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.

Revisit #4

This is the fourth in a series of revisits, trying to rehash breweries visited and beers sampled.  The next brewery I visited was Stone Brewing Company (http://stonebrew.com/) on 3 July 2009.  My brother was in town visiting and we decided to taste some great San Diego beers.  This was my third time going on the Stone tour.  My first visit was in January with David, Natalie, and Sarah.  The second time was with Cy, Jason, and Sean, where we were part of a group of 10 or so and we tried all the beers on tap in the store/tasting room.  Anyways, for this visit, we got our tickets and then headed out to the beer garden where we hung out until it was time for the tour.

Some of the brewing equipment

Sean, Colin and I on the tour

The tour guide talking about the natural ingredients and Sean listening.

The tour is a good one, learning about the brewing process and the craft beer culture.  Our tour guide, Phil MacNitt, was great and made for an enjoyable tour. Having seen much smaller brewery operations thus far, it was interesting to see things on a much larger scale.  Stone also acts as a distributor through Southern California and has a large cooler with other craft beers, such as Victory Brewing Company, awaiting distribution.

Me, Colin, and Sean enjoying our tasters.

Following the tour, we headed back to the store where the tasting commenced. Here is what we sampled at Stone:
         Stone Pale Ale--The flagship ale, it is Stone's Southern California interpretation of the classic British pale ale style.  Deep amber in color, Stone Pale Ale is robust and full flavored.  A delicate hop aroma is complemented by a rich maltiness.  This is an ale for those who have learned to appreciate distinctive flavor.  5.4%
         Stone Smoked Porter--So you think you don't like dark beer?  Prepare to believe.  This is no ordinary porter.  And if you are already among the enlightened who appreciate a fine ebony-hued ale, we think you will find Stone Smoked Porter to be a poignant addition to your repertoire.  This beer pours a gorgeous deep mahogany crowned by a creamy head.  Dark, smooth, and complex, with rich chocolate and coffee flavors balanced by a subtle smokiness, this brew is equally delicious with meats or fine chocolates.  5.9%
         Stone IPA--An "India Pale Ale" by definition is highly hopped and high in alcohol - you'll find our Stone India Pale Ale to be true to style with a huge hop aroma, flavor and bitterness throughout.  If you're a hop head like us, you'll love Stone India Pale Ale!  Medium malt character with a heavy dose of over the top hops!  Generous "dry-hopping" gives this beer its abundant hop aroma and crisp hop flavor.  6.9%
         Stone Arrogant Bastard--This is an aggressive beer.  You probably won't like it.  It is quite doubtful that you have the taste or sophistication to be able to appreciate an ale of this quality or depth.  We would suggest that you stick to safer and and more familiar territory -- maybe something with a multi-million dollar ad campaign aimed at convincing you it's made in a little brewery, or one that implies that their tasteless fizzy yellow beer will give you more sex appeal.  Perhaps you think multi-million dollar ad campaigns make a beer taste better.  Perhaps you're mouthing your words as you read this.  

Revisit #3

This is the third in a series of revisits, trying to rehash breweries visited and beers sampled.  The next San Diego brewery I visited was Alpine Beer Company (http://www.alpinebeerco.com/) on 27 June 2009.  Sarah and I headed up to Alpine for some beers before trying some wineries in Julian.

 

The town of Alpine apparently has some rules regarding sampling, so Sarah and I did our best to sample as many as we could, while observing the rules.  We were quite fortunate the day we visited they were not busy at all, which enabled us to try all 9 beers.  Here is what we sampled at Alpine:  

         Willy--An American Wheat Ale that is crisp and light-bodied, with a slightly, sweet nutty flavor.  The hopping is mild and gentle.  It's perfect for times when you crave a beer utterly refreshing and low in alcohol.  A true thirst quencher everyone enjoys.  4.9%

         Willy Vanilly--An American Wheat Ale flavored with Vanilla.  Since Willy is so versatile and can be paired with fruits and essences, a touch of vanilla extract is added to compliment the sweet nuttiness.  Also good mixed with Captain Stout, a blend called "The Captain and Vanil."  4.9%

         Apricot Nectar--Willy flavored with Apricot Essence.  4.9%

         McIlhenney's Irish Red--An Irish Red.  Alpine's most versatile beer.  Good to drink as well as cook with.  Light enough to quench a thirst and complex enough to accompany fine dining.  Carmel malty sweet fades to a chocolate roasty finish and dry from a touch of rye.  6%

         Mandarin Nectar--An Orange Blossom Honey Ale.  Fresh organic orange zest and cracked coriander complement the orange blossom honey used in this ale.  Like a mountain breeze through the citrus trees.  6.5%

         Captain Stout--A Chocolate Oatmeal Dry Stout.  The Captain is leader of a fire crew.  This beer takes charge of your taste buds with its rich flavor.  Roasty malt character that has hints of chocolate and coffee which balances the smooth, velvety finish.  The thick creamy head lasts and lasts, leaving lace in your glass as your beer disappears.  This beer pairs well with food.  Great with dinner or as breakfast or even with a rich vanilla bean ice cream.  6%

         Alpine Ale--A Pale Ale.  The namesake ale represents everything a good, well balanced pale ale should be:  malty but not too sweet, refreshing but not too bitter, full-bodied but not too heavy, lively but not over-carbonated.  A clean, everyday beer that leaves your palate begging for more.  5.5%

         Pure Hoppiness--A West Coast Double IPA.  So mega-hopped it will take you to hop heaven.  We've used hops in the boil, more hops in the giant hopback, , and added to that, an incredible amount of dry-hopping for that cutting edge "hop bite."  Once you've tasted this beer, all others will pale in comparison.  8%

         O'Briens IPA--A West Coast IPA.  Another single IPA with a lighter slant.  A slightly elevated malt profile and a higher mash temp leaves more sweetness to balance the hop bitterness against.  Several different hop varieties are used while boiling and dry-hopping.  6%

Beers on draft the day we visited

Sarah and I at Alpine

Following the beer samples, we took a stroll through Alpine and then headed off to Julian and visit three of their wineries, non of whom are worth mentioning.

Revisit #2

This is the second entry in a series of revisits, trying to rehash breweries visited and beers sampled.  Our second San Diego beer outing was a tour and tasting on 25 April 2009 at Alesmith Brewing Company (http://alesmith.com/).

David, Natalie, Me, Sarah, Sean, Sara

I had previously sampled Nautical Nut Brown and Speedway Stout, but was looking forward to sampling some of their other beers.  Alesmith generally does tours only on the last Saturday of the month and reservations are strongly recommended.  We had made reservations a few weeks prior and a group of six of us went.  The tour was given by Peter Zien, a former attorney/homebrewer turned craftbrewer, who owns the brewery.  For $5, we went on a 45-minute tour, had some samples, and got to keep a pint glass.

Most tours are the same, beer, or rather, good beer, is made from four ingredients:  barley, hops, water, and yeast.  What set apart the Alesmith tour from others, was the passion and enthusiasm which the tour was given.  The excitement was contagious; after the tour, our friend Sara, who does not like beer, wanted to start homebrewing!!!  All six of us really blown away by the tour.  After the tour, comes the best part, the tasting.  Here's what we sampled at Alesmith:
           Lil Devil--Gold color, fluffy white head of foam with good head retention.  Clean malt flavors with a hint of tangy hop tones.  Belgian candi sugar, coriander, and orange peel add a twist, along with the Trappist yeast strain.  Refreshing, quenching, and easy to drink.  5.5%.
           Nautical Nut Brown--Rich chocolate malt flavors create complexity and drinkability in this classic English-style Nut Brown ale.  Although dark in color, Nautical Nut Brown ale is an extremely easy drinking, relatively low alcohol beer.  5.0% 
           Wee Heavy--Deep mahogany color with nice tan head.  Rich, toasty, malty aroma and flavor with a faint touch of smokiness.  A tinge of hops provides the perfect balance to the maltiness.  Full-bodied, smooth and warming.  10.0%.
           Old Numbskull--Aroma starts with toasty, caramel notes and a pleasant hop character.  Color is deep amber, with tan head and impressive 'Brussels Lace' that clings to the sides of the glass.  11.0%
           X--This refreshing Extra Pale Ale is pale yellow in color, with a bright white head.  An aroma of fresh hops with notes of citrus and pine.  Light bodied, smooth on the palate, with a dry finish and superb aftertaste.  5.5%. .
           Anvil ESB--Bright copper color with light tan head.  Malty slightly hoppy aroma.  Caramel and malty flavors with a perfect balance of imported English hops.  5.5% 
           IPA--Medium straw color, pale tan head.  Rich malty aroma with a HUGE dose of hops.  Medium-full body with sweet malty flavors and a delicious abundance of aromatic and bittering hops.  7.25%.

Sean, Sara, Chris, Sarah, Natalie, and David

Revisit #1

This is the first entry in a series of revisits, trying to rehash breweries visited and beers sampled.  While I have always enjoyed good beer and sampling the local craft scene wherever I was living or visiting, it was not until living in San Diego that I started to keep track of what breweries I visited and the beers that I drank.  The first true record of this occurred with my birthday festivities on 7 March 2009.  A group of friends and I decided to celebrate by visiting a few breweries in North County San Diego.  While obviously this was a year and a half ago, I will do my best to remember my thoughts of the day.

We started our day at Oceanside Ale Works (http://www.oceansidealeworks.com/).  I remember liking most of the beers, but not really being blown away one way or another.  Here's a list of what we sampled:  

           Buccaneer Blonde--A balanced light-bodied ale with small amounts of honey add to this ale's lager-like character 4.2%

           Big Ru--Scottish Wee Heavy 11.1%

           760 Imperial Stout--Imperial Stout 12.76%

           Pier View Pale Ale--Light aroma, malty then balanced by hops and a clean finish 5.7%

           American Strong Ale--Intense hop flavor from six different American hop varieties, backed up with a malty base 9.2% 

           NCC IPA--IPA

           Oaked American Strong Ale--The American Strong Ale aged 3 months in American Oak 12%

           Harbor Hefeweizen--German Hefeweizen 5%

           Strong Blonde--(mix of American Strong Ale and Buccaneer Blonde) Belgian Strong Ale 7.5%

David, Sean, Sara and I at OAW.

Sean, David, and I at OAW.

From OAW, we headed to Green Flash Brewing Company (http://www.greenflashbrew.com/index.php).  Green Flash was my first true exposure to the hops craze that is prevalent in San Diego.  As I had not quite developed a love for extreme hops, I remember generally being unimpressed with the beers.   I have since acquired the taste for hops and would like to revisit Green Flash.  One of the highlights of the tour had to be the level of intoxication of our tour guide.  She was drunk enough to be slurring her words as she read of a sheet of info pertaining to the brewery and tour.  At Green Flash, here's what we sampled, a collection of their West Coast Style Ales and Belgian Inspired Ales:

            West Coast IPA--This West Coast-style India Pale Ale is extravagantly hopped, full flavored, medium bodied and copper colored.  A menagerie of hops is combined throughout the brewing process to impart specific characteristics.  Hops used include Simcoe for a unique fruitiness and grapefruit zest, Columbus for strong hop pungency, Centennial for pine and citrus notes, and Cascade for floral aroma.  7%

            Hop Head Red--Resinous hop character and bitterness balance the rich carmel malt base.  We took it a step further and Amarillo dry-hopped the brew to 45 ibu's, creating refreshing and savory hop flavors and aromas.  Is it a red IPA?  That's your call.  6.4%

            Imperial I.P.A.--San Diego-style IPA, as it has come to be known by many, is super-hoppy, high gravity, yet highly quaff able ale.  Our Imperial IPA is created in this new tradition with intense hop flavors and aromas from a unique blend of Summit and Nugget hops.  It's all about the hops!  9.4%

            Double Stout--Golden naked oats mashed with dark crystal and robust roasted malts create a luscious black brew with satin smooth finish.  Layering UK Target hops throughout the boil adds pleasant, earthy complexity while higher fermentation temperatures enhance overall flavor with fruity esters.  An old-world style, done the Green Flash way.  Big, bold, flavorful and complex.  8.8%

            Barleywine Style Ale--Our American-style Barleywine undergoes a three hour boil to intensify the caramel malts and the enormous Pacific Northwest hop charge.  The result is rich, estery brew with toffee notes and citrus hop flavors layered throughout.  Enjoy this brew fresh today or lay it down for aging to see how the flavors of each vintage evolve.  10.9%

            Le Freak--This Belgian-style IPA is an "out of the box" convergence of beer styles where American Imperial IPA meets Belgian Trippel.  The end result is a zesty brew with enticing American hop and Belgian yeast aromatics that lead you to delicious malts and a complex layering of hop flavors that quench and refresh your pallet.  9.2%

            Trippel Belgian Style Ale--Rich pale malt flavors provide a solid base for zesty Styrian Golding and Czech Saaz hopping.  Trappist ale yeast contributes the fruity, spicy profile of classic, monk-brewed, Belgian ales.  Our Trippel is luscious, fiery, golden brew, and a contemporary rendition of traditional Belgian Trippel.  9.7%            

            Grand Cru--Our Belgian Style Dark Ale is inspired by traditional Abbey Ales to deliver the richest of malt flavors but with a slightly elevated hopping and increased complexity given from two different yeast strains.  This malt laden ale is designed to satiate and keep your taste buds dancing.  9.1%

            30th Street Pale Ale--Our 6th Anniversary Ale pays homage to the local craft beer movement on 30th Street, in the North Park area of San Diego.  A balance American Pale Ale that is well hopped, but not overly bitter.  6%

Sean, David and I at Green Flash

Our last stop took us to Port Brewing Company (http://www.portbrewing.com/).  Port Brewing Company is the American style side of Port Brewing/Lost Abbey.  We focused our tasting on Port Brewing Company.  By this time we all had quite the buzz and in the bathroom, some of us decided to use the shower stall instead of the toilet.  The tasting room was quite crowded and we only managed to sample four beers:

           Dawn Patrol Dark--The beer is brewed from a blend of 6 malts including Crisp Crystal and Chocolate malts.  It is lightly hopped with Challenger and East Kent Golding hops.  We use a proprietary strain of ale yeast and ferment at a cooler temperature than our other beers.  4.2% 

           Shark Attack --This is a classic West Coast-style imperial red ale brewed with medium crystal malts, Centennial and Cascade hops.  The color is a burnt amber with red highlights and the aroma has a spicy hop presence with moderate caramel malt accents.  The taste is a smooth, malty one with a balanced hoppy finish that includes hints of sweet caramel.  9.5%

           Wipeout IPA--With 78 IBUs.  Our version of a West Coast IPA-brewed in the San Diego style.  This massively hoppy beer gets its flavor and attitude from no less than five hop varieties including Amarillo, Centennial, Cascade, Simcoe, and Summit  7%

            Hop 15--First brewed in 2002 to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the original Pizza Port location in Solana Beach, we searched high and low and combined 15 of our favorite hops which were added every 15 minutes to the boil.  Somewhat darker than other Double IPA style beers, our beer oozes the hop goodness of pine needles, freshly squeezed citrus and ground spices which are only moderately tempered by a sweet malt finish.  Thankfully, for all of us hopheads, we have decided to brew this beer more than once a year.  Look for Hop 15 to make appearances from time to time when space permits us to brew this, one of favorite ales.  9.7%

David, Me, and Sean quite toasted at Port Brewing.

Sara and Sarah

The Beginning of Lager Then Life

Having been a fan of beer for longer than I can remember, and having read a number of beer blogs, I decided it is time to create my own.  I intend to write about the beers I drink, the breweries I visit, and my thoughts about them, both future and past.  This blog will mainly be about beer, but I do foresee some infrequent forays into the world of food, wine, and spirits.

Lager Then Life:  My journey, accurate and relatively infrequent, through the world of beer as I taste it.

Bottoms Up!