Beer - More than just Hops, Malt, Yeast and Water - Page 3

rrandom · December 3rd, 2006, 11:13 AM

Well, I went yesterday with a friend of mine and am going again today. I want to try as many different brews as possible, and it needs to be spread out over a couple of days since one can only sample so many at a time before losing some of your palette.

Between the two of us I got to sample a decent number. Unfortunately, they were already out of some of the ones I was most interested in trying.

Early report:
Brasserie Dubuisson; Scaldis Noel: Best beer of the night. Many different malts are blended into a very complex Belgian strong ale. It is surprisingly dry considering the amount of malt that goes into it and it's high alcohol content (12% abv). Absolutely perfect balance between the rich caramel and nutty body, slightly floral hops, and the distinctive semi-sour Belgian yeast. This one's a winner.

Widmer Brothers Collaborator; Sled Crasher: Medium to biggish bodied beer. Mostly caramel tasting malt with a hint of chocolate in the background. Decently enough balanced with a fairly heavy dose of Cascade hops. Like most everything Widmer Brothers puts out, this is a fairly good beer that tries to moderate everything in order to appeal to as large an audience as possible. 6.8% abv

Fearless Brewing Co.; Strong Scotch Ale: Not really a holiday ale in the sense that most are used to, but a good cold weather match nonetheless. It is fairly strong body without the malty sweetness of many of the other beers, but still has a strong enough dose of malt to withstand the onslaught of hops that characterize a scottish ale. 8.5% abv

Klamath Basin Brewing Co.; Cabin Fever Stout: Worst beer of the night. They call it a stout, but it is cloyingly sweet. It tastes like they added a hint of burnt coffee bean and chocolate then covered it up with a shot of cough syrup to it to try to get a cherry taste. Then it is topped off with a dose of hops that add nothing to the nose or finish and only slap you during the tasting. Poor vision, poor execution, and the balance of Ted Kennedy on a greased log. 7.6% abv

Lompoc Brewing Co.; Lompoc Holiday Golden Ale: This was the biggest surprise of the night. Lompoc is really starting to put out some excellent beers and is now home of my favorite Portland made brews. This one is certainly not what I excpected though. It is a very light bodied beer compared to everything else here. But it is fairly bright and absolutely perfectly crafted for a style where it is almost impossible to make a beer that really stands out. It has light flavoring and nose of cinnamon, orange, and cloves, but all are kept in perfect balance with the body. It is dry hopped to give it almost a bit of tartness that pulls everything together perfectly. It was a very nice change of pace from the other big bodied malt-fests that dominate the winter ale category. 5% abv

Ninkasi Brewing Co.; Believer: Good beer from a pretty new Oregon brewery. Their master brewer worked at Steelhead Brewing for years and then started his own place. They put out a great double IPA this summer and a very good IPA as well. They put a lot of emphasis on hoppiness, and their winter ale is no exception. It has a big, rich body like you would expect from this style, but then pounds in a larger dose of cascade hops than you are expecting. It's a good beer, but could use a bit more balance- moving some of the hops to the back end instead of the front would help. Solid effort overall. 7% abv

Off the Rail Brewing Co.; Blizzard of Ozz: They call this a belgian style ale, but that's not really right. It has a nice creamy head on it and a great nose consisting of lots of spice and flavors. The body is a bit different in that, while still pretty big and malty, it has some wheat as well to add a touch of brightness that keep it from getting too bogged down. A nice clean finish also save it from being too sweet, which could have been a problem since it is pretty light on the hops. Good beer if not exactly close to being great. 8.6% abv

That's all from last night, stay tuned for today's report later.

rrandom · December 12th, 2006, 09:17 PM

There was no response to my post from the first day of the festival, so I didn't bother posting about the second.

Tonight I wanted a darkish beer but one without the sweetness or complexity of many of the winter specialty brews that are all the rage right now. So, I went with an old standard: Sam Smith's Taddy Porter. It is nice, rich, almost chocolaty, but straightforward with no sublety. It was exactly what I wanted on a wet winter's night.

bedir than average · December 12th, 2006, 09:33 PM

rrandom, I missed that update. I must apologize. I have some new brews to target though, as well as some that I may even need to special order.

bedir than average · January 4th, 2007, 09:32 AM

I have thoughoughly enjoyed Blue Moon Brewing Company's Belgian White. This unfiltered wheat ale has nice lemony/citrus notes, a smooth body and is a more than satisfactory lighter winter brew as it is strong enough to hold up to the popular comfort foods in the cold of the day.

DCFan · January 4th, 2007, 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bedir than average

I have thoughoughly enjoyed Blue Moon Brewing Company's Belgian White. This unfiltered wheat ale has nice lemony/citrus notes, a smooth body and is a more than satisfactory lighter winter brew as it is strong enough to hold up to the popular comfort foods in the cold of the day.

Excellent beer choice, bedir! Seeing a frosty mug of Blue Moon with a slice of orange is making my mouth water.

Nocahoma · January 4th, 2007, 01:33 PM

Bah! I have been ruined toward the taste of these lesser brews. I, friends, have been to Bavaria!!

That's my Dunkelweiss in the foreground. Lookit the head on those 2 in the background!!

Nocahoma · January 4th, 2007, 01:35 PM

RR,
Niskasi, eh? Isn't that the name of the Goddess from the oldest beer recipe in history? Anchor Steam reproduced it some years back, I believe.

EDIT: I was right!! Here it is: Anchor Steam - Sumerian Beer Project

Tex · January 9th, 2007, 05:07 PM

Being a CO native far from home, one of the things I have always missed most is Fat Tire/Sunshine wheat and the New Belgium seasonal brews. I always find myself just outside of their 1 day distro policy. If you ever find yourself in the Ft Collins area, a tour of the brewery is a MUST (complete with free samples).

I was recently in VA for a few months and made sure to make a special trip to DC to hit the Brickskeller and it was well worth the gas money and traffic. I agree that service is not their strong point, but as busy as they were it wasn't unacceptable. Also their selection of beers varies, so you may not be able to get every beer on the menu but there are definately plenty to choose from

The BRICKSKELLER BEER LIST

I am now in beer heaven and doing my best to taste every beer Germany and surrounding nations have to offer and enjoying every minute of it. I am on the hunt for an ever elusive "Perminator", I will post pics when I find it

Nocahoma · January 9th, 2007, 05:55 PM

Nicely done, Tex. Do you run into any resistance to Pilsner up there? They had it when I was Munich, but it was a grudging sort of offering.

Tex · January 9th, 2007, 10:28 PM

So far the Pils are not my favorite, I like the dunkels and Alt beers (dark), but I have been hard pressed to find a beer that I don't like

Nocahoma · January 9th, 2007, 11:01 PM

Amen to that. I have never been one for wheat beers (too sweet, IMO), but I found just ONE Weissbier (that's wheat beer in Deutsch, folks) in Munich that fit that description. The Dunkelweiss and Doppelbocks were my favorites.

What's funny was that Beck's (a beer marketed as "premium" in the U.S.) was considered the absolute shyte beer in our hotel bar. Order that and they ask you "Are you sure?"

Most German beers that I tasted, ranging from the very light (Helles) to the very dark (Dunkel) were all flavorful in their own right, but they also all occupied a solid middle ground in terms of robustness. In the UK, for example, there are lots of light lagers, but also extremely hoppy Pale Ales and super-robust Porters and Stouts. German beers were possibly more flavorful than any of these, but without adding that super-robust "oomph." You could drink a lot more of these, but you could never say that they were lighter in any way.

ganja · January 27th, 2007, 09:33 AM

What's your favorite?

I'd have to say if I'm on a budget...Busch Light seems to be a popular choice and sometimes Coors Light.

For a more upscale beer, Blue Moon or Red Stripe.

TheDreadedFoosa · January 27th, 2007, 09:43 AM

Guiness
Corona
Heineken

Occasionally if I feel like getting a little loopy for cheap I'll go with a King Cobra

Nocahoma · January 27th, 2007, 05:20 PM

VIOLATION!! Coors Light is not beer. Coors Light is officially classified as "Sex in a Canoe."

I actually a found some of one of my favorites from Germany -- König Ludwig Weissbier, but it tastes nowhere near as good over here. Now, if I can just find their Dunkelweiss....

steeplechase3k · January 27th, 2007, 06:42 PM

Well put Noc.

My favorites
Deschuts Brewing Black Butte Porter (winter only, top heavy for summer)
Widmer Heffeweizen

I could live on (well ok, not LIVE) these beers alone, but I also like:
Stella Artolis
Deschutes Cinder Cone Red
Lucky Lab Black Lab Stout
Lucky Lab Stumptown Porter
McMenamins Ruby
McMenamins Terminator

Yea, only one is brewed outside of Oregon, I could drink only Oregon beer for the rest of mt life (as long as I live in Oregon) easily...

December 12th, 2006, 09:33 PM	#33 (permalink)
bedir than average Hall of Famer Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Starbucks Posts: 8,258	rrandom, I missed that update. I must apologize. I have some new brews to target though, as well as some that I may even need to special order. __________________ I'm sorry I left for a while. I needed a vaction, and then work changed substantially. I'm over 50 hour weeks, plus two hours a day of commuting time. A few weeks ago I launched my own blog about Seattle Sounders FC and Life in Puget Sound. I won't be by these parts often as my focus has changed. Sorry about the unannounced retirement.

January 4th, 2007, 09:32 AM	#34 (permalink)
bedir than average Hall of Famer Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Starbucks Posts: 8,258	I have thoughoughly enjoyed Blue Moon Brewing Company's Belgian White. This unfiltered wheat ale has nice lemony/citrus notes, a smooth body and is a more than satisfactory lighter winter brew as it is strong enough to hold up to the popular comfort foods in the cold of the day. __________________ I'm sorry I left for a while. I needed a vaction, and then work changed substantially. I'm over 50 hour weeks, plus two hours a day of commuting time. A few weeks ago I launched my own blog about Seattle Sounders FC and Life in Puget Sound. I won't be by these parts often as my focus has changed. Sorry about the unannounced retirement.

January 27th, 2007, 09:33 AM	#42 (permalink)
ganja Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: North Carolina Posts: 194	Beer What's your favorite? I'd have to say if I'm on a budget...Busch Light seems to be a popular choice and sometimes Coors Light. For a more upscale beer, Blue Moon or Red Stripe.

January 27th, 2007, 06:42 PM	#45 (permalink)
steeplechase3k Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 125	Well put Noc. My favorites Deschuts Brewing Black Butte Porter (winter only, top heavy for summer) Widmer Heffeweizen I could live on (well ok, not LIVE) these beers alone, but I also like: Stella Artolis Deschutes Cinder Cone Red Lucky Lab Black Lab Stout Lucky Lab Stumptown Porter McMenamins Ruby McMenamins Terminator Yea, only one is brewed outside of Oregon, I could drink only Oregon beer for the rest of mt life (as long as I live in Oregon) easily... __________________ --There are some who call me... Tim.--

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December 3rd, 2006, 11:13 AM	#31 (permalink)
rrandom Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 65	Well, I went yesterday with a friend of mine and am going again today. I want to try as many different brews as possible, and it needs to be spread out over a couple of days since one can only sample so many at a time before losing some of your palette. Between the two of us I got to sample a decent number. Unfortunately, they were already out of some of the ones I was most interested in trying. Early report: Brasserie Dubuisson; Scaldis Noel: Best beer of the night. Many different malts are blended into a very complex Belgian strong ale. It is surprisingly dry considering the amount of malt that goes into it and it's high alcohol content (12% abv). Absolutely perfect balance between the rich caramel and nutty body, slightly floral hops, and the distinctive semi-sour Belgian yeast. This one's a winner. Widmer Brothers Collaborator; Sled Crasher: Medium to biggish bodied beer. Mostly caramel tasting malt with a hint of chocolate in the background. Decently enough balanced with a fairly heavy dose of Cascade hops. Like most everything Widmer Brothers puts out, this is a fairly good beer that tries to moderate everything in order to appeal to as large an audience as possible. 6.8% abv Fearless Brewing Co.; Strong Scotch Ale: Not really a holiday ale in the sense that most are used to, but a good cold weather match nonetheless. It is fairly strong body without the malty sweetness of many of the other beers, but still has a strong enough dose of malt to withstand the onslaught of hops that characterize a scottish ale. 8.5% abv Klamath Basin Brewing Co.; Cabin Fever Stout: Worst beer of the night. They call it a stout, but it is cloyingly sweet. It tastes like they added a hint of burnt coffee bean and chocolate then covered it up with a shot of cough syrup to it to try to get a cherry taste. Then it is topped off with a dose of hops that add nothing to the nose or finish and only slap you during the tasting. Poor vision, poor execution, and the balance of Ted Kennedy on a greased log. 7.6% abv Lompoc Brewing Co.; Lompoc Holiday Golden Ale: This was the biggest surprise of the night. Lompoc is really starting to put out some excellent beers and is now home of my favorite Portland made brews. This one is certainly not what I excpected though. It is a very light bodied beer compared to everything else here. But it is fairly bright and absolutely perfectly crafted for a style where it is almost impossible to make a beer that really stands out. It has light flavoring and nose of cinnamon, orange, and cloves, but all are kept in perfect balance with the body. It is dry hopped to give it almost a bit of tartness that pulls everything together perfectly. It was a very nice change of pace from the other big bodied malt-fests that dominate the winter ale category. 5% abv Ninkasi Brewing Co.; Believer: Good beer from a pretty new Oregon brewery. Their master brewer worked at Steelhead Brewing for years and then started his own place. They put out a great double IPA this summer and a very good IPA as well. They put a lot of emphasis on hoppiness, and their winter ale is no exception. It has a big, rich body like you would expect from this style, but then pounds in a larger dose of cascade hops than you are expecting. It's a good beer, but could use a bit more balance- moving some of the hops to the back end instead of the front would help. Solid effort overall. 7% abv Off the Rail Brewing Co.; Blizzard of Ozz: They call this a belgian style ale, but that's not really right. It has a nice creamy head on it and a great nose consisting of lots of spice and flavors. The body is a bit different in that, while still pretty big and malty, it has some wheat as well to add a touch of brightness that keep it from getting too bogged down. A nice clean finish also save it from being too sweet, which could have been a problem since it is pretty light on the hops. Good beer if not exactly close to being great. 8.6% abv That's all from last night, stay tuned for today's report later.

December 12th, 2006, 09:17 PM	#32 (permalink)
rrandom Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 65	There was no response to my post from the first day of the festival, so I didn't bother posting about the second. Tonight I wanted a darkish beer but one without the sweetness or complexity of many of the winter specialty brews that are all the rage right now. So, I went with an old standard: Sam Smith's Taddy Porter. It is nice, rich, almost chocolaty, but straightforward with no sublety. It was exactly what I wanted on a wet winter's night.

January 4th, 2007, 01:33 PM	#36 (permalink)
Nocahoma Moderator Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 1,238	Bah! I have been ruined toward the taste of these lesser brews. I, friends, have been to Bavaria!! That's my Dunkelweiss in the foreground. Lookit the head on those 2 in the background!!

January 4th, 2007, 01:35 PM	#37 (permalink)
Nocahoma Moderator Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 1,238	RR, Niskasi, eh? Isn't that the name of the Goddess from the oldest beer recipe in history? Anchor Steam reproduced it some years back, I believe. EDIT: I was right!! Here it is: Anchor Steam - Sumerian Beer Project

January 9th, 2007, 05:07 PM	#38 (permalink)
Tex Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: K-Town Germany Posts: 15	Being a CO native far from home, one of the things I have always missed most is Fat Tire/Sunshine wheat and the New Belgium seasonal brews. I always find myself just outside of their 1 day distro policy. If you ever find yourself in the Ft Collins area, a tour of the brewery is a MUST (complete with free samples). I was recently in VA for a few months and made sure to make a special trip to DC to hit the Brickskeller and it was well worth the gas money and traffic. I agree that service is not their strong point, but as busy as they were it wasn't unacceptable. Also their selection of beers varies, so you may not be able to get every beer on the menu but there are definately plenty to choose from The BRICKSKELLER BEER LIST I am now in beer heaven and doing my best to taste every beer Germany and surrounding nations have to offer and enjoying every minute of it. I am on the hunt for an ever elusive "Perminator", I will post pics when I find it

January 9th, 2007, 05:55 PM	#39 (permalink)
Nocahoma Moderator Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 1,238	Nicely done, Tex. Do you run into any resistance to Pilsner up there? They had it when I was Munich, but it was a grudging sort of offering.

January 9th, 2007, 10:28 PM	#40 (permalink)
Tex Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: K-Town Germany Posts: 15	So far the Pils are not my favorite, I like the dunkels and Alt beers (dark), but I have been hard pressed to find a beer that I don't like

January 9th, 2007, 11:01 PM	#41 (permalink)
Nocahoma Moderator Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 1,238	Amen to that. I have never been one for wheat beers (too sweet, IMO), but I found just ONE Weissbier (that's wheat beer in Deutsch, folks) in Munich that fit that description. The Dunkelweiss and Doppelbocks were my favorites. What's funny was that Beck's (a beer marketed as "premium" in the U.S.) was considered the absolute shyte beer in our hotel bar. Order that and they ask you "Are you sure?" Most German beers that I tasted, ranging from the very light (Helles) to the very dark (Dunkel) were all flavorful in their own right, but they also all occupied a solid middle ground in terms of robustness. In the UK, for example, there are lots of light lagers, but also extremely hoppy Pale Ales and super-robust Porters and Stouts. German beers were possibly more flavorful than any of these, but without adding that super-robust "oomph." You could drink a lot more of these, but you could never say that they were lighter in any way.

January 27th, 2007, 09:43 AM	#43 (permalink)
TheDreadedFoosa Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 155	Guiness Corona Heineken Occasionally if I feel like getting a little loopy for cheap I'll go with a King Cobra

January 27th, 2007, 05:20 PM	#44 (permalink)
Nocahoma Moderator Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 1,238	VIOLATION!! Coors Light is not beer. Coors Light is officially classified as "Sex in a Canoe." I actually a found some of one of my favorites from Germany -- König Ludwig Weissbier, but it tastes nowhere near as good over here. Now, if I can just find their Dunkelweiss....