Beer Review: Stone Vertical Epic 11

Stone Vertical Epic is a yearly beer released on the day month and year of that year.  At first I was pretty excited about the thought of getting all the releases and trying them all in a vertical tasting.  Last years beer was a little bit of let down and this years release was even worse.

At some point Greg Koch is going to have to spend more time creating tasty beers and not so much time writing novels on the back of the bottles.  Greg you are not Sam, I don't know why you think you are.  Do what you do best add hops to the boil and call it a night.  I don't really know if they actually did a pilot batch before they brewed this, but I am astonished they bottled it and I am even more amazed I paid for it. 

Stone Vertical 11 pours out amber with a white head. Aroma of chocolate and spice.  Taste is dark malt, dirt and I guess spice.  Overall I didn't like this beer.  It had no balance and no real beer flavor.  The only beer like thing was the bottle it came in.  I would not recommend this beer to anyone. 

Sorry I am sure there are a few people out there that did like this beer or are Stone fans and liked it because it said Stone on the bottle. I usually try not to hate on craft beer, but I know Stone won't be hurting from this mini critique, but I do suggest they try something new.  That something new should be creating craft beer that tastes good. Sometimes pushing the envelope is a good thing and sometimes just creating something good is a good thing. 

Till next year.

Avery Brewing Dépuceleuse

I decided to brew up some beer this weekend and part of the brew was to split it in half and make a sour version.  I looked at a few different blogs and it was suggested to toss in the dregs of different soured beers to get those needed yeasts into the beer.  I figured it was a great reason to pop open a beer I've been holding onto for awhile.

Avery started a barrel program and apparently have a few different sours coming out.  I picked this bottle up during my Colorado Beerventure last year and have been excited to drink it ever since.

Dépuceleuse is aged in oak zinfindel barrels with sour cherries and 100% brett fermentation.  Aroma is sour and yet a little bit of fruit balanced out.  Taste sour and oak, which I am a huge fan off and finishes dry and tart.  Not a whole lot of funk in this beer.  It is very clean and the flavors are balanced and nice.  

This beer is on the high end of the spectrum, but the love and care they put into it is well worth it.  Loved this beer only wish I grabbed a couple more. 

BetterBeerBlog Lupulin for Lupus Fundraiser

Here is a copy and paste of a blog post of BetterBeerBlog for a fundraiser.  Peter is a great blogger and beer advocate for the Bay Area.  Hope to see some of you there.

2011 Lupulin for Lupus Fundraiser

Tied House Brewery & Cafe has been kind enough to allow us to host our annual Lupulin for Lupus “Pint Night” Fundraiser at their brewpub for the second year in a row. This page is to be a “living document” for the fundraiser. As some details become more concrete, the changes will be reflected on this page. So please bookmark this page for your reference. Details below:

Who: Tied House Brewing Company
What: Lupulin for Lupus 2011
Where: 954 Villa Street, Mountain View, CA 94041 map
When: Friday, October 7, 2011 @ 5pm
Cost: No cost to go, just pay for the beers that support the fundraiser.

What is the fundraiser?

The fundraiser is incredibly simple: buy a beer and help the cause. Tied House holds a regular “First Friday Firkin” in which they tap a cask of real ale on the first Friday of every month. Just buy a pint of the beer from any of the donated firkins and you’ll be doing your part to help find a cure for lupus. All proceeds will benefit the Lupus Foundation of America. If you don’t want to wait until the fundraiser to donate, you can do so directly to the Lupus Foundation of America by clicking here.

What is Lupus?

Systemic lupus erythematosus, better known as lupus, is a chronic, autoimmune disease. In the most simple of terms, people with lupus have bodies that attack itself. These attacks, or flares, can happen to any part of their bodies at any time. Some of the more common organs attacked include: the heart, joints, skin, lungs, blood vessels, liver, kidneys and the nervous system. Lupus is also known as “the great imitator” as symptoms of the disease are often mistaken for other diseases.  It is sometimes known as “the invisible illness”, many people who suffer from lupus appear as if nothing is wrong on the outside but are suffering greatly within.
Lupus can be fatal. Although, with the proper diagnosis, the disease is highly treatable. Despite this, lupus has no cure. Many of the treatments today are focused on reducing flares as well as treating the individual symptoms.
No one knows for sure what causes lupus but there are several factors that contribute to it’s development: genetics, environmental triggers and reaction to drugs. Lupus is non-communicable, which means that it’s not contagious.

What is Lupulin?

Lupulin is the name of the glands within hops that produce a resin that contains the essential alpha acids and essential oils that contribute hop bitterness, flavor and aroma to beers. I thought that since “lupu” is in “lupulin” and “lupus”, it would be great to combine both for the fundraiser. Kinda cheesy, I know, but it is the most appropriate for what I’m doing and what I’m doing it for.

Who is Karen?

Karen is the key, she is the inspiration and the reason I am doing this. Karen is a close friend of the BetterBeerBlog family. I’ve actually known her since she was 5, maybe 6 years old and she also happens to be Mrs. BetterBeerBlog’s BFF (best friend forever, in case you weren’t sure.) Karen is also living with lupus. But she isn’t the only one. This fundraiser is for her and for everyone else living with lupus.
Read more about Karen’s story in her own words at her Lupus Foundation of America Page of Hope.

Participating Breweries

The kindness and generosity of my local breweries never ceases to amaze me. Our little fundraiser would not be if it weren’t for the breweries below. Please take the time to click on the links below to learn more about these breweries and consider buying a pint or bottle of their beer next time you see them. If you’re a brewery and would like to participate in our little fundraiser, please email me at betterbeerblog[at]gmail[dot]com and we can discuss what you have in mind.

Tied House – Big thanks goes out to the Tied House for continuing to give this fundraiser a home. We can’t thank Carolyn, Sabio and Peter enough for helping us out. For the fundraiser, Tied House will have a firkin of their Maltopia Strong Scotch ale, perfect for those of you who aren’t into hops as I am.

Drake’s Brewing – My sincerest appreciation goes to Drake’s Brewing for participating in our fundraiser this year. Thank you John, Kelsey and Alexandra. Drake’s will be bringing a cask-conditioned firkin of their Alpha Session, a 3.8% NorCal Bitter brewed with Cascade, Citra, Summit and Simcoe and dry-hopped with Galaxy, Citra, and CTZ.

Firehouse Brewery & Grill – Firehouse brewmaster Steve Donohue will be back again this year with a firkin of pale ale dry-hopped with El Dorado hops! I don’t think I’ve tried these hops before so I’m definitely looking forward to this!

Sponsors

Local businesses are the lifeblood of our communities. They provide the goods and services necessary to keep our communities going. We had several, outstanding local business donate to help our fundraiser last year. If you’re interested in helping to sponsor our event this year, please shoot me an email at betterbeerblog[at]gmail[dot]com. Thank you!
Wine Affairs -Ever feel a bit overwhelmed when browsing a wine shop or restaurant menu? How do you know which to choose? Is the wine worth the price, and more importantly will you like it? Wine Affairs answers those questions. Our mission is to take the guess work out of buying wine. Just minutes from downtown, Wine Affairs is the ideal place to meet friends, business associates or even that special someone.

Orval Review

It has been quite awhile since I have posted on this blog.  I have been a little busy moving back to the Bay Area and planning my wedding, yep I got engaged.  So things have been busy and inspiration has eluded me the past few months.  But inspiration is a funny thing and today I was inspired to do this.  I decided to go into my back log of beers and pick one that honestly didn't get on my radar until just before I left the Emerald City.

Orval pours out hazy,  golden yellow with a nice white head.  Nose is sour and funky.  Taste is tart, with a musty barnyard flavor that barely covers the citrus notes of the hops.   Because Orval has such a light and dry mouth-feel, the hoppy/bitter finish really stands out in this beer. 

Overall I liked this beer.  It honestly wasn't what I had expected in terms of it being a sour beer because the hops were a bit of a surprise.  I am not sure what the hype was about and at $7 a pop, I could think of a couple other brews that I would enjoy more. But if you are a Belgian beer purist, cough up the dough and try a true original.

Fundraiser for Bryan Stow

I found out about this event from fellow Bay Area Beer Blogger Better Beer Blog.  Peter does a fantastic job of organizing craft beer events as well as some fundraisers in the South Bay Area.  Not only am I a craft beer fan, I have been a die hard Giants fan since I could remember.  

This event is a fundraiser for Bryan Stow, a paramedic in Santa Clara county.  Bryan is currently in a medically induced coma after he was attacked by two Dodgers fans at Dodgers Stadium on opening day.  The two men that attacked him are currently at large.

The Tied House Brewery & Cafe will be hosting the event with the help of other bay area breweries.  All proceeds go to the Stow family.  Click on this link for event info on facebook.

Where 

954 Villa Street
Mountain View, CA 94041-1236
(650) 965-2739

When

Monday April, 11 from 6-10 PM

Who

510 Brewing
Firehouse Brewery & Grill
Jack’s Brewing Company
Los Gatos Brewing Company
Rabbit’s Foot Meadery
Rock Bottom Brewery
Faultline Brewing
Tied House Brewery & Cafe

How

Just bring $15 and you get 3 tickets for 3 beers and appetizers.

Tell your friends, even if you not a Giants fan or your friends aren't craft beer fans.  This is a great chance to support a great cause. 

Stone Old Guardian Belgo Barleywine

Oh Stone.  Why do you do what you do?  I really was excited about trying this Belgo Barleywine, under the assumption that it was special much like its Belgo IPA and yet I was very disappointed with this beer.  Over the years I have become accustomed to Stone pushing the style boundaries, and this was a total let down.  This was a good beer and yet a total let down.  It should be called Stone Old Guardian Dubble and I would love it, but it is not.

My other gripe would be why in the hell is there a paragraph on the back of the bottle describing it's inception.  I find myself attempting to read this long winded monstrosity and finding myself completely overwhelmed and frustrated.  You make good beer, we get it.  Save some ink and lose your pretentiousness. 

I think this was an ok beer, I could think of over a dozen Belgian Dubbles that I would rather drink.  Next time stick to what you are good at, strong beers and IPA's.  

Rating

malt 3
hops 3
heat 2
flavor 3
drink-ability 3
overall taste 3

Firestone Walker Double Jack

It has been a couple months since I have posted anything on this blog.  I will talk more about that in future posts, but right now is a post about Double Jack by Firestone Walker.  I am going to try out a new way to describe flavors, to simplify the posting and speed up the writing.  The rating system is from 1-5 for malty, hoppy, heat, flavor, drinkability, and overall taste.   For the 5 or 6 of the people that actually follow this blog, hopefully this will be a better rating system.  

Double Jack by Firestone Walker is part of their Proprietor Series, which is basically a 22oz seasonal release.   As seen in the photo above I went to school on the Central Coast and have a high affinity for FW beers.  I was a little nervous moving up to Seattle, because FW didn't distribute much out of California, but luckily Seattle is a hot market for breweries.


Double Jack is a DIPA or a Imperial IPA for those that may not know, Imperial means that it is higher in alcohol and usually higher in most everything else to balance that alcohol out.  I liked this beer a lot, but I like most FW beers a lot.  Was it better than Pliny the Elder?   Eh, maybe a side by side would reveal who would win, but I don't really think it matters.  I think it was hoppy and good and if you get a chance to buy it, you can let me know. 

malt 3
hops 4
heat 3
flavor 4
drink-ability 3
overall taste 4

New blogs and New Beers

This last weekend was great for me.  I had my mom in town for her first visit to Seattle and I think we did alright.  Had a trip to the Market and Pike's Brewing on Saturday and Black Raven, Bottleworks and Brouwer's on Sunday.  I was hoping to get Stone's Vertical Epic 10-10-10 at Bottleworks but they didn't have it, but a Firestone Oaktoberfest was a nice consolation.  I also have to give some good words to Black Raven and their Wet Hop Ale, go by and grab one if you dare.

On another note, I was poking around the web and found this blog by Patrick Rue of The Bruery.  It is a great resource of info for someone thinking of starting up a brewery.  We all know how successful The Bruery has become and it is great to see the ups and downs of a start up and to see how it can be done.  I posted the link to the section of the blog related to the start up, but you check out the rest if you wish.

Finally, I wanted to give some exposure to a new beer project by blogger Beer and Nosh.  He has started a project with a friend called Almanac Beer Co. and they have a new beer release coming out in a couple months.  It is a Belgian Blonde aged in barrels and fermented with a variety of berries.  It looks like a great new venture and can't wait to try it out.

To review or not review, that is the question.

After finishing up my last post I decided to have a beer that my girlfriend bought recently.  I put it in a nice glass and was about to set up the bottle to take a pic for a beer review as I usually do, but unfortunately I tasted it and changed my mind.   This beer is from a microbrewery in the pacific northwest that is still trying to make an impact in the craft beer world.  I am a huge proponent of supporting microbrewers and with that being said I find it hard to give negative feedback on any brewery that makes craft ales.  Getting to my point, the beer was bad, not I wouldn't drink this beer if I was on stranded island bad, it was just really off in so many ways.  So here is the dilemma, should I still review the beer and give negative press (assuming more than 20 people actually give any credit to my reviews) or do I ignore this beer and just focus on supporting those beers that can actually give craft beer a good name.  I realize that last week I gave some poor reviews of Unibroue beers, but they are a larger company and I did say that poor storage of the beer thanks to Trader Joe's more than likely was the reason for it's poor taste.  Even though I am not a practicing Buddhist, I am a firm believer in karma and with the hope and dream of someday opening my own brewery, I wouldn't want some shmuck giving me a poor review.  I started this blog to educate and promote beer and brewers that not many people may have heard of. I realize that if  I did anything to negatively impact a hardworking brewer, I don't know if I could take myself or this blog seriously.  So what should I do?  What would you do?

Beer Review: Dieu De Ciel Peche Mortel

After a nice long aging I finally decided to pop open Peche Mortel by Dieu Du Ciel.  Peche Mortel is an Imperial Stout brewed with coffee and a whole lotta love.  I bought this at City Beer in SF, also know as my favorite place in the world.  I have been waiting to tap this for a awhile, but I always feel I should let huge beers like Imperial Stouts a little aging time to mellow out the flavors and after the long wait was not disappointed.

Peche Mortel come in at a staggering 9.5% abv. and yet is so well balanced with the malt and the coffee.  It pours out pitch black with a nice brown head.  Aroma is roasted malt, chocolate and of course some coffee which reminded me a nice freshly brewed pot in the morning.  Taste is malt, malt and more malt, huge coffee flavor and a great bitterness that coats the back of your tongue. There is  a subtle hint of the alcohol, but don't worry the roasted chocolate malt is there to take over.  It has is a medium body, medium carbonation and a nice mouthfeel.  Overall this a drinkable beer, but I do think one would be enough for me. I think the coffee was a bit overpowering, but if you really like big, roasty, coffee flavored beers, this is one for you.

The Session #44: Frankenstein Beers

This months topic is Frankenstein beers:

Many craft brewers are like Frankenstein. They have become mad scientists obsessed with defying the laws of brewing and creating beers that transcend style guidelines. These “Frankenstein Beers” challenge the way people perceive beer. They are freaks of nature — big, bold and intense. The ingredients resemble those of a beer and the brewing process might appear to be normal, but some aspects of the entire experience are experimental, unorthodox and insane.

An altercation with these beers produces confusion in the eye of the taster … is it a beer, or a monster?

I am really excited to have this as my first Session topic.  I have always been a fan a pushing beers to the edge.  I feel that brewing is an art, and each artist has his or her own view on what a beer can be.  Now whether or not you agree as to whether Frankenstein beers are a good idea, I think the market has spoken.  Dogfish head, Brewdog, Stone Brewing and others are pushing for these extreme beers, with interesting new ingredients and brewing methods.  I guess the only question is how far can you go and where will it stop?  There is currently a war for the highest alcohol content in a beer and honestly couldn't care less.  I think it is great that new methods for brewing are being adopted and created, but I am a consumer and when will I be able to try these beers?  On the positive side I think it is great exposure for craft beer, as long as beer is being talked about in a positive way, it is a great thing for all of us. 

 On the other hand it is great to sit down and enjoy classic styles that helped me fall in love with craft beer in the first place.  I think in order to create extreme beer styles you should know how to create the original style first.  I had the pleasure of working for Peter Catizone at Faultline Brewing in Sunnyvale and learned the importance and difficulty of brewing traditional styles.  Some may actually argue that to brew a great Pilsner is harder than brewing some of the Frankenstein beers.  I may have to agree with that because it's always harder to make something stand out that is made simply.  A weird comparison would be for a chef to make an omelet, a seemingly simple task that takes a huge amount of skill and knowledge to pull of well.  

Whether or not you agree that Frankenstein beers are a good thing,  I do believe they are good for the craft beer industry in general.  I still love my classic styles, but I really do love to try new things. Aside from making great blog material, it makes for a great experience and drinking a well made beer should be an experience.  I always think that there really is no right or wrong with beer aside from supporting craft beer and rather than mega beer, but I think that goes without saying.   So if you haven't yet, go out and have a DIPA, BIPA, Barrel aged beers or a Sour beer, you may find something enjoyable and new. 

If you have had any Frankenstein beer that you want to recommend leave a comment.  I think this would be a great time to share some beer stories and maybe leave your opinion on the matter.

 

Beer Review: Unibroue 4 Pack

Long overdue, I guess I am making up for some lost time by doing a 4 pack review.  This 4 pack was given as a gift from a friend of mine (bought at Trader Joe's) that is from Quebec and loves Unibroue, obviously.  This pack was stuck in my fridge since moving to Seattle and over the past few weeks, I have been chipping away at it and was excited to try some beer that I have never had before. These reviews are in no particular order and having tasted them over the past couple weeks. Because of the time between tastings the reviews are a little week, but I do remember what I would drink again and what I wouldn't drink, yes there are a couple beers I wasn't too fond of. 

Chambly Noire is a Belgian Dark Ale.  Unibroue brews a version of this for Trader Joe's as a seasonal release called the Trader Joe's Vintage Ale.  I like the TJ's version much better than this one.  Knowing how TJ's keeps their beer I can only assume the off flavors I found in this beer were from poor storage, actually most the beers seemed to be "off" a little.  This beer is a flavorful beer.  Hints of molasses and some nice peppery spices.  However it just didn't excite me in any way.

Ephemere is a White Ale brewed with apple must.  The color is amazing in this beer, it had a light crisp taste with high carbonation, very cider like.  It had a good sweetness and a good apple flavor.  It was a tasty beer, but not a style that I like, I actually gave up on this beer after a few tastes and gave it to my girlfriend.  But if you like ciders or fruity white ales, this a beer for you.

Craftman is a Peat-smoked whisky malt ale.  The reason I received this 4 pack was the Raftman, my friend loves this beer and I would have to say it was a good beer, but not a great beer.  It had a great light brown/amber color.  Nice sweet malt flavor with a little apple and some spicy notes.  I didn't get much of the smoked malt, which is great because I am not a fan of smokey beers.  I have to think this beer would be better if it were stored correctly.  I would try it again from a proper beer store or taphouse.  

Blanche De Chambly is a Witbier it has a great hazy golden color.  Flavors of  yeast, bread, cloves, and a little citrus.  Nice dry mouthfeel and dry finish, this is a very drinkable beer.  One of my least sought after styles ended up being the best of the pack. 

Overall a little disappointment in the 4 pack after having tried La Fin Du Monde, Maudite, Trois Pistoles all great beers.  I am not going to give up on these beers, I believe they have great potential.  I really do enjoy Unibroue beers and will still try them as I see them. 

Beer Review: Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine 2010

Every year Sierra Nevada releases Bigfoot Ale, a Barleywine that they ferment in traditional open fermenters.  Here is a link to a video showing the fermentation of Bigfoot in those open fermenters from the 2009 batch.
Like most beer drinkers in and around California, Sierra Nevada gave me a lot of my firsts.  My first brewery tour, my first beer sampler, and of course my first Barleywine.  Thinking about my initial experience with the Bigfoot, I start to shutter.  When I was young my beer experience was mostly Coors and Bud and the occasional Sierra Nevada Pale Ale if I could afford it.   The first time I drank a bottle was when my friend picked up a six pack and thought it would be fun to split, WRONG. Going from Coors to this was a really bad idea, and I never really worked to hard to relive this horrible moment. 

Well many years and many beers later I am back on the Bigfoot wagon and can happily say that now I can appreciate a Barleywine.  I have had a number of Bigfoot Ale's since my first experience and it's fun to see how much things have changed over the years.

Bigfoot pours out hazy dark amber and I don't usually notice lacing, but this this beer had quite a bit (served in my Burger King Return of the Jedi glass.)
Aroma: toffee, caramel, good hoppy nose, and a hint of alcohol.
Taste:  good malt sweetness, toffee, surprisingly a lot of fruity esters with hints of raspberry, great grassy hop bitterness that lingers on the back of your tongue and finishes a little hot.
Mouthfeel:  medium to High carbonation with a nice medium body, very drinkable considering the ABV.

Overall:  Superb beer.  I guess they have had a couple years to perfect it and it shows.  I know a lot of beer drinkers may be a little hesitant in trying a barlywine because they aren't for everyone, but Bigfoot is a great intro to this amazing style.  So I suggest you grab a six pack at BevMo and keep a couple to cellar for a couple years and see how it matures. 

Beer Review: Stone Brewing Old Guardian Barleywine

 

I have been a fan of Stone Brewing ever since I had Arrogant Bastard Ale about 10 years ago.  I found a bottle at the local liquor store and saw the name and had to buy it.  You kind of become a hit at the party when you walk around with a 22oz bottle that says "Arrogant Bastard" on it.  So over the years I have tried my best to try Stone beers as much as possible, but I focus on the seasonal brews more so than their regular rotation.  I find their IPA's to be a bit out of balance, a little more on the harsh resiny side, but people love it so I can be wrong.  

I was saving this beer to share with a buddy of mine that is in love with everything Stone, unfortunately for him he didn't come over before I moved to Seattle and therefore missed out on this gem.  I don't usually drink many barleywines because, they are usually palate crushers and you can usually drink only one.  Old Guardian was served in a 22oz bottle and coming in at a wopping 11% it was definitely a one and done.

Old Guardian pours out hazy golden copper.

Aroma:  hints of toffee, caramel, and of course the Stone trademark huge resiny hops that hide the acohol.

Taste:  nice sweet malt flavor, brown sugar and toffee.  Huge resiny/grassy hop bite and smooth hot finish

Mouthfeel:  medium to high carbonation, nice crisp flavor, with a medium body and a nice dry finish.

Overall:  I really enjoyed this beer, I don't know how many I could have drank, but I would definitely buy it again.  Thanks Stone for another great beer.  

For those of you that are Stone fans, coming up in about a month Stone Vertical Epic 10 release coming out on 10/10/10.  Grab one and enjoy.

Beer Review: Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary Charlie, Fred and Ken's Bock

Let me start by saying congratulations to Sierra Nevada.  When I heard about this idea I was extremely excited to try all these exciting beers.  This is my second of the series, I previously drank the Fritz and Ken's Stout, which was great.  Living in Seattle I have the privilege of shopping at one of the best Whole Foods in the world, probably an exaggeration, but it still has a great selection of Washington, Californian and Belgian brews. 

Sierra Nevada Bock pours out a hazy copper.
Aroma: nice sweet malt aroma, caramel and a little alcohol.
Taste:  fantastic balance of sweet malt, caramel, toffee flavors and alcohol.  Alcohol starts off nice, and it has a very distinct bitter finish that lingers for a few moments.  
Mouthfeel: Nice light body with medium to high carbonation,  tingles right on the tongue as soon as you take a sip, but finishes pretty dry.
Overall:   I enjoyed this beer, it is a bit more hoppy than most helles/bocks I am used to.  I assumed it would be a battle of the malt vs. the alcohol, but the hops really put a good showing.  Sierra Nevada is known for hop forward beers and overall I thought this was a successful beer.  I would definitely buy another one of these to cellar for a couple months.

Beer Review: The Bruery Hottenroth Berliner Weisse

I have to be honest I have had some mixed feelings about some of the beers from The Bruery.  The most recent beers I have had are Mischief which I enjoyed and now Hottenroth.  Hottenroth is a Berliner Weisse style, which is apparently an upcoming trend in beer styles.  As I have said many times, my girlfriend is a huge fan of sour beers, which gives me great incentive to purchase them when I can.

Hottenroth pours out hazy, light yellow straw color.
Aroma:  tart, some barn funk, and wheat
Taste:  sour upfront, citrus notes, nice wheat malt flavor
Mouthfeel:  medium carbonation, dry finish
Overall:  It's a very good beer, coming in at 3% it's super drinkable and the sourness is not overwhelming.  I would definitely grab another bottle.

Visit to Epic Ales

Not a bad weekend for Seattle beer.  Friday we headed out to Epic Ales in SoDo to taste some wild new flavors from Cody on his 1 Barrel System.  Epic Ales is a one man operation and his tasting room is open from 3:30 to 8:00 with 1$ tastings and 22oz. bottles on sale for $4.  We got there a little late and one of the three kegs was already killed but we were fortunate enough to get a our fair share of tasters. My notes are a little pitiful, we were busy talking it up with Cody, but I think I got a good idea of flavors as we were chatting.    

We started off with Lyli (no pics available).  Lyli is a wheat and green tea beer.  Nice golden color, good crisp dry mouthfeel and a very earthy finish, thanks to the tea.  Not a true wheat in any way, but a good new flavor. 

Next up was Terra-saurus.  This is a huge dark beer, Cody didn't really have a style for this one it's kind of a a porter/stout/strong hybrid brewed with Shitake mushrooms.  This is a truly tasty beer, very forward malt flavor and aroma, with a bit of earthy flavor that balances with with the roasted malt.  A truly unique beer, which I thoroughly enjoyed. 

Last taste was from his "Simple series", which is a series is beers brewed with one variety of malt and hops, hence the simple name.  The Simple Summer Ale is a saison hybrid that pours out golden,  with a nice white head.  Aroma of yeast, barn, straw with a hint of hops.  Tastes of yeast, banana and a nice hop finish.   Cody just popped one open at room temp for us to try and I really enjoyed it.  Very drinkable beer nice mouthfeel and a good dry finish. 

Overall a great experience at Epic Ales, I left with two bombers one of the Simple summer and one of the Fuj.  You can find Epic Ales at a number of good beer bars in Seattle. 
  

Two Beers Brewing Co. Anniversary Party

I found this on the Washington Beer Blog and wanted to share it with everyone.

For Immediate Release
August 16, 2010
Two Beers Brewing Co. Celebrates One Year in SoDo
Seattle WA — Two Beers Brewing Co. is celebrating being in SoDo for a year and wants to invite anyone and everyone down for their celebration.
“It’s been quite a year for us” said Joel VandenBrink, Founder and Brewmaster of Two Beers Brewing Co. “We have made many friends along the way thus far and want to have a party to thank everyone for the continued support.”
The Party will be at the brewery, 4700 Ohio Ave S. Seattle WA 98134, from 2 p.m. until 7 p.m. on Saturday August 28th. On tap will be the only keg of Winter Hop 2009 remaining, Orange, Grapefruit, and Lemon Peeled Belgian Wit, Summer Hop, and all your other favorites from Two Beers Brewing Co. In addition, Casks will be on the bar all afternoon, a BBQ will be cooking up Spicy Sausage from Zoe’s Meats, and live music will be on the dock out front.
All our encouraged to stop by and help Two Beers Brewing Co. celebrate their first year. For more information visit www.twobeersbrewery.com
Other Useful Info: We will have two pouring stations, the one inside the tasting room with 6 taps, and another one outside on the dock with 4 taps. Special “one and offs” will be inside as will the cask.
Throughout the day all of our beers will be on tap: 20:20 Blonde, Crooked Belgian Wit, Immersion Amber, Persnickety Pale, Echo IPA, Evo. IPA, Sodo Brown, and Summer Hop.
Kids are welcome, as are dogs.

Beer Review: Sierra Nevada Tumbler Brown

I found a six pack of this at Trader Joe's in Queen Anne.  This is a seasonal brown I have never seen from Sierra Nevada.

Served in my commemorative Star Trek III glassware (yep, that's Kirk and Spock) from Taco Bell.  Tumbler pours medium brown with a light off white head. Great roasted malt nose and a hint of hops. Taste was sweet caramel, roasted malt and a nice hoppy finish.  Mouthfeel was light, with medium to high carbonation. 

Overall I liked the beer.  I wouldn't go out of my way to purchase another sixer. I would rather have the Mission St. Brown or the Tamerlane from Black Raven, but overall not too shabby.

Brouwer's Cafe Seattle

My girlfriend and I have been taking our time exploring Seattle and its beer scene.  I am admittedly a little bit behind my projected visit list so far, but the places we have gone have been great and Brouwer's Cafe is no exception.

As soon as we walked in I said "it feels like home", I only wish they had a nice comfy bed and I would never leave.  With a huge bar and a wall full of taps from Wa, Ca, and Belgium beer, it's a beer lovers dream.  We arrived 10 minutes prior to happy hour (from 3-6)  and our server was right on it and told us she would hold our orders for those 10 minutes to get the $1 off we deserve.

I started off with Fremont Brewing Universal Pale Ale, which is located right down the street from Brouwer's and I expect to take enjoy a pint at their beer garden next weekend if weather allows.  The Pale was great West coast style, nice balance of the sweet and hoppy.  I found it more balanced and drinkable than Sierra Nevada PA.  What?  Nice citrus notes and great mouthfeel, you could sit down and enjoy a few of them.   I am really looking forward to my hopeful visit next weekend.

My girlfriend got the Le Fleur Misseur, which I had a couple "tastes" of.  It's a very mild sour ale, less tart than the La Folie, I think the malt sweetness balanced out the sourness well.  Not my fave sour they make, but I think for a person starting on sours, it was a great price and a pretty tasty beer.  Check out that lacing.

Last and absolutely not least Firestone Walker Velvet Merkin Oatmeal Stout, which almost impossible to find on tap in California.  I have only tasted this beer at the tasting room in Paso Robles.  Pours out dark brown, nice malty nose, rich chocolate and licorice aroma.  This is a tasty sweet stout, roasted malt, coffee and chocolate.  Drinkability is superb, it has a great light mouthfeel, medium carbonation, another awesome beer by FW.  I am thinking about starting up a Facebook page demanding they bottle this beer, it should be on their regular list of beers, at least in 22oz. 

Not a bad afternoon for beer.  If you are around Brouwer's it is a must go to.  With 64 beers on draft, 300 bottles including RR, Lost Abbey, Dogfish and Rochfort to name a few, it's absolutely amazing.