A Friday Drive -- Pateros Creek Brewing Company

With a Living Social deal I had purchased way back in October set to expire, Connor and I took a road trip north to Fort Collins on February 24, 2012.  Slightly more than an hour's drive, Fort Collins offers about 9 or 10 breweries.  Connor and I left around 10:45am, following his mid-morning bottle.  Little Man was a champ, sleeping the whole way.  We arrived at Pateros Creek Brewing Company (http://www.pateroscreekbrewing.com/) shortly after midday and grabbed a seat.

The Entrance

The Patio/Beer Garden

I started off with a sampler consisting of:
          Old Town Ale--Kolsch.  A light-bodied, easy-drinking beer style from the Northern German town of Cologne.  The hops are very low and of noble variety with a light malt to keep the beer refreshing.  1.042OG, 22IBUs, 4.5%ABV
          Stimulator Pale Ale--Rye Pale Ale.  Made with 20% rye malt, this pale ale is a bit different than your average pale ale.  The rye adds spice and lends to a dry finish to make this beer extremely refreshing.  The malt sweetness balances the Cascade hops that round out the beer.  1.053OG, 48IBUs, 5.3%
          Car 21--Best Bitter.  The younger brother of an ESB made with all English malt, hops, and yeast, Car 21 has a sharp but spicy hop bitterness up front that finishes caramelly with toffee undertones.  1.047OG, 28IBUs, 4.5%ABV
          SnowMelt--India Wheat Ale.  Five different hops go into this one for a nice twist on a classic American style.  It starts with a wheat base that pushes the limits using Galaxy, Chinook, Citra, Amarillo, and Cascade hops to fill this beer with citrusy hop flavor and aroma but finishes clean.  If you like IPA, you love our IWA!  1.045OG, 58IBUs, 5.0%

My Sampler:  SnowMelt, Car 21, Stimulator Pale Ale, and Old Town Ale

Connor hanging out at Pateros Creek

Following the sampler, I decided to use my Living Social deal, which called for a pint of beer in a souvenir pint glass and then a growler of beer to take home.  I asked if I could try a specialty beer and pay the difference for my pint, and that was fine.  For my pint I enjoyed:
          Snowy River--Vanilla Porter.  Made with local vanilla from Custom Blending in Fort Collins, there is just enough vanilla to balance out the chocolate and roasted flavors found in this wonderful libation.  You will enjoy this beer from the first sip but will want more after the last.  Easy to drink, and easy to understand that balance is key in this seasonal beer from our brew house.  1.052OG, 24IBUs, 5.0%

Snowy River

Having forgot to bring a bottle with me, I knew my time was limited so after finishing my pint I got a growler of Old Town Ale and a rain check for a pint glass, since they had run out.  Connor and I then drove about 3 minutes to New Belgium Brewing Company, where I filled a growler of Lips of Faith Valentine's Ale.  Getting back in the car, we headed to Odell Brewing Company for a growler fill of State Tree Stout before driving back home to Denver.

30th Birthday Celebrations

Unfortunately February 2010 featured no new beer experiences.  The first weekend in March saw Sean and I change that to celebrate my 30th birthday.  With Sarah on call over the weekend, Sean and I decided to head north from San Diego to Orange County and go beer tasting.  Sean picked me up mid-morning and we started our journey, stopping first in Aliso Viejo at Stadium Brewing Co (http://www.stadiumbrewingco.com/index.html).

We got there shortly after opening time, about 1115am.  Sean and I immediately ordered tasting flights and started our day's tastings, sampling the following:
          Blonde Lager--The lightest beer on tap.  The Blonde Lager has been lagered (aged) for 8 weeks in order to produce a crisp, clean, lightly hopped, "easy-drinking" beer.  The Blonde's characteristically dry finish makes it a refreshing, thirst quenching lager.  ABV not available
          Blueberry Ale--The Blueberry Lager is typically brewed in the winter.  The fruit ales are light in body, slightly sweet, and infused with the juices of fresh seasonal berries.  For an extra special touch of flair and flavor, the seasonal ales are garnished with fresh fruit.  ABV not available   
          Marzen--The Marzen is an amber colored, malty, medium hopped, mildly sweet, traditional "Oktoberfest" lager.  Originally the final product of the brewing year, Marzen can now be enjoyed any time of year.  ABV not available
          Hefeweizen--The Hefeweizen is a golden colored, effervescent, lightly hopped, unfiltered, wheat beer typically brewed during the spring and summer months.  A hint of banana clove, the natural byproduct of the brewing process, makes the beer both mellow and refreshing.
          Amber Ale--Full bodied, malty, moderately hopped, and sweetly finished, this Amber is guaranteed to satisfy the wildest spectrum of the beer loving palate.  ABV not available
          Oatmeal Stout--This is a variation on the traditional stout.  Oatmeal is added to the brewing process in order to increase the fullness of body and flavor in the stout.  The result of this mixture produces a creamy, silky texture not found in other beers.  ABV not available 
          ESB(Extra Special Bitter)--An ESB is a full-bodied, copper-red colored, slightly stronger version of a traditional pale ale.  The bitter is a moderately hopped, lightly carbonated, malty, roasty ale.  A perennial favorite that is very easy drinking.  ABV not available

We left Stadium Brewing Co generally unimpressed with the beers and drove to Carson, where we enjoyed a delicious burger at Five Guys.

Being properly sated, we headed to the coast for our next stop, Huntington Beach Beer Company (http://www.hbbeerco.com/).

We promptly found seats at the bar and ordered tasting flights, consisting of the following five house beers and a guest tap:
          Huntington Beach Blonde--A light, refreshing, all malt ale, with a gentle hop aroma.  A golden Kolsch-style ale, smooth with a clean finish.  Unknown ABV
          HB 15--A darker, hoppier, stronger cousin to the Pier Pale Ale, brewed especially for the 15th Anniversary.  5.8%
          Brickshot Red--Smooth, strong, malty ale is a house favorite.  Deep red, full-flavored beer, brewed with caramel and chocolate malts.  Unknown ABV
          GoldenBear Brown Ale--Dark with a malty caramel flavor and a fruity ale aroma.  An English styled ale with a medium body and sweet malt taste.  Unknown ABV
          Irish Stout--A dark, medium bodied and smooth stout with a roasty, coffee-like malt flavor and a long, dry finish.  
          Franziskaner Weissbier (guest tap)--Deep golden color.  Natural cloudiness with yeast.  Crisp, refreshing, spicy and fruity.  5%

My tasting flight

Sean and I left Huntington Beach Beer Co and the sun and meandered up the coast to Long Beach, where we stopped at Belmont Brewing Company (http://www.belmontbrewing.com/) and overcast skies.

Again it was time for to sample the array of beers Belmont had to offer:
          Marathon--A wonderful light ale that is golden to straw in color with mild hop flavor and subdued bitterness.  4.5%
          Pale Ale--A classic California Pale Ale.  Served unfiltered.  Brewed with plenty of Centennial and Northern Brewer hops for extra hop flavor.  4.0%
          Long Beach Crude--This beer is not for the weak at heart.  This beer is a stout that is pitch black with a rich complex chocolate malt flavor with a hearty roasted finish.  6.5%
          Strawberry Blonde--This exceptional fruit beer is blonde in color with a fantastic aroma and a mild, slightly dry strawberry finish.  4.5%
          Top Sail--This Amber Ale is a rich copper colored ale that has a toasty, malty flavor with medium bitterness.  5.5%


After leaving Long Beach, we drove inland to Fullerton where we stopped at Bootlegger's Brewery (http://www.bootleggersbrewery.com/).  Bootlegger's was the first non-brewpub of the day.  Typical to the craft beer scene, Bootleggers was located in an industrial park.

After having a bunch of mediocre beers Sean and I were really hoping that Bootleggers would have some tasty choices.  We also hoped the brewery would have more than just 5 or 6 core beers to try.  As we walked in the door and saw this sign, we knew, at a minimum, we would not be disappointed in terms of choice.

Tasting Menu at Bootlegger's Brewery

For the first time in our adventures, we were able to taste some different beers:
          Black Phoenix (C&S)--Just as the Mythical Phoenix rose from the fire, the trio of rich Arabica Coffee, Chipotle Peppers, and Malted Barley were formed by fire to create this robust ale.  Chocolate malt, roasted barley, and oats help to round out the flavor with Chipotle
          Golden Chaos (C)--Named after its golden color and effervescence, the complex yet smooth taste of Golden Chaos lives up to its name!  Golden Chaos is a Belgian style Golden Ale made from fresh imported German and English hops and brewed using the finest American rock candy, giving this fine ale a fruity aroma and a taste that leads to a pleasantly dry finish.  The subtle notes of plum, apricot, and pear achieve a perfect balance of fruitiness and spiciness.  8.5% 
          Brandy Chaos (C)--Golden Chaos aged in Brandy barrels for 20 months.  11% 
          It Shall Remain Unnamed (C)--No commercial description.  Light Belgian Ale.  7.6%
          Dean's Double Irish Stout (C&S)--No commercial description.  Double Dry Irish Stout.  ABV not available
          Silence of the Yams (S)--No commercial description.  Belgian Spiced Ale brewed with yams.  6.8%  
          Nakhon Lemongrass (S)--Belgian wit with lemongrass, bitter orange peel and coriander.  5.8%
          Blackstrap Porter (S)--Rum-like with notes of licorice and molasses.  6.2%


After some great, unique beers, we continued on our journey.  We had heard that the Kogi BBQ (http://kogibbq.com/) was going to be close to our location.  We found the parking lot where the food truck would be and then, rather than sit in the car for an hour in pouring rain, found a Chili's where we each grabbed a Samuel Adams Seasonal, which happened to be the Noble Pils.  It was pretty refreshing.  After our Noble Pils and some water, it was time to get in line for Kogi.  I had heard about Kogi from Food Network's "The Best Thing I Ever Ate."  We proceeded to wait an hour in the pouring rain before we were able to order.

We both ordered Short Rib Tacos and the Kogi Sliders.  It was phenomenal.  The Mexican-Asian fusion was a brilliant idea and worth waiting every second in the rain.

Short Rib Tacos and Kogi Sliders

After a great food truck meal, we drove to Placentia for our final brewery of the day, the award-winning The Bruery (http://www.thebruery.com/).  I had heard numerous positive comments about The Bruery and was quite excited to try their beers.

For a nominal fee, I believe $8, we were able to taste 5 beers and take home a Tulip-style glass.  The following beers are what we tried:
          Orchard White--A Belgian-style witbier.  This beer is brewed with unmalted flaked wheat, oats, malted barley, coriander, orange peel, and lavender.  5.7%
          Saison de Lente--The Spring Saison is light blonde in color with a fresh hoppiness and a wild and rustic Brettanomyces character.  Lighter in color and alcohol than Saison Rue, yet equally complex in its own way.  6.5%
          Saison Rue--An unfiltered, bottle-conditioned, Belgian/French-style farmhouse ale.  This is a beer of subtlety and complexity, with malted rye, spicy, fruity yeast notes, biscuit-like malt backbone, and a slight citrus hop character.  8.5%
          Rugbord--Meaning "rye bread" in Danish, the inspiration for this beer is from the Danes' staple dark, whole-grain rye bread.  Brewed with three types of rye malt, this robust brown ale showcases the earthy, spicy character of the grain, complemented by bready, nutty barley malts and a hint of roast.  8%
          Melange no Sechs--Brewed especially for Valentine's Day.  This beer is primarily made up of an experimental beer brewed with beets for a festive red color before cocoa nibs and rose petals are added.  It's then blended with White Oak Sap (bourbon barrel aged wheat wine) and bourbon barrel aged Rugbord.  The resulting beer has an earthy flavor with a pleasant chocolate & vanilla nose and as subtle floral hint all wrapped in an incredibly smooth package.  9% 


Following the Bruery we drove back to San Diego.  All in all it was a great day, starting with some bland, unremarkable beers and ending on a high note with some great beers at the Bruery.  I will definitely have to visit them again.

Denver, CO

The end of January 2010 saw Sarah and I on another trip for her job interview trail. Following a great interview earlier in the month, University of Colorado Hospital invited us out for another weekend to get a feel for the city. We arrived late Friday night and made our way to the Curtis hotel, our base for the weekend.  Following a late dinner, we called it a night.

Saturday morning saw us drive over to Stapleton where we looked at some of the homes and toured model homes.  It was quite an interesting experience, especially since I had never looked at brand new homes before, and since it was the first time we had ever seriously look at houses.  After a busy morning, Sarah and I headed to Aurora, where we grabbed some lunch and then spent a few hours at Dry Dock Brewing Company (http://www.drydockbrewing.com/).

Our Tasting Flight

The Tap List

We sampled all the beers on the board.
          Hand-Pulled Old Ale--HMS Bounty Old Ale pulled from a Hand-Pump.  6.5% 
          USS Enterprise IPA--Golden-colored American IPA that's hopped to the gills, yet balanced.  Dry-hopped with Amarillo hops.  6.4%
          HMS Victory ESB--This amber ale has rich toasty and bready character with English hop bitterness.  5.8%
          URCA Vanilla Porter--Over 2 pounds of Tahitian and Madagascar Vanilla beans are used in this brown porter, leaving a smooth, rich flavor.  5.5%
          Paragon Apricot Blonde--Fermented with shiploads of fruit, this easy-drinking ale is sure to refresh you on a warm, spring day.  Prevents scurvy, arg!  5.3%
          Dockside Dubbel--no description available.  6.9%
          U-Boat Hefeweizen--A traditional cloudy German wheat ale with a HUGE banana nose and hints of bubblegum and vanilla.  4.3%
          Shallow Draft Blonde--no description available.  5%
          Breakwater Pale Ale--Aggressively hop-forward American Pale Ale.  This straw-colored ale is dry-hopped with Cascade hops to give the beer a pleasant floral and citrus nose.  5.8%
          Seven Seas Double IPA--no description available.  8.5%
          HMS Bounty Old Ale--This malty, brown ale Strong Ale is rich with caramel malt complexity and good balance.  6.5%
          J-9's Oatmeal Stout--no description available.  6.9%
          Breiss Carabrown--no description available.  5.4%
          Nitro Naked Porter--This robust porter is the same base recipe as the URCA Vanilla Porter, just without the Vanilla!  A rich, full-bodied ale with hints of chocolate and coffee.  Real Smooth and on Nitro.  5.3%

Following our afternoon at Dry Dock, we headed back to the hotel before having dinner with a couple of Sarah's perspective new colleagues.

On Sunday we decided to explore the beer scene in downtown Denver.  We walked from our hotel down the 16th Street Mall and ended up at Wynkoop Brewing Company (http://www.wynkoop.com/).

Partial Taster Set

Our Taster Set

While at Wynkoop we were able to sample all the beers that were on tap.
          Wixa Weiss--An unfiltered wheat beer, weiss beer is a Bavarian tradition.  This version is an immensely refreshing and authentic, delivering the classic weiss aromas of cloves and bananas.  4.8%
          Two Guns Pilsener--A Czech style pilsener, Two Guns is golden in color with a soft malt character derived from Bohemian barley and just enough spicy bitterness to make another taste desirable.  5.0%
          Light Rail Ale--This blonde beer has a very light body and mild flavors of hops and pale malts.  A hint of caramel malt gives color to this popular choice for craft beer newcomers.  4.2%
          Patty's Chile Beer--A light German-style beer with Anaheim chilies and smoked Ancho peppers.  4.2%
          Railyard Ale--The flagship brew is a smooth, amber beer that combines the malty goodness of an Oktoberfest lager with the slight fruitiness of an ale.  Hearty but refreshing.  5.2%
          St Charles ESB--A British-style session beer is cask conditioned and dry hopped.  Tea colored with a toasted malt flavor, it's an easy drinker with a light mouthfeel and elegant hop nose.  4.5%
          B3K Schwarz Bier--This German-style black lager has a deep color and gently roasted flavors balanced by an understated hoppiness.  A thirst-quenching version of dark beer.  5.3% 
          McKenzie's Milk Stout--(listed as Cowtown Milk Stout)  A semi-sweet stout with flavors of chocolate, coffee and sweetness thanks to a hint of milk sugar.  A creamy body and modest alcohol make it a thrilling and sessionable dark beer.  4.8%
          Mile HIPA--This Denver-style India pale ale is a hop head's dream.  Assertive flavors of pale malts and an intense bouquet courtesy of whole leaf hops in their Hopinator device.  6.5%
          Triple Hopped English IPA--(London Calling IPA)  This India pale ale style hails from Britain and the 1800s when soldiers and sailors savored its extra hoppy charms.  A classic English IPA, cask conditioned and dry hopped.  5.9%
          Barley Wine--no description available.  10.4%
While tasting the beers at Wynkoop, we enjoyed some delicious pretzels served with beer mustard and beer cheese.

Following Wynkoop we continued on our exploration of downtown and walked towards Coors Field and ended up at Breckenridge Blake Street Pub (http://www.breckbrew.com/).

At Breckenridge, we sampled
          Agave Wheat--This true American-style unfiltered wheat has something a little special - the nectar of the great Salmiana
          Oatmeal Stout--Rich, round and roasted, this Oatmeal Stout is satisfaction in a glass.  It's a bold, smooth-bodied concoction that oozes dark-roasted coffee aromas and flavors of espresso and semi-sweet chocolate.  These heady pleasures are rounded out with a dose of flaked oatmeal for a creamy body and a semi-dry finish.  Unforgettable. 4.95%
          Vanilla Porter--Who would have thought deep in the jungles of Papua New Guinea and Madagascar grew the perfect ingredient to brew an extraordinary Porter in Colorado?  An ale that has all the chocolate and roasted nut flavor of a classic Porter, with an enigmatic surprise thrown in for good measure, real vanilla bean.  A vanilla kiss in a rich, dark sea.  4.7%
          Lucky U IPA--This is an ale for everyone who believes you make your own luck.  The result is a well-balanced, soulful IPA with just the right amount of hoppiness.  An even keeled ale that goes down clean and refreshing , but still let's you know its been doted-on by the brewmaster.  It's true to it's IPA heritage, but also highly drinkable.  6.2%
          Pandora's Bock--Desire coupled with curiosity can drive you to many foolish things.  Once it is released, a wealth of flavor and complexity will spill out into the world.  With a traditional bock flavor profile and a hint of hoppy goodness, there's a reason it's spoken about in mythical terms.  7.5%
          Christmas Ale--The chill of a Colorado high-country winter calls for a beer with extra flavor and warming characteristics.  At over 7% alcohol, with a sturdy texture and rich flavor of caramel and chocolate, this holiday seasonal is the fermented equivalent of a good fire.  7.4%
          Avalanche Amber--Subtlety.  That's what makes the Avalanche amber such a treat.  Pale and caramel malts are blended, with a kiss of bittering hops, to create a refreshing-but-flavorful, anytime beer.  Aromas of pale grains, a semi-sweet middle and a clean-as-Colorado-snow finish make this a best-selling beer.  5.41%
          Trademark Pale Ale--Demanding beer for demanding beer drinkers, that's the Pale Ale.  This American craft ale is crafted with hearty amounts of pale and Munich malts, then balance it lofty amounts of hops throughout.  It's a finessed version of hop-head fun, a black diamond beer without the bumps and dangerous curves.  5.7%
          471 IPA--Hoppy?  471 IPA redefines hoppy.  471 is a small batch, limited edition ale that was created by the brewmaster to separate the weak from the strong.  471 is a double IPA, that combines Pale, Munich, Caramel-30, Carapils and Torrified Wheat malts, with Chinook, Centennial, Simcoe, and Fuggles hops.  It has a big sweet mouthfeel, followed by more hoppiness than you've ever had at one time.  9.2%
          Thunder Stout--no description available
          Mighty Brown--This is a towering behemoth of a brown ale, rich, robust and full of personality.  And it will go well with every other big event, meal or day in your life.  Savor it.  And ration it accordingly.  7.5%
          Porter Porter--Roll up your sleeves and get back to work on this deep, complex beer.  Named after the 18th Century luggage porters in London, it's been a well-deserved reward for the laborer for over 200 years.  A mouthful of sweet chocolate balanced by hints of roasted coffee.  This is a big beer. Job well done, folks.  Job well done.  7.5%

After leaving Breckenridge, we wondered over to Falling Rock Tap House (http://www.fallingrocktaphouse.com/), Denver's premier beer bar with over 100 craft beers on tap.  While at Falling Rock, we struck up conversation with the couple sitting next to us in the bar.  It happened to be Marty Jones of Wynkoop and his wife.  Marty is a legend in the Denver beer scene, so it was quite awesome to meet him.

Our last stop of the day took us to the original Rock Bottom Brewery (http://www.rockbottom.com/denver-downtown) on the 16th Street Mall.  Surprisingly I had never been to any Rock Bottoms throughout the country, so I was curious to see how the beers were.  We ordered a sampler of the core beers and then I had a Pint of the Subzero Winter Ale.  The sampler consisted of the following six beers:
          Bottoms Up Kolsch--This beer is a very refreshing German-style ale, native to the city of Cologne.  It has a light golden color, soft rounded mouthfeel and a slight fruitiness, deftly balanced by the subtle, spicy hop character.  4.3%
          Buffalo Gold--No commercial description
          16th Street Wheat--A crisp, clean beer with a sweet, honey malt flavor.  16th Street is well-balanced and deep gold in color with subtle, flowery, hop finish.
          Falcon Pale Ale--This pale ale offers a strong unimposing flavor.  Light crystal and Munich malts create a rich, medium body.  
          Red Rocks Red--An Irish-style red ale showcasing British Pale and crystal malts.  This smooth, medium-bodied ale is balanced with English-style earthy hops.  Red Rocks Red is easy drinking, yet full of flavor.
          Molly's Titanic Brown--no commercial description
          Subzero Winter Ale--no commercial description 

As we wrapped up our trip to Denver, Sarah had an informal interview on Monday morning.  We headed downtown and had lunch at Ling and Louie's on 16th Street.  I had their Lemongrass Wheat beer.  It was quite different, but tasty.  Following lunch, we stopped by the Great Divide Brewing Company (http://www.greatdivide.com/) before returning to the airport and heading back to San Diego.

We were able to sample everything on tap at Great Divide and try a few bottled samplings too.  Here's what we imbibed:
          Yeti Imperial Stout--An onslaught of the senses.  It starts with big, roasty malt flavor that gives way to rich caramel and toffee notes.  Yeti gets its bold hop character from an enormous quantity of American hops.  9.5%
          Claymore Scotch Ale--Named for a medieval Scottish sword, this beer is a tribute to the legendary "Wee Heavy" beers of Scotland.  This malty, deep-ruby beauty features lots of caramel sweetness, a reserved hop profile, and a subtle warming character.  Unlike its namesake, this beer only requires one hand, but it'll still make you feel like nobility.  7.7%
          Denver Pale Ale (DPA)--This is a world-renowned, classic pale ale with a malty middle and an equally hearty complement of hop aroma, flavor and bitterness.  5.4%
          Samurai--This beer is an easy drinking, unfiltered ale that changes the status quo for unfiltered beers.  The addition of rice gives Samurai a slightly fruity, crisp, refreshing and clean taste.  This is definitely not your everyday unfiltered beer.  5.1%
          Hades--This beer is Belgian-Style golden ale brewed with a rare Belgian yeast strain that gives a complex spicy flavor and aroma.  Noticeable hops and medium malt character make it a very well balanced, crisp ale.  7.8% 
          Oak-Aged Yeti--This is Yeti Imperial Stout's sophisticated sibling.  From the same clan, they have different personalities.  Oak aging gives a subtle vanilla character, rounding out Yeti's intense roastiness and huge hoppy nature.  Who says you can't tame a Yeti?  9.5%
          Saint Bridget's Porter--St Bridget's is a smooth and elegant brown porter.  Brimming with coffee and chocolate characteristics from dark malts, St Bridget's is carefully hopped to provide the perfect complement to its malty robustness.  This beer is a "must have" for all porter lovers.  5.9%
          Old Ruffian--This beer is a hefty, hop-forward Barley Wine-Style Ale.  Seemingly mellow at the start with subtle fruit aromas and complex caramel sweetness, it quickly becomes aggressive with its bold hop flavors and huge hop bitterness.  Ultimately, the big body, succulent sweetness and massive hop character come together to work wonders on the palate.  10.2%
          Hercules Double IPA--Not for the faint of heart.  It is, however, fit for the gods.  Hercules delivers a huge amount of hops from start to finish.  Its hefty backbone of nutty, malty sweetness balances its aggressive hop profile.  10%
          Titan IPA--A big, aggressively hopped India Pale Ale brewed for hop disciples.  It starts out with piney hop aromas and citrus hop flavors, and finishes with a nice, rich malty sweetness that is balanced with crisp hop bitterness.  7.1%
          Wild Raspberry Ale--A unique, thirst-quenching ale fermented with real red and black raspberries.  Its balance of malt and fruit flavors make it a beer lover's fruit beer.  5.6%

Great Divide's Offerings

         

Napa

Following a fall without visiting any breweries, I was determined to rectify that when Sarah had a job interview in Vacaville, in the beginning of December, 2009.  We decided to make a long weekend of it and spend the weekend in Napa, mainly wine tasting, with some beer and breweries thrown in as well.  While Sarah was interviewing, I decided to pay a visit to the Anheuser-Busch Brewery in Fairfield, CA (http://www.anheuser-busch.com/).  I generally am not a fan of "fizzy yellow beer," but I wanted to see the sheer size of a Macro.  There were two tour options, a free 45-minute guided tour, or a reservations-needed, $25 brewmaster tour.  I opted for the free tour. The only remarkable thing about the tour was the scale of the brewing facility and the canning/bottling line.

The filtering tanks

The bottling line

Following the tour, we were entitled to two samples, so I decided to imbibe on two beers I had not tried before:

         Wild Blue--Full, round and warm with a pleasant ripe blueberry flavor/aroma that's rounded out by tart and zesty notes.  Brewed with a blend of two- and six-row barley malt, classic aroma hops from the Willamette Valley and German hops from the Hallertau region in Bavaria and all-natural blueberry syrup made from real blueberries.  8%

         Michelob Brewing Co Winter's Bourbon Cask Ale--Smooth, robust taste full of rich aromas, hints of vanilla and flavorful hops.  Brewed with Carapils, caramel and two-row barley malts and imported Hallertau and Alsace hops.  It is then aged on bourbon oak casks and whole Madagascar vanilla beans.  6%

Wild Blue

Winter's Bourbon Cask Ale

After leaving Anheuser-Busch, I grabbed some lunch and then headed to a newish brewery, Napa Smith (http://www.napasmithbrewery.com/).  At the time Napa Smith had been open for about a year and a half.  The brewery did not have any tasting room hours, so I called to see if I could arrange a private tour.  The owner was more than happy to show me around.  Unfortunately I did not take any photos.  After a brief personal tour, I had a few beers with the owner:
          Amber Ale--Our Amber Ale uses seven malt varieties and three unique selections of hops in order to achieve the deep complex flavors.  This taste starts off with a slightly sweet and then progress to a clean, dry finish.  5.75%
          Pale Ale--Our Pale Ale uses the best European and American hops and a blend of "plump" two-row barley.  As a result our beer has fragrant aromas with a hint of caramel malt.  5.25%
          Wheat Beer--Preserving the clean characters of the style, we have brewed this beer to accentuate the flavors of hops and malts.  Our Wheat Beer has distinct aroma, and a crisp dry finish.  4.6%
          Organic IPA--Our Organic IPA uses the finest two-row organic malts including Pale malt and Munich malt.  Preserving the tradition of classic India Pale Ales, Organic IPA is infused with a hefty dose of aromatic Cascade hops to create a bold, lingering finish.  7.1%

It was then time to pick up Sarah from her interview.  On the way back to Napa we stopped at a winery for a quick tasting.

For dinner we went to Downtown Joe's Brewery and Restaurant (http://www.downtownjoes.com/), a restaurant we had wanted to try when we honeymooned in Napa, but ran out of time.  Downtown Joe's is a regional microbrewery with six core beers and a few seasonals.  I was able to taste the six beers that were on draft the day we visited:
          Tail Waggin' Amber Ale--Crisp and flavorful with a slight roast aroma and delicate hop flavors.  Our most popular ale among the ladies and their admirers.  5.6% 
          Lil Blonde--This light and refreshing ale has hints of clove and banana.  5.5%
          Tantric India Pale Ale--This hoppy IPA is high in alcohol and except for the American hop aroma, is very British in style.  This style was originally developed to survive the voyage from England around the Cape of Good Hope and back North to India to keep the British troops happy.  6.8%
          Temptation Dark Ale--This is the lightest dark beer we can make.  Refreshing and roasty.  4.5%
          Napoleon Bounty--I forgot to get a description of this special ale.
          Ale Industries Orange Kush--This is a wheat beer that is brewed with chamomile, orange peel, and coriander.  These are added to the boil kettle, and gives the beer an amazingly simple refreshment.  4.4%

Me with my flight of tasters at Downtown Joe's

Saturday we spent visiting some wineries we hadn't visited before.  Among the wineries we visited were the Hess Collection (http://www.hesscollection.com/), Jessup Cellars (http://jessupcellars.com/), Mumm Napa (http://mummnapa.com/), Hagafen Cellars (http://www.hagafen.com/), Reynolds Family Winery (http://www.reynoldsfamilywinery.com/), and finished the day at Black Stallion Winery (http://blackstallionwinery.ewinerysolutions.com//index.cfm).

Our last day saw us visit a couple wineries in Sonoma on the way back to SFO.  We stopped at Jacuzzi Family Vineyards (http://www.jacuzziwines.com/) and then across the street at Cline Cellars (http://www.clinecellars.com/).  After the wineries we drove across the Golden Gate Bridge and stopped at Steelhead Brewing Company (http://www.steelheadbrewery.com/) in Burlingame, where we grabbed a late lunch and sampled some beers before catching our flight.  The taster flight consisted of eight samples:
          Hairy Weasel Hefeweizen--A straw-yellow, slightly cloudy wheat beer.  Bready aroma and mild in flavor.  5.4%
          Broadway Blonde--A golden blond, effervescent American style cream ale.  Crisp and delicate.  5.6%
          Raging Rhino Red--Deep amber color and a crisp hoppy aroma.  Roasted toffee and caramel finish.  5.4%
          Bombay Bomber IPA--Deep gold citrus-floral hop nose with lots of malt flavors.  Intense hop finish.  6.5%
          First Date Imperial Stout--Imperial stout with sweet dates and alcohol beginnings.  Followed by big dry roast malt flavors and an intense hop finish.  9.9%
          Grateful Red Ale--A beautiful crisp red ale with caramel flavors accented by four layers of hops. ABV unknown
          Gold Nugget Pale Ale--An American style pale ale medium-bodied ale flavor and aroma from nugget hops.  ABV unknown
          Nigel's Extra Special Bitter--Unfiltered English bitter, rich English malt and hop flavors.  Finishes dry and hoppy.  ABV unknown

Portland, Part 3

Our third day in Portland was unfortunately our last day to try some beers before we became busy with wedding events.  Following some wedding set-up in the morning, we picked up Sarah's mother, Karen, at the airport, before heading back downtown to continue our beer adventure.  Our first stop consisted of lunch and some beers at the Rogue Distillery and Public House (http://www.rogue.com/index.php).

While enjoying an absolutely delicious Rogue Dip sandwich, served on fantastic Hazelnut Ale bread, we sampled the following beers:
         Brutal IPA--An Imperial bitter with exotic traditional floor malts, citrusy, hoppy flavor, stupendous hop aroma.  Brutal combines Oregon hops with English malts.  6%
         Dead Guy Ale--A German-style Maibock, deep honey in color with a malty aroma, rich hearty flavor, and a well-balanced finish.  6.6%
         Dry Hopped St. Rogue Red--Reddish copper in color, a roasty malt flavor with a hoppy sprucy finish.  5.2%

         Mocha Porter--Ruddy brown in color, a bittersweet balance of malt and hops with a light cream finish.  5.1%

My samples

Following our lunch, we explored the Rogue Garage Sale, where they were having fantastic sales on merchandise.  I ended up with a Dead Guy Ale hoodie and t-shirt, while Sarah got a sweatshirt.  After our shopping, we headed over to Widmer Brothers Brewing Company (http://www.widmer.com/default.aspx), where we toured the facility and sampled some of their brews.

Sarah and I at Widmer Brothers

By the restaurant at the Brewery

The brewing kettles

The fermentation tanks

Due to the excessive heat, in the 100s again, the tour was cut short, which was OK with us.  We watched a video about the company and then sampled four Widmer brews before taking a quick stroll through the facility and receiving our pint glasses and key chains.  The beers we sampled were:
         Widmer Hefeweizen--The flagship beer, America's original Hefeweizen.  A golden unfiltered wheat beer that is truly cloudy and clearly superb.  4.9%
         Broken Halo IPA--This beer is produced in the spirit of traditional IPA products shipped from the UK to India in the late 1800s.  The almost excessive amounts of Cascade and Columbus hops used in Broken Halo give it notable citrus and grapefruit aromas and flavors.  The beer bitterness measures high but tastes smooth due to the full-bodied, Caramel malt sweetness.  The finish is juicy, clean, and short lived.  6.0%
        Drop Top Amber Ale--A rich, flavorful Amber that's smooth and easy to drink.  This beer is fermented with by an American Ale yeast to produce beer with a clean flavor and fruity aroma.  The velvet texture is from using Honey malt and a touch of milk sugar.  5.0%
         Drifter Pale Ale--This beer has a unique citrus character, smooth drinkability, and distinctive hop character.  Brewed with generous amounts of Summit hops, a variety known for their intense citrus flavors and aromas, Drifter has a taste unique to the Pale Ale category.  True to style, the bittering hops are perceptible enough to give the beer a crisp, clean, quenching finish, yet also soft enough to keep the beer smooth and balanced.  5.7%  

The brewery

Honoring America's original Hefeweizen

Great sign

Following our visit to Widmer Brothers, the rest of our time in Portland was spent with wedding festivities.  All in all, we had a great time trying new beers and touring around the city.  We can't wait to visit again and visit the other breweries Portland has to offer.

Portland, Part 2

Our first full day in Portland found us seeing some tourist attractions, eating at one of my favorite fast food restaurants, and, of course, trying more beer.  Again it was day of record high temperatures.  We spent our morning visiting the International Rose Test Garden and then the Portland Japanese Garden.  Both were quite impressive in their own respects.  The Rose Garden is the one of the oldest and largest rose test gardens in the US.  Free of charge, you can't beat the views of the city and the beautiful colors of the various roses.  The Japanese Garden brought shade, glorious shade to protect us from the heat and intense sun.  Portland's Japanese Garden is one of the most authentic Japanese gardens outside of Japan.  It was quite serene and tranquil.  Following the gardens, we headed for Five Guys Burgers and Fries, a delight I had not enjoyed in a couple years.  Let's just say the burger did not disappoint.

After our delicious burgers, we headed to the Pearl District and our first brewery of the day, BridgePort Brewery and Bakery (http://www.bridgeportbrew.com/).

For $7.50, we enjoyed a sample tray consisting of the following 8 beers:
          Haymaker Extra Pale Ale--A refreshing extra pale with a distinct blend of four malts and three varieties of hops creating a slightly complex, crisp and bright ale.  5.3%
          Blue Heron Pale Ale--Blue Heron Pale Ale features Williamette Valley hops and roasted barley for a flavor that is round on the palate with a crisp finish.  4.9%
          Ropewalk Amber Ale--This celebratory amber ale reflects BridePort's 20 year commitment to the fine art of craftbrewing.  Caramel malts give this ale its mellow, malty flavor.  A perfect session ale.  5.6%
          India Pale Ale--BridgePort IPA is a smooth, robust ale with assertive and fragrant hop character.  Our IPA is a product of the rare and traditional natural condition process, aging three times longer than ordinary beers in the keg, bottle, or cask from which it is poured.  5.5%
          E.S.B. (Extra Special Bitter)--Our ESB is a well-balanced, British-style ale.  Imported English Kent Golding hops give this brew an assertive aroma and a full bodied, yet mellow flavor.  6.1%
          Porter--BridgePort Porter is a careful combination of malts and hops that produces a rich and roasty full-bodied flavor.  Its natural conditioning results in a smooth, dark brew.  5.3%
          Black Strap Stout--Reminiscent of Irish stouts, BridgePort Black Strap Stout combines Northwest hops with the sweetness of black molasses to yield a velvet-rich, creamy brew.  6.0%
          Hop Czar--This Emperor of IBUs is triple hopped which produces a crazy, big, aggressively bitter, yet drinkable flavor made only for those with a Royal palate.  Brewed with three different malts and four different hop varieties, Hop Czar has a deep malt background with enthusiastic citrus and floral notes paired with uber high hop bitterness.  7.5%
          BeerTown Brown--Our roasted chocolate and pale malts shake hands creating mild caramel flavors.  Brown is your new reason to love beer.  Hops are added to create the perfect balance of sweetness to hopiness.  5.2%

We also sampled Blue Heron on cask, then I enjoyed a pint of Ropewalk before heading off to our next destination.

After leaving BridgePort, we headed over to OHSU to take the tram up to the hospital.  Sarah had spent a rotation at OHSU in medical school and it was a remote possibility for future employment.  We had a fantastic view on the brief tram ride and then walked over to the pedestrian walkway, before leaving the hospital and continuing our beer journey, Full Sail at Riverplace (http://www.fullsailbrewing.com/), where they brew next door to McCormick & Schmick's Harborside Restaurant.  This small brewhouse serves as Full Sail's research and development center, and is where the Brewmaster Reserve and Brewer's Share series were concocted.  We bellied up to the bar for a sampler, consisting of the following:
         Full Sail Amber--This beer is a sweet, malty, medium-bodied ale with a spicy, floral hop finish.  It's brewed with 2-row Pale, Crystal and Chocolate malts, and hopped with Mt. Hoods and Cascades. 5.5%
         Full Sail Pale Ale--This beer has a fresh, hoppy aroma that comes from two secret Northwest hop varieties, while two-row Pale and Crystal malt give it a mild sweetness that finishes crisp and clean.  5.4%
         Full Sail IPA--Generously hopped to 60 IBUs in the classic British style.  This beer has a full, malty body, with a hint of fresh citrus.  6%
         Full Sail Stout--This stout is a cross between an Irish dry and an export stout.  This beer has a very smooth character accentuated by the use of Munich malt, which is uncommon in a stout.  Hopped with Golding hops to balance the roast malt flavors.  5.4%
         Full Sail Ambrosia Red--This medium-bodied, dry-hopped red ale was brewed with a variety of specialty malts (Crystal, Munich, Honey, and Carafa) with a pronounced hop flavor and an emphasis on the aroma from the dry Brewer's Gold hops.  4.9%
         Full Sail Ltd Pilsner--This is a crisp, new pilsner-style lager that is pale golden in color, features a spicy floral hop aroma, a malty medium body, and a smooth thirst-quenching finish.  5.6%

Cask beers at the Pilsner Room at McCormick & Schmick's

Our sampler platters

After the samplers, we'd had enough of the heat and decided to head back to the hotel, before grabbing some dinner.

Portland, Part 1

The end of July 2009 found Sarah and I traveling to Portland,OR for a wedding.  I was quite excited about visiting this mecca of craft beer.  My only previous visit had been a few years previous for another wedding.  This trip we decided to extend so we could explore the city, enjoy great beers, and visit some friends.  Sarah had left the weekend previous to visit her sister and niece in Washington, while I had stayed in San Diego.  Portland was in the midst of all-time record highs while we were visiting.  It was hot, Las Vegas hot.  The first night, after joining Sarah, Jen, and Emery for dinner, we finally started with the beer.  The first brewery Sarah and I visited was The Ram Restaurant and Brewery (http://www.theram.com/index.shtml), a short drive from our hotel in Clackamas.

Sarah in front of the Ram.

We started off with a sampler, before ending with some appetizers and pints.

The sampler.  I liked the ram's horn shape.

Here's a list of the beers we tried:
          Big Horn Blonde--This blonde ale is light in color and pleases with a mild, sweet and slightly malty flavor.  ABV unknown
          Big Horn Hefeweizen--An unfiltered, authentic, German-style wheat beer utilizes a special German yeast strain to give this beer its characteristic cloudiness and banana-clove flavors.  ABV unknown
          Big Red IPA--An American-style IPA, the Big Red combines distinctive and assertive citrus flavor and aroma of Amarillo hops with a crisp, pleasantly bitter finish.  ABV unknown
          Buttface Amber--An American-style featuring malty caramel flavors and a smooth, slightly sweet finish.  ABV unknown 
          Total Disorder Porter--Rich and smooth, this award-winning brown porter features the flavor of chocolate and caramel.  ABV unknown
          71 Pale Ale--A distinctly drinkable Pale Ale brewed with a touch of rye and a blend of 5 hops.  Deep copper in color with a subtle spicy rye character and an enjoyable hoppy flavor.  ABV unknown
          Barefoot Wit--This unfiltered Belgian wheat beer is fruity, complex and easy drinking.  Malt flavors intermingle with underlying citrusy herb and spice notes.  ABV unknown
          Lucky's Irish Red--Irish Red Ale.  ABV unknown
          Nitro Porter--Total Disorder Porter on Nitro.


Following the sampler, Sarah had a pint of the Nitro Porter and I enjoyed the Big Red IPA, before calling it a night.