Tag: beer

Beer of the Week 32 Red Chair NWPA

Descutes Brewery's Red Chair Northwest Pale Ale

From the label:

Witness the subtle, aromatic seduction of the debut Northwest Pale Ale. Another slap at brewing convention. Another kick in the pants. Enjoy. Not up for a full-on hop assault? Red Charin NWPA is a smoother ride. Seven select European and domestic malts take a surprisingly plush, satin turn on the way to citrusy hop kick. Edges out, layers in.

From my notes:

clear coppery amber color, thin tan head; quickly dissipates. Smells of citrus, fresh cut grapefruit that is the hops, some grain/grass smell behind it which is the malt. Tastes a lot like it smells, citrus is accompanied by some pine taste, smooth in the mouth. Citrus kick at the finish, still not bitter. Damn, this is good!

You see why they call it red chair? Look at that color!

Red Chair is the beer that turned me around on Pale Ales. Before I had this beer I thought hoppy beers were all awful, turns out it’s just most brewers of hoppy beers are awful. This beer looks,smells, tastes, and feels great. Pair this up with heavier foods, red meats, Shepard’s or pot pies, this beer pairs great with a burger!

Rating (out of five):

Beer of the Week 31 Blue Star Wheat Beer

North Coast brewing Company's Blue Star Wheat Beer

From the label:

Choice American barley and wheat malts are combined with a blend of noble hops to create this lighthearted, refreshing beer. Blue Star is unfiltered, the yeast adding a complex note to the flavor profile. Water, malt, hops, yeast & that’s all.

From my notes:

Beautiful, cloudy, straw color. Thick, fine bubbled, bone colored head, lasts a moderate amount of time, minimal lacing. High carbonation. Smells of citrus (oranges), and potpourri spices. Tastes of wheat with the hint of citrus, spice, and yeast. Delicate. Clean and crisp finish.

As I said beautiful star coloring and a nice thick head

Blue Star is a prefect beer for Spring and Summer. Clear, crisp and refreshing Blue Star would be a great choice for outdoor and indoor grilling, a afternoon at the beach or an evening spent around the campfire, great for session drinking as well. Almost as good as their Scrimshaw, one of my favorite beers.

Rating (out of five):

Beer of the Week 30 Matilda

Goose Island's Matilda (Yeah, I know there is too much flash...)

From their site:

Wild in character, with a slightly fruity aroma and a spicy yeast flavor that is as unique as it is satisfying – Matilda is an intriguing choice for beer and wine lovers alike. Dry and quenching, it’s the perfect accompaniment at the dining table or for casually socializing at the bar.

From my notes:

 Beautiful blonde color with a medium ivory head, very fine bubbles that quickly dissipated. spices and lemons in the nose. bready on the tongue with some sourness. A nice floral hop  finish. Leaves an acidic aftertaste. yeasty

It only looks strawberry blonde in this picture it isn't nearly that dark

This is styled as a Belgian Strong Pale Ale but its one of the most mild pale ales I’ve ever had. I was also surprised at how yeasty this beer tasted considering it was a pale ale. The spiced aspect was perhaps the nicest thing about Matilda, coriander, clove and the 7% ABV make for a nice spicy beer without knocking you out.

Rating (out of five):

Beer of the Week 29 Inversion IPA

 

Deschutes Brewing's Inversion India Pale Ale

From the label:

Paradise is stumbling upon our whole flower hop room and inhaling. Inversion is as close as you can get without knowing somebody. Enter, if you will, all the glorious aromatic complexity of the hop. This big, bold IPA’s intense multi-hop kick gets a subtle dose of restraint from select crystal and Carastan malts. For discriminating hopheads.

From my notes:

 clear, copper color. Thin tannish head with very fine bubbles. Smells of hops, citrusy, grains and grasses, and some yeast. Delicious citrusy taste with some pine for back up hops kick on the way down. Very smooth. Unlike other IPAs the hops are not overwhelming here and as soon as the yeast comes in to play they mellow out. Not easy to brew, I’m guessing…

If you’ve been reading this blog you know how I feel about IPAs and hops, and the hopheads who insist on overwhelming their beers with hops… I don’t know what is so compelling about beer that tastes like you’re chocking down asphalt, but to each their own. Inversion delivers the taste of hops without overwhelming those other important ingredients that go into a beer. This would probably have ended up a five star beer if I hadn’t already had Deschutes Red Chair NWPA…

Rating (out of five):

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