Pabst Blue Ribbon

Heineken? Fuck that shit! You want Pabst Blue Ribbon!

The ultimate Winter Warmer. I fucking love this and so does my friend who moved to Washington DC and wants me to send him one. Sad bastard.

Ninkasi Sleighr
7.2% ABV
50 IBU

Poured a nice large, creamy head with excellent lacing. Kind of a ruby red color that is pretty hazy. Good carbonation.

I could smell the malts in this one. I got some toasted caramel toffee in this and some raisins. I also got some piney hops in here as well. Pretty balanced though.

Medium body with a somewhat slick texture. My body felt warm as I drank this bad boy. I can understand why this is called a Winter Warmer. Could taste the malt and some spices.

I may send my friend a bottle if I don't drink it instead.

Hopworks Urban Brewery - Abominable Winter Ale

Hopworks Urban Brewery - Abominable Winter Ale
7.3% ABV
70 IBU

Poured into my Laurelwood pint glass. Little to no head, and the little that it gave disappeared quickly. I didn't see much lacing on this. The color on this bad boy is an amber/rusty color that is very clear.

I get a light toffee malt at first then it becomes more prominent while I drink this. I also get great piney hops with slight grapefruit and some nice carbonation.

This is a very delicious beer. Light body with a slight bitter finish. I am a little surprised that this light beer is Hopwork's Winter Ale. I would expect this to be a Spring offering.

What's next for craft beers?

1. IPAs will continue to fractionalize. There are black IPAs featuring darker malts, white IPAs with spices, and red IPAs such as Green Flash's Hop Head Red and Samuel Adams' Tasman. Look for more takes on the red-hot (white-hot? black-hot?) IPA style.
2. Breweries will retrench. From the East Coast (Delaware's Dogfish Head) to the West (Oregon's Deschutes) are pulling back from ambitious cross-country marketing plans.
3. The rise of the hyperlocal beer. Breweries are strengthening their local ties by emphasizing uniquely local ingredients -- Abita, outside New Orleans, has a pecan beer; Lazy Magnolia in Mississippi a sweet potato beer.
4. The decline of the extreme beer. 100-plus IBUs, 20-plus percent alcohol by volume? That's so 2011. "I don't think we can get any more extreme than we've gotten already. And after awhile people are looking for something more than high ABVs and heaps of hops."
5. Europe goes its own way. "The American influence on international craft brewing cannot be over-stated." But after turning out their own versions of West Coast IPAs and pale ales, brewers in Norway, Belgium, Italy and other countries are dabbling with their own local ingredients and flavor profiles.
6. The return of the lager. For years, ale's older and fussier brother was ignored by brewers who saw it as the exclusive domain of megabreweries like Anheuser-Busch, Miller and Coors. But new places like Bull Jager in Portland, Me., focus exclusively on lagers, while others (like Poway's Lightning) emphasize lagers while producing some ales.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/dec/12/whats-next-craft-beers-six-predictions/

Delirium Tremens

Delirium Tremens

Belgian Strong Ale - 8.5%

Poured into a pint glass. Golden yellow with about three finger head. Pretty clear with lots of carbonation.

I get a sweet, banana like smell to it and it smelled like that all the way through. And I kind of got a bready smell to it, but I will have to try it again to make sure.

Like the smell it tasted a bit fruity. I got a mild bitterness in this, but it was somewhat sweet.

I will have to drink this at home and not in a restaurant to give a better review. I will then get to see it better and really get a better smell and taste. Belgians are beers I want to get to know better. This is the beer that wine lovers should like. Maybe I am not used to the style but they seem pretty complex, a lot going on. It is a really good beer though, and I will enjoy drinking a lot more.

Lagunitas Sucks Holidy Ale

I heard a lot about this and knew I had to try it.

Poured into a mason jar from Chuck's Hop Shop. Light yellow gold, pretty hazy with little head and not much lacing. Lot of carbonation.

The piney hops punched me in the nose and made it bloody...in a good way. Really bitter in a good way. While it smelled piney had more of a fruity taste, like orange peel. Light bodied. I didn't get much malt in this and it had a nice dry finish that didn't linger too long.

This was pretty good. I will really have to get this again if I see it.

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/220/74986

Woodchuck Amber Cider

Going to parties at my friends house can be tricky because they dont like the beer that I like. So I brought some cider that I had from a tasting the night before.

It was tasty, tasted kind of like a sweet apple juice. I can see people get into trouble drinking this because even though it is only 5% you can drink a lot of this and fast.

It was a hit at the party. Now I know what to bring for everyone.

Red Hook Long Hammer IPA

It has been awhile since I have had a Long Hammer from Red Hook. Friend brought some Red Hook beer to a party and I decided to give it a try.

Poured what looked like apple juice into a pint. Light golden color, pretty hazy, and some decent carbonation. Poured about an inch and a half head and it disappeared pretty quickly. Not much lacing.

I couldn't smell much. Very light hop and not much malt. As it warms up I got a slight grapefruit hop, but not much. The taste was like it smells, faint and not much. It was pretty bland but seemed like a beer for parties where it was easy to drink but not much to taste. I didn't hate it, but will only drink it if there is nothing else around. I do not see myself buying this.

Dubhe Imperial Black IPA

I went to a party last weekend where most of the people don't quite like the beer I like. My friend who was the host of the party had this in his fridge and gave it to me because he didn't like it. I was happy to take it off his hands.

From notes:

Dubhe Imperial Black IPA

Poured dark black into pint glass with a two finger light brown head. Good lacing.

Smelled a light piney hops but didn't smell much malt at the beginning. As the beer warmed up the malt notes came out more and I got more caramel smell.

Though I can smell caramel, it tasted more like coffee with a slight bitter finish.

This is a really good Black Imperial IPA and would totally drink it again. It comes from Uinta out of Salt Lake City, Utah. If I remember correctly I have a barleywine from this brewery in my fridge waiting for me.

Reviews from Beer Advocate

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1416/67046

Green Flash West Coast IPA

Poured into a pint glass from The Yard in Greenwood.

Poured a dark, rusty color. Clear with nice carbonation. A inch of fizzy head. Nice lacing.

Very clean fruity/piney hops with slight caramel malts. Had a lighter/medium body and slight bitter finish.

Very refreshing beer which I will gladly have again.

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/2743/22505

Avery DuganA Double IPA

Had this at the Yard in Greenwood. Came here after the Winter Fest.

Avery DuganA Double IPA

8.5 ABV

Poured into a snifter glass. Poured a copper color with a half inch head.

Had citrus hops and also a sweet smell to it. It smelled the way it tasted the same. Had sweet, yet heavy body with moderate carbonation.

Phenomenal beer. If you love IPAs than you need to try this.

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/30/53167

2011 Winter Beer Fest

The girlfriend and I attended the Winter Beer Fest at Hale's Palladium in Ballard. Drank some really good beers. I didn't write down notes for these so the reviews will not be that detailed, just try to rely on what I remembered. It will give me an excuse to drink them again.

Two Beers - Infused EVO IPA

This was our favorite beer at this fest. It was infused with peaches, mangos, apples and marigolds. Fruity aroma and taste, but not too overpowering. Very drinkable and will drink again when I see it. Good job!
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/17005/65418

Schooner Exact Hoppy The Woodsman Bourbon Aged Winter Warmer

Who is Hoppy? I want to meet him, shake his hand and drink a beer with him. They turned the lights down so it was hard to really see the color, but it was dark with a decent sized head. The bourbon flavors really jumped out and there was some hop bitterness to it (I think piney?). This is a beer I can see myself buying and sipping on all night.
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/19764/53944

7 Seas Brewery Wheelchair Barleywine


Isn't that beautiful? And the barleywine looked nice too. ;) I believe this is the only barleywine offered at this fest, and if not then someone played a mean joke on me. I remember smelling caramel and dark fruits and then it kind of went away. Couldn't tell if it was an American because I didn't get much hoppiness that you find in American Barleywines. Pretty smooth. This one cost me two tokens. It was ok and I would drink it again.
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/20658/66845

Boundary Bay Cabin Fever Winter Ale



The beer I really wanted from Boundary Bay was their Scotch Ale. They said another barrel was coming later so I decided to try this. I remember I really liked it. I remember the dark fruits and a little bit of hops. And I also remember it took me awhile to drink this. Only means I will have to go out of my way to drink it again.
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/701/7070
Naked City Big Lebrewski White Russian Imperial Stout


My girlfriend loves White Russians. She loves them so much that we sometimes call her "The Dude." She also liked this beer. This beer won third place at the fest and it was a good beer. This was my girlfriend's beer so I only had a taste. Luckily I live up the street from Naked City so I can have it when it goes on tap.
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/18353/54741

American Brewery Sour Brown Ale


From the recommendation of someone we met, my girlfriend got the Sour Brown Ale from American Brewery. She didn't like it so I ended up drinking it, and I enjoyed it. At this point I really wish I wrote some notes for these beers. All I really remember is that it was sour and I liked it. But with most sours, I couldn't drink too much of it. Maybe a half pint at most.

That is about what I remember from the fest. We had a blast! Next time I will try to write more notes.

Sierra Nevada Celebration IPA

When I first picked this up, I didn't read the description and thought it was a winter warmer. Nope. American IPA.

Sierra Nevada Celebration IPA

Poured into a snifter from a 12 oz bottle. Pretty large creamy/frothy head with excellent lacing. Poured a beautiful amber copper that is a bit hazy.

Piney hops and very mild citrus. I could smell the malt but couldn't quite make it out. As it warmed up a little got a little bit of caramel.

It went down very smooth. Very drinkable beer. This is an IPA I would recommend to non-IPA drinkers. Had a medium body and average carbonation. Moderate bitter finish.

A very good IPA. Not my favorite, but if I heard that it was available somewhere, I would buy it.

Great Divide Yeti Imperial Stout

Went to the mall, spent about 30 minutes there and wanted a beer. I hate the mall.

Great Divide Yeti Imperial Stout - 9.5% ABV, 75 IBU

Poured into a snifter from a 12 oz bottle. Poured very muddy black. It had a small head but it may have been because of how I poured it (I don't know if I am the worlds greatest beer pourer). The lacing was pretty good on this.

It had a heavy chocolate malt aroma to it. At first I got a faint roasted coffee smell to it but the chocolate was there. Also as it warmed up I started getting a light piney hop nose.

It had a full body that tasted creamy in my mouth. The carbonation was average but I am not sure if that is from the hops or not. The finish seemed a little chalky/dry. I would say that the taste didn't linger very long.

I would say this is a complex beer to me. I am sure true beer nerds, especially ones who really know this style can define it better. The aroma kind of changed on me but that may have been because it warmed up. Very good beer.

What does a beer geek look like?

* full beard/goatee - yes
* t-shirt - yes (not to work though)
* headwear (ballcap, tuque, flat cap, fedora, etc.) - yes
* fifteen to twenty pounds overweight - yes

But I am not a beer geek

http://beeradvocate.com/forum/read/4248178

Bear Republic - Racer 5

Pliny the Elder is my favorite IPA of all time. But Racer 5 by Bear Republic comes pretty close, and it is very easy to find unlike Pliny.

Poured a dark yellow with a small white head into a mason jar. Kind of looked like apple juice.

Smells citrusy with slight pine.

The taste was different, piney with slight citrus. It was also very balanced and drinkable. Medium bitterness and medium body.

Very delicious beer. Kind of wish I was drinking it right now.

They had Racer X on tap and I had a little taste but not enough to write a review. It was pretty expensive and I thought the taste was OK.

Beer Advocate Review
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/610/2751

Harmon Stryker Stout

Harmon - Stryker Stout

I have been looking forward to trying this and when I saw that it was on tap at Chuck's on 85th in Greenwood, I had to hop into my car and get a pint. And I am so glad I decided to get a pint of this beer instead of staying at home watching mini Star Wars documentaries.

This was poured into a mason jar. It poured very dark with chocolate milk brown head. After pouring I can see a little bit of the carbonation in the beer.

The smell was chocolate and a bit of coffee. I didn't get anything too roasty, though I can get a faint hint of it.

Just like the smell the taste was chocolate. Not as heavy as I would have expected. I also got a slight creaminess as I drank this.

Very drinkable and a great introduction to the style. As I get more used to stouts I am sure I can pick this thing apart better than this review. I can also see myself finding new things about this the next couple times I drink it.

Beer Advocate's Review
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1386/73647

Dogfish Head Olde School Barleywine

Poured an auburn color from a 12 oz glass.

Smell of dark fruits, toffee, and slight caramel. At 15% you can really smell the alcohol in this one.
Slight floral hops.

Tasted like a mature double IPA, which is what most of these American Barleywines are supposed to. Really hoppy with a dry finish. As I mentioned, you can really smell the alcohol in this one and at times kind of reminded me of Hennessy.

I think when I first tried it it was still a little cold after taking it out of the refrigerator. Remember, don't drink these real cold. As it warms up more of the malts come out giving it a fuller mouthfeel.

I may pick up another one and age this for a year or two.

Beer Advocate Reviews
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/64/6533

Fremont Brewing The Sister

Fremont Brewing The Sister Double IPA

I brought this over for the Thanksgiving party in a growler from Chuck's on 85th in the Greenwood Neighborhood.

A total crowd pleaser! I was at Chuck's the night before to find a growler fill for Thanksgiving, and I wanted something along the lines of a winter warmer or something a little more malty. Chuck just tapped this and was giving everyone samples. One guy came in and loved it so much that he got two growlers for his party. I realized I had to get a growler of this since I thought it was delicious and I knew my family would love it.

It had a very strong citrus hop smell to it, which was very delicious. I would smell this beer for a long time. It had a medium mouthfeel but not very malty at all, which was a little surprising looking at the copper color. A very hoppy beer with a hop after taste that lingers.

I really liked it, though I wish it had a little more malts to it.

Beer Advocate Reviews
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/20680/72584

Fremont Brewing Universale Pale

Fremont Brewing Univsersale Pale American Pale Ale

When our family gets together for holidays, we like to try new and interesting beers. I have wanted to try this for awhile, and decided to try it as one of our beers for Thanksgiving.

Like American Pale Ales I've had, this reminded me of a junior IPA. You got a slight pine hoppy smell to it. The mouthfeel was average and you got kind of a dry finish to it.

This was ok. I may pick it up again in the spring or summer since this is when I imagine drinking it.

Beer Advocate Reviews
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/20680/51503

Alaskan Smoked Porter

Had this on tap from Tommy Gun on Capitol Hill.

As the name entails, the smoke is really prominent. I also got some roasted malts and a little bit of chocolate. Heavy mouthfeel.

I am not the biggest porter fan in the world and couldn't finish the whole thing because of the smokiness. Before I have this again, I want to have a couple more porters so I can understand the style a little more. Stouts and porters are styles I am not too familiar with so please bear with me as I try to describe these beers.

Beer Advocate Reviews
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/429/1769

Pyramid Super Snow Cap

Pyramid Super Snow Cap

Served from tap into a mason jar.

The smell was of roasted malts and a little bit of caramel. Tastes a little the same.

There is also a light mouth feel which surprised me because it looked like it would be a little heavier. Not quite sure if there were a lot of hops or if it was carbonation.

I enjoyed it. It took me awhile to drink it and had a nice buzz afterward. If I saw it on tap, I would pick it up again.

Beer Advocate's review
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/403/74424

J.W. Lees English Barleywine

I have been looking forward to drinking this for awhile and finally had it last night.

JW Lees Harvest Ale 2006 Vintage Limited Edition English Barleywine

It is late fall, which I believe is the perfect time for barleywines. I am a little more used to American Style Barleywines, but have had and loved Thomas Hardy English Style. Since they don't make them anymore and are hard to find, I decided to give this one a shot.

Pours a copperish amber with no head.

Smells like raisins with a slight boozy smell.

Just like it smells, it tastes an awful lot like raisins with maybe some brown sugar. At 11.5%, it hides the alcohol pretty well. Tastes very sweet. The high alcohol content and sweetness makes this barleywine a sipper throughout the night.

I may pick this up again. If not this one, then definately try another English Barleywine. I think the sweetness overpowered me at first, then after awhile really came into its own. I think I may have gotten used to it after awhile.

Beer Advocate's Review

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/178/705

21st Amendment & Ninkasi: Allies Win the War!

I must try this!

"This may very well be the best ale of any style that I’ve tasted in the past two years. With only the exception of the Ale Emeritus, Deschutes “The Abyss” (which, to me, belongs in a different category altogether from mere beers), this 21st Amendment/Ninkasi “Allies Win The War!” is just simply the most swoon-inducing, fully-realized, utterly delicious, and shockingly drinkable ale of the 1000+ I’ve tasted so far in 2011. A dark ale infused with fresh California dates, this avoids every one of the cliches of fruit-added beers and does it by simply amplifying the natural date character that this style expresses better than any other."

http://blog.seattlepi.com/thepourfool/2011/11/08/21st-amendment-ninkasi-allies-the-best-of-friends/

Dogfish Head 90-Minute IPA - How it started

It took me awhile before I got into craft beer. Before, if I drank beer I would drink Coronas and whatever crap my friends would get. Usually if I went out I would get jack and cokes or shots or whatever. I knew there were a lot of beers out there, just wasn't interested in exploring that world.

I even remember there was a radio show dedicated to craft beer and I didn't understand how there can be a whole show dedicated to beer. What could they talk about, beer bonging at a party during the weekend?

Then out of curiosity I decided to pick up a book on different beers just so I could get a general understanding of different beers. I didn't think I would really get into them, just wanted some information on what else was out there because I was sick of the usual Corona, Budweiser, etc.

So based on the book, I got interested in IPAs. I tried a couple here and there (remember, I was new and wasn't quite sure what I was looking for) and while they tasted better than the usual, nothing really stood out to me.

Until I came across Dogfish Head 90-Minute IPA. This is the beer that slapped me in the face and said, "Hey asshole, there is good beer out there!"

The balance of malts and hops just blew me away. Got a nice buzz of the first one and didn't feel the need to drink more to get fucked up, I felt the need to drink more because it tasted good. No, tasted great.

I love it out of the bottle and on tap. And for the longest time I called it my favorite beer. I don't consider it my favorite anymore, which is now Pliny the Elder, I do have a soft spot in my heart for Dogfish Head 90-Minute IPA.


*I stole this picture*

Here is Beer Advocate's review
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/64/2093

I should also note that I have had it on tap where once it tasted like a stout and another it tasted like a barleywine.

From my refrigerator

There are four barleywines I can age for awhile, a Pumpkin beer I should drink soon and an Imperial Stout and Winter Warmer I will drink soon.

The Czar Russian Imperial Stout - Avery
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/30/7850

Sleighr' - Ninkasi
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/14400/47120

Cockeyed Cooper - Uinta Brewing
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1416/58868

Doggie Claws American Barleywine - Hair of the Dog
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/173/20762

Pumking - Southern Tier
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/3818/38394

2006 Harvest Ale English Barleywine - J.W. Lees
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/178/705

Olde School American Barleywine - Dogfish Head
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/10099/6533

Laurelwood - Gearhead IPA

I love, love, LOVE, the Workhorse IPA by Laurelwood. Unfortunately, they are going to stop making it because there is a shortage of the hops they use to make it. Luckily, it should come back. More info here:

http://www.laurelwoodbrewpub.com/2011/09/10/workhorse-ipa/comment-page-1/#comment-2300

So believe me when I say I was happy to find out about Gearhead. I heard about this beer and finally had it on tap at Barca on Capitol Hill. I also got a bomber after finally buying a car.

Gearhead IPA - Laurelwood
Portland, Oregon

Very delightful beer. Not very big and bold, but light and floral hops. I told my friend I imagine drinking this in a flower bed on a very nice, beautiful sunny day.

Kind of a medium body and nice carbonation.

A great IPA for people who do not like IPAs. I love IPAs and would go to this during spring/summer. Not that I wouldn't drink it during winter/fall, but I really do think this is appropriate on a warm day.

Beer Advocate's Reviews
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/16289/73033

Like I said, I would recommend this to people who aren't really into IPAs because I didn't feel this to be a real bitter IPA. I would love to give this to my boring beer drinking friends. Maybe I can convert them.

He Drinks The Beer

I just love beer. Something I have been getting into more and more lately. I am by no means a beer aficionado and I can't give the most elaborate reviews on beer. This is just to talk about what I drinking and what I like.

I live in Washington State and am surround by great breweries. I am currently making an excel spreadsheet listing breweries in Washington state, some of their signature beers, Beer Advocate's rating, and then my rating. I call it my bucket list.