Category: food

from their website:

A few unmistakable signs tell us when winter has arrived here in Hood River. The waterfalls in the Gorge start kicking out the jams. The snow report for the backcountry regains its hold over us. And the Wassail starts flowing once again. We’ve brewed Wassail every holiday season since 1988, and it’s now as much a part of the festivities as sharing a roaring fire with our closest family and friends.

It’s no wonder this multi-medal winning Winter Warmer is one of our favorite beers to brew. Choosing our ingredients for Wassail is like taking time to choose the perfect gift. Each year we carefully select the best hops and malts to brew this special beer. This year’s Wassail is brewed with a range of caramel malts and dark chocolate malts giving it a deep mahogany color and a full malty body. We used a blend of Pacific Northwest hops for a pleasant hoppy aroma and finish creating a deliciously balanced beer that appeals to both hop and malt lovers alike. In other words, a Christmas miracle.

from my notes:

deep, rich caramel color. with medium tannish head, large bubbles that dissipates quickly, nice lacing.  Faint floral scent with hints of apple. When it hits your tongue you taste some malt, and black tea then finishes with roasted hops. Nice balance.

Full Sail’s Wassail wasn’t a bad beer, it was quite nice. But, there wasn’t anything about this seasonal ale that made it memorable. If I hadn’t taken notes at the time I’d completely forgotten about the thing. So, if you see it on a shelf and another seasonal brew you won’t go wrong picking up this one but you might miss out on picking up a great one.

Rating (out of five):

From their website:

A decadent Oatmeal Stout brimming with cocoa and espresso aromas. Partially aged in bourbon barrels, this beer features a rich, dark chocolate and roasted coffee flavor with a creamy mouth feel and wonderfully dry finish. The addition of U.S. grown fuggles hops contributes the perfect amount of bitterness to this exceptionally balanced beer.

From my notes:

darkly colored with a thick head that color of milk chocolate. Smells of oats, malt, and vanilla. Tastes of chocolate and roasted coffeeto, one of the few stouts to keep the flavor roasted and not burnt, Yay! Some hints of caramel. smooth hoppy finish.

I haven’t had many beers from Firestone Walker; they’re really fond of Pale Ales and I can stand them. I took a risk when I picked up their Winter seasonal and I’m glad I did. This is a very nice, medium bodied stout that tastes great. This is a drinkable stout. Not too thick, so I don’t feel like I’m drinking oatmeal. Not too thin. Not so hopped that all I can taste is the bitterness either. Now, I’m just sad it’s only around a quarter of the year…

Rating (out of five):

Before we get to the beer a little story. Davis was lucky enough to have a Beer Shoppe open up last year. I am somewhat surprised one did not exist before… Considering the univeristy and students’ penchant for drinking. Anyway, the Beer Shoppe does tasting and has a very large (over 500 I think) selection of beers available. I still haven’t found or made time to go into the Shoppe but D and some friends did late last year. At the time the Shoppe happened to be taste testing some sour beers. D found the Duchesse De Bourgogne to be the most enjoyable and thought I’d like to give it a try seeing as I have this here blog and a series of entries on beers. She picked up a bottle ($8?!) and brought it home for me.

A few weeks later while doing our grocery shopping at our Food Co-op I noticed that they too were now selling this beer. The cost? Just over $4… Anyway, to the beer.

From the label:

Belgian top-fermented reddish-brown ale, a blend of 8 and 18 months old beers following the careful maturation in oak casks

From my notes:

A dark cherry color with large bubbled head that quickly dissipates, leaving a foam ring. Smells sour, reminds me of sour candies maybe a hint of vinegar? Taste tart and sweet, Green apples and almost ripe cherries, hints of berries as well. Reminds me of lambics and strong ciders. No hops in the finish. No bitterness at all. Slight sticky feel in the mouth from the sweetness. This would be a good dessert beer. Perhaps good with a good cut of beef, better I imagine with venison or lamb.

 This was my first sour beer. I’d had Lambics before and was immediately reminded of them with this. Which isn’t all that surprising as the process for both appears to be the same. This was an interesting beer. I don’t see myself drinking it regularly but I can see pairing it up with foods that have strong flavors that can match the flavor of this beer. As I said in my notes. I think this would pair nicely with venison or lamb. Such meats have a robust flavor profile that I feel this beer would complement nicely. Or you could use this as a dessert beer?

Rating (out of five):