Price: $3.49 for 22 oz (plus bottle deposit)
Brewery: The Pike Brewing Co, Seattle, WA
Style: Imperial Stout (although on the bottle it's labeled Extra Stout)
ABV: 7%
Color: Black.
Aroma: very prominent Roasted Barley, Hops, and a hint of chocolate.
Body: Heavy
Stomach Aspect: Full. I'm 18 ounces into this brew and I'm getting full. gotta stand up so I can shake some down my empty leg.
Head: poured great, head matured at 1/4". After a minute the head started to fade.
Head Retention: Not bad. Beer resides on side of glass after a pull.
Taste: Upon first tasting the brew you get a little Roasted Barley about mid-tongue area. Swallowing the brew is where you get the prominent hops bitterness and grain bite. You get a great flavor from the alcohol, but not until you swallow. There isn't much flavor at the front of the tongue, but there is a definite "prickliness" from the carbonation at all areas of the tongue. The finish of the brew is a nice balance between malty and crispy.
Conclusion: When I first opened the bottle I caught the aroma from the brew and I immediately thought of my Imperious Rex Stout. Poured the brew and still thought I was going to drink an Imperious Rex. The aroma of this brew is quite wonderful (one of the great things about Stouts). You take a pull of the glass and you get the wonderful flavor from Roasted Barley, a nice hint of hop aroma. But the move the brew to the back of the tongue and whamo! The flavor really hits you. The bitterness from the Black Patent grains (I think), and the Hop bitterness both come to life and wake you up. Exhale after swallowing and you get even more Hop flavor on the palate. The color of the beer is simply Black. The brew has an opaque aspect, but with a color rating of 30+ it's hard to see through it. The head of the beer is actually one of the best I've come across in this category. It's nice when poured, and kinda stays with you during drinking (like a drinking buddy). The heavy, full body definitely warms you (and fills you) as you sip this brew. You can taste the alcohol in the brew, but it's nicely hidden between the grains and hops. Overall a very nice Imperial Stout.
Public Aspect: Bring this lovely brew to a BBQ or public event and you won't have to worry about any one trying to steal your beer. This is a heavy, full bodied Stout that will make most people run away from. At a public event the label on the bottle might get a non Stout drinker to try, but they probably won't like it. However, if you love the dark heavy beers (as I do) then you will warm up nicely to this and sip your wonderful beer while interacting with other people. Some people may not like the aspect of a heavy Stout in the warm Northwest weather, but I say a good Stout can be enjoyed anytime of the year.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Beer Review: Bare Island Blonde Ale
Price: $3.49 for 22 oz (plus bottle deposit)
Brewery: Klamath Basin Brewing Company, Klamath Falls, Oregon
Style: Blonde Ale
ABV: 4.2% ABV
Color: Clear, gold.
Aroma: slight hops, sweet grain
Body: light.
Stomach Aspect: not much. Drank all 22 oz and I could probably down another 22 oz.
Head:poured nicely, vanished to thin coating within thirty seconds.
Head Retention: Not much residual left on side of glass after drink.
Taste: Not much flavor on the front of the tongue. Move the brew to the rear/back of the tongue and you start to taste the 2-row malt, with a slight hint of hops. Swallow the brew and you get a nice taste of hops. Just before you get the hop flavor there is a slight sweetness. About mid tongue there is a quick hint of "bready" aspect. The brew doesn't seem to have much carbonation aspect on the tongue.
Conclusion: This is my second Blonde Ale review in as many weeks. I will say that the aroma is a bit lacking in this Ale, and the head is also lacking. But the brew's lackluster stops there. Take a pull and you immediately notice the flavor of the brew. You get a good dose of grain flavor, and with a hint of bread about mid tongue (something you get from Hugh Baird grain) it's a nice one-two punch. Swallow the brew and your palate gets some good hop flavor while your sinus's get a good hop aroma. While your taste buds are experiencing this nice flavor, your brain is saying what a nice, refreshing brew. The color is a nice gold, and the clarity is very good. This is simply a very refreshing, fulfilling beer. I've had Blonde Ale's before, and this is by far the best one I've purchased. It's not as good as my Back Porch Blonde, but it's definitely a home run.
Public Aspect: The label is quite boring, but that's usually the sign of something good to come right? Well, with this brew I would say yes. Drink this at a BBQ, or give one to a friend and they'll thank you for introducing them to such a wonderful brew. If you can get paste the lack of head, and lack of aroma this brew will not let you down in the taste area. So go get a 22 oz, sit back, and enjoy.
Brewery: Klamath Basin Brewing Company, Klamath Falls, Oregon
Style: Blonde Ale
ABV: 4.2% ABV
Color: Clear, gold.
Aroma: slight hops, sweet grain
Body: light.
Stomach Aspect: not much. Drank all 22 oz and I could probably down another 22 oz.
Head:poured nicely, vanished to thin coating within thirty seconds.
Head Retention: Not much residual left on side of glass after drink.
Taste: Not much flavor on the front of the tongue. Move the brew to the rear/back of the tongue and you start to taste the 2-row malt, with a slight hint of hops. Swallow the brew and you get a nice taste of hops. Just before you get the hop flavor there is a slight sweetness. About mid tongue there is a quick hint of "bready" aspect. The brew doesn't seem to have much carbonation aspect on the tongue.
Conclusion: This is my second Blonde Ale review in as many weeks. I will say that the aroma is a bit lacking in this Ale, and the head is also lacking. But the brew's lackluster stops there. Take a pull and you immediately notice the flavor of the brew. You get a good dose of grain flavor, and with a hint of bread about mid tongue (something you get from Hugh Baird grain) it's a nice one-two punch. Swallow the brew and your palate gets some good hop flavor while your sinus's get a good hop aroma. While your taste buds are experiencing this nice flavor, your brain is saying what a nice, refreshing brew. The color is a nice gold, and the clarity is very good. This is simply a very refreshing, fulfilling beer. I've had Blonde Ale's before, and this is by far the best one I've purchased. It's not as good as my Back Porch Blonde, but it's definitely a home run.
Public Aspect: The label is quite boring, but that's usually the sign of something good to come right? Well, with this brew I would say yes. Drink this at a BBQ, or give one to a friend and they'll thank you for introducing them to such a wonderful brew. If you can get paste the lack of head, and lack of aroma this brew will not let you down in the taste area. So go get a 22 oz, sit back, and enjoy.
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