The Dark Side...

On a darker note...

WORKERS

proletariat (noun) 

the voice of the proletariat : the workers, working-class people, wage earners, the working classes, the common people, the lower classes, the masses, the rank and file, the third estate, the plebeians; derogatory the hoi polloi, the plebs, the proles, the great unwashed, the mob, the rabble. ANTONYMS aristocracy.

What is beer “supposed" to taste like?

If you don’t think there’s “one right answer” to that question than you’re my kind of beer drinker. You see, I’m a big fan of the way the Belgians look at beer. With over 200 common styles of beer in Belgium, their take on the beverage is that there's a style for everyone. If you don’t like one beer, try another!  It's with that free-spirited "different is good" attitude that I approached today's beer...

If the book doesn't have a good cover...

"If a book doesn't have a good cover it will stay on the shelf."

Label artist Nate Dyer

A librarian told me that recently when we were discussing beer packaging. Like it or not labels play a big role in our decision to buy, well, pretty much anything. If you put a great beer in a terrible package it's not going to sell (as much). And similarly if you put a mediocre beer in a great package, it will fly off the shelves (at least at first). I don't think this is necessarily a good or bad thing but rather 

I recently tried Left Hand's Fade to Black (because of the label) and was happy to discover that it is one of those rare--and wonderful--examples of...

Spring has sprung!

The forecast is out and there's not a drop of rain in sight. And what goes well with warm spring days? Why pale ales do of course!

This week I picked up a six pack of Kona Brewing Company's Fire Rock Pale Ale to celebrate the warm weather. 

Now normally I would wax on lyrically about light refreshing beverage but...

Yummy

Drinking a Breakfast Cereal Killer oatmeal stout at Big Time Brewery in the U District and it is KILLER :)

Prost,
D-Lux

Samuel Adams Brewery Tour

I was in Boston for part of a vacation last week and while in town I had two goals...

1. Take in a game at Fenway
2. Visit the home of one the countries largest craft-breweries, the Boston Beer Company. 

Almost there!

I'm happy to report I accomplished both of those goals!

Summer of beer

Some people like Hefeweisen, some prefer an ice cold pilsner. For me, nothing says summer better than a delicious Pale Ale.

I recently cracked two new Pale Ales, and as I expected I would, enjoyed both thoroughly!

After a succession of cheep, crappy beers...

I enjoyed a couple of terrific English Ales last night!
The first was an organic pale ale by Witchwood Brewery-

-and a strong ale called Old Thumper (I use that term lightly because for a West Coast Imperial Hop-Head like myself, a 5.6 is hardly a 'strong' ale).

GYO!

Okay, I've got a really cool one for you today! Before I stole my first sip, sneaked my first sniff or broke the bottle open I already knew I was in for a treat... You see Rogue is always doing cool things in the world of craft beer and the Chatoe Rogue Dirtoir Black Lager is no exception!

The  main reason I picked up this beer in the first place was fact that it was a Black Lager (I mean, how frequently do you get the opportunity to drink a black lager?). After reviewing doing a through review, the fact that it was a black lager turned out to be the least interesting thing about the beer! More interesting to me was the acronym GYO which paraded prominently around the circumference of the label. GYO stands for Grow Your Own and proudly proclaims that this beer in it's entirety is a product of the Rogue Brewing Company...

'tis the Season for a Saison!

You may say I'm biased and well, you may be right...

The fact is, I have a bit of a thing for the Ommegang Brewery. Every time I try one of their beers I expect that I'll like it, and the funny thing is, I usually do.

Their Saison style ale, Hennepin, pours a lovely bright golden wheat color. It bursts with tiny bubbles that stir up a rich white head like freshly whipped milk.

The aromas that first reach the nose are of citrus, honeydew melon, peaches and pears. Secondary aromas of white grape, sun-dried apricots, and yogurt come through later as the swirling carbonation unlocks its full profile in my tulip-shaped glass-boy is this one tasty!

There's a bready/yeasty backbone like that of a well made Champagne that gives structure to the mouthfeel and the sweet fruit flavors are balanced by a slightly sour mash that make for an exceptionally well balanced final product. The last thing I catch as I savor the last few sips are subtle notes of vanilla.

Definitely give this one try and if you like it, be sure to check out their Abby Ale!

-Prost!
D.Lux

To miss this beer, would be very un-weiss...

Before I get started please accept my I sincerest apologies for the painfully corny title... I couldn't help myself. Now, on to the beer!

I recently tried Unertl Weissbeir, a German Hefe that's much darker in color, lighter in carbonation, and lower in acidity than its average American counterpart. In the beverage world less-acidic frequently translates to less-refreshing but I'm happy to report that with this beer, that is not the case! The lightness of weight on the tongue and the freshness of the flavor on the palate keeping it from coming off as flabby or bland in the absence of biting acidity and the traditional hefeweisse flavors, make it surprisingly refreshing!

Duvel Belgian Golden Ale

I try a lot of different beers for the Brew Dork Times. I try small batch beers, beers from breweries that are younger than I am, beers that are made using unusual ingredients, and by non-traditional methods. I try local beers from Arizona, beers from breweries across the country, and beers made by guys named Stew who had a little extra room in their garage and a healthy curiosity about home-brewing... Today however, I tried (or rather 're-tried') a beer that has none of these characteristics. Today, I had a Duvel Belgian Golden Ale!

After having Duvel again for the first time in a while I have only one thing to say. If you have never tried it go buy a bottle. Don't finish this blog, don't wait until the laundry is dry, your work day is over, or the kids are fed. Go to the nearest craft beer supplier, buy a bottle, and drink it.

I'll get into the flavor description in a minute, but in all honestly, it doesn't matter what I say. Regardless as to whether you read my impression of this beer as having a hearty and uber-yeasty mouth-feel and think, 'boy that sure sounds tasty' or 'yuck, I'll have none of that!' you should still go out and try it. I don't want to imply that Duvel is Belgium's greatest beer (it's not by a long shot). The reason I'm so adamant about you trying this beer is that it is a quintessential example of what a Belgian Blond Ale should be. For that reason alone, you need to know it!

Okay, I'll probably rant and rave about the greatness of Belgian beers a whole lot from time to time, but for now I'm going to reign it in and get back to the matter at hand.... how it tastes!

Duvel exits the bottle with a bang. The brewery recommends you enjoy the beer from one of their signature tulip shaped glasses, and that you pour the beer to the bottom of the glass at an angle that allows a rich head to develop. The beer is bottle aged which means that the co2 (bubbles) are not pumped into still beer, but rather enriched within the bottle. This creates an intense effervescence similar what you get with a true Champagne. The color is a beautiful rich golden-lemon color. It literally shimmers in the light. The bubbles are (I know, I know I'm a little 'hung up' on the bubbles but they're really quite fantastic) tiny and amazingly persistent.

The aroma as I mentioned earlier is hearty and yeasty (is someone baking bread in here or is it just the beer?) There's also a sour note on the nose. The flavors are rich, creamy, and smooth. The high alcohol level (8.5% ABV) is well balanced and doesn't take away from the taste.

This is definitely a food beer and although I'm sure you could get extremely creative with food-pairings, to me this beer just begs for a decent cheese plate.

Overall, is this my favorite beer? Most certainly not. Is it a damn good beer? You bet your ass it is! Enjoy!

-Prost!

D.Lux

The Nectar of the Gods

Okay, I must confess. I picked the title for this blog 80 per cent because I liked the way it sounded and 20 per cent because of its accurate description of the beer I reviewed. That said, Red Nectar by Nectar Ales is still pretty damn tasty!

When Nectar Ales first came onto the beer scene I was in kindergarten. The year was 1987. The craft beer revolution was just budding in the States, and the folks at Nectar Ales were all too happy to do a their share of trail-blazing. The very fact that today, more than 20 years later, they still command a strong following, is testament to their commitment to produce consistent, high-quality, beers year after year.

Without further groveling, here's my review of their Red Nectar, Amber Ale!

Rather than 'red' it poured a very autumnal burnt-pumpkin color. Out of the bottle it was very effervescent but within a few minutes the majority of the bubbles had dissipated (that said, the small well of extra-fine bubbles that survived the first few minutes did persist quite nicely through out my consumption).

Upon tasting, I noticed it was very low on the hop-scale but compensated with pleasant notes of sweet caramel malt and it had a rich creamy mouth feel.

Perhaps the thing I enjoyed most about this beer was the bouquet. It had a very natural aroma of grass and fresh cut flowers (think: walking through a dewy meadow).

Red Nectar is fresh, clean, and easy drinking, and delicious. The only thing that would have made it better, would be if it had been served with melons wrapped in prosciutto! (oh boy, would that have been delicious!)

This amber ale gets a 2/3rds full Pint Glass from me-definitely seek this beer out!

-Prost!

D.Lux

Putting the 'micro' in Microbrewery

Alpine Beer Company in Alpine, Calfiornia definitely puts the 'micro' into Microbrewery. As you step into the tasting room at Alpine Beer Company it's difficult to tell if you have just entered a microbrewery, or the garage of an overly-enthusiastic home brewer. From the moment you step through the front door, until a half second later when you bump into the wall on the far end of the the tasting room, it's clear you've arrived at a 'cozy' operation.

There is a ‘proper’ tasting room in the works next door but until they’re able to get through the red tape set out by the city of Alpine, a small space separated from the fermenting tanks by a thin wooden bar serves as the tasting room. In house tasting is limited to four tastes per guest, sold at one dollar per taste. With over a dozen beers on tap the 4-tastes-per person limitation requires some serious weighing of options.

Now, it should be said that Alpine Beer Company was our first stop on the SoCal brewery tour and I was thirsty and sober. It should also be said that when you’re sober and extremely thirsty, you are prone to make poor choices about which beer to drink.

That said, I though it would be a good idea to try ‘Willy Vanilly’ an ultra-sweet, vanilla infused beer. Not only did this request incur ridicule from my tour-mates, but our bartender politely informed me that the Willy Vanilly was referred to by the staff as the L.P.D. or, liquid panty dropper... Great.

Beyond the LPD mishap I throughly enjoyed everything that Alpine made, and by the steady stream of people coming in to fill growlers, it appears the locals enjoyed Alpine as well.

Because of its tiny size you’d be hard pressed to find this stuff anywhere outside of Southern California but if you’re in the greater San Diego Area, you owe it to yourself to make the trip to Alpine, CA.

Sign up for their news letter here and be the first to know when they finally get their proper tasting room open!

-Prost!

D.Lux

Oak Creek Brewery; Terrific Food, Pretty Good Beer!

Momma and Poppa 'Brew Dork' were in town for a few days and I took ful

l advantage of the chance to show them some of my favorite AZ brew-spots. First on the line up was Sedona for a delicious lunch at Oak Creek brewery followed by a scenic hike through the Coconino Forest.

Oak Creek Canyon is conveniently located in downtown Sedona only a few miles from some of the most scenic hikes in the state (which means that when you're done stuffing your face full of food and beer you don't have to sit in a car long before enjoying an arduous hike across the rugged red-rock trails!) Actually, after doing just that this past week I would recommend reversing the order on your brewery & hike day. Better yet, after you fi

nish you're last beer, skip the hike altogether and make your way over to the Sedona Fudge Company for dessert instead!

Overall, lunch at the Oak Creek Brewery is a great time. The decor feels old fashioned without coming off touristy, the staff is friendly and quick, and the food is quite terrific and priced reasonably. Sure their beer isn’t as good or as diverse as 4 Peaks, but if the battle was over who had the best beer-battered fries, Oak Creek would OWN 4 Peaks!

I got the days’s special; Italian sausage with fresh Mozzerela, grilled peppers, onions, marinara sauce, and a side of french fries - De-lish!

Papa Brew-Dork went with the Brat n’ Saurcraut... must be the German Heritage that keeps bringing him back!

Mama-Dork had the turkey club with slaw... a classic done right!

In my book, Oak Creek gets a solid 2/3rds full Pint Glass rating! If you’ve been to Oak Creek Brewery I want to know about your experience! Good or bad leave your opinion as a comment!

-Prost!

D.Lux

Colorado may not exist...

I say that Colorado may not exist because for me, the state of Colorado frequently sounds too good to be true. Fresh air, beautiful mountain ranges, a healthy, friendly populace and dozens of great beer producers... I don't know about you but it all sounds a bit like a fairytale to me. And since I've never actually been there to see it with my own eyes, it's days like today, (as I sip back a few of the states wonderful beers) that I begin to consider whimsically that it may not really exist after all. Perhaps, I think as I day dream, it's really just a clever marketing strategy used to sell craft beer to the masses. As I mull this though over in my mind I lift a too-light pint glass to my lips and raise the bottom higher and higher until I'm snapped out of my day dream by the realization that my pint glass is empty (and quite possible has been for a while) and I am in need of a refill. Determined to get to the bottom of this Colorado mystery I head back to the refrigerator, fetch another cold rocky mountain brew, and return to my desk with a full glass, and a revived determination to get back to the project at hand.

The project at hand, so to speak, was a Tour d'Odell, a parallel tasting of four of Fort Collins based Odell Brewing Company's beers. The beers I tried were: 5 Barrel Pale Ale, Easy Street Wheat, 90 Shilling, and their IPA. Here are my notes, enjoy.
First stop the 5 Barrel Pale Ale. The beer pours a neon-mandarin. The flavors were light and delicious. It's an excellent example of what a pale ale should be. Light but flavorful, effervescent but not overly-carbonated, flavorful but not high in alcohol. There was a subtle but sound hops-presence, and a touch of Orange Peal on the finish.

Second stop, Easy Street Wheat Beer. This cloudy unfiltered yellow-orange beer had all the typical characteristics that a wheat beer should have. It was light, crisp and refreshing, and had a beautiful thick white foam and a long citrusy finish. In generally I try to avoid wheat beers (and pilsners) in the winter but this was one I could make an exception for (What really made this beer special was the finish... it was very long and had hints of spruce and pine-excellent).

The third beer up to the plate was Odells' 90 Shilling. This Scottish style ale was much hoppier, and richer than the pale ale. It was also more creamy, darker and higher in alcohol. My favorite part though wasn't the flavor but that it left little foam rings on the side of the glass marking each gulp as I drank.

I saved the best for last. One whiff of Odell's IPA and my knees went to rubber (actually that may have been the alcohol as this was to be my 4th beer of the hour (what, I working hard!)). The beer was hoppie and pleasantly bitter. It was robust and round, and it was very well balanced. Not a lot to say here (definitely nothing bad to say).

So there it is, my take on four beers from Odell Brewing Company, one of the many fine breweries from my 'el dorado' state. For more photos, check out the beer photos page.

-Prost!
D.Lux

One from up North

Today I tried Trois Pistoles, a dark, high-gravity ale from Unibroue (Trois Pistoles, of course, translates to 'Three Pistols' and 'Unibroue', is a French word describing a person whose excessive eyebrows hairs overgrow to the point at which they connect in the center).*

Quebec based Unibroue makes great Belgian-style beers and produces many of their beers using bottle-fermentation process. The process allows the beers to take on a richer, earthier quality, and a higher alcohol level than standard ales.

The beer pours a deep brown color with a hint of dark-green around the edges like a boiled down green tea. The aroma was herbal and yeasty with notes of clove and even root beer(weird). The beer felt light on the palate and the flavors were very well balanced. I got sweet notes of Port and dried red fruit which were countered by a touch of sour tang on the finish (green olives?) likely a result of the natural yeast in the bottle.

Over all I liked this beer a lot. It was a really nice beer that was true to Belgian style, and quite delicious. Put this one on your list of beers to try soon!

* If you don't realize that I'm joking you're not reading the BDTimes enough-go back and read a few of the past posts. Very soon it will be evident that I have an extremely corny sence of humor.

For more info check out Unibroue's website.

-Prost!

D.Lux

For the Eleveth beer of [winter]...

For the eleventh beer of [winter], the beer store gave to me, Widmer Brothers Brrr Winter War-mer

The Widmer Brothers Brewing company was founded in 1984 in Portland Oregon. They make a wide variety of quality American and European style beers. For my 11th beer of x-mas, I poured myself a glass for their winter warmer, Brrr.

Brrr Seasonal Ale pours a bright, luminescent orange. The beer is clear, and clean looking and has a nice rich frothy white head that covers the top of the beer like a dusting of snow on a cold winters day.

The beer has a lightly floral aroma of orange blossom.

When I tasted it I noticed it has an extremely rich and creamy mouth feel.

The booze is extremely well balanced. The beer itself rocks in at a heavy 7.2 per cent ABV but the heat does not come off AT ALL, and rather the rich creaminess comes off mellow and tame.

There is also a strong note of vanilla on the finish and a yeasty uncooked bread dough component to add character and complexity.

Over all I though this beer was very nice. It wasn't at all spicy dark like some winter warmers, but it was very rich, and scored very high on my balance and complexity meters. This wasn't the best Christmas beer I've tried, but I think it was hands down the best value beer thus far/best bang-for-your-buck-winter beer.

One more review to go!

-Prost!

D.Lux

For the First beer of Christmas, the beer store gave to me!

[Alright folks I need your best 'singing' internal monologue for this one!]

~~~~For the first beer of Christ-mas,~~~~
~~~~the beer-store gave to me,~~~~
~~~~A De-schutes Ju-bela-le!~~~~

Deschutes's Jubelale is as good a place as any to start for my 12 Brew of Christmas. Their beers are consistently rock-solid, and their winter ale is no exception. This year's Winter ale is packed full of caramel, sweet malt, honey, and cream. Near the end of the palate there's also a touch of spice and a nice kick of bitter hop to round it out.

What makes this beer even cooler is that the label is just as pretty as the beer that's inside. Each year Deschutes commissions a local Oregon artist to create a label that captures the spirit of winter. This year Tracy Leagjeld of Central Oregon Beautifully illustrates winter sunshine on newfallen Oregon Snow.

More seasonal suggestions coming soon!

-Prost!
D.Lux