German blonde

After a week on the cruise ship, we discovered that one of the bars had this German blonde lager. So we tried it. Verdict - mediocre. It was a little too sweet for my taste. And it did not have a lager taste to it. I assumed it was an ale, until I read the label.

Alaskan Oatmeal Stout

I'm a new fan of Alaskan Brewing. And this oatmeal stout did not disappoint. It poured with a creamy but thin head. I'm too congested to tell what it smelled like, but I think I got a good taste. It started with a high octane type of taste, which I'm not sure how to describe, and finished with a smooth, sweet mocha taste. Two thumbs up for this oatmeal stout.

Alaskan IPA

I had this Alaskan IPA at a touristy fish and chips place. I knew what I was getting with the IPA, but was not sure about the fish and chips. Both were great! I like this Alaskan IPA. I think it has a nice hoppy taste that satisfies a hop lover without burning off any taste buds. It has a strong citrus nose which is balanced with the bitterness of the hops. If you have a chance, check it out. They distribute in 15 or so states.

As for the fish and chips--the chips were actually fries (boo), but the fish was very good. The fish was substantial, almost like fish steak, and not overly breaded. Yum. No pictures of the fish, I ate it too fast!

Alaska, home of the spruce beer

This is an Alaskan Winter Ale - a spruce ale. The Skagway spruce blonde is still my favorite spruce. I found this one to be under-spruced and overly sweet, comparatively. Sorry to report that I was a little disappointed. Have no fear, I still love the Alaskan Smoked Porter!

Denali!

This is a Denali Brewing Red Ale. One quick disclaimer, I have a bit of a cold, so my taste buds might be a little dull.

We were nearing the end of our shore visit in Ketchikan when we got a tip about a "new" Alaskan beer we had not tried -- Denali Brewing Company. We hiked over to a cute little Irish pub and ordered this red ale. I usually don't like reds, but I enjoyed this one. I found it well balanced and rich with a smooth finish. It has a deep red color. If you're ever in Ketchikan, check it out!

Haymarket!

This is a mini sampler from Haymarket in Chicago. From left to right: defender double American stout; black sox robust porter; last chance Belgian IPA; and rubber monkey Belgian wheat. I am writing about this a few (long) weeks after the fact, and, honestly, the only things I can remember are: (1) the double American stout did not kick my a$$; (2) the wheat beer was ok; and (3) the Last Chance was good enough to order a full pint. Check it out.

More from Pipeworks

I am starting this entry with a general statement of approval for Pipeworks. I have tried about five or six of their ales and liked them all. This is a "double stout." It has a nice malty overtone but, as advertised, it is balanced by a hoppy citrusy finish. And, you have to love the label, which is one of many locally designed labels. Now, if I could only find your brewery, which I think is only about 3/4 of a mile from my house ...

Alaskan Baltic porter

Ok, so I love the smoked porter and that might affect my review of the Baltic Porter. This beer was ok. It had a funky bitter smell on the nose, but not really on the taste. It had a nice malty taste, but wasn't that complex. Between the Baltic and the smoked, it's smoked, hands down.

Alaskan brewing company

While on a stopover in Juneau, we toured the Alaskan brewing company. We had been drinking Alaskan brewing company beer on our cruise (and have had it before in Oregon), so we decided to check it out. The tour was interesting. The brewery is about 20 minutes outside Juneau. We took a shuttle there from the company store in downtown Juneau (population 30,000, and no roads in or out). We learned about the history of the brewery and how they choose the ales they will brew. They have a 1 barrel experimental set up for local brewers to showcase their recipes. If the folks at the brewery like it, it goes to a slightly larger production - a "rough draft" production which is sent to local bars. If the locals like it, it is chosen for a seasonal production and sent to the roughly 16 states to which they distribute. If its well received, it may become a fixture of their production. For example, their Alaskan White started on the single barrel system.

The ale in the picture, the smoked porter, is a regular in their lineup. It is a very good smoked porter. I like a smoky beer, or scotch, and I frequently complain that a beer is not smoky enough. This beer, however, has a nice amount of smoke, but it doesn't overwhelm you. It has a thick, but minimal, head of a chocolate color. There is smoke on the nose and the tongue, with a balanced dose of malt. I hope they sell this in the lower 48 soon.

Skagway Sampler

Left to right: prospector pale, chilkoot trail IPA, red star amber and blue top porter. The prospector pale was a nice American pale ale--well balanced, smooth with a slight citrus finish. The IPA had a bitterness that I didn't recognize or appreciate. Maybe it's a strain of hops I did not recognize, but I did not choose that as my full pint. The red star amber was pretty good. The blue top porter was more like a brown ale. Of all the offerings, the spruce was my favorite. This was a fun brew pub and I'm glad we went!

Spruce blonde

This is My favorite spruce beer. Ok, it's only my second spruce ale, but it was pretty darned good! This is a Skagway Brewing Company spruce blonde. It's smooth with a hint of spruce on the nose, a nice blonde taste and a spruce finish that is well-balanced, not overpowering. I liked this a lot. The official name: spruce tip blonde. Try it next time you're in Skagway!

Midnight Sun Brewing

This is a Sockeye Red IPA from Anchorage, Alaska. It pours with a thick creamy head that doesn't quit. This ale has a rich coppery color and a citrusy nose. On the first taste, I swear I get a little salmon on the back end. For real. And the second. It's pretty interesting.

Granville Island - Saison

I fondly remembered the Maple Cream Ale, but I really enjoyed this seasonal Saison. As I occasionally describe it, a Saison is a combo of a Belgian trippel and a wheat beer. This is also known as a farmhouse ale. And this is a particularly good one. It has a pleasant citrusy nose with a hint of cilantro. This is an enjoyable Saison. Yummy.

Oskar blues Glubna

This is an imperial IPA. I really enjoyed it. It poured with a nice thick head and had a bold 9% abv taste. Great citrus notes and a smooth taste. Yum.

Oyster beer

This is the second oyster stout I have tried in the last couple years. This had a nice dry stout taste with a hint of oyster on the nose and, as the beer warmed up, a little more oyster in the taste. This was not nearly as oyster-y as the last one. I wish it could have had a little more oyster in the taste.

Dark Horse

Dark horse homo sapien cherry bomb. My friend ordered this beer at a favorite local eatery. It had a nice reddish tint and a hint of cherry. I really enjoyed this, but I think it's good for one beer a night, no more (it's a little sweet).

Granville Island - sampler

This is the sampler we tried. We remembered, very favorably, the maple cream ale, so we decided to hit the brewery. We chose three samples each -left to right - heffeweizen, Pale ale, maple ale, honey ale, IPA, and saison. My favorite? The saison. It has a nice citrus taste with herbs galore! Second favorite? The maple cream ale. A nice malty balance with a smooth maple finish. Yum.

Whistler pale ale

This is a Whistler Pale Ale. I think the Whistler brewery is related to the Yaletown Brewery, but I'm not sure. This is a nice pale ale - a nice blend of malt and hops, not too much of either, but enough to know its a pale ale! The color is a very rich amber, reflecting the malt.

Granville Island - Ginger beer

I last visited Vancouver in about 2006. We picked up a couple micro brews at a store and enjoyed them on a picnic. Today, we went back to Vancouver and decided to go to the Granville Island brewery. We were not disappointed. This is a ginger beer. It has a very strong ginger smell and taste. If you like ginger, as I do, then you will enjoy this beer. And, the label is pretty cool, too.