More pumpkin ales!

Ok, this might be the best pumpkin ale I've had this year. I think the brewery is Elysian, but the bartender pronounced it- el-uh-shun. I always thought it was like Elysian Fields, but I don't have a dog in that fight. The Schay glass was a surprise, and included for a friend.

I have been on a quest for a pumpkiny pumpkin ale. I think I've found it. This is brewed with a massive amount of actual pumpkin (according to the label) and tons of spices. I really liked this ale. It had a malty base, but not too heavy to drown out the wonderful chorus of spices. I'm going to look for this one again. I don't think I've heard of this brewery before.

More pumpkin ale

This is a Crooked line oak aged imperial pumpkin. I managed to pour it with an oversized head, as I usually do. It had a mild pumpkin smell, but a more overwhelming imperial (alcohol) taste, which, at 10.x abv, does not seem necessary. This pumpkin was ok, but there was a better pumpkin ale at the table.

Namaste, bit€#e$

The subject for this post is a line from a tv show, one of my guilty pleasures. If you know it, I'll buy you a beer. Now on to my thoughts about the beer. I not so carefully poured a glass and the light foamy head erupted like a volcano. After cleaning up the mess, I sat down to taste it. This is a witbier, brewed with coriander and orange. I don't know what type of yeast they use, but it tastes a little Bretty to me. It's fairly crisp for a witbier, but, despite the coriander and orange, I thought it was missing something. The only way I can think to describe it is hollow. Maybe the taste escaped when it overflowed my glass.

Burton Baton

I'm an occasional fan of Dogfish head--I think some of their ales are pretty good, but I think some others have too many different flavors and/or too high an alcohol content. This oak-aged ipa was pretty good. It has a reddish brown color and an oaky taste that balances the bitter hops. The 75-minute oak aged ipa that I had at the brewery last December is still my favorite DFH ipa, but I also enjoyed this.

Pumpkin fest 2012

Fall is here and I have been in search of a good pumpkin ale or lager. This is a Starr Hill Boxcar porter. Before I comment any further, I have a disclaimer--I like pumpkin (except pie, but thats another story). And, if I'm having something pumpkin, I'd like to taste the pumpkin. Having said that, this pumpkin porter was pretty good. I got a good scent of pumpkin on the nose, but slightly less on the taste. It had a creamy rich head topping a deep chocolate color. I liked this, but I'm not ending my quest just yet.

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.