Ninkasi Babylon Double IPA

Posted on May 11, 2013 by storiesbywilliams

Hello again and good day! It’s the weekend again and I am back with some more new and exciting examples of craft brewing from my local beer store. And today, it’s another visitor from south of the border, Eugene, Oregon to be specific. And I’m rather lucky in that my local store has chosen to stock tall boys of Ninkasi’s Babylon Double IPA, a special release beer which is typically available only in their mixer pack. Nothing wrong with those, but if I’m going to sample, I want to sample big!

And as the name would suggest, this double IPA is quite the heavy hitter. In addition to some high-gravity malts, it also weighs in at a hefty 9.1% alc/vol. And as could be expected, it also boasts a high concentration of hops, 100 IBUs worth to be exact. As a result, the alcohol, malts, and hops achieve a certain high-concentration balance. Rather than any one aspect of it being overpowering, it’s all overpowering at once!

Appearance: Deep orange, clear, good foam retention and carbonation
Nose: Rich, sweet malt, hints of grassy and tropical hops
Taste: High-gravity malty sweetness, notes of passion fruit and grassy hops
Aftertaste: Lingering coarse malt flavor, hop bitterness
Overall: 8/10

Yes, this beer is not for the faint of heart, uninitiated, or weak of taste of buds! Like anything with the words double and IPA in it, it should only ever be enjoyed by those who have a deep and enduring passion for strong ale and a hefty dose of bitterness!

The Season of IPA’s, Cont’d

Posted on April 1, 2013 by storiesbywilliams

Spring, or as I’ve come to think of it, the season of the India Pale Ale, continues with more samples procured from my faithful local purveyors! And since I’m apparently taking on more new beers than I can review at any one time, I’ve decided to do another two-fer today, acknowledging two distinct examples of brewing excellence. And though they come from vastly different places, one the very farthest outpost on the West Coast (Tofino), and the other nestled in the very heart of Cascadia (Eugene, Oregon), I found them very similar in style, taste, and their dedication to Pacific Northwestern brewing.

Tofino Hoppin Cretin’ IPA:
First up, a long-awaited second helping from the Tofino Brewery, which I got a chance to sample well over a year ago during my wife and I’s summer visit. Unfortunately, I only ever got to try their Tuff Session, and lamented that we couldn’t stick around long enough to do a little brewery tour. I tell ya, its about time Tofino had its own brewery, and one that bore its name proudly!

And I was quite impressed with this installment in their lineup. Boasted strong malts, a variety of hops (and plenty of them), and a solid alcohol content (7.5% alc/vol), it’s got pretty everything you’d expect from a good India Pale Ale. But there’s still room for pleasant surprises, like how the hop profile is well balanced between tropical, piney and citrus flavors.

Appearance: Deep amber, cloudy, good carbonation and foam retention
Nose: Notes of tropical fruit, pineapple, pine and a hint of citrus
Taste: Strong burst of citrus, followed by strong, slightly coarse malts
Aftertaste: Dry finish, lingering bitterness
Overall: 9/10

Ninkasi Tricerahops IPA:
Next up is another faithful addition from the Ninkasi brewery, which once again impressed the hell out of me with their Tricerahops (very punny!) IPA. Much like their standard IPA, it combined a good dose of tropical hop aroma with citrus and pine. This also came through in the flavor, which was varied and very powerful, especially when combined with the high gravity malts, semi-sweet, viscous malts.

This is the result of multiple varieties of malt and hops – which in the former case include Pale, Munich and Carahell, and in the latter Summit, Amarillo, Centennial, and Palisade – and a hefty dose thereof. Overall, this beer rates at a hefty 100 IBUs, a Starting Gravity of 1080, and an alcohol content of 8.8% alc/vol.

Appearance: Golden-amber, transparent, good foam and carbonation
Nose: Floral hops scent, tropical fruit, pine, citrus
Taste: Strong hop burst, immediate citrus bite, giving way to semi-sweet malts
Aftertaste: Malt coarseness, lingering bitterness
Overall: 9/10

The Season of IPA!

Posted on March 16, 2013 by storiesbywilliams

My apologies for the prolonged absence, fellow beer snobs. Unfortunately, the Spring season has not been kind to me, as it chose to greet me with the worst cold I’ve had in ages! Luckily, I’ve emerged from my self-imposed two week hiatus from all things alcoholic, and have chosen to do not one review, not a two-fer, but a three-fer! Alongside an older sampler from late last month, I managed to procure two entirely new beers that fit with my latest theme – Spring Seasonals. And since the venerable IPAs are now making the rounds, I thought I might also dedicate the rest of March to sampling as many new limited releases and old favorites as I can. Here’s what I’ve managed to try so far…

Driftwood Twenty Pounder IPA:
This is now the third year in a row that Driftwood has released its signature double IPA. And lucky me, I finally got my hands on a bottle and sat down to give it a thorough tasting. Named in honor of Victoria’s proud naval tradition, where field guns that relied on 20 lbs cannon balls were deployed to defend the coast, this beer is an IPA that lives up to its name. Extra strong in alcohol content and employing a double dose of hops, it is surprisingly light in color but heavy on flavor and hardcore hop and citrus content!

Appearance: Light amber, transparent, good foam and carbonation
Nose: Highly floral and citrusy bouquet, notes of orange and grapefruit
Taste: Sweet malts, citrus hops, piney, touch of sweet grapefruit flavor
Aftertaste: Lingering piney bitterness, more notes of citrus
Overall: 9/10

Gigantic India Pale Ale:
This beer and its brewery are entirely new to me, and comes to us from south of the border. Not surprisingly, it is brewed in Portland, Oregon, the state with more breweries per capita than any in the US. And what better place to start with their lineup, now that the season of IPA is upon us! And all in all, I was quite pleased with this beer. In every measurable way, it was a faithful and fitting example of a Northwestern IPA and craft brewing.

Appearance: Deep golden, good foam retention and carbonation
Nose: Strong hints of tropical fruit, light malts
Taste: Immediate burst of Cascade hop bitterness, light malts, little sweetness
Aftertaste: Lingering bitterness and taste of citrus rind
Overall: 8/10

Vancouver Island Absolute Darkness:
Last but not least, there’s the latest release from Vancouver Island Brewery. As I’ve said before, I approve highly of the way they’ve started to incorporate limited releases into their lineup, effectively demonstrating a renewed committed to craft brewing. And with this beer, a combination Dark Ale, India Pale Ale, they’ve once again shown that they’re current. For the past few years, dark IPA’s (or Black IPAs as they are sometimes known) have been all the rage. And named in honor of Vancouver Island’s coal mining heritage, it combines stout-like characteristics with traditional IPA, resulting in a beer that is tawny, malty, hoppy, has some strong notes of coffee and some citrus.

Appearance: Deep black, good foam retention, dense with lower carbonation
Nose: Tawny malts, notes of coffee and Cascade hops
Taste: Immediate bitterness and citrus, giving way to coffee-like bitterness
Aftertaste: Long and lingering taste of dark toasted malts
Overall: 8.5/10

Ninkasi Renewale 2013 ESB

Posted on March 1, 2013 by storiesbywilliams

I think it’s fair to say the season of winter beer is officially over. Lately, I’ve been inundated with IPAs, Pales and Ambers that foretell the coming of Spring, much like the mild weather we’ve been experiencing.

And to break my fast on more inclement-weather beers, I’ve gone back to Eugene Oregon, or rather just sampled a beer from there. Known as their ReNEWale, this seasonal release meets the winter thaw with a beer that’s dry, malty, and has a complex hop flavor. True to its roots, its got everything an EBS is known for, combining pale Crystal, Pilsner, and Munich matls with East Kent Golding, Northern, and Nugget hops. All this combines to give it a a darker, syrupy character, with a decidedly light, bitter mouth feel.

Appearance: Dark amber, transparent, good foam and carbonation
Nose: Dry hop nose, slight syrupy and coarse malts
Taste: Immediate burst of dry, slightly bitter hopes, syrupy malts
Aftertaste: Dry finish, slightly bitter
Overall: 9/10

Another winner from the Ninkasi operation! However, having reviewed their list of beers, I am dubiously aware that I’ve barely scratched the surface. So many regular beers and so many seasonals… I’m both excited and bewildered at the same time! Stay tuned for more on the Spring Beer front!

Ninkasi Believer Double Red Ale and Total Domination IPA

Posted on February 24, 2013 by storiesbywilliams

Hello great state of Oregon! It seems I have another two-fer that is the product of mere chance and good fortune. Recently, my local beer store began carrying some of Ninkasi’s product line, and given that I’ve seen it around several of my other haunts, I decided to give it a spin. In the past week, I’ve tried two of their regular lineup, a double red and an IPA, and was pretty impressed with both.

First up, the Believer Double Red Ale. As I said before, I was quite impressed with this first installment from their lineup. Immediately I noticed the interesting floral and sweet bouquet, which was also present in their IPA. And the flavor was consistent, delivering a hop flavor that smacks of your traditional Centennials, plus the Summit variety which are largely used in Barley Wines (another aspect that is apparent from the get go).

Combined with a deep, rich malt profile, this beer packs a bit of a double-whammy. It begins with a deep malty taste that is slightly sweet and syrupy, also reminiscent of barley wine, and a complex hop flavor that’s both citrusy and grassy. The flavor then transitions where the malts and hops deliver in the aftertaste department, becoming coarse and bitter respectively.

Appearance: Deep red, high gravity, transparent, good foam and carbonation
Nose: Rich malts, discernible hoppiness, floral and citrusy
Taste: Deep malt flavor, slight sweetness, citrusy and grassy, then bitter
Aftertaste: Lingering bitterness, coarse malts and citrus rind
Overall: 8.5/10

Second, there is the Total Dominion IPA. Of the two, this was my favorite, though only by a small margin. Much like the Believer, it is a complex beer boasting a good strength (6.7% compared to the red ale’s 6.9% alc/vol) and a combination of hops that lend it a distinct aroma and flavor. But unlike the Believer, it is lighter in terms of appearance and malts. Light in color, relatively light in malts, the main thrust of this customer comes through in the hops.

Rated at 85 IBUs, its no secret that this IPA has a bitter hop profile! However, said profile has many layers to it and this is noticeable in the smell as well as the taste, consisting of Summit (once again), Amarillo and Crystal hops. In terms of taste, this results in a citrus bite, followed by notes of tropical fruit (I detected passion fruit and pineapple), followed by a long, lingering bitter finish.

Appearance: Deep gold, transparent, mild foam retention, good carbonation
Nose: Floral hoppy aroma, citrus, tropical fruit
Taste: Immediate burst of bitter and citrus hops, giving way to passion fruit and pineapple
Aftertaste: Bitterness once again, long and lingering
Overall: 9/10

Not a bad start for this operation, located in Eugene, Oregon and not far from where my sister and brother-in-law live. Perhaps I shall arrange for that road trip sooner other than later And that’s all for now. One of these days, I really MUST find the remaining beers on my winter list and polish that long document off! Otherwise, I’ll be transitioning into Spring seasonal beers before I ever complete it. How humiliating would that be?

The Winter of Beer 2012/13

Posted on February 17, 2013 by storiesbywilliams

As February gives way to March, we in the beer snob community bid adieu to the winter brewing season and prepare for the spring lineup. And I have to admit, 2012/13 was a pretty interesting year for winter brewing. Some creative, questionable, and classic things were created and I feel like taking stock. From barley wine to barrel-aged, from Belgian darks to bocks and trappists. There was plenty to choose from and all of it enjoyable.

Of course, I would be lying if I said I got to try everything I wanted to, and there are still a few I want to squeeze in before the winter is over. But overall, I’m pretty pleased with the range of samples I got to try and think that it constituted a pretty good range of styles, be they regional or historical. From the Pacific Northwest to Central and Western European, from the medieval to the modern.

And so here they are, listed from the first of the season to the most recent tried, with a few slots reserved for those that have yet to make the list for this year:

Parallel 49 Christmas CDA – Dec. 1st 9/10
Spinnakers Festive Saison – Dec. 1st 7.5/10
Thor’s Equinox – Dec. 6th 9/10
Philips Trainwreck Barley Wine – Dec. 6th 7.5/10
Lighthouse Siren Red Ale – Dec. 9th 9/10
Dead Frog Winter Beeracle – Dec. 13th 8/10
Hoyne Gratitude Winter Warmer – Dec. 14th 9/10
Chateau Rogue Dirtoir Black Lager – Dec. 18th 9/10
La Rochefort Trappist 8 – Dec. 19th 9.5/10
Orval Trappist – Dec. 21st 9/10
La Rochefort Trappist 10 – Dec. 21st 9/10
Phillips Instigator Doppelbock – Dec. 27th 8.5/10
Howe Sound Wooly Bugger – Dec.31st 10/10
Moon Under Water Potts Pils – Jan. 22nd 8.5/10
Lost Coast Winterbraun – Jan. 26th 8.5/10
VIB Storm Watcher Winter Lager – Jan. 29th 7.5/10
Phillips Twisted Oak Scotch Ale – Jan. 29th 7.75/10
Phillips Leviathan Milk Stout – Jan. 31st 8.5/10
Parallel 49 Vow of Silence – Feb. 8th 7/10
Steamworks Heroica Stout – Feb. 12th 8/10
Howe Sound Wee Beastie Scotch Ale – Feb. 12th 7.75/10
Driftwood Old Barrel Dweller – Feb. 13th 8/10
Mill Street Barley wine - yet to try
Steamworks Blitzen – yet to try
Granville Island Barley Wine – yet to try

Perhaps it’s was simply to get a well-rounded list with 25 candidates, but the last three are ones I know I have access to and really want to try before it’s too late. And once I’ve finished with them, I will rate which one I enjoyed the most. The winner for the brewing season of 2012/13! Cheers, and here’s to the ongoing and venerated tradition of seasonal brewing!

Visit to Pike Brewery!

Posted on February 6, 2013 by storiesbywilliams

Hello all! I’ve just gotten back from an exciting trip to Seattle with the family. An annual, or semi-annual thing, the purpose of this trip was to see my sister and brother-in-law and exchange our belated Christmas and birthday gifts. Due to the border between us, visits are not a regular occurrence, so every such trip is considered a very special occasion.

And in addition to spending time with the people I love, exchanging some choice swag and visiting a lot of interesting places, I finally got a chance to do some on-site sampling at the PIke Brewery this year. Last time I was in Seattle, I got to the front door, but was forced to double back with the rest of my troupe and wasn’t able to dine in. But this year, thanks in part to my darling wife, we managed to secure ourselves a table for some light lunch and some brews.

And let me tell you, it was an experience I would very much like to repeat. Not only is the decor very industrial-chic, punctuated by sculpted metal ceilings, columns, and art deco, it’s also got an unmistakably historic feel to it. Having been established in the early 80′s, only the third brewpub of its kind to open in North America before everybody and their brother was doing it, this place has been around for some time, but still manages to keep things honest.

Not only was our beer top shelf, we got some awesome food and some choice service. In fact, our server – Melanie, who’s kind of my hero right now – managed to score us some free pints because of a tiny error in our order. How cool was that? And just to return a small shred of that courtesy, I let her and the others know that they would be featured in this review. Hello Pike People! Anyhoo, onto our selection…

As those who follow this site may know, I have reviewed the bulk of Pike’s beers in another post, so I shan’t go over the same ground here. And while I did take the chance to resample some older favorites, I was sure to tackle a few I knew I hadn’t had the chance to review yet. They were…

Space Needle Golden Anniversary Vintage IPA:
Commemorating 50 years of the Space Needle being built, and roughly 30 years of independent brewing, this golden IPA is a multifaceted and pleasing take on the traditional India Pale Ale. Combining a variety of Yakima Valley hops – Cascade, Columbus, Centennial, Summit – the overall effect is an ale that is both citrusy, slightly sweet, floral and even tropical in nature. Since it is of such limited availability, I’m glad I got some while I could. No telling if it would be available north of the 49th parallel!

Appearance: Golden orange, cloudy, mild foam retention and carbonation
Nose: Varied hops, tropical and floral, heavy on the passion fruit
Taste: Immediate burst of hops, starting with citrus and moving to tropical, then bitter
Aftertaste: Lingering bitterness and citrus rind flavor
Overall: 9/10

Tandem Double Ale:
Named in honor of the Finkel’s tandem bicycle, this beer is a Belgian-style dubbel that is available year round. And like many dubbels, it is spiced with coriander and is double-fermented to get a deep, heavy flavor that is reminiscent of pudding and sweet breads. Though I’ve had this one before, I somehow failed to dedicate a review to it. Not sure why, seems so un-snob like of me! In any case, I made a special point to get some takeaway so I could give this standout its due!

Appearance: Deep brown, very cloudy and almost opaque, mild foam and carbonation
Nose: Ruddy malts, sugary and molasses-like, slight notes of spice
Taste: Immediate dose of mild spice, heavy malts, syrupy and pudding like, mild tang
Aftertaste: Slight notes of coriander and coarse malt
Overall: 8/10

Cask Conditioned IPA:
This beer was brought to me free of charge thanks to our heroic barwoman (Thanks again, Mel!), and was my choice for last call since Casks are the truest ales around, and hence the ultimate test of a brewer’s mettle. And I was very pleased that this beer was as consistently good with their standard IPA, but still managed to present a few surprises of its own. Served at cellar temperatures, low in foam and carbonation, unfiltered and unpasteurized, true ales are not for the uninitiated, but are a real pleasure once you get a taste for them.

Appearance: Deep amber, very cloudy, low foam and carbonation
Nose: Floral hops, slight citrus notes, mild malts
Taste: Lighter malts, tawny and clean on the tongue, followed by notes of grapefruit
Aftertaste: Mild bitterness, relatively clean aftertaste
Overall: 9/10

And of course, our food! As is customary for us whenever sampling lighter fare, my wife and I decided to get the chicken wings and the spinach salad. Naturally, Pike Brewery has their own twists on both, and they skyrocketed to the top of my list of the best wings I’ve had since moving to the West Coast! Baked, not fried, plump and juicy, with a spicy sauce that achieved a slow-to-build but powerful burn, and with a divine blue cheese dressing, these wings achieved a trifecta of wing perfection! I know nothing comparable to them except for what Craig Street Brewing used to do.

And the spinach salad was equally good, made up of mushrooms, pine nuts,sun dried tomatoes, garlic, Parmesan, dried bits of prosciutto, and a light vinaigrette. The merger of these elements achieved a sort of healthy, crunchy, salty goodness, equal parts health food and guilty pleasure! And as always, a good spinach salad is the perfect accompaniment to hot wings and beer!

All around, it was a great time and I’m glad my wife and I had the wherewithal to force the issue. There was no way we were going to miss out on this place a second time! And I look forward to going back someday. Hopefully it won’t take two more years this time!

Lost Coast Winterbraun

Posted on January 26, 2013 by storiesbywilliams

In the course of my beer sampling, I rarely get farther south than the great state of Oregon. However, once in awhile I am afforded the opportunity to sample from as far south as California, the Golden Coast and beyond. And I am rarely disappointed or left feeling less rich for the experience.

Tonight was one such time. In my neck of the woods, the Lost Coast lineup has been making the rounds and I find myself wanting to include them in my repertoire. And since I’ve been determined to sample as many winter beers, this one seemed perfectly appropriate. And it was certainly no slouch when it came to delivering in both the flavor or balance of flavors department. Combining a brown ale with the stronger character of a winter beer (8% alc/vol) and roast chocolate, Lost Coast created something that warmed my ribs and tickled my fancy!

Appearance: Deep brown amber, transparent and good foam retentionNose: Strong notes of sugary malts, molasses and brown sugar
Taste: Sweet malts, giving way to crisp dose of hops, roasted nuts and dark cocoa
Aftertaste: Slight coarseness and lingering bitter finish
Overall: 8.5/10

One of the nicest things about this winter beer was the fact that the chocolate comes through in a subtler tones, rather than being heavily overt. What’s more, the dark brown profile and rich, sugary flavor are very appealing and combine with with the beer’s decidedly strong alcohol content. I’ve already earmarked some of their regular fruit-infused beers for consumption, and will be back with some of those just as soon as the right kind of weather rolls around. Somehow, it’s just got to be warm and sunny in order for fruit beer to be appropriate… Wait for it!

Chatoe Rogue Dirtoir Black Lager

Posted on December 18, 2012 by storiesbywilliams

Just in time for the holidays, and my local beerstore managed to snag a few cases of one of the limited releases in Rogue’s GYO (Grow Your Own) series. Named Chatoe Rogue Dirtoir Black Lager, this Schwartzbier-style lager was first introduced in 2010 and has the distinction of being one of the few beers in the Pacific Northwest that is fashioned partially with grains and hops that are grown by the brewery itself. These include the First Growth Risk Malts as well as the FG Independent and Revolution Hops. Taken the tradition of local brewing a step further, the GYO series is all about brewing beer with one’s own ingredients as well.

Being impenetrably dark and featuring a tan head, this beer is easily mistaken for a stout. It’s flavor is also quite similar, since it has some strong coffee notes that are rounded out by the toasted, smoothness of its malts. The addition of Oktoberfest yeast strains also lend it a certain Bavarian character. In fact, I was reminded of a strong Dunkel many times in the course of drinking it, though the flavors are stronger and more enhanced.

Appearance: Black as tar, opaque, dark foam with low retention
Nose: Stout-like aroma of roasted malts
Taste: Coffee-like bitterness, earthy, smooth toasted malty taste
Aftertaste: Mild hop bite and lingering bitter coffee notes
Overall: 9/10

An all around winner and a great intro for me to Rogue’s new GYO series, a lineup which includes a Pilsner, pale ale, pumpkin ale, Blonde, and a wet-hopped ale. And considering the accolades they have all received thus far, I imagine that’s going to be tasty drinking experience! To read more on the GYO series, follow the link below:

http://www.rogue.com/beers/dirtoir-black-lager.php

Odin’s Thor’s Equinox

Posted on December 6, 2012 by storiesbywilliams

Hello all and welcome back to my continuing series on winter beer! In honor of this occasion, I made a trip to one of my favorite local liquor stores and procured a fitting array of interesting (and strong) examples of cold weather brewing. The first of these to be sampled was Odin’s limited release Belgian-style Dark Ale.

This brewery came to my attention some years back when my darling wife brought me back a sample by the name of Odin’s Gift Juniper Ale. Not long after, I found some of their regular lineup available locally and tried their Freya’s Gold. This limited release now makes the third of their wares that I’ve tried, and it has some pretty stiff competition.

Dark, heavy, and with a chewy mouth feel, the beer also incorporates a spicy and discernibly Belgian feel that put me in mind of Aventinus. In many ways, it also resembles a stout or porter due to its strong, molasses-y nature and notes of nuts and spices.

Appearance: Deep brown red, translucent and good foam retention
Nose: Yeasty, smooth and tawny, similar to a brown ale
Taste: Immediate burst of yeast and banana, giving way to sweet note of molasses
Aftertaste: Slight taste of spice and nuts, noticeably bitter, alcohol finish
Overall: 9/10

Yes, this beer reminded me of some other top contenders, not the least of which was Aventinus (already mentioned) and Steamworks Espresso Stout. At once, this beer delivers a strong Belgian ale taste with the mouth feel of a hard-hitting stout, but it also leaves enough room for the subtler notes of a brown ale. Definitely a winter food companion, and a real warmer for those cold rainy days!

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