El Toro Brewing Company's Poppy Jasper Amber

    El Toro has become a recent favorite of mine.  Their oatmeal stout has always been one of my favorites in the style, and I'll have to get around to reviewing that one eventually.  Their IPA is quite impressive as well.  They are based out of Morgan Hill, CA and are still definitely up and coming.  I decided to check out their amber ale for the first time the other day.
     It is actually a very light amber color; more of a dark gold I would say.  It is very well-carbonated and produced a huge head when poured that had solid retention.  The product is definitely hazy.  The malt aroma is very clean and reminds me of a Marzen.  There's some faint caramel in there and a little bit of fruity esters.  I'm also getting some quite noticeable spicy and herbal hops.
     The first think I noticed upon drinking this is that it is very fruity.  The esters here kind of dominate the malt character.  The final product is pretty dry, light, crisp, and has a thin body.  There's definitely some noble character to the hops.  Aside from the esters, everything about this is extremely similar to a Marzen. 
     Overall, I liked this one, but I don't think it will become a regular of mine.  I enjoy well-hopped amber ales, and this one is definitely fits into that category, but I think it could benefit from stronger malt. I'll have to pick up and review their IPA and oatmeal stout since I think those represent the brewery much better.   

Firestone Walker Brewing Company's Double Jack IIPA

   
     Firestone Walker is a fairly well-known and popular microbrewery out of California.  They've won several awards and just keep getting bigger and bigger each year.  Their Union Jack IPA was one of my favorites at the Spring Beer & Wine Festival in Portland, OR last year, which is why I'm so curious to give this one a try. 
     Pouring produces a very small white head that drained before I could even really get a good look at it.  Seems to be fairly well-carbonated, though.  It's a very light color; some lighter shade of gold.  It's as clear as they come, and the aroma is just fantastic.  It's a huge burst of grapefruit and many other heavy citrus varieties.  The hops here are very clean, and though strong and citrusy, are quite easy and pleasant on the nose.  There's some yeasty notes in there, but very subtle.  I'm also getting some faint, but noticeable, sweet malt aroma. I really respect IIPAs that can mask their alcohol, and being that this is 9.5% ABV, this one definitely gets high marks for that. 
     The hop flavor on this one is definitely very citrusy, floral, and tastes kind of like you're just chewing into a hop cone.  Bitterness is actually quite mellow, but there is a bit of a burn in the back of the mouth/throat from the alcohol.  You can taste some of the alcohol, but it's definitely masked impressively well.  There is some sweet caramel malt flavor, but unless your looking for it, it's completely overridden by the hops.  The whole flavor on this one is really steady; it doesn't evolve from the front of the mouth to the back into anything new or different.  It is just one constant ride of hop flavor.  The body here is on the thin side, but it definitely leaves a solid coating throughout your entire mouth.
     Overall, this one is great, but I really do prefer my IIPAs have a much stronger and offensive bitterness to them.  I think I'd have to say that the aroma takes the cake over the taste on this one, and it is definitely going to be quite memorable for me on just how well it masks its alcohol.

    
     Well, I think this is actually the last beer from Laughing Dog that I've yet to try.  These guys make tons of IPAs, but only recently have I started to notice stores carrying their basic IPA.  They are starting to get a bit more of a buzz around the West Coast, and I would love nothing more than to see them get the recognition I've always felt they deserve.
     It pours an orangeish gold with a huge, slightly off-white head.  The head drained pretty quickly and definitely did not have much going for it in retention.  Like many of their beers, it is definitely a bit hazy. 
      They dry hopped the hell out of this thing.  The aroma on this is just an explosion of hops.  It is very citrusy, but I couldn't quite pin it down to one type in particular.  Definitely some floral notes; safe to assume there's some Cascade in there.  I can't pick up on any malt aroma.  Love the smell on this one; definitely guaranteed to please any hophead.
     Surprising, the taste here as absolutely nothing like the aroma.  The first thing I noticed is a very dominating, heavy caramel malt character.  From here, it slowly evolves into a bit of spicy hops.  There's a tad bit of floral flavor, but I'm not getting any citrus.  The bitterness is pretty mellow, and definitely doesn't pack a hop punch like you would expect from smelling it.  The body is very thin.
     I'm not too crazy about the flavor on this one, but it's interesting just how completely different the aroma and taste are.  Just goes to show the power of dry hopping.  Probably my least favorite in their lines of IPAs, but still a damn tasty brew. 

Hopworks Urban Brewery's Secession CDA

   
    I've always been amazed at how well-known HUB is around the country.  I mean, they certainly are popular in Portland, but I didn't realize they had such a following like they do.  I've always enjoyed their beer, but it usually doesn't come up too often when I'm telling people about Portland beer.  Cascadian dark ales are quickly becoming one of my absolute favorite styles, and I'm very curious to try this one.
     Obviously, it's a very dark color, and though it is easiest to just say black, it's far from being pitch.  It's very well-carbonated and produced a monster head when it was poured.  It also left about a finger of brownish foam throughout the duration of the drink.  The head was very frothy and creamy.
     I think my heart skipped a beat when I took a sniff of this.  It put me right back into the Pacific Northwest wilderness and made me feel like a kid again.  A bit corny, sure, but this really is one of my favorite smelling beers.  Very woodsy, piney, and just a floral hint.  Just has the really fresh smell that you get from Northwest hops.  It's definitely a bit yeasty and there is some sweet roast in there as well.
     The first thing that hit me when tasting this was the woodsy character.  It was most reminiscent of chewing on a stick.  It's not too bitter, but it does have some very strong pine hop character in the back of the throat.  The malt here starts out as a very clean, smooth, roasted coffee and becomes richer towards the back of the mouth as it evolves into the dominant hop character.
     Gotta admit, I love this thing.  Hands down the best HUB beer I've had and it may be my new favorite in the style (though I'll have to have another Dogzilla first).  Hopworks, you've made a believer out of me.

Silver Moon Brewing's Hoptagon IIPA

   
      Silver Moon is a Bend, OR brewery that recently took a bronze at the Great American Beer Festival in 2010 in the pilsner category.  Despite living in Portland, I never actually had anything from them until I was at GABF in 2010, at which time the name stuck with me forever once I had some of their Hound's Tooth.  I made a special stop in Bend coming back from Denver so I could have a proper pint of it.  Anyway, I found this imperial IPA of theirs, Hoptagon, the other night and just had to try it.
     It's a light golden color, typical of that of an IPA but maybe a little light for an imperial.  Pouring produced a huge head and the beer is incredibly well-carbonated.  It dissipated pretty quickly but left a solid surface of foam throughout the duration of the beverage.  Lacing was great and perfectly hazy for the style.
     This thing is dry hopped like crazy.  It really is just an explosion of hops on your nose and is actually quite harsh (great if you're a hophead).  It's a very strong floral, whole hop aroma with some subtle hints of citrus and herbal notes.   The citrus here is most reminiscent of an orange.  Malt is very difficult to find, but there is some sweetness in there. 
     The first think I notice upon tasting is that the alcohol is very prominent.  It really kind of stands out completely as its own character and doesn't mesh or enhance anything else in the beer.  The malt character is incredibly weak and the alcohol just completely overrides it.  It's very bitter, and in combination with the alcohol, leaves a lingering burn in the back of your throat.  Not getting a ton of hops flavor here aside from just general bitterness, but there's definitely some floral character.  The body is very full and final product ends a bit dry.
     That description kind of made it sound like a bad beer, but I really did enjoy it.  The aroma alone made it worth the cost, but I really wish there would have been as much hop flavor in the actual drink.  It can never really get too bitter for me, and the burn from the hops and alcohol actually worked well with each other. 

Big Sky Brewing Co.'s Heavy Horse Scotch Ale

 
     When it comes to craft beer in Montana, the first name almost anybody can think of is Big Sky.  They're known for their Moose Drool Brown Ale, but it was their IPA that got me hooked on this brewery back at the Portland Spring Beer & Wine Festival a couple of years ago.  I'm always curious to try their seasonal stuff, and I never hesitate to try something new from them.
     It pours a very dark amber, which is almost starting to look slightly brownish.   Definitely a lot lighter than most of the scotch ales I've had.  There's almost no head/retention/lacing here and the final product is as clear as it gets.  The first thing I pick up from from the aroma it is fruit notes.  It's a very dark fruit character that reminds me of a lot of bocks I've had.  There's some strong sweet malt with some toasty hints to it.  There are some minor spice hops in there as well.  Very minor.  The aroma all around is very clean and again reminds me of a very malty lager.
     Upon tasting, it's definitely a malt bomb with some strong esters shining through.  The malt here is a little biscuity, roasty, and definitely has some tannins.  The caramel character is very dark and heavy.  The fruitiness of it is quite evident and is similar to a plum.  The whole thing is very rich and syrupy.
     Overall, I'm not crazy about this one.  It's quite good, but I've never been a huge fan of scotch ales to begin with.  It does become very pleasant to drink after several ounces, and I actually found myself enjoying it much more than I thought I would. 

Oakshire's Overcast Espresso Stout

     Oakshire is a very small brewery founded in 2006 out of Eugene, Oregon.  They only have a handful of beers available at any given time (three year round and a seasonal I think), but they've still managed to make a decent name for themselves in Oregon.  I've never been a huge fan of espresso stouts, but I'm always open-minded and curious about any beer I haven't had before.
     The aroma on this isn't very strong; most of what does shine through is quite faint.  In addition to the espresso, there's definitely some very dark, burnt malt character.  You can really get some chocolate hints in there as well.  It works together quite well and makes for a very smooth aroma that is quite pleasant o the nose.
     This one is pretty dark, but you can still manage to see through it just a little bit with some lighting.  Pouring produced a huge head that left about one centimeter of froth for the entire duration of the drink.   Consistent lacing all the way though; definitely a very nice looking beer.
     When it comes to taste, my main criticism of this style definitely shines through, and that's that the espresso is just too dominating.  From the front of the mouth to the back of the tongue it is one steady ride of espresso.  There's nothing wrong with this; it's just a personal thing.  It's pretty sweet and any lingering notes were definitely focused towards the tip of the tongue.  There's definitely some burnt malt character and some chocolate towards the back of the tongue.  The chocolate here overrides the hop character, which is definitely there but obviously more for balancing than anything else.  You can pick up some pine from the hops.  The body is a little thin and just a bit silky.
     To be honest, I'd say this is one of the better espresso stouts that I've had.  Though the espresso is too dominating for me, I like that you can still pick up on some malt and hop character.  That alone makes it shine above most of the others I've had in this style.  

Ninkasi's Believer Double Red Ale

      So, here's one of Ninkasi's staples, the Believer Double Red Ale.  Pretty much everybody in Oregon just loves Ninkasi, and you can't blame them either.  They've made a huge name for themselves in just the few years they've been on the scene and have already reached the ranks of one of Oregon's top breweries.  In their own words, they brew to the "Northwest" style, and they certainly hold true to that.
     Don't have a whole lot to say on the appearance for this one.  It's a solid red with a bright red hue that's very clear.  The head is very foamy, solid, and is just a tad on the creamy side it looks like.  The retention was solid and left solid patches throughout the whole glass.
     The first thing you notice about the aroma on this one is a very rich, toasty malt character.  There's some slight hints of caramel in there as well and it's very pleasant on the nose.  It's a tad estery and fruity; I swear I can pick up some hints of apple in there.  The hops aren't too prominent here but they definitely give off some citrus notes.   The whole aroma is very clean and is quite nice on the nose.  There's tons of stuff going on here and it all works together extremely well.
     Upon tasting, it hits very hard with the rich malt character.  It's quite toasty and then kind of mellows off into a very smooth caramel.  You can taste a bit of the alcohol here, and it actually works quite well with accentuating the rich malt.  Around the center of the tongue you can definitely pick up some yeast notes, mostly fruity.  Finally, we are introduced to the hops, which are quite prominent in a woody and herbal taste.  I've brewed reds with fuggle hops a few times, and it really reminds of that character.  It's probably a safe guess to say that it isn't fuggle, but it's definitely something similar.  The hop character here is a perfect way to smooth out the hard malt and actually works well in making the whole thing quite balanced.  All of this comes with a medium, creamy body.
     I've had this beer several times in the past, but it never really made the impression on me that it did this time around.  I was quite impressed and would definitely say it is one of the better double reds that I've had.  I look forward to drinking more of it in the future. 

Van Honsebrouck's St. Louis Kriek

     I've really wanted to try a kriek (cherry lambic) ever since I first read about them, but given the budget I'm currently on, I've never been able to bring myself to buy one.  I finally broke down a picked up Van Honsebrouck's St. Louis Kriek the other night from Beer Mongers in Portland, OR.  It's a brewery in Ingelmunster, West Flanders, Belgium that dates back to 1900.
      The first thing I noticed when I poured this is that it is extremely well-carbonated.  It produced a huge red head and continued to fizz for as long as I was drinking it.  I can see a little bit of sediment in it, but for the most part it's farily clear.  It's sorta of an orangeish-brown with a very dark red hue.  The bubbles produced were very weak and drained back into the liquid in almost no time.  This really reminded me of champagne in more than one way.
     My first impression of the aroma was a very, very sweet ripeness.  There is, obviously, some cherry in there, but I wouldn't pinpoint this ripeness to just one fruit in general.  I'm talking sweet; it's like smelling candy.  You can smell the alcohol, and it's just a little bit acidic as well.  The aroma is incredibly strong; I could smell it from across the room.
     Upon first sip, this thing is sweet, sweet, sweet.  I really can't emphasize this enough.  The tip of my tongue tingled for a bit after each drink and it was like drinking a Jolly Rancher.  There is some sourness here, but it definitely lingers in the back of the mouth.  A mild taste of alcohol also helped to accentuate the sourness.  It is quite lively in the mouth as the result of being so carbonated, and the body is incredibly thin.
     From what I understand, many krieks allow the cherries to be a natural sweetener and the final product ends up being on the dry side, but there are plenty of breweries out there who add extra sugar after fermentation for an incredibly sweet beverage.  This was just too sweet for me to really be able to enjoy, and definitely wasn't what I was expecting at all.  I still have great hope for this style, though.  To me, the idea of a sour cherry beer sounds fantastic, but that's definitely not what I got here.

Laughing Dog's DogZilla

     Laughing Dog, founded in 2005, is small brewery from Ponderay/Sand Point, Idaho that focuses on producing some seriously hoppy stuff.  They have a handful of IPAs and even their other styles are generously well-hopped.  I fell in love with the brewery at the Oregon Brewers Fest in the summer of 2010 and spent much time at their booth at GABF that following September.  It was this beer in particular, DogZilla, that got me hooked on the name Laughing Dog.
     At first glance, you would probably say this beer is black, but upon a closer (and a more lighted) look, it's definitely about as dark as a shade of brown can go.  It also has a very pretty orangeish-red hue.  It has a very light brown head whose retention wasn't anything worth noting.  Laughing Dog makes quite a bit of hazy beers, and while this one was quite difficult to get a good look through, it seems fairly clear.  Lacing was solid.
     The aroma is absolutely dominated by pine.  To me it's about the same effect as taking several pine needles and sticking them up your nose.  There's still some citrus and floral notes to the hops, but you do have to look for them.  You can pick up some roasty malt notes as well, but again it defenitely takes the backseat to the pine.
     The taste to this has a great buildup of flavors.  Initially, there is a bit of roasted malt which has a slight resemblance to coffee.  I wouldn't call it weak so much as I would pleasant.  The sweetness here is incredibly mild but just enough that you wouldn't call it dry.  From here, it gets a bit more heavy and starts to introduce to some strong chocolate character.  After that, it is dominated by a very pungent bitterness and those piney hops.  There is also a mellow spiciness to the hop profile as well.  All of this comes with a very smooth, almost silky, body.   
     Laughing Dog sells in about a dozen states now, and I always recommend it to everybody.  I've yet to be disappointed by anything I've purchased from them, and a goal of mine is to check their brewery out eventually (though I have no idea when I'll be in Northern Idaho next).  Black IPAs seem to be getting more and more popular within just the past year, but this definitely stands as my favorite in the style thus far.

Bridgeport's Kingpin

     Bridgeport has always been one of my favorite breweries in Portland, and I always get a little giddy whenever I see something new from them.  Kingpin was released in late December of 2010 along with their Cafe Negro (coffee-infused porter).  I haven't gotten my hands on that one yet, but I was lucky enough to try the Kingpin this evening.
     It is a very dark red, similar to a shade of burgundy I would say.  Like most beers from Bridgeport, it has no haze and is as clear as it gets.  It has average carbonation; nothing out of the ordinary.  Pouring produced a solid tan-white head with decent retention and lacing.
     My first impression of its aroma was a very strong malt character, which is to be expected with a double red.  There is a bit of tartness to this scent as well.  There is a little bit of sweetness in there and a quite noticeable fruity yeast smell.  Hop scent is there, but definitely lingers in the background.  What you do get from the hops is rather earthy, herbal, and just tad bit spicy.
     Upon tasting, the malt character here is definitely very strong, a little toasty, a tad bit tart/astringent, and a bit dry.  This one was brewed with rye as well.  I'm definitely getting lots of fruitiness at about the midpoint in taste.  With such strong malt and yeast character, this really reminds be of a Belgian red.  Hops are modest, not quite as prevalent as I was hoping.  It's advertised as 65 IBUs, but I'm just not getting that.  What is there is quite herbal and works well to finish off the ride.  Body is definitely within the medium range but just a tad on the thick side.
     Overall, this is a great beer.  I'm not too crazy about it, but I would definitely say it's worth checking out.  The hop flavor works well for this style, but I think they needed to be a little more pronounced (especially with Triple Hopped boldly labeled).

Bridgeport's Hop Czar

     Hop Czar was a definite favorite of mine when it was first release in 2008, but it will always remind me that Bridgeport no longer bottles their Black Strap Stout (discontinued around the same time).  As much as I love IPAs, it would be nice to have the variety.  Anyway, this one was a go-to for quite some time, and it still makes it way into my refrigerator when the price is right.
     It has a very nice light amber/copper color which is definitely a bit darker that most (Imperial) IPAs.  I can't see any haze looking through it at all, and it's about as clear as a beer gets.  It's fairly well-carbonated which produced a solid ever-so-slightly-off-white head when poured but with a somewhat weak retention.  Lacing is spotty. 
     Heavy hop aroma, obviously, but it definitely has a very strong, sweet, bread-like malt scent than you might not expect from this style.  As for the hops, definitely some citrus notes; mostly grapefruit.  These two aromas actually compliment each other quite well and it makes for a unique smell.
     The first thing I noticed when I drank it was how sweet it was.  There is definitely a strong caramel malt character to this Imperial IPA that you won't find in many other beers of this style.  After that, it's pretty much an overload of hops.  Like the aroma, it is definitely dominated by citrus flavor, though it does have some floral hints to it at well.  The bitterness is rather intense (87 IBUs) and has a lingering spiciness that sticks with you. You can taste the alcohol, but you really have to look for it.  Hard to believe that this is 7.5% ABV.  It has a medium body that is definitely a bit on the lighter side.
     Overall, Hop Czar definitely has as much interesting things to say about the malt as it does the hops, which really makes it stand out for me in this style.  I'm always looking for IPAs that try to do something a little more interesting with their malt character.  Would definitely recommend to anyone.

Cheers!