.2/5

Beer Review: Stone "Imperial Russian Stout"

2011-07-13T10:44:00.001-07:00

Stone Brewing Company's (Escondido, CA) Imperial Russian Stout is the brewery's take on the style that originated from Czarist Russia's demand for even thicker English Stouts. In keeping with Stone's tradition of going against the grain, it's released in summer as opposed to winter, when most breweries release their strong dark beers.

Imperial Russian Stout (10.5% ABV) pours black as crude oil with a half-inch of cappuccino head. The aroma is predominately roasted malt, dark roast coffee and bittersweet chocolate. The taste begins with intense roasted malt and dark chocolate flavors followed by espresso, caramel, vanilla and rum. It finishes sticky and boozy with a bitter, smoky aftertaste. An outstanding RIS and a definite sipper to be savored throughout the night.

Score: 4.5/5

Beer Review: Diamond Knot "Industrial India Pale Ale"

2011-07-10T12:38:00.000-07:00

Diamond Knot Brewery's (Mukilteo, WA) Double IPA is essentially the same recipe as its IPA but with approximately 25% more grain and three and a half times the hops.

Industrial India Pale Ale (7.9% ABV) pours a deep coppery dark orange color with a half-inch of solid beige head. Lots of floral and resinous hops notes in the aroma as well as some candied citrus and caramel malt. The taste matches the aroma with a strong emphasis on bitter, resiny hops and dark caramel malt flavors along with some grapefruit and pine toward the end. The body is slightly creamy with medium carbonation and finishes with more citrus, hops bitterness and a little bit of alcohol. Overall, a well-balanced blend of aggressive hops and potent caramel malt flavors that’s worth seeking out.

Score: 3.9/5

Beer Review: Diamond Knot "India Pale Ale"

2011-07-10T12:26:00.001-07:00

The Diamond Knot Brewery (Mukilteo, WA) was originally founded in 1993 by the late Brian Sollenberger. When he passed away in 2007, Bob Maphet took over and the brewery has continued to be one of the top destinations for craft beer enthusiasts in the North Puget Sound region. There are currently 4 different Diamond Knot establishments (breweries, brewpubs, taprooms) located in the Mukilteo area.

India Pale Ale (6.2% ABV) is orange honey golden colored with dense off-white head. The aroma is mostly sweet caramel malt and resiny hops with a little bit of grapefruit toward the end. The flavor starts out with strong herbal hops bitterness and grapefruit citrus along with some pine and caramel malt notes. The finish is bitter and citrusy with a sweet and subtle orange peel aftertaste. A solid IPA with a good balance between the caramel malt and bitter hops flavors.

Score: 3.7/5

Beer Review: Widmer Brothers "Citra Blonde Summer Brew"

2011-07-06T11:04:00.001-07:00

Citra Blonde Summer Brew from Widmer Brothers Brewing Company (Portland, OR) is one of the latest beers to be brewed with Citra hops. This variety of hops has only been around a few years and is characterized by strong citrus aromas and tropical fruit flavors.

Citra Blonde (4.3% ABV) is pale lemon yellow and gold colored in appearance with foamy white head. The aroma is primarily dank, earthy hops and peaches. The flavor starts with mild floral hops and orange citrus notes followed by cereal malt and tropical fruit at the end. The body is heavily carbonated with a dry, citrusy finish and bitter aftertaste. Overall, a light and refreshing summer brew with a nice hoppy bite to it.

Score: 3.4/5

Beer Review: Hale's "Pikop Andropov's Rushin Imperial Stout"

2011-07-02T12:10:00.000-07:00

Pikop Andropov's Rushin Imperial Stout is Hale's Ales (Seattle, WA) take on the Russian Imperial Stout style. As with most beers of this style, it's brewed with six different types of malt to impart strong roasted coffee and chocolate characteristics.

Pikop Andropov (7.5% ABV) is obsidian colored in appearance with dense chocolate malt head. Standard strong Stout aroma of roasted caramel malt, bittersweet chocolate and coffee. The flavor begins with a heavy dose of dark, roasty malt and espresso followed by some brown sugar, licorice and dark chocolate characteristics. It’s rounded out by more malt and a bit of sweet alcohol. The body is creamy and syrupy with mild carbonation and a dry, roast finish. A decent RIS that’s a little on the cloyingly sweet side at times.

Score: 3.3/5

Beer Review: Hale's "Troll Porter"

2011-07-02T11:57:00.000-07:00

Hale's Ales (Seattle, WA) was founded by Mike Hale in 1983 and originally located in Colville, Washington before eventually settling in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle. It brews a variety of British style ales with English yeasts as well as hoppy Pacific Northwest IPAs. Its Porter is named after the famed stone troll of Seattle's Fremont neighborhood.

Troll Porter (7% ABV) is black with an inch of thick cappuccino foam head. The aroma is mostly chocolate mocha and roasted malt with a bit of citrusy hops. The taste starts strong on the smoky roasted malt and dark roast coffee flavors followed by some bittersweet chocolate, caramel and herbal hops. The body is adequately carbonated with a dry, roasty finish and mildly bitter aftertaste. All in all, a smooth and balanced Porter with a nice bite to it.

Score: 3.7/5

Beer Review: Alaskan "Amber"

2011-06-29T16:22:00.001-07:00

Alaskan Brewing Company's (Juneau, AK) Amber is actually an Altbier and not an Amber Ale. It's a German style Brown Ale that's been fermented longer and stored at colder temperatures than most ales. Hence the name Altbier, which basically translates to "old style".

Amber (5.3% ABV) pours a coppery amber color with an inch of off-white head. The aroma is predominately caramel malt with some earthy hops in the background. The taste has lots of toasted malt and caramel at the front and more subtle notes of toasted marshmallows, citrus and herbal hops flavors in the background. The body is mildly creamy with moderate carbonation and a clean, bready finish. Overall, an enjoyable summer session beer.

Score: 3.6/5

Beer Review: Laurelwood "Workhorse IPA"

2011-06-26T11:31:00.000-07:00

The Laurelwood Public House & Brewery (Portland, OR) was established in 2001 by Mike and Kathy De Kalb. It brews a variety of Pacific Northwest and European style beers and was Portland's first brewery to receive organic certification from Oregon Tilth, a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to supporting and advocating organic food and farming. Workhouse IPA is the brewery's most popular and widely available beer.

The Workhorse (7.5% ABV) is golden amber colored with dense white head. The aroma is a potent bouquet of floral hops and orange citrus with a bit of caramel in the background. The taste starts aggressively bitter with earthy, resiny hops and grapefruit followed by caramel malt, pine and tangerine citrus. The body is moderately carbonated and slightly creamy and finishes dry with strong hops bitterness. Overall, an excellent Pacific Northwest style IPA that packs a Double IPA’s worth of flavor into its 7.5% frame.

Score: 4.3/5

Beer Review: Fremont "Interurban IPA"

2011-06-22T18:58:00.000-07:00

Interurban IPA from Fremont Brewing Company (Seattle, WA) is named after the Fremont neighborhood's most famous sculpture, Waiting for the Interurban. It's brewed with a blend of Chinook, Centennial and Amarillo hops from the Yakima Valley region of Washington.

Interurban IPA (6.5% ABV) is solid orange and gold colored in appearance with dense white head. The aroma is sharp and potent with lots of hops resin, ruby red grapefruit and caramel. The flavor starts off with a wickedly bitter blend of resiny hops, toasted malt and grapefruit along with some pine and orange peel. The body is moderately carbonated with a strong bitter finish and acidic citrus aftertaste. Makes for a light and easy drinking IPA with a nice spicy hops kick to it.

Score: 3.7/5

Beer Review: Fremont "Summer Solstice"

2011-06-22T18:42:00.000-07:00

The Fremont Brewing Company (Seattle, WA) was founded in 2008 by Matt Lincecum and operates out of Seattle's historic Fremont neighborhood, also known as the Center of the Universe. The brewery primarily brews a mix of Pale Ales, IPAs and Stouts and has recently started bottling its beers along with offering a range of tap only releases at its urban beer garden.

Summer Solstice (5.2% ABV) is solid pale gold colored in appearance with massive pillowy white head. The aroma is a potently sweet mix of resiny hops, tangerine citrus and candied grapefruit peel. The taste starts with a good dose of sharp, citrusy hops juices and dried apricot followed by a little bit of butterscotch and caramel malt. The body is slightly creamy with moderate carbonation and a bitter, nutty finish. Overall, a refreshing APA that makes for the perfect beer to accompany the Fremont Summer Solstice Parade.

Score: 3.8/5

Beer Review: Hopworks "Survival Seven-Grain Stout

2011-06-18T13:02:00.000-07:00

Survival Seven-Grain Stout is Hopworks Urban Brewery's (Portland, OR) flagship Stout. The unique recipe includes Barley, Wheat, Oats, Amaranth, Quinoa, Spelt and Kamut as well as 15 pounds of cold-pressed Stumptown Holler Mountain coffee.

Survival Stout's (5.3% ABV) appearance is black with a shade of dark brown around the edges and a half-inch of light brown head. The aroma is predominately dark roast coffee and roasted malt with some additional burnt nuts and molasses notes. The flavor is a dark and roasty blend of espresso, malt and grains with a little bit of chocolate mocha, brown sugar and herbal hops at the end. The body is mildly creamy with moderate carbonation and finishes dry and smoky with a slight coffee aftertaste. Overall, a full-flavored and balanced Stout with just the right amount of coffee flavors.

Score: 3.9/5

Beer Review: Hopworks "Ace of Spades"

2011-06-18T12:42:00.000-07:00

Hopworks Urban Brewery (Portland, OR) is Portland's first 'Eco-Brewpub' and has quickly become one of the top craft beer destinations in the city. It was founded in 2007 by Christian Ettinger and offers a range of organic beers and fresh, local food at its bicycle themed brewpub. Ace of Spades is the brewery's hoppiest beer to date as it's brewed with 195 pounds of Amarillo, Cascade and Centennial hops and clocks in at 100 + IBUs.

Ace of Spades (9.2% ABV) pours a deep orange and amber color with dense white head. The aromatic notes are sweet and resiny with loads of tropical fruit, orange, caramel and cannabis. The taste builds on that aroma with a blend of ruby red grapefruit, tangerine, pine, malt and balanced hops bitterness. There’s also a citrusy alcohol flavor holding together all the different hops characteristics. The body is slightly syrupy with a mildly boozy, bitter finish and grapefruit aftertaste. The overall flavor is intensely citrusy and bitter with pretty much every last molecule bursting with hops juices. A damn good organic DIPA definitely worth seeking out.

Score: 4.4/5

Beer Review: Lazy Boy "Belgian"

2011-06-15T10:51:00.000-07:00

Lazy Boy Brewing's (Everett, WA) Belgian Style Golden Ale has taken the gold at both the North American Beer Awards and the Napa Beer Festival in recent years. It's brewed with traditional malts and hops and a unique strain of yeast.

The Belgian (8.7% ABV) pours a solid orange honey golden color with dense white head and active carbonation trails throughout the glass. The aroma is a blend of cereal malts, honey, cloves and earthy yeast. The flavor starts aggressively sweet and yeasty with lots of honey, bready malt and cloves in the mix. The body is creamy with moderate carbonation and finishes dry and tart with more cloves and honey sweetness. While not as full-flavored or complex as a classic Belgian, it’s a decent interpretation of the style and a good one to pair with roasted meats.

Score: 3.4/5

Beer Review: Lazy Boy "IPA"

2011-06-15T10:35:00.001-07:00

Lazy Boy Brewing (Everett, WA) was founded by craft beer industry veteran Shawn Loring in 2006. A handful of its beers are bottled in bombers that can be found throughout the state while the rest can be sampled at the brewery's taproom. Being located in hops country, the IPA is naturally the brewery's flagship beer.

IPA (6.5% ABV) is coppery amber colored in appearance with a half-inch of foamy white head. Lots of sweet and citrusy caramel malt and herbal hops notes in the aroma that slightly resemble a Barley Wine. The taste follows the same formula as the aroma with the addition of some grapefruit and earthy hops bitterness. The body is adequately carbonated with a clean, bitter finish. Nice interplay between the caramel malt and aggressive hops characteristics. Definitely holds its own against other quality Pacific Northwest style IPAs.

Score: 3.8/5

1 Year Blogiversary

2011-06-13T17:39:00.000-07:00

Oceans of Ale is still standing after one year and one move. I've managed 164 posts up to this point including 148 reviews which is a little under half of the beers I've reviewed over at Rate Beer. I had the opportunity to try quite a number of great beers while living in Northern California and now I'm trying to get my hands on as many Pacific Northwest brews as possible. It's pretty astounding how many good breweries are up here so I imagine it will take me quite some time to try even half of them. What little vacation time I have this year will most certainly be spent visiting different breweries, brewpubs and bottle shops throughout Western Washington and hopefully Oregon. I don't imagine it will be too difficult to convince my friends up here to come along for the ride.

Well, there's a fridge full of beers that aren't going to drink themselves so back to work.

Beer Review: Scuttlebutt "Weizen Bock"

2011-06-11T15:04:00.001-07:00

Weizen Bock is Scuttlebutt Brewing Company's (Everett, WA) interpretation of the classic German style of strong wheat beers. It's brewed with German Hallertau and Tettenanger hops to give it a spicy finish.

Weizen Bock (7.9% ABV) is light reddish brown colored with foamy beige head. The aroma is an acrid blend of cereal malt, brown sugar and barley. The taste has a much stronger emphasis on the toasted malt and caramel characteristics as well as some ripe banana, molasses, dates and medicinal hops flavors in the mix. The body is smooth and creamy with soft carbonation and a dry, sugary finish. Overall, a respectable American style Weizenbock that can best be described as a glass of liquid caramel bread.

Score: 3.5/5

Beer Review: Scuttlebutt "Gale Force IPA"

2011-06-11T14:41:00.001-07:00

The Scuttlebutt Brewing Company (Everett, WA) was established in 1996 by Phil and Cynthia Barret and started out as a brewpub. In 2007, it transferred brewing operations to a much larger production brewery and recently moved the brewpub to a larger, more modern space. The brewery produces a mix of European and Pacific Northwest style ales with Gale Force IPA being its flagship beer.

Gale Force IPA (5.2% ABV) is dark amber and peach colored in appearance with dense head. The aroma blends herbal hops and caramel with ruby red grapefruit. The flavor begins with lots of floral hops and sharp, bitter citrus notes along with toasted malt and caramel. It finishes with strong carbonation and more dry hops bitterness. Definitely one of the more full-flavored low ABV IPAs that I’ve tried.

Score: 3.6/5

New Belgium Clutch Beer

2011-06-08T10:08:00.000-07:00

It was recently announced that one of my all-time favorite bands is getting their own beer from New Belgium Brewing Company. Clutch Dark Sour Ale will be released in August under the brewery's 'Lips of Faith' series of experimental beers.

Label description: "Pure rock fury meets Belgian-style brewed folly in this collaboration with Maryland hard-rockers, Clutch. A pronounced bass line of dark chocolate, coffee and black malts bridge the sourness of our dark wood ale for a fluid riff."

The pairing of metal with craft beer seems only natural since the two go hand in hand. Recent releases include Jester King Craft Brewery's Black Metal Imperial Stout and Three Floyd's Brewing Company's Amon Amarth Ragnarok while more collaborations are in the works from other breweries. I'm looking forward to trying as many of these as I can get my hands on and of course I'll make sure to listen to the band's music while drinking the beer to get the full experience.

Beer Review: Elysian "The Immortal IPA"

2011-06-05T12:35:00.001-07:00

Continuing the Greek mythology theme, The Immortal IPA is Elysian Brewing Company's (Seattle, WA) flagship IPA although its Avatar Jasmine IPA is also widely available now. The majority of Elysian's beers are brewed in the tradition of English and Belgian styles as opposed to the hops bombs that most Pacific Northwest brewers are releasing these days so I'm expecting this one to be more like an English IPA.

The Immortal (6.3% ABV) is light orange and gold colored with ample foamy white head. The aroma is a blend of herbal hops, orange citrus and wildflower honey. The flavor is similar to the aroma with lots of floral, earthy hops and sweet malt characteristics. There’s also some caramel and dried tropical fruit notes in the mix. The body is smooth and adequately carbonated with a mildly sweet and fruity finish. The overall flavor is definitely unique although not quite what you’d expect from a West Coast style IPA.

Score: 3.6/5

Beer Review: Elysian "The Wise ESB"

2011-06-05T12:22:00.000-07:00

Made in honor of the Greek Goddess Athena, The Wise ESB was the first beer brewed by Elysian Brewing Company (Seattle, WA) back in 1996 and remains at the core of its lineup. It's brewed in the style of an Extra Special Bitter with a good dose of Pacific Northwest hops.

The Wise (5.9% ABV) is light amber and copper colored in appearance with a good inch of dense off-white head. Mostly caramel and bready malt notes in the aroma with a little bit of earthy hops. The taste is primarily a blend of caramel malt, toffee, biscuits and citrusy (orange, grapefruit) hops. The body is smooth and creamy with medium carbonation and finishes dry with some hops bitterness. Overall, a tasty brew that starts strong on the malt but finishes with a shot of hops flavors.

Score: 3.8/5

Beer Review: Full Sail "Session Lager"

2011-06-03T17:34:00.000-07:00

In honor of the first warm and sunny day in a long time, it's time to try one of the most popular Summer BBQ beers in the Pacific Northwest. Session Lager is Full Sail Brewing Company's (Hood River, OR) ode to light and refreshing pre-Prohibition American Lagers. It even comes in a retro stubby 11-oz bottle with a bright red label.

This style of beer is now referred to as either an American Pale Lager or a Premium Lager. Basically, it's an all-malt Lager brewed without the cereal adjuncts (rice, corn) that you find in most popular beers (Bud, Coors, Miller, etc).

Session Lager (5.1% ABV) is clear light golden colored with a half-inch of head that quickly dissipates. The aroma is a sweet and grassy mix of grain husks, barley malt and honey. The flavor is very similar to the aroma with the addition of some mild hops bitterness and biscuity malt characteristics. The body has strong carbonation and finishes dry and clean. Overall, a solid American style Lager that goes especially well with grilled meats and spicy food.

Score: 3.5/5

Beer Review: Full Sail "Old Boardhead"

2011-06-03T17:13:00.000-07:00

Old Boardhead Barleywine Ale is one of Full Sail Brewing Company's (Hood River, OR) oldest specialty beers and part of the brewery's increasingly prolific 'Brewmaster Reserve' series. This particular bottle is a 2010 vintage brewed with Centennial and Crystal hops and an aggressive 91 IBUs.

Old Boardhead (9% ABV) pours a clear reddish brown color with a thin layer of dense head. The aroma is a mix of herbal hops, vanilla and candied figs. The flavor starts strong on the toasted malt and caramel followed by sour grapefruit, rum soaked raisins and woody alcohol. The mouthfeel is slightly syrupy with soft carbonation and a malty, boozy finish and citrus aftertaste. This one’s still a little too hot to be fully enjoyed now. It definitely needs a few years to mellow out.

Score: 3.5/5

Beer Review: Skagit River "Sculler's IPA"

2011-05-30T18:18:00.001-07:00

The Skagit River Brewery (Mount Vernon, WA) only uses Yakima Valley hops and northwest grown barley and wheat to make its beers. It has a fairly straightforward lineup of ales and lagers meant to compliment the northwest pub fare and wood fired pizzas from its brewpub.

Sculler's IPA (6.8% ABV) is light amber colored with an inch of solid beige head. Faded floral hops and caramel malt notes in the aroma. The taste starts strong on the grapefruit citrus and bitter hops characteristics with an equal dose of nutty malt and caramel. The body is slightly creamy with medium-level carbonation and a clean, bitter finish. Interesting take on the style and definitely more malt-forward than most PNW IPAs.

Score: 3.7/5

Beer Review: Redhook "Big Ballard"

2011-05-26T21:49:00.000-07:00

Big Ballard is Redhook Ale Brewery's (Woodinville, WA) crack at the Double IPA style. The name is the brewery's homage to the great Seattle neighborhood where it originally started out of a converted transmission shop. Now that pretty much every Pacific Northwest brewery is releasing DIPAs, I'm curious to see how Redhook's stacks up since they're not really known for hoppy beers.

Big Ballard (8.6% ABV) is light gold and orange colored in appearance with an inch of sudsy white head. The aroma is slightly dank and earthy hops, grapefruit and caramel malt. The flavor starts strong on the herbal hops and sour grapefruit along with a good dose of toasted malt and orange citrus. The body has standard IPA-level carbonation and finishes with more malt and caramel notes and a mild citrus aftertaste. It’s drinkable enough but not terribly memorable.

Score: 3.3/5