163. Anderson Valley Brewing – Hop Ottin’ IPA Draft
Tonight I’m at Fat Jack’s in downtown Bloomington for a steering meeting for our homebrew club, the ABNormal Brewers. They’ve got $2 half pints, so it’s a good chance to try some different and interesting beers and get some work done on behalf of the club. The Anderson Valley IPA was clear and yellow with a very thin head on it. There was an obvious earthy hop aroma to it with some hints of a bready smell...
151. Laughing Dog Brewing – Dogzilla Black IPA
One of the trends I’m noticing in the craft beer industry is an attempt to shift perceptions of black/dark beers. Beer geeks roll their eyes when they hear someone say, “Oh, I don’t like dark beers.” So, I’ve noticed several “black” versions of regular beer styles – in particular, black lagers and black IPAs – in an attempt (I believe) to give beer geeks something different to...
149. Three Skulls Ales – Hop the Plank IPA Draft
I continued my mission to hit as many of the Northwestern breweries as I could at the Oregon Brewers Festival. Just inside the tent was Three Skulls Ales from Seattle. This festival was also helping me to dial in my palate to the type of hop bitterness I prefer. After a few ridiculously hopped beers, I started to realize that I preferred my hoppiness around 70 IBU’s and this one fit the bill. It was an amber/reddish color and...
Full Sail Brewing – Spotless IPA Cask
After taking the Widmer tour in the morning and having lunch at their Gasthaus pub, it was time to head south to Full Sail Riverplace for their smoker. It was a nice event for brewers and a few others to get away from the craziness of the festival and enjoy some beers and cigars with the folks from Full Sail. It was also a good excuse to have a small party for brewmaster John Harris’s birthday. I wish I would have taken some...
133. Firestone Walker Brewing – Union Jack IPA
While I was committed to trying as many Oregon beers as I could today, I couldn’t pass up this one. I’ve read, and seen on video podcasts, much about Firestone Walker out of Paso Robles, CA. What I know is that they age their beers in oak barrels (although, as I found out, this one isn’t), and that they’ve won several awards for their beers. So, I really wanted to give this beer a try. It had a nice burnt...
129. Hop Valley Brewing – Alpha Centauri Binary IPA Draft
As you can tell by the big grin on my face on the right (which never went away the entire time I was in Oregon), I was having a great time making the rounds at the Oregon Brewers Festival. As you can tell by the other picture on the right, I still had to make it through a lot more beers at the festival. There were almost 80 different beers there under two enormous tents. I had never heard of Hop Valley Brewing, but simply by the...
127. Double Mountain Brewery – The Vaporizer Draft
I was considering getting this beer when I was in Hood River, but when I saw that it was on the list for beers at the Oregon Brewers Festival, I thought I’d wait until… well, today. Still on my quest to try as many Oregon beers as I could today, this one was right on the way down the line. And, after having dinner with Brewmaster Matt Swihart yesterday, how could I not try it! The color was a golden yellow, and it had a...
126. Lompoc Brewing – Son of C Note Draft
My mission to try more Oregon beers that I probably can’t get back in Illinois continued at the Oregon Brewers Festival. Before traveling to Oregon, I found out, as part of my Brewmaster Cuisinternship, I was going to be on a radio show called Beer O’Clock with Lisa Morrison, the Beer Goddess. I listened to the podcast of the show, so I knew what to expect, and on one of the shows they were talking about a beer from...
119. Lucky Labrador Brewing – Summit IPA Draft
After having a few non-Oregon beers, none of which had a whole lot of hop flavor, I decided it was time to reverse the trend. So, being somewhat of a hop head, I thought I’d look through the list of beers at the Oregon Brewers Festival and see which claimed to be the hoppiest. The Summit IPA from Lucky Labrador appeared at the top of the list with an estimated 111 IBUs (I believe the human palate can only sense up to 100), and...
111. Bridgeport Brewing – Hop Czar Imperial IPA Draft
Although I was not very impressed with Pelican Brewery’s Guillotine Strong Ale, I thought I’d check back in with Jamie to see if he had enjoyed anything he had tried. He was drinking Bridgeport’s Hop Czar Imperial IPA and said it was pretty good, so I thought I would give it a try. It was the only beer at the Brewmasters’ Dinner which was being served from a firkin with some recently added fresh dry hops. I...
104. Double Mountain – Hop Lava Draft
As I mentioned in my last post, I stopped at Double Mountain Brew Pub around the corner from Full Sail to have some dinner. I was told they had the best pizza in town, so that’s what I ordered. When my food arrived, it was also time for another drink. I was debating between a couple of their beers, but a local sitting next to me recommended the Hop Lava. The menu says, “This big, glowing, powerful IPA is packed with...
98. McMenamins Edgefield – Hammerhead Draft
I arrived in Portland, Oregon for my Travel Oregon Brewmaster Cuisinternship at Full Sail Brewing, and got a recommendation from a friend that lives in the area. She recommended stopping at McMenamin’s Edgefield Brewery. Now, if you’ve never been to the area, and/or search on McMenamins, you won’t be entirely sure what it’s all about. Well, the McMenamins fix up old areas and turn them into tourist spots. ...
