Beer Review: Red Hook Dunkel Weizen

Price: $2.29 for 22oz
Brewery: Red Hook, Woodinville, WA
Style: Dunkel Weizen
ABV: 6.0%
Color: Amber, to dark red.
Aroma: sweet, fruity, malty, wheat
Body: Medium
Stomach Aspect: Light, already had 22 ounces and I could drink another 22 ounces.
Head: Poured to a thick, off-white, tightly grouped head.
Head Retention: Very little. Doesn't leave much trace from previous pull.
Taste: Caramel, slight hint of pear or other fruit, strong wheat flavor, little hop flavor at the end of the brew. Malty finish that stays on the the tongue
Conclusion: When smelling the brew you're presented with a lovely bouquet of fruit, with hint of hops and spice. The beer has a wonderful deep Amber to dark red color, that is very clear. The head is a nice thick, creamy off-white with tightly dense bubbles. Taste the brew and the taste buds on the front of your tongue come alive! The beer immediately introduces itself. The sweet fruity flavors are very prominent in this beer. Moving the brew to the middle of the tongue and the flavor fades but push it to the back of your tongue and you get a nice spiciness, with some good light hop bitterness and flavor. Swallow the brew and the hop flavor is more prominent (even thought the hop profile is very weak), but the malty finish with the hint of caramel and or toffee flavors go wonderful with the wheat flavors, all of these just make the beer refreshing to drink. This is a wonderful, refreshing Dark Wheat (Dunkel Weizen) brew. I've already drank the brew and I'm wishing I had more. If you're a wheat beer lover, you really need to try this brew, it might just make you love beer that much more. I've had several Red Hook brews (one of my favorites from this brewery is Black Hook Porter), and they still continue to produce brews that are refreshing, great tasting, and Northwestern.
Public Aspect: I'm not sure how people would take this beer just by looking at the label. I mean,the main problem with beer drinkers is they find what they like and that's all they drink. The label isn't much to catch your eye, but once you pour the beer, the aroma and color will start to perk interest. Once friends and family get a drink of this brew you may have to fight off the hoards to drink it yourself. This is simply a good beer.

Beer Review: Hop in the Dark C.D.A.

Price: $4.98 for 22oz
Brewery: Deschutes, Bend Oregon
Style: Cascadian Dark Ale (Black IPA)
ABV: 6.9%
Color: Black, opaque
Aroma: Hoppy.
Body: Light-Medium
Stomach Aspect: Little.
Head: Poured to a quarter inch but only lasted a minute before fading. The head is a tan colored with tightly grouped bubbles. The head has a nice velvet aspect like Stouts.
Head Retention: OK, leaves a nice ring from the previous pull.
Taste: Front of the tongue there is no sweetness in the brew. Little roasted malt flavor mid-tongue. Back of the tongue strong hop bitterness, and flavor.
Conclusion: I am not sure where to start with this brew. I like the label on the bottle, the idea behind the label was nice. Pouring the beer into my pint glass and instantly you see a nice dark color, and your brain goes "oh, Porter or Stout", you sniff the brew and your brain goes "WTF?" I am looking a dark beer, I smell no Roasted malt. The brew has a simple aroma, it's nothing but Hops. Taking a sip and your nose gives you the idea you're drinking an IPA, or something close to it. However, seeing the dark color you think Stouts or Porter. Continue to take that sip and instantly your tongue goes on Hop alert. The Roasted Malt is so faint that it leaves your tongue as fast as it shows up. It doesn't linger enough to make make you want more Roasted Malt. Move the brew to the back of your tongue and viola! Hops are present and accounted for. The Hop flavor is very bitter, almost like sucking from a lemon bitter. Swallow and the hop presence is even more pronounced. The finish is a little malty, but the brew does leave a thick film on your tongue, and after a pint, it gave me "Cotton Mouth." The brew itself isn't bad, but it's just like the other Dark IPA's I've reviewed. They (Breweries) take an IPA recipe and add enough Roasted Malt to color it black. The bottle says ""welcome to the curious place where the Velvet Dark of Roasted Malt meets the Hop snap of IPA." I disagree, the Roasted Malt is so faint it's not even present. Curious yes, my brain is going what am I doing drinking this? The label should have read "we used just enough Roasted Malt to color an IPA, without imparting any Roasted flavor." As you may know I am a Stout drinker, the darker, heavier the beer the happier I am. I am not a fan of this style of brew. Mixing Roasted Malt with massive Hops to obtain a dark beer in color is just wrong in my opinion. I mean, it's like someone buying a Hybrid car and saying they're going green, meanwhile they still drive the 8 MPG SUV all the time. See my point? IPA's have their place in the beer world and in the Pacific Northwest, they should be hoppy, they (IPA's) should be Gold to a deep yellow in color. They (IPA's) should have an off white head. They shouldn't be black. They (IPA's) shouldn't have a tan colored, velvety head as Stouts do. If I was sitting at brew pub and saw a pint glass with this brew in it I would think Stout because of the deep black color. I've said it before and I'll say it again. If the IPA's are boring to brewers and drinkers, improve the beer by making it better within it's realm of IPA. If you want to step up to the big heavy Stouts then drink one, don't phone it in and puss out with a Dark IPA.
Public Aspect: I think at first hop heads are going to be put off by the color of the brew (if shown in a glass). The one thing most beer drinkers hate are the dark, deep heavy, full bodied beers. This brew (by looks) will fool some to believe it's a Stout. But yet, drink it and there is no mistaking this brew for anything other than an IPA. This brew is a "Faux-rrari." A Pontiac Fiero dress up on the outside to look like a Ferrari 308. Some people are going to like this style of brew, which is fine, I guess. But if you want a dark beer wouldn't you rather just have a dark beer? If you wanted an IPA, wouldn't you rather have an IPA? The price of the beer is tolerable for the size of the bottle. But in reality I think this brew won't grab and hold the attention of either the Stouts or IPA drinkers. So please, don't show up to a public event with this style of beer. Find your calling, listen to your taste buds, and be proud of the style of beer you drink.

Beer Review:Grand Imperial Porter

Price: $2.25 for 16.9 oz
Brewery: Browar Amber, Poland.
Style: Imperial Porter
ABV: 8%
Color: Dark Brown to Black, Opaque.
Aroma:Chocolate Malt, Slight fruity, hint of Apple, hint of Oatmeal.
Body: Medium
Stomach Aspect: Full. It's a Porter so it's going to have an impact on your stomach.
Head: Wonderful from the pour, tan color with tightly grouped bubbles. But quickly fades.
Head Retention: None. The head leaves no mark on the sides of the glass.
Taste front of the tongue picks up on the sweetness of the brew. Middle of the tongue has little bitterness. Back of the tongue has mild Hop bitterness. very faint Chocolate Malt Flavor. The brew is almost like drinking a Barley Wine due to the sweetness flavors it gives off.
Conclusion: The aroma of the beer immediately made itself present. The aroma was a sweet, Apple, Oatmeal, with Chocolate dashes. Pouring the beer the head forms to a great half-inch thick foam, but it quickly dissipates. Tasting the brew your tongue immediately is assaulted by the sweetness of the brew. Honestly I was thinking I was drinking an Imperial Porter because of the sweetness. Moving the brew to the middle of the tongue and you get the slightest hint of Malt bitterness (probably from the Chocolate Malt). Swallowing the brew you get a quick, but sharp hit of Hop bitterness, and finally it goes down the Gullet with a thick Malty finish. Okay, now let's talk about the beer's other aspects. Wait for it...Wait for it....Exactly...There isn't any. For being a Porter (and Imperial Porter) at that the brew doesn't resemble a Porter at all. The Chocolate and Roasted Barley flavors are not present (the two biggest features of a Porter), but yet it has Fruity undertones as if you were drinking a Marzen or Trappist Ale. I double checked the bottle, yep it said Imperial Porter, but there was no Porter to be found. Yes the brew has a nice fruity taste, yes the aroma is good and fruity, but where's the Roasted Barley or Chocolate Bitterness? I'm not sure what the brewers where trying to accomplish, but I think they fell short of reaching Imperial Porter status. Maybe this brew was suppose to be an Imperial Porter, but came out sweet, malty, and fruity and instead of classifying it under a different category, they slapped the Imperial Porter label on it and shipped it. One great note about this brew is that being 8% ABV you don't taste any alcohol which sneaks up on you halfway through the pint (maybe the brewers ploy to hide the flavor of the beer). I mean 8oz through a 16.9oz pint, and I'm a little warm due to the alcohol. To be honest, very rarely do I pour out a beer (and I have worked my way through some shitty beers), but I could only handle 8oz (half pint) of this brew. The fruity flavor, heavy malt finish, and fruit aroma have beaten me to submission. The label says "Grand Imperial Porter." I have to question this label. The label also says a "bittersweet aftertaste with a hint of Coffee." It would have been nice to have Coffee flavor to give the beer a little more edginess. I am really disappointed in this brew.
Public Aspect: The public aspect of this is simple. You're bringing a bottle labeled Imperial Porter to an event. First thing, the word Imperial (when seeing this on a beer, get ready for big, high alcohol beer), and second it's a Porter which means it's going to be on the darker side of beer. Once the flavor gets out, you won't have to fight anybody to keep your beer. Most people will be turned off the style of beer, the flavor of the beer, and finally the color of the beer.

Beer Review: Weihenstephaner Hefe Weissbier

Price: $2.75 for 16.9oz
Brewery: Bay.Staats-Brauerei, Weihenstephaner, Freising, Germany
Style: Bavarian Wheat
ABV: 5.4%
Color: Hazy, dark yellow to light gold.
Aroma:Malty, a hint of fruit,
Body: Light
Stomach Aspect: Little.
Head: Poured very nice and to a full 1 1/2" thick, white creamy dense feel.
Head Retention: Excellent. This brew leaves several rings on the side of the glass.
Taste: Very little wheat aspect, malt flavor is present, as is some fruit tones, a hint of banana I would say. The hop flavor does not exist, nor does hop aroma. There is a little spiciness to the brew when you swallow. The head is very smooth, creamy, tightly grouped bubbles.
Conclusion: Let's start with the first thing you notice about this brew which is the head. When you poor this brew the head is definitely present, and it does not go away which is nice. The aroma is a little weak, when profiling the aroma you get a little hint of Cloves, a little hint of Malt, but not much else. Taking your first pull you immediately notice the carbonation aspect of the beer. What a wonderful feeling on the tongue, the flavor on the front of the tongue wasn't much. Moving the beer to the middle of the tongue and you start to get flavor, good flavor. You're presented with a nice hint of banana, a touch of wheat, and some spiciness. Moving the brew to the back of the tongue and the banana flavor increases but not to the point where it becomes overly aggressive. You're waiting for the Hops to arrive, but then they don't. I must say, it's interesting to have a brew that does not have any Hop flavor or aroma present. The finish of the brew has a nice malty, creamy aspect with a last hint of spice. While this is not my style of beer, I would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone who wants a different style, or something they're not used to. This is an easy beer to drink, and with a ABV of 5.4% it could be easy to tie a few of these together. The stomach aspect is low, which makes it even easier to tie a couple together. The bottle has nice, vibrant label, with almost too much information listed on it.
Public Aspect: Bringing this brew to a pubic event may lead to some people switching from their current beer. This beer would be great to share because of it's easy drinking approach and nice color. I would recommend this brew to anybody who is looking to drink something other than a Widmer Hefeweizen, Blue Moon, Shocktop, or any other massive retail wheat beer wannabe.

Beer Review: Smoked Northporter

Price: $4.09 for 22oz
Brewery: Northern Ales, Northport, Washington
Style: Smoked Porter
ABV: 6%
Color: Black
Aroma: Roasted malt, smokey, pungent musky
Body: Medium
Stomach Aspect: Full, a couple pints of this and you are getting stuffed.
Head: Poured nice, one of the best pouring heads I've reviewed this year, but within a minute at rest quickly decipates to a small film. Sigh..
Head Retention: Not bad, leaves a little trace of where the beer line was before the last pull.
Taste: Roasted malt, some smokey flavor, little hop flavor.
Conclusion: I grew up where this brewery got it's start. That town is Northport, Washington. When I left that little town, it was a logging town through and through. I see Northport being a Bud/Coors/ American Lager type of town. But I have to tip my hat to Northern Ales for introducing such a unique, small market beer to Northport. But I ask myself where to start with this brew. The aroma is different than most of the smoked Porters I've had. You can definitely smell the Roasted Malt, the Smoke aroma is present but not overwhelming like most Smoked Porters (which is actually nice). However, there seems to a be an interesting pungent/musky hint at the end of the aroma. This isn't a bad thing, just gives the brew an interesting aroma which may throw some people off (but you know my motto "Don't brew a beer that doesn't offend anyone"). The flavor aspect of the beer is a little lacking in my opinion. When you take a pull you definitely taste the Roasted Malt, you can taste the slightest hint of smoke, and then swallow the brew and get very little to none hop flavor. Probably the most interesting aspect of this brew is that with the first 8 oz the brew really was lacking any impression aspect, other than the pungent taste from the smoke. But the more you taste/drink the brew the more you understand the flavor. Very few beers achieve this. The flavor isn't changing per say, but the taste is. Maybe it's the excess of the brew on taste buds, not sure, but the more you drink the brew, the better it gets. The Alcohol content is just right with 6%, however, you do not taste the Alcohol in the beer. Here in the Portland area most of the smoked Porters are over smoked, which leads to horrible aroma, with even worse flavor. It's nice to taste a Smoked Porter that almost got the smoke aspect right. I think the brew is lacking in the Chocolate Malt aspect (which I think would've complemented the smoke more). I'm a dark beer lover, and as most Smoked beers (especially Porters) they tend to be a let down. I know some people like the smoke flavor in their beer, and why not, that's what beer is all about. Find what you like and drink it. In the realm of Porters, I've had better, but in the realm of Smoked Porters, this is the best one I've had.
Public Aspect: Most people are afraid of Porters and Stouts, especially Smoked Porters. I don't think people will be asking for seconds of this brew if you bring it to a cook out or a BBQ because of the double negative. First, it's a dark beer, second, it's a smoked dark beer. So if you like the Smoked beers, pick up this little morsel, and enjoy. No one's gonna fight ya for it. This brew might be good to marinate a nice Brisket, or even some Chicken to BBQ.

Beer Review: Paulaner Oktoberfest Marzen

Price: $2.69 for 17 oz (plus bottle deposit)
Brewery:Paulaner Brauegri, Munich, Germany
Style: Oktoberfest Marzen
ABV: 5.8%
Color: Clear, golden, dark yellow.
Aroma: Slight hops, sweet, malty, citrus (not hops) aroma
Body: light
Stomach Aspect: Not much. I mean, done with the pint and thinking I could down a couple more.
Head: Poured very nice to a 1/2" thick. Creamy, white to off white in color, "loose" in the density aspect.
Head Retention: Good. The brew leaves head from the last pull.
Taste: very little sweet flavor on the front of the tongue, while not much flavor on the middle of the tongue. The flavor in the middle is a malty texture, but a bit grainy flavor. At the end of the tongue the brew quickly disappears. Almost no hops or hop flavor upon swallowing.
Conclusion: While the first thing you notice about this brew is the aroma. This is probably the best part of the brew. The fruity, sweet, malty, and yet citrus aroma is very nice it does put your nose on the defense. Taking a pull from the brew and you are not presented with much flavor. Moving the brew over your tongue, you're still not presented with much flavor. It's almost like your brain is waiting for the flavor to show up. But it really never shows. The fruity flavor (probably from the Malt and Yeast) you get about mid-tongue is nice, but it quickly dissolves. The brew finishes clean and very smooth which is nice, and the balance of sweetness and aroma does hide the 5.8% ABV, you can't taste any alcohol in this brew. But there is a definite alcohol aspect to the brew. Overall this isn't a bad brew, but I must say I was a bit fooled by the label having Oktoberfest in it. When I hear or read Oktoberfest I immediately think big flavor, full, seasonal brews. But I think this brew could use some more body, maybe move up from light to medium, and just a hint (not much) of the hops. But maybe that's my Americanized version of beer. Don't get me wrong, this is a pleasant brew, just one that may catch you off you guard.
Public Aspect: I don't think many people are going to try this brew in the "why not" area. Being American and hearing Oktoberfest we immediately think big beer. Some people are also shy of the Marzen aspects. However, this brew does have enough (just enough) flavor to be good in hot weather. This isn't something I would want in cold weather BBQ, which is what we have here in Oregon. I really don't imagine people trying to take your beer if you show up with some of these. I really think people will be put off by the sweetness of the beer.

Beer Review: Chehalem Mountain IPA

Price: $3.69 for 22 oz (plus bottle deposit)
Brewery:Golden Valley Brewery, McMinnville, OR
Style: American IPA
ABV: NA
Color: Clear, dark gold
Aroma:Hoppy
Body: Light, but present.
Stomach Aspect: None. I've drank the whole 22oz, and there is no filling aspect.
Head: Poured nicely, but fades within 1-2 minutes.
Head Retention: Good. Head leaves a ring from previous pull.
Taste: little sweetness on the tip of the tongue, not much taste in the mid area of the tongue. Most flavor comes from back of tongue where the hop bitterness is present. Swallow the drink and the hop aroma is more present. The finish is crisp, clean, and refreshing.
Conclusion: The brew is very pretty in color and clarity. The head is nice as well, something you don't see in brews. Get the brew within smelling range of your nose and you instantly smell hops. Take a drink of the brew and there is a little sweetness at the tip of your tongue from the Malt, but move the brew to the middle of the tongue and flavor fades. Move the brew to the back of the tongue and flavor reappears, but not with Malt flavor, but with Hop flavor. Swallowing the brew produces a very prominent hop aroma that your palate records in the grey area. Overall, this is not a bad brew, but to be honest it's like all the other IPA's. Gold in color, white minimal head, hop aroma, and hop flavor. Now, as some of you know I am not a big fan of IPA's because I feel that the brewer's of these recipes get caught in the "hoppiness" aspect of the recipe and forget that you can add other items to enhance the hop flavor. Which is what make most IPA's cookie cutter brews.
Public Aspect: As you may or may not know the Northwest is an IPA mecca. When people think beer in the Northwest they think IPA. Bring this to a BBQ and you might as well be bringing a puppy with you. People will want to taste it just because the bottle says IPA on it. Share the brew with friends, introduce them to a new brewery, to a new IPA recipe. But when the event's done, people may just remember that you brought another IPA, and not actually remember the name of the brew you brought.

Beer Review: St. Peter's Cream Stout

Price: $3.89 for 16.9 oz (plus bottle deposit)
Brewery:St. Peter's Brewery, St. Peter's Hall, Nr. Bungay, Suffolk, U.K.
Style: Cream Stout
ABV: NA (but I can taste the Alcohol at the finish of the beer, I would guess 7-9%)
Color: Black, Opaque
Aroma:Roasted Barley, hops, sweet (I think of candy) aroma. This brew has a wonderful aroma.
Body: Medium to Heavy.
Stomach Aspect: Typical Stout, dinner in a bottle.
Head: Poured wonderful from the bottle, nice tan color with good substance/thickness.
Head Retention: Excellent, the head leaves a full coating from the previous pull. Even 18oz the head is still leaving coating.
Taste: Chocolate flavor, Roasted Barley, sweet flavor (not sure what from), hops, Malty finish. Move the glass to your nose and a good aroma hits you. Take your first pull and you notice the sweetness from the beer, but move the brew to the middle range of the tongue and you get a nice, bitterness from the Roasted Barley, swallow the brew and you get the slightest hint of hop bitterness.
Conclusion: This is my first time having this Stout as I must admit I was a bit shy when I purchased it. I'm not a fan of Cream Stouts (i.e. Guinness) because they usually lack the "bite" that Stouts have. The aroma of the Hops (Challenger and Fuggle) make a great combination with the Roasted Barley, I think English Crystal Malt, and the other Malts that I can not identify. Take a pull from the glass and whamo! Your taste buds on the front of your tongue come alive with sweet flavors (still not sure where they're coming from), the body of the brew instantly coats your tongue and you know you've tackled a heavy brew. Moving the brew to the middle of the tongue and the oh so wonderful flavor of the Roasted Malt introduces itself and you thank yourself for tasting the Stout. As you enjoy the Malt bitterness, move the brew to the back of the tongue where the Challenger hops say "Hi" with their pleaseant, but noticeable bitterness. Swallow the brew and that's when you get the aroma from the Fuggles'. All of this is finished with a nice Malty aspect that your whole mouth enjoys. This brew is better than Guinness in my opinion. St. Peter's has more malt flavor, more personality, better hop flavor, and the cream aspect isn't as sweet as most (including Guinness). I say good job ol Chap, Top Notch, Bob's your Uncle to the brewers at St. Peters Brewery. It's middle of July here in Oregon, and I wish I had another pint of St. Peter's.
Public Aspect: Well, the bottle as you can see is an olive green, the label's are simple, and to the point. Most people will think "Oh, boring beer, it's a Stout, who care's?" That's fine, it just means more for you to enjoy and giggle as the high alcohol content roasts your cheeks. If people attending the gig you're at aren't Stout drinkers, they probably won't like it, but if another Stout/Porter drinker nuzzles up to you, share the wealth, they won't be let down.

Beer Review: Pike Stout

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.

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.

Beer Review:Reissdorf Kolsch

Price: $2.49 for 16.9 oz (plus bottle deposit)

Brewery: Privat-Brauerei Heinrich Resissdorf, Koln, Germany

Style: Kolsch

ABV: NA

Color: Clear, gold.

Aroma: little hops, some spice (maybe clove), slight grain aroma.

Body: light.

Stomach Aspect: not much. Drank a pint and I could probably down another pint.

Head:poured nicely, vanished to thin coating within a minute. Residual left on side of glass after drink.

Head Retention: poured nicely,

Taste: little to no taste on the front of the tongue, but when the brew moves to the middle of the tongue you get some grain flavor, but not much. Swallow the brew and you get more grain flavor, a quick introduction to some mild hops, and some spiciness. There is a little prickliness from carbonation, but not so much that it's like drinking a soda.

Conclusion: I have brewed Kolsch's before. I have had Kolsch's before. But to be honest when I bought this I bought it for the label. However, opening the brew and drinking it completely blew my mind. The beer poured nicely, and was instantly tempting for a drink. The color is a nice, bright gold, and very very clear (you can see you're hand on the other side of the glass). The aroma was kinda lacking, but it was present. Taking a drink was very smooth. The light body made it easy to continue to drink more. The mild hop flavor was nice, but the spiciness at the end (when you swallow) is what touches off the brew. The yeast gives this style of brew it's trademark clove spiciness, and this brew doesn't let you down in this aspect.

Public Aspect: Buying and drinking this beer in public people will notice it for it's label. Pass the pint around and people are gonna take a drink a say wow. It's kinda pricey, but it is completely worth it. Not sure this is a brew you would want to bring and pass around, but if you want to show some complexity when it comes to beer this is a good choice.

Beer Review: Westmalle Trappist Ale

Price: $1.49 (for 11.2oz) plus bottle deposit

Brewery: Trappist Monastery of Westmalle, Malle, Belgium

Style: Dubbel

ABV: 7%

Color: Caramel, Amber, maybe even dark brown, very clear. 

Aroma:  Fruity, slight hop aroma, 

Body:  light-medium,

Stomach Aspect: light to medium. Halfway through the bottle and there's a little "push" in the stomach.  

Head:  Excellent when poured. Head went to almost 1/2-3/4".

Head Retention: Good, nice rings on the side of the glass after each pull.

Taste: Upon first hitting your tongue, the taste of the  beer is sweet, good grain flavor around mid-rear tongue. Move the brew to the back of your tongue and the sweetness turns to a mild (but quick) bitterness. There is even a little Caramel, or Toffee aspect to the brew, which nicely enters and leaves the palate.  Upon swallowing the brew there is a little presence of hop flavor.  One can definitely smell the fruit undertones, but there is even a slight hint of Pear (to my palate) in the flavor around mid tongue. 

Conclusion:  I have had Dubbel's before, but this is the best one I have tasted. The fruity aroma and slight Pear undertones go nicely with the grains, and mild hops.  The color is very pretty, it can almost be mistaken for a Brown Ale, or even an American Amber.  But once you taste and smell the brew you definitely know you're drinking a Dubbel.  The head retention is very nice, some of the best I've seen since I've started my beer blog.  The brew has a wonderful malty finish (almost like a Southern English Brown Ale), but not so malty that it ruins or distracts from the flavor.

Public Aspect:  Well, at a 1.49 per 11.2 oz I'm not sure this is a brew you want to take to a mass drinking environment. However, if you do I think you will be asked a lot of "what type of beer is that?"  I don't think many people know what a Dubbel is, or the history behind the style of beer.  I can easily see a beginner beer drinker shying away from this style. However, if you can muster through the fear of something new, you have to try this brew.   There is absolutely nothing wrong with this brew.  I'm not a big fan of Dubbel's because they are usually too sweet and malty, however, this is a nice balance of sweet, malty, hops, grains.  The 7% ABV means it won't take much to finish your night of drinking if you know what I mean. 

Beer Review: Hillbilly Blonde

Price: $3.49 (for 22oz) plus bottle deposit

Brewery: Pale Horse, Salem, Oregon

Style: Blonde Ale

ABV: not listed

Color: Gold, clear.

Aroma: sweet aroma from grains, no hop aroma.

Body:  Very light

Stomach Aspect: Little. Halfway through my pint and it doesn't feel like I've drank 8 oz of brew. 

Head: . 1/4" when first poured. After 45 seconds head escapes to the edges of the glass. 

Head Retention: none. 

Taste: When first tasted the brew has a nice sweet flavor. All of the flavor comes from the back of the tongue, just before you swallow.  The hop presence is very minimal, almost no hop presence.  The brew has decent carbonation, but the flavor is very subtle.  

Conclusion:  Overall this isn't a bad beer, but it's not a great beer either. It's very light body, clear, golden color and minimal head remind me of a Coors light (but with more flavor).  The color and clarity are very nice. The carbonation of the brew is quite nice.  I really think the brew skips or lacks in the flavor aspect, especially from a local craft brew.  It really doesn't have much flavor at all.  After drinking quite a bit of the brew (12oz) there is a slight fruity flavor. But, it took 12oz to get that flavor from the beer. 

Public Aspect:  Bringing this to the BBQ won't offend anyone (especially if they like Coors light), but then it won't surprise anyone either.  I mean, if you like Coors light, drink it.  If you don't like Coors light, don't drink this brew, as it resembles that brew (Coors Light) too much.  But if you do happen to bring that to a BBQ, people will probably think you're into the local brew scene, or that you like Craft beer.  I'm not sure I'll be drinking this brew again (because it lacks flavor), but you never know. I will say that this brew would probably be really good after a hard day of mowing the lawn, or working in general (just like a Coors Light).  If you're a Hop Head, or love the Pale Ale's this brew won't satisfy your palate, and you will probably be let down. 

Beer Review: Ninkasi Oatis Oatmeal Stout

Price: $4.49 (for 22oz) plus bottle deposit

Brewery: Ninkasi, Eugene, Oregon

Style: Oatmeal Stout

Color: Black, opaque. Very dark

Aroma:  mixture of Roasted grains and Oatmeal. 

Body: Medium. 

Stomach Aspect: Not bad. Halfway through my pint and I can feel a little fullness aspect.  This is a two to three pint only type of brew. 

Head: When poured it maxed at 1/4".  A minute after being poured it has almost vanished. 

Head Retention: not much.  No traces on the glass from the previous drink. 

Taste: Very little taste on the front of the tongue, but move the brew to the middle of your tongue and you're quickly introduced with a nice grain bitterness.  Roasted flavors present themselves, as do the aroma of Roasted grains.  You don't get any hop flavor until you move the brew to the back of your tongue and when you swallow, your given the hop bitterness, with a slight hint of Oatmeal. If you give yourself two to three minutes of time between drinks you start to get an interesting aspect or flavor. The bitterness from the Hops and roasted grains increases, taking the flavor aspect of the beer in an interesting direction.  

Conclusion:  While I have had Ninkasi brews before, this is the first time I have had one of their dark brews.  You can almost tell that the brewers at Ninkasi had to refrain from using their usual  amount of hops. You're waiting for the onslaught of hops bitterness, but it never arrives.  After getting around that aspect, the brew is very pretty, nicely colored, pretty good head, good flavor.  The one thing I can't noticed right away is the Oatmeal.  This is an Oatmeal Stout, and it seems the Oatmeal is shy and won't come out.  The Roasted grains are very present (as they should be in a Stout), with a nice balance of Hops.  The one thing that is interesting is the medium body in this brew. With an ABV of 7.1% I would think (almost expect) the body to be heavy, and give you that "chewy" aspect that  Stouts are known for (and why most people shy away from them).  There's nothing wrong with this brew, except maybe the Oatmeal is a bit weak.  Now I've had Oatmeal Stouts where all you taste is the Oatmeal (imagine drinking a bowl Quaker Oats) and it leaves a bad taste in your mouth and you tend to stay away from this type of brew.  While I think this brew could improve, overall it's not bad at all. I do think that the head in this brew is a bit weak, maybe with some American Dextrin grains this area could improve.

Public Aspect: If you bring this to an event, or introduce people to this brew you won't be ashamed, and you might be amazed at how a person might respond to this brew. However, if you're trying to introduce someone to a traditional Ninkasi brew, you may want to skip this one and hand them a Ninkasi Total Domination IPA.  

Beer Review: Lagunitas Imperial Stout

Price: $3.49 (for 22oz) plus bottle deposit

Style: Imperial Stout

Color: Black, with a slight deep brown color on the edges.

Aroma: Roasted grains (might be Barley), with some hop aroma, even a touch of Chocolate grain aroma. 

Body: full. Not a heavy body, but definitely full.  

Stomach Aspect: Full. Half way through my pint my stomach is telling me it's getting full. 

Head: about 1/4" once poured, but leaves quickly.    

Head Retention: I would give it a three second on head retention.

Taste: The first initial taste you think you're drinking a very heavy beer, but the body doesn't fill the mouth as a traditional Stout, or Imperial Stout should.  There is no real flavor on the sweet part of the tongue, as well as the salty part of the tongue.  Move the beer over your Sour part of your tongue and you get a slight hint of bitterness from the Roasted Barley grains.  When the beer hits your mid-tongue you get a definite Alcohol presence (which an Imperial beer should give with an ABV rating of 10.14). As the beer moves over the back of your tongue you get a definite bitterness from the hops, which is a Lagunitas trademark in all their beers. But the hop bitterness is quickly removed by the presence of the high alcohol content.  The hop bitterness lingers on the back of the tongue for about 1-2 minutes, almost like an IPA trademark. 

Conclusion:    The beer has a pretty nice feel on the tongue, and the aromas are very welcoming.  When the beer is making its way across your tongue you are presented with several aspects of the beer.  You get a hint of Barley, with a great introduction to the alcohol followed by a hop bitterness and finally the alcohol taste makes a comeback and finishes off the beer as you swallow. 

I am not a big fan of the Lagunitas beers, but this one is very tolerable. I can see myself drinking this and not thinking twice about what I just put down my gullet. However, I do see this beer as a forgettable once the bottle has been removed, or you have emptied the bottle.

Beer Review: MacTarnahan's Amber Ale

Price: $6.99 for a six pack,  plus bottle deposit

Style: Amber Ale

Color: Copper, light red. very transparent

Aroma: Citrus, which is a direct aroma of the hops used in this beer. The hop aroma mask any grain aroma the beer might have. 

Body: Light body. 

Stomach Aspect: Little. Halfway through my pint and I'm not having any "full affect" from the beer.

Head: light. When freshly poured the head arrived (maybe a 1/16" thick) but quickly left to just a few head bubbles on the surface of the beer.    

Head Retention: I would give it a two to three second head retention. However, some of the head does stay on the sides of the glass throughout the whole pint.

Taste: When the glass touches your lips your nose gets the hop aroma then you get a little caramel flavor from the grains but it quickly dissipates and then you get the hop bitterness.  The beer has a "prickly" feel once it hits your tongue, it has a slight hint of sweetness but not enough that it takes your mind from the feel of the beer.  When you swallow the beer your tongue is presented with some definite hop bitterness, with a crisp clean finish.  

Conclusion:    This beer has been around Portland's beer scene for a while. It doesn't leave an impression of wow, I just had a great beer.   The balance of grains to hops is a little off, the beer favors the hops (probably because of the dry hopping that happens with this brew), but the Cascade hops is a great all around hop for brewing so your tongue is not assaulted with hops.  The beer has a wonderful clear copper body.  Overall it is not a bad beer, but it closely resembles a big three (Coors, Anheuser, Miller) product.  The beer doesn't present any distinguishing trademarks, nor attitude. It is a beer that you can take to any event and nobody will get offended by what you brought, plus it will say that you're not a big three zombie. 

Beer Review: Moylan's Dragoons Dry Irish Stout

Price: $4.05  for a 22oz,  plus bottle deposit

Style: Dry Irish Stout

Color: Black, very opaque. Midnight looking. 

Aroma: Roasted Barley, maybe a little chocolate grain. 

Body: Full. Heavy. 

Stomach Aspect: As with almost any stout the stomach effect is heavy.  This could be a meal in a bottle I'm 4 pulls (gulps) into the pint and already getting full.  I've come to notice this aspect is more prominent with Dry Irish Stouts than other stouts. 

Head: typical head for this style of beer. When freshly poured it formed a nice 1/4" head. However, after 5 minutes of being poured the head moves to the edge of the glass. 

Head Retention: I would give it a 10-15 second retention. There is definite "head ledge" from the last sip.  

Taste: Get the brew any where near your nose and you immediately smell Roasted Barley. Great bitterness from grains, a hint of chocolate grains, and upon swallowing a nice quick hit of hops! There is no sweet flavor on the tongue, but you get just the right amount of bitterness from the grains. Upon swallowing the hops quickly hit the palate and then leave.  

Conclusion:   Overall this is a very nice beer.  If I didn't brew my own Goat Racer Dry Irish Stout I could drink this beer till the cows came home, and left again, and then came back.  The Roasted Barley presence is great. If you can't tell you're drinking a Stout by looking in the glass, the aroma of the Barley will definitely plum you up.  The beer is smooth in a nice Stout way.  Not sure you can buy this in a 6 pack, but if you're a Stout drinker you need to experience this delicate, heavy, wonderful brew!  I would recommend this brew to anybody who is looking to bring a Stout to a shin-dig, or just sip with a nice warm pizza. 

Just a side note, I thought I would see how this compares to my Goat Racer Irish Stout.  While the beers are in the same category, have the same color.  The similiarities stop there. This beer is more aromatic with the Roasted Barley (mine is more Chocolate Grain aromatic), it is a little smoother at the finish (something I need to improve with mine), but mine carries the head longer, and has a fuller body. 

Beer Review: Coors Light

Price: $1.99  for a 22oz,  plus bottle deposit

Style: American Light Lager

Color: Light Gold/Yellow, Transparent. 

Aroma: The brew has a very faint, but nice aroma of grains. I didn't smell any hop aroma. 

Body: Light, weak. 

Stomach Aspect: None. I've drank a pint, and there is no aspect of this brew. 

Head: The head looked nice immediately after the pour, but within a few seconds it was gone. 

Head Retention: Zero. The brew does not leave any head trace on the sides of the glass, and the brew does not have a head.  There is plenty of carbonation though. 

Taste: Bring the pint up to your nose and you get a smell of grains, but your nose kinda goes "oh, no" when you smell it.  Taking a sip, the beer has a very light/weak body.  The carbonation is present, but there isn't much flavor to hit the taste parts of the tongue.  The only flavor you get from the beer is from the grains (maybe American 2-Row) when the beer moves over the back part of your tongue.  There is a definite "crisp" finish when you swallow, but this style of brew should have a crisp finish.  There is absolutely no flavor left on the tongue to let you know your drinking a beer. 

Conclusion:   This is not a good beer in my opinion.  It has a weak body, and very little flavor.  The strong points of the beer are that is does have a nice clarity to it, it's cheap, and it was cold when I reviewed it. Bring this brew to a BBQ or a gathering and you might as well wear a sign that states "I'll have a glass of water please, and put some yellow food color in it for me." I'm not knocking this beer because I don't like it, I'm simply stating what the beer does to me when I taste it.  If you were looking for a light body beer you could try Full Sail Pale Ale, Rogue Juniper Pale Ale, Mirror Pond Pale Ale, or American Ale from your local store.  The beer simply didn't perform. Also, the whole "Frost Brewed" marketing aspect simply states that it's a Lager and it is fermented in cold temperatures.  Basically speaking, every Lager is frost brewed.  I think if Coors put less money into marketing this brew and more money into making it better sales would triple.  This beer would work (as a last resort) for a thirst quencher in hot deserts, or tropical islands...but then again, I think I would take something else or go without.  

Just a side note, I did this review with an unbiased opinion and more knowledge of beer than I have since I started brewing 2 years ago.  

Beer Review: Downtown Brown Light Brown Ale

Price: $3.99  for a 22oz,  plus bottle deposit

Brewery: Lost Cost Brewery & Cafe

Style: Light Brown Ale

Color: Brown to a deep Copper, almost a dark wood stain color 

Aroma: some Caramel hints, slight hop aroma, maybe even a little biscuit aroma.

Body: Light-Medium feel. 

Stomach Aspect:Very little. I mean, I'm a full pint into this brew and my stomach knows I've drank some beer, but my stomach isn't full like it is when I drink a Stout.  

Head: The head looked nice immediately after the pour, but within about a minute it was scaled down to just a trace.  

Head Retention: The brew leaves a  trace on the side of the glass for about a minute after you have had a pull. Good head retention. 

Taste: Bring the pint up to your nose and you get a smell of Caramel, with just a hint of hop aroma/pungent. Take a sip and you immediately go "oh." The "oh" is not a bad oh either.  You introduce the brew to your tongue and you get immediate confirmation of the caramel your nose smelt.  Move the brew to the middle of your tongue an the beer flavor quickly removes itself.  Which is good because of the bitter zones reside there.  Move the brew to back of your tongue and you get the nice taste of hops.  Swallow the brew, then take a breath and you get a second taste of hops on your breath.   

Conclusion:   Overall this is probably the best Brown Ale I have had. This is even better than my Don't Poke It Brown Ale. The original aroma of the Caramel, hops, and biscuits present a nice welcome to you nose.  Take a pull from this brew and your mouth thanks you.  The body of the beer is a cross between a Porter and Blonde Ale. Light (like a Blonde Ale) yet fulfilling (like a Porter) and completely satisfying. This is a great beer for those that love dark heavy beer (Stouts & Porters), yet if a Blonde or IPA drinker is looking for something a littler darker than the norm this can fit the bill.   Pull after pull your nose can not get enough of the Caramel aroma. If someone is looking to bring a unique beer to an event, I say this beer will fit the bill.  Bring this brew to a BBQ, family gathering, or simply buy a 22 oz, and taker her home to enjoy by yourself.  If you can get your paws a bottle or pint of this brew I suggest you do just so you can enjoy the beauty (aesthetically), and taste.  Great brew.   

Just a side note:The bottle says a "Light Brown Ale." Do not mistake this a traditional Light Beer.  A light Brown Ale is a style of Brown Ale. There are three different types of Brown Ales. You can also understand this to be a Mild style Brown Ale, not an Southern or Northern English Brown Ale.  

Beer Review: Klickitat Pale Ale

Price: $3.65  for a 22oz bottle,  plus bottle deposit

Brewery: Alameda (located in Portland)

Style: Pale Ale

Color: Dark gold, almost an amber, sap looking color. 

Aroma: Hoppy. Poured right from the bottle and I can smell hops almost a foot away. Get the brew closer to your nose and you get a slight hint of grains. 

Body:Light

Stomach Aspect:Very little stomach aspect.  It's a Pale Ale, and you should not be getting "full" by drinking  a pint of this. 

Head:The head is a 1/4" when poured. After sitting for about 3 minutes it has gone down to about an 1/8". The color is a nice white.  

Head Retention: The brew leaves a  trace on the side of the glass for about thirty seconds after you have had a pull. Good head retention. 

Taste: Take a pull of this beer and the first thing you notice is the amount of carbonation. Feels prickly on the tip of the tongue.  The beer has very little flavor on the tip to mid of the tongue. Which indicates low grain flavor to me. Move the beer to the back of the tongue and you immediately get the presence of hops. Swallow the brew and you get a nice aroma of hops on the palate, but wait fifteen to twenty seconds between drinks and you get even more hop presence. Your mouth starts to dry out, almost obtaining cotton mouth.  There is a hint of caramel flavor from grains just before you swallow. 

Conclusion:   This is a brew from a local brewery. If you're in the Portland area, swing by Alameda Brew House and pick up a pint. I wasn't really taken back by this brew, maybe I was expecting more from Alameda.  The color is great, the head is pretty, the body is light, but I think I was expecting more flavor. This is a good beer, don't get me wrong.  But I think a Full Sail Pale Ale might have more flavor. You can show up to events or BBQ's with this brew and people are going to think you're a beer snob, or it was on sale because it's not a major known brew. Either way, if you like Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Full Sail Pale Ale, you might like this Pale Ale from Alameda. 

Just a side note: I think this beer might be better on tap versus a bottle.