Bridgeport Trilogy 1 Crystal Dry-Hopped Pale Ale

Sometimes it's pretty cool to have this blog.

Last month, I got an email from the fine folks at Bridgeport Brewing Company in Portland, Oregon. They wanted to share the first of their 30th anniversary brews with me.

Appearance (0-3): Pours up a hazy golden color with an white head that quickly falls to a this layer of bubbles on the surface. 2 points.

Aroma (0-4): Starts with malt sweetness, then is replaced with a floral, tart hop aroma. 3 points

Taste (0-10): Subtle malt flavor, but the floral, spicy hops quickly come through. Good carbonation and mouthfeel. Finishes a bit tart with some floral notes at the back of my throat.

Overall Impression (0-3): I've never had Crystal hops before, so I can't say this was a familiar flavor. The floral notes take some getting used to. But I like the beer. I might have to go to Oregon for an extended pub crawl. 2 points

Pumpkinator 2013

A little bird told me that the only keg of Saint Arnold Pumpkinator that would ever hit Paradise in 2013 was at Auslander restaurant. So Wednesday when I got off work at 4 pm, I headed over.

Guess who's closed on Wednesday?

So I went yesterday.

Pumpkinator 2013 is fantastic. It has the pumpkin and spice flavor that reminds me of Dr. Pepper.

I love this beer!

But if I hear one word that outdated Pumpkinator is being given to cows instead of being distributed into the Great Texas Craft Beer Desert, I will be thoroughly pissed off.

Big Bend Hefeweizen - Review

I got a sampler sample six pack of Big Bend Brewing Company beers from Tom, one of Satan's friends.

Appearance (0-3): It pours up and hazy yellow, with a dense creamy head. 3 points

Aroma/Bouquet (0-4): Smells peppery and yeasty. There's a little sweet banana, but it's very subtle. 4 points

Taste (0-10): Slightly sweet malt flavor. Smooth and creamy mouthfeel. Medium carbonation. Finish with subtle banana and clove notes. 10 points

Overall Impression (0-3): I keep threatening to move to places with great beer. Alpine just made the list! This is drinkable and refreshing. At 5.5% alcohol, I could have a few of these. 3 points

Total: 20 points

Stone Farking Wheaton W00tstout - Review

Appearance (0-3): Pours up jet black with a thick head that long lasting head. 3 points

Aroma/Bouquet (0-4): Roasty coffee aroma with hints of brown sugar 4 points

Taste (0-10): Starts with brown sugar and vanilla flavors, with peppery accents. Frankly, the label promised pecans and I don't get it. There are subtle hop bitterness in the finish. Full bodied and medium high carbonation. 8 points

Overall Impression (0-3): I like the alcohol, and I like the flavor. I had a problem picking up the pecans.  I like this beer, but that jealous that Wil Wheaton, who's been homebrewing a couple of years, gets this kind of gig. But that's the wrong kind of bitterness. 3 points

Total: 18 points

Pedernales Brewing Company Oktoberfest

Now into their second year, Pedernales Brewing Company released its first seasonal beer last week: Oktoberfest. They only made a few dozen barrels, so it will be a limited release this year. Plans are in the works for a larger brewery, so I would expect a bigger release next year.

If you're planning to visit Oktoberfest in Fredericksburg, it will be on tap in the Main Pavilion and Kinderhalle. If you don't have rooms booked, you better hurry. The weekend is almost sold out!

Robert, one of the investors at PBC tried valiantly to get me out to the brewery to taste it, but I couldn't get away from work.  I guess he felt sorry for me, because he brought me a growler of the Oktoberfest. So I sat down with Star Trek: The Original Series: From History's Shadow (a great read that ties into Voyager's "Future's End", Deep Space Nine's "Little Green Men", Enterprise's Temporal Cold War, and the TOS episode "Assignment:Earth."), and sampled it.

It was smooth and medium bodied. Malty with some slightly assertive hops. It reminded of an Amber Ale, but since Oktoberfest is an Amber Lager. . . Nice and drinkable. I can't want for Oktoberfest to see how it ages!

Firestone Walker Union Jack IPA - Updated Review

Another beer picked up in Dallas. I've been looking forward to this beer ever since I heard they were coming to Texas. I quickly contacted the distributor's rep for our area, and asked how quickly he could get it here.  A couple of days later, he told me it was only going to be in Dallas and Austin. Only. Not in San Antonio, Houston, or here in Paradise.  Bastards! No link for them! Update: Guess who is delivering to Paradise! So here's an update to my review in April:

Appearance (0-3): Pours up a crystal clear orange with a creamy white head that lasts forever. 3 points

Aroma/Bouquet (0-4): Slight malt sweetness, with citrus overtones. Well balanced. 4 points

Taste (0-10): Medium heavy body with a nice crisp carbonation. Starts off with some malt sweetness, quickly followed by the bitter hops on the sides of my tongue. Spicy, piney hops, but smooth. Finishes with a smooth bitterness. 9 points

Overall Impression (0-3): A truly great beer. It doesn't drink like a 7% beer. It's sneaky and delightful. It's now my favorite beer. 3 points

Total: 19 points

Le Mort Vivant - Reviewed

When Satan and I stopped at Five Points Bottle Shop last month, in my frenzy to buy things I hadn't seen before, I came across Le Mort Vivant. I didn't look at the label, and when I got home, I discovered that it was brewed by Southern Star Brewing Company.

Crap.

It's ironic that I had to drive to Athens, Georgia, via Philadelphia to get a bottle of beer brewed in Texas.  Southern Stars is in, like, 27 states, but has a piss poor presence in Texas. Sure, you can get some Southern Star here in Paradise, but not in 720 ml bottles.  Just in 16 ounce cans. However, that may be a good thing.

Appearance (0-3): Pours up a crystal clear amber/orange with a thin white head that disappears quickly. 2 points

Aroma/Bouquet (0-4): Faint treacle-y aroma. No hops detected. Not terribly appetizing. 1 point

Taste (0-10): Like most Southern Star beers, this is under-attenuated. It's too sweet. If this were a bit drier it would be a great beer. It's medium bodied with low carbonation, and the hops do help make it a bit less cloying, but, frankly, it's too sweet. 7 points

Overall Impression (0-3): I keep trying Southern Star, and I keep being disappointed by the sweetness of their beers. They must be doing something right to have such wide distribution (I've seen it from San Diego to Athens), but I can't tell you what it is. 0 points

Total: 10 points

The Duck-Rabbit Rabid Duck RIS - Reviewed

As I mentioned earlier, it's a bit hot here. I want to brew, but I can't convince myself to: 1) order ingredients, 2) get up extra early to start a brew day and 3) I'm lazy. I suspect that as soon as I run out of homebrew, I will be brewing in the heat anyway.

As Satan will gladly tell you, and so would Gary Glass (President of the American Homebrewers Association), I love Russian Imperial Stout!  So here's my review of Rabid Duck, from The Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery.

 Appearance (0-3): Pours up jet black with a tan head that slowly dissipates to a thin layer of bubbles on the surface. 3 points

Aroma/Bouquet (0-4): Faint aroma with chocolate and roast.  2 points

Tastes (0-10): Malt sweetness start, a subtle roast flavor that seems to slide along  my tongue, and a subtle hop bitterness in the finish. Full bodied with medium carbonation. Hops are a bit strong, but not unpleasant. 8 points

Overall Impression (0-3): A little too roasty for me, but not bad. It's drinkable, and doesn't offend, but I don't think I would drink two in a row. I think the hop bitterness in the finish would just pile up on my tongue. 2 points

Total: 15 points

Terrapin Wake N Bake Coffee Oatmeal Imperial Stout - Reviewed

Let's face it. I'm trying to wait out the heat wave here in Paradise, so I'm reviewing a few more beers than I normally do. Let me know if I'm boring you.

Ever since I listened to Terrapin's Brian "Spike" Bukowski interviewed on The Brewing Network, I've been obsessed with this beer. I used his recipe to make a coffee wheat porter. The BN intereviewed him a second time for the Jamil Show, and he gave out the tweaked recipe that I haven't tried yet. So when I realized I could route us through Athens, Georgia on the way home from NHC, I was hoping to find some of this. Satan and I found it at Five Points Bottle Shop in Athens, and made my wish come true!

Appearance (0-3): Pours up jet black with a thin tan head that quickly fades into nothingness, leaving a few bubbles on top. 3 points

Aroma/Bouquet (0-4): Huge nose with chocolate, hints of coffee. A little alcohol heat. Amazing aroma! 4 points

Taste (0-10): To quote Colonel Sherman T. Potter, "Not enough 'o's in smooth to describe this." Slightly sweet, with a chocolaty coffee flavor. Full bodied with medium carbonation. Just enough hops to cut the malt sweetness a bit, it finishes with chocolate on the back of the tongue. 10 points

Overall Impression (0-3): This one is so smooth that the alcohol sneaks up on you and makes gravity's pull much more apparent when you stand. If I had to find a flaw it would be the lack of head, but oatmeal will do that to you. Extremely drinkable. Many coffee stouts are acrid and bitter. This blend created by Bukowski is sold by Jittery Joe's in Athens. I should have stopped there for coffee the day we left, but "coulda, woulda, shoulda. . ."! 3 points

Total: 20 points

Kids, this is my new favorite beer and one of the few I would call perfect. I may even have to move to Georgia.

Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Stout - Reviewed

Another of my NHC beers.

One of the great things about traveling through Kentucky is picking their barrel aged beers.  I don't know how anyone can keep up with all the companies that barrel age stouts. I found Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Stout in Lousiville. Lexington Brewing and Distilling makes both beer and whiskey, and I have had their Bourbon Barrel Ale at quite possibly the best restaurant in the region, the Talbot Tavern in Bardstown. That sent me on a quest for a few sixers to bring home.  I should have looked a bit closer.

Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Stout

Appearance (0-3): Pours up a jet black, opaque, with a thin, light tan head. I would have like a thicker head, but who doesn't. 2 points

Aroma/Bouquet (0-4): Smells of vanilla, and bourbon, with a hint of roast/coffee.  A little subtle, but smells delicious. 4 points

Taste (0-10): Hints of roast, coffee and vanilla.  There's a lingering sweetness, with no apparent hop aroma.  Full bodied, low to medium carbonation. Silky and smooth. Not too impressive, but good. Very good.  9 points

Overall Impression (0-3): Smooth, if a little sweet. I can't pick out the bourbon barrel, so, I'm not too sure it is a barrel aged stout.  It's a little too subtle, in my opinion. But it is extremely drinkable! 2 points

17 points

Founders Breakfast Stout - Reviewed

I brought back a lot of stouts from NHC. While Founders Brewing Company has moved into Texas, I can't get Breakfast Stout here in Paradise. So I picked up a sixer somewhere along the way. So here's my review.

Founder's Breakfast Stout

Appearance (0-3): Pours up an opaque black with a light tan colored head that slowly fades to a thin cap of bubbles on the surface.  3 points

Aroma/Bouquet (0-4): There are notes of chocolate with coffee.  It smells great! 4 points

Taste (0-10): Starts with a malty sweetness then the coffee/roast flavor that lingers at the back of the tongue. There is a hint of hops that swirls through my mouth. It's full bodied with a smooth medium/high carbonation. I really like this beer. 10 points

Overall Impression (0-3): This just might be the perfect beer.  It's tasty, smooth, roasty, silky, boozy, tasty, smooth, roasty, silky. . . Sorry.  I'm repeating myself.  It's that good.  3 points

Total: 20 Points

Fu Manbrew Belgian-Style Wit - Reviewed

I'm nearing the end of my NHC stash. At least the pale beers. anyway. I have a few Imperial Stouts to work my way through.

Fu Manbrew Belgian-style Wit

Appearance (0-3): I had to rouse the yeast a bit to get the yeast into suspension. It pours up a hazy, pale gold with white head that dissipates quickly to a thin layer of small bubbles. 3 points

Aroma/Bouquet (0-4): Hints of citrus and spices. Subtle, subdued with a hint of honey from chamomile. 3 points

Taste (0-10): Full of citrus, spice and a sweet finish. I can't decide if it's chamomile or lavender in this. Lavender has, to me, a hint of soapiness that I'm picking up. But, Satan's Wit Willy is made with D-Limonene, and citrus oil used for cleaning, and it's remarkably close to this flavor. Medium bodied with high carbonation. 8 points

Overall Impression (0-3): A nice summer brew, that is drinkable and smooth. The only thing that detracts from the score is the slight soapy taste. 2 points

Total: 16 points

Westbrook Berwing Co. White Thai - Review

Satan and I made a few stops at bottle shops on the way home from NHC. The next few posts will be reviews of the beers. Since my LHBS is out of wheat malt until Wednesday, I couldn't brew last weekend, so I broke out the Jester King glass and tablet, and reviewed some beer.

Today, I'm drinking a Westbrooke Brewing Co. White Thai, a Southeast Asian twist on a Belgian Wit.

Appearance (0-3): Pours up a slightly hazy golden color with a thin white head that dissipates quickly. 3 points

Aroma/Bouquet (0-4): Aroma is subdued, with notes of ginger and lemon. 3 points

Taste (0-10): Nice malt flavor, with hints of honey, lemon and a hint of hops.  Medium bodied with medium high carbonation, this dances across my tongue. It finishes with a slit hop bitterness at the back of the tongue. Very nice. 8 points

Overall Impression (0-3): This might be another reason to move to the East Coast. Bolder than your typical wit, this is still smooth and light and completely drinkable. 3 points

Total: 17 points

Washington's Porter - Review

Before I started doing reviews here, I hand wrote my reviews. Here's a picture of my latest review.

The Lawn Ranger Cream Ale - Review

Satan and I stopped by Spec's in Austin for some local beers to share in Philly. We picked up one from Cedar Creek Brewery in Seven Points, Texas, called Lawn Ranger Cream Ale.

Appearance (0-3): Pours up a hazy pale yellow with a thick head that slowly dissipates to a thin layer of bubbles on the top. 2 points

Aroma/Bouquet (0-4): Smells of sweet malt, a slight citrus hop aroma. Smells tasty. 3 points

Taste (0-10): Starts off with sweet malt, hops in the middle, and finishes sweet on the back of the tongue. Perfect hop/malt balance, with medium carbonation. 9 points

Overall Impression (0-3): A nice summer beer in a nice 16-ounce package perfect for long, hot Texas days. Too bad I can't get it in Paradise.  :( 0 points

Total: 14 points

Paint Rock Bock - Tasting Notes

I tried the Paint Rock Bock a few weeks ago, and thought it was a little too chocolatey, as I mentioned earlier. Three weeks later, the chocolate has dropped out.  A few days ago, after the roofers finished replacing the roof after the hailstorm, I offered them a quick glass. Turns out, they were Bud Light guys. Go figure.

Paint Rock Bock

Appearance (0-3): Perhaps a bit too dark for the style. Pours up a dark brown with brownish red highlights and an off white head that falls quickly to a thin layer of bubbles. Slightly hazy, but it's hard to tell because it is almost opaque. (2 points)

Aroma/Bouquet (0-4): Faint chocolate notes, a hint of hop bitterness, and some alcohol. There's also a slight metallic tang. (2 points)

Taste (0-10): Starts with a hint of chocolate, some hop bitterness. A faint chocolate note, and a slight tartness. There's also that metallic flavor.  I sometimes get this in Shiner Bock, so I'm wondering if it's a result of the malt combination. Once you get past the first few sips, it's not so noticeable. It's medium bodied with a nice carbonation. Finishes with a hop bitterness on the back of my tongue. (7 points)

Overall Impression (0-3): While it might do well with more age (thank goodness I'm going to NHC in a few weeks), it's not bad. After the first few sips, I hardly even notice the metallic tang. I don't have any Shiner Bock here at the moment, so I can't say if it's close, but I can tell it's similar. I'm going to rebrew it, but I have to figure out this metallic taste out.  Maybe do all Vienna malt next time? The first time I brewed this, i sent it in to NHC, and one of the judges said it was metallic. (One judge said it was too complex, and the other said it needed complexity. Sigh. (2 Points)

Total: 13 points

Karbach Rodeo Clown Double IPA - Review

This is the last of my Dallas beers.  If any of my readers in Dallas or Houston come to Paradise, bring me some of this, please.

Appearance (0-3): Pours up an almost opaque orange with a thin off-white head that disappears quickly. 1 Point

Aroma/Bouquet (0-4): Starts with a malt sweetness and finishes with a mild citrus aroma. There are some alcohol notes.  2 points

Taste (0-10): An almost brown sugar start, replaced with a spicy hop flavor that travels from the front to the back of my tongue, finishing bitter at the back of my throat. Medium to thick bodied, good carbonation. There's a nice hit of the alcohol, too. 7 Points

Overall Impression (0-3): Not a bad Double IPA, but not a great one. Besides the clarity issues, it finishes a bit too sweet. It reminds me of Sierra Nevada Bigfoot, and that is not a bad thing. I also like the can design.  If it were available here, I'd give it 2 points. However. . . 0 Points

Total: 10 points

The Temptress Imperial Milk Stout Reviewed

Another of the beers bought in Dallas weekend before last is The Temptress, an Imperial Milk Stout from Lakewood Brewing Company in Dallas.

The Temptress

Appearance (0-3): Pours up jet black, opaque. A thin, off-white head dissipates quickly to a thin layer of bubbles. (Since the bubbles aren't tan to dark brown, there aren't a lot of roasted malts in this beer.) 2 points

Aroma/Bouquet (0-4): Sweet aroma with a hint of the alcohol. Some chocolate and roast, but no hops detected. 4 points

Taste (0-10): Starts starts slightly sweet, but is replaced with a roasted malts with a nice hop bitterness in the finish. Medium-full to full bodied with nice carbonation. I'd like a bit less hops, but they do help cut through what could be a sickly sweet beer. 8 points

Overall Impression (0-3): A very nice beer that clocks in around 9%. The label has a red tag that says this beer pairs well with robust bleu cheese, chocolate, and sin.  I can see the sin. In a perfect world this would get a 3. But, I can't get it in Paradise, so: 0 points

Total: 14 points

Deep Ellum IPA - Reviewed

At the Big Texas Beer Fest last weekend, one of the longest lines was a the Deep Ellum booth, and I can see why: great beers and great variety. Before we hit the festival, we stopped at the Spec's up the street from the hotel. I didn't have enough money to buy everything brewed in Dallas, so I picked up some Karbach, Firewheel, and Deep Ellum beers. (And yes, I did pick up some Firestone Walker.) More reviews to come.

Deep Ellum IPA

Appearance (0-3): Pours up a slightly hazy orange with along lasting white head. 2 points

Aroma/Bouquet (0-4): Nice citrus aroma, some malt sweetness. I put some behind each ear, it smells so good. 4 points

Taste (0-10):  Good medium body mouthfeel, with good carbonation. The hops tend to dominate, but the malt  is right there to support it. The citrus is there in the taste, but subdued. Finishes with a bitterness at the back of my tongue, but not too bad. In fact, it tastes an awful lot like I should have bought a case of this stuff! 9 points

Overal Impression (0-3): O! M! G! A nice West Coast-style IPA brewed here in Texas! This is one of my favorite beers. I would bathe in this stuff! There aren't enough exclamation points on the Internet! But, according to my rule, it is not distributed in Paradise. If it were I would give it three points. 0 points

Total: 15 points

Old Ruffian Clone Tasting Notes

So the Old Ruffian clone has been in the fridge for a couple of weeks, so I decided to sample it.

Old Ruffian Clone

Appearance (0-3): Pours up a hazy dark brown with reddish highlights. There's a thick, dense head that takes a few minutes to fall to a thin cap of bubbles. 3 points

Aroma (0-3): Sweet malt aroma, maybe bready with hints of alcohol, but very low hop aroma. 2 points

Taste (0-10): Starts off with a malt sweetness that is soon replaced with a hop bitterness on the sides and back of the tongue--not entirely pleasant. A little thin bodied, with good carbonation. 7 points

Overall Impression (0-4): First, it is not a Old Ruffian clone.  It's a good barley wine, but not as hoppy as Old Ruffian.  I hope I can get into bottles before I drain the keg. 2 points

Total: 14 points