Organic IPA the way it should be done

Fish Brewing Co., Fish Tale Organic IPA: 6.7% ABV 

A friend of mine was asking about IPA's and if I had tried any recently, I haven't. That had me thinking and therefore had me rushing to the store to fix that. I decided to pass the usual suspects and reach for something different, an Organic. That's right, I tend to stray away from Organic beers because of fear that they may have concentrated more on the ingredients and less on the finish product. 

 

The beer was a nice rich amber color with a nice lacy full white head. The amber color already had me thinking that this beer was already different from what I expected. The aroma was of caramel with hints of citrus notes in the back ground. I took my first drink not expecting much but was very pleased with it's malty rich flavor and grassy bitterness of fresh hops. Although not as hoppy as most IPAs in the market place, I found that this beer was well balanced with little to no after taste. It's mouthfeel was smooth and slightly oily allowing the hops to really sit on the tongue.

 

I decided to have this IPA with carne-asada and some home made black/black eyed beans. The crisp bite of the hops and smooth sweetness of the malts complimented the spicy food perfectly.

 

In short I would taste this beer again and again. 

Full Sail Brewing, 25th Anniversary Brews

Full Sail Brewing: perfection and only 25 years old 

Yesterday was one of those cold wet spring days that makes you think, "why did I move to Oregon from sunny Los Angeles" but, then you get invited to a beer tasting at your local store and realize there's more to live than a little sun. When I say beer tasting at your local store you might be thinking, "oh, some small table set up in the beer isle with someone pouring 1oz tasters", but you'd be wrong. We're talking about a "taste sitting" at Haggen's in Oregon City where they do tastings once a month. I'm talking about sitting down with 40 or so other people, food provided to cleanse your pallet, someone from the brewery discussing the beers and the brewery in depth, and of coarse beers being poured into real glasses to drink (has to be more than an ounce to really get a taste). And yesterday it was Full Sail Brewing and I was excited to see that we'd be tasting some of their Anniversary edition brews.

 

The Beer Line-Up was the following: Brewmaster Reserve Pale Dopplebock, Brewer's Share Series Phil's Existential Alt, Pub Series ESB, LTD Lager Series Vienna, Session black and red, and to finish the selection their Bourbon Barrel Stout with dark chocolate to eat with it.All of the beers were excellent and trust me at the end of the night I was torn on which one to buy to bring home and write about. I decided on the one that was really surprising to me, I chose the Pale Dopplebock.

 

Full Sail Brewing Company, Pale Dopplebock: 9% ABV, 1pt 6oz

I was expecting a thick rich malty beer that would sit heavy on the pallet and in the belly, I was in for a surprise. The Pale Dopplebock has a much lighter and smooth mouthfeel than ordinary Dopplebocks. The flavor profile is still however very much sweet and malty with some hints of spice and grassy hops. The finish is more like an IPA than a traditional Dopplebock, meaning instead of a sweet long lasting malt aftertaste you can taste the lingering bitters from the hops. This all makes for a faster drinking beer that may just be perfect for a late spring bar-b-q.

 

I would definitely suggest that you Taste This Beer! And if you are in the area stop by Haggen's in Oregon City.

Klamath Basin Vanilla Porter

Klamath Basin Brewing Co., Vanilla Porter, 6.7% ABV

It was an unusually cold spring day when I decided to do two things; First was to start a fire and warm up the house, Second was equally important and that was to warm my insides. So after the fire was well on it way to providing heat I cracked open Klamath Basin Brewing Company's Vanilla Porter. Normally I reserve Porters and Stouts for the fall and winter but it just seemed right to welcome a cold day with a dark warm rich beer.

The head on the porter was thick and had good retention. The smell was sweet with hints of vanilla and malts. I took my first drink not knowing what to expect, so many "Vanilla Porters" fall short by using only small amounts extract but, Klamath Basin Brewing  advertises that they actually use the vanilla bean. It was smooth, not really creamy, with a medium body and lingering taste. It's taste is that of chocolate, coffee, with vanilla and some very slight hint of smoke. The vanilla was subtle and not overpowering, my guess is that's because they used the bean and not extract.

I'd match this beer with a good medium spicy Chile or roast beef dinner. It's not a beer you'd  want to drink too fast so I'd stick to comfort foods that don't require something light to cleanse the pallet. This beer acts better as a compliment to rich flavors rather than a contrast to them. Better yet, sit down in front of a fire with a bit of chocolate and a glass of Klamath Falls Vanilla Porter for a real treat for dessert.

Lost Coast Brewery, Indica IPA

Lost Coast Brewery, Indica: American IPA (India Pale Ale) Style, 6.5% ABV

After spending Cinco De Mayo weekend drinking Corona's and Margaritas I decided I needed something with a kick. I'm not saying I don't enjoy a good Vienna Style Beer with some lime and salt, I just needed a beer that didn't just flow down my gullet like a glass of water. I needed a brew that would kick my taste buds on the way down. I needed Hops and Malts, I needed something crafted not mass produced. In other words it was time for an American IPA.

Since the Lost Coast Indica IPA was one of the few beers left in my fridge and since it was the only one I haven't yet reviewed, it was the perfect choice. When I poured it into my glass I noticed its' large white foamy head that left a nice lace along my glass. The dark amber color contrasted by the thick foam had me in delight that this beer was going to be a good change and one that I will drink slower than the coronas I had been pounding down. As the foam settled I was treated to Indica's nice malty aroma. I also noticed hints of citrus and spice with each inhale. No need to add a slice of lemon or lime in that glass. Taking my first drink I was pleased by the caramel malts balanced by the citrus and floral flavors of the hops. It was bitter but not over powering, it is a very well balanced beer. Swallowing my next drink I was pleased with how smooth and creamy this IPA felt in my mouth. The aftertaste was not as bitter or hoppy as other IPAs but did have enough there to enjoy without over taking the sweet malts it proceeded. Over all this is a very good American Style IPA.

I paired my glass with a creamy chicken and pasta dish I made by using Campell's Cheese Soup. (A similar recipe can be found here)  The smooth creamy mouthfeel complimented the cheese well the biter hoppiness helped cleanse my taste buds for more cheesy chicken and pasta. Great combo.