Just Grapes » Porters http://www.justgrapeswine.com Let Wine Be Drunk though the Heavens Fall Tue, 07 Sep 2010 07:23:19 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 Beer From Afar: a Rare Beer Tasting http://www.justgrapeswine.com/2010/07/1550/ http://www.justgrapeswine.com/2010/07/1550/#comments Sun, 25 Jul 2010 08:42:40 +0000 Shea http://www.justgrapeswine.com/?p=1550 It has become a rare occurrence for me to write about beer these days. While I continue to love and explore this beverage, I’ve tended to focus on friend and community rather than analysis when drinking the stuff. But today I shared several of the best beers in the world with a very good and old friend who is soon to be married and it seemed an appropriate occasion to share my impressions.

We started with the Goose Island Juliet, a sour beer made with wild yeast and blackberries (made in Illinois). This was quite tart, but also balanced and very food friendly. I wouldn’t say it was the most complex sour I’ve ever tasted, but it is certainly excellent with food.

The second beer we had was the phenomenally complex Lost Abbey Cuvee de Tomme, one of the rarest beers in California and made by aging Lost Abbey’s Judgement Day ale in Bourbon Barrels and French Oak and then adding cherries and inducing a secondary fermentation with brettanomyces yeast to bring the beer up from 8 to 12% abv. This is definitely in the top 5 sour beers I’ve ever tasted, despite a low carbonation level. If you can find this it is worth every penny.

The next beer, Odin’s Tipple from Hand Brewery in Norway, brought incredible balance to the table. Rich, elegant and yet very long and complex, this was a nearly perfect stout-style ale and definitely in the top ranks of the style.

After the Odin’s Tipple the Alaskan Balkan Porter brewed with vanilla beans, cherries and aged in oak chips was not quite as amazing as it would have been outside of the context of the other beers. So, yes this is an excellent porter and far more complex than is normal for the style, but it does not quite reach to the top ranks.

We then continued with the extremely rare and absolutely awesome Founder’s Devil’s Dancer Triple IPA, which they rate as 112 IBUs (100 is the normal max). This was 12% abv and super bitter, but amazingly complex and surpsingly easy drinking. In fact, as someone who normally does not like IPA, I would consider this amongst the best examples of the extreme high alcohol IPA style today. Incredible stuff – and a pure palate wrecker.

Our last beer was the Nogne O Mikkeller collaboration sour ale brewed with Scandavian Cranberries and wild yeasts. This was very balanced and complex, bringing interesting herb flavours and a tart berry component that you’d expect given the ingredients. A very good quality beer and the only one in this tasting that is actually available in B.C.

]]> http://www.justgrapeswine.com/2010/07/1550/feed/ 2 A Pacific Northwest Beer Sampler http://www.justgrapeswine.com/2008/02/a-pacific-northwest-beer-sampler/ http://www.justgrapeswine.com/2008/02/a-pacific-northwest-beer-sampler/#comments Sun, 24 Feb 2008 21:13:00 +0000 Shea http://www.justgrapeswine.com/?p=45
So I’ve finally had a chance to consume the four pacific northwest beers I picked up at Brewery Creek on Main St. and it is time for the final report. The Pacific Northwest is a beer maven’s dream with its dozens of craft breweries and its natural abundance of a wide variety of hops for these crafters to work with. Today I’ll be looking at two breweries from two states, four beers, 2 porters, 2 stouts, and a bunch of empty bottles.

Rogue Brewery hails from Oregon and is widely distributed across the US, but not so much in Canada. Elysian Brewery is based in Seattle and is far more of a local micro-brew, rarely seeing the light of day outside of the Pacific Northwest.

Beer #1 – Elysian Perseus Porter

This is one hell of a beer. Balanced and subtle with low alcohol levels for a porter (5.4% abv), this porter has an abundance of robust dark beer malty flavours without being over the top, unbalanced, or overly bitter. It’s texture is fantastic and every sip suggests the next. This is hands down one of the best porters I’ve ever had.

Excellent+
$7/bottle at Brewery Creek

Beer #2 – Elysian Dragonstooth Stout

This heady stout is dark and broody, creamy and delicious. It has great depth and concentration but wicked balance. This comes in around 7% abv, but you don’t feel the alcohol as this is quite an easy drinking stout. Rarely do I taste stout of this level. Good job Elysian!

Excellent
$7/bottle at Brewery Creek

Beer #3 – Rogue Chocolate Stout

I’ve reviewed this beer before, and it certainly is tasty. However, next to the Elysians it doesn’t quite hold up as well as it used to. Yet, this is still chocolate malty goodness in a glass with a beautiful silky texture. So, while not as subtle and well integrated as the Elysian, it’s still a very tasty brew.

Very Good+
$8/bottle at Brewery Creek

Beer #4 – Rogue Mocha Porter

The mocha porter is slightly bitter, but still reasonably balanced. It is fairly roasty and toasty with the malts, and has a nice length on the finish. The texture is creamy, but overall this beer lacks the complexity of the Elysian Perseus Porter and the sheer smooth chocolatey intensity of its brother the Chocolate Stout. So, while still a decent beer, this is my least favourite of the four.

Very Good
$8/bottle at Brewery Creek

So what has this tasting shown? The Pacific Northwest is the place to be for a good micro-brew. Plus, Elysian is a fantastic brewer that deserves more exposure – I highly recomment you seek out whatever you can from them. I’ll be going to a beer tasting in Seattle in the summer, and if these four beers are indicative of the selection and quality I’ll be a party to there, I am really looking forward to it.


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