Deschutes Brewery: Red Chair Northwest Pale Ale

If you follow 801onTap's Twitter account, you've probably noticed that I drink a lot of Deschutes beer. Out of Deschutes' plentiful selection, I frequently find myself going for their Mirror Pond Pale Ale. This beer is definitely one of my go to brews. It's a full flavored and straight forward pale ale, which in my opinion goes great with a variety of foods and tastes right in any season. Because of my affinity for this pale, when I saw Deschutes' seasonal Red Chair Northwest Pale Ale I felt like I had no choice to pick up a six pack. I mean, I enjoy this brewery's year round pale ale so much, I figured I might also find this seasonal release delightful.

To start, I find the label for Red Chair interesting. First this Bend brewery has dubbed this beer a 'northwest pale ale'. I can't say I've ever seen a beer print that term on a bottle. Having lived in the Pacific Northwest for 7 years I find beers from this region to expand the traditional definition of 'ale' and 'lager'. Especially pushing the hop barriers to the extreme. Knowing Pacific beers to be mighty hoppy, I was surprised when I saw that the label for Red Chair read as follows: "Not up for a full on hop assault? Red Chair NWPA is a smoother ride. Seven select European and domestic malts make a surprisingly plush satin turn on the way to a citrusy hop kick. Edges out, layers in. " Hmmm. What's going on here?

After a thorough tasting I can inform our limited readership that this is a hoppy beer and despite the label, exhibits almost no malt flavors. The tasting didn't answer the questions raised by the bottle description. So as a result I was forced to do some research. After scanning some Deschutes literature I found that this brew has an IBU of 60; higher than most pale ales. So what's with the print marketing accentuating the malts? Apparently Deschutes wanted to make a traditional Pacific Northwest beer (a.k.a. hoppy) but without the harsh bitter bite. Ok, that makes sense. I feel like that doesn't come across through the packaging. Oh well. Either way, I must say that the addition of all the malts was a success on that front. Even without a strong malt taste, adding seven types of malt does make the aftertaste quites smooth despite the heavy does of hops. Eventually the silky feeling fades back to a lemon and pine hop finish. It all comes together for a nice complete tasting experience. Red Chair is definitely different from Mirror Pond, but both are quite tasty in their own regard. Red Chair is certainly good enough in my book that you can start to look for it on 801's Twitter account update from January to April. Cheers.

Rogue: Juniper Pale Ale

Leave it to Rogue to take a thoroughly mainstream brew and do something weird to it. As I've mentioned before, the pale is a staple of the American craft brewing movement, but there doesn't seem to be much variety within the genre. Sierra Nevada has set the bar with its "thoroughly-enjoyable-but-not-very-adventurous" flagship, and for the most part, other breweries offer only minor tweaks (or watered down imitations). I was hoping Rogue would bust up the mold a little bit, but alas, even juniper can't do the trick it seems.

Don't get me wrong; this is definitely one of the better pales out there. It's a bit stronger in the way of malt flavors than your typical pale, and the hops are a very enjoyable blend of earthy and citrusy tastes. The juniper is, to be honest, quite mild. It really only serves as a compliment to the hop flavors, giving this brew a bright and snappy taste. True to the pale genre as a whole, the Juniper Pale is very drinkable.

The more I think about it, the more I realize, I actually like this brew quite a bit. It's refreshing and drinkable, and it doesn't fizzle out taste-wise. But I have to say, I'm beginning to worry that when it comes to pales, this is about all you can muster: a mild malt body, a pleasant bouquet of hops, and a crisp, clean aftertaste. Perhaps it's just that the pale ale genre doesn't lend itself to the interesting flavor complexities you find in stouts, IPAs, belgians, and even you occasional amber. Hopefully there is a pale out there somewhere (possibly a couple years in the future) that will really push this genre into new territory. In the mean time, I suppose, Rogue's Juniper is a pretty solid placeholder. Cheers!

BridgePort Brewing Co: Ebenezer Ale

It's been a long journey but I finally found a beer. Not just any beer but a BridgePort brew. Why was I searching for a for this brand of beer? Well, let me be incredibly ridiculous and quote myself: "As you've probably noticed, I like to try to hit at least two beers from the same source so as not to make a snap decision on a brewery before sampling a couple of their craft." - Me, 801onTap; 1/23/09. I still hold to that belief and I was reserving judgment on BridgePort's quality of brew until I found another one of their offerings. Well, as you've probably figured out by now, I couldn't get my hands on another BridgePort craft since I sampled the brewery's IPA. Until now.

I was originally attracted to BridgePort in September of 2008 because they prominently advertise their bottle conditioning on their IPAs. At the time I was looking forward to my own bottle conditioning with my home-brew and I figured I'd give this Portland company a shot. But I didn't think it'd be a full 12 months until I was able to find this brewery again in California. Many liquor stores claim to hold BridgePort's Haymaker Extra Pale Ale, but it was all talk. As you can see, I finally found their Ebenezer Ale.

The Ebenezer Ale is a winter warmer. So this seasonal six pack must be left over from last year. My theory is supported by the fact that the sixer was on sale for $4.99. That's just fine for me as I've specifically been searching for the brewery. As for the taste, it's a little lighter and sweeter than expected. Don't get me wrong, it's clearly a winter warmer because it has a little bit of spice, a decent alcohol flavor, and a dark amber color. But the most prominent flavor is the sugary candy taste. Overall it's a ok beer but I'm glad I found Ebenezer in September. I myself prefer something a little spicier or thicker around holiday time. But overall, I'm just glad I finally found it. Cheers.

Widmer Brothers Brewing Co.: Drifter Pale Ale

Along with Pyramid, Widmer Brothers is probably the main reason for a surge of interest in the Hefeweizen genre in America over the last few years. But while Widmer may have set the bar for domestic hefs, they have been slow to make a name for themselves outside of that one genre. Recently, however, they released their take on the American Pale Ale.

Unfortunately, Widmer's pale is a bit of a disappointment. A la Sierra Nevada and Anchor, Widmer opted to imbue their pale ale with a distinct citrusy taste. However, while the two veteran breweries seemed to appreciate the need to offset the citrus taste with a good dose of hops, Widmer has let the citrus flavors run wild. In the absence of a strong hop presence, this beer takes on an almost sour flavor, which combined with the fruity sweetness makes for a rather odd combination. You get used to it by the bottom of the bottle, but I found the first few sips rather unpleasant.

Otherwise, this beer has a pretty light mouthfeel and is also light on the carbonation, which gives it an almost watery consistency. The malt flavors are perhaps a bit stronger than your typical pale, but that could just be a byproduct of the reduced hoppiness. In conclusion--no endorsement here. There is a glut of pales available these days, so try something else.

Rogue: Kells Irish Style Lager

As promised here is another Rogue beer for review. This time I went with Rogue's Irish Style Lager. This is a pale lager that has a distinct taste. Generally, for reviewing purposes I find it helpful to think of what the beer tastes like and find a mental comparison to a similar beer that I've had in the past to help hone in on flavors. The problem with that method of detection is that some beers don't compare to any others of like kind. I find that Rogue's lager is one of those unique beers. The only thing this brew reminds me of, is the other times that I've drank Kells Irish Style Lager. Most American lagers are pretty thin and flavorless and thus finding a richer lager defies comparison.

Luckily, one of the cool features that Rogue implements on its packaging is imprinting the ingredients and characteristics. For example, this lager contains "great western pale, crystal-15, wheat and acidulated malts; sterling hops, free range coastal waters & czech pils yeast." In addition this beer exhibits "12° plato (gravity), 28 ibu (international bitter units), 75 AA (attenuation), 9.80 L (Lovibond). While all of that doesn't necessarily give you a whole lot besides knowing that this lager isn't that bitter, Rogue also gives you a description "smooth mellow flavor with an apple crisp finish." And not surprisingly, Rogue is spot on. I would say that this lager is surprisingly tart. Hints of sour apple tart are present and complement the honey malt flavors. With the touch of bitterness the lager has a full flavor.

Even though this is a full bodied lager, it's still a lighter brew. That being said, this beer is not tasteless as many American style lagers. Maybe that's why Rogue adds the 'Irish style tag' to this beer's name. While I've never been to Ireland, I hope to go someday. And maybe if I grab a lager across the pond it'll remind me of Rogue's brew. Cheers.

Rogue: Shakespeare Stout

As you've probably noticed from prior posts Hof is a huge fan of Rogue Ales Brewery. Despite the fact that I have yet to review one of their beers, I too love Rogue beer. In fact I finally made my love official by joining the Rogue Nation (see membership card to right).

The Rogue Nation is nothing more than a declaration of drinking good beer and enjoying the experience. Those are ideas I can get behind of. In the spirit of my new citizenship I've purchased a lot of Rogue of late (another review to come soon).

One of my favorite Rogue ales is their Shakespeare stout. Ideally Hof should have reviewed this literary titled brew as he was an English major and has read far more Shakespeare than me. So while I can't make as many references to famous soliloquies or clever iambic pentameter as Hof, I have spent just as much time downing Rogue beers.

So onto the brew: First as you can see this is a beauty of an American stout. A very dark hue with a thick persistent spongy brown head. I wouldn't been surprised if I found some malted barley hidden within the foam because this ale has tons of toasted malt flavors. Many stouts have strong toasted malt flavors but this beer has more than pretty much any dark beer I've had that wasn't a porter. The roasted and toasted malt flavors are cut by a sharp acidic hop burst. Despite this citrus hops and roasted flavors the stout is actually very smooth. Which was sorta unexpected because of the powerful tastes.

The great look in the glass, rich flavors, and smooth taste make for a fine stout. So I clearly enjoyed this beer. Which makes me think I need to drink and review more Rogue beers. While Hof has a huge head start on Rogue reviews, I'm proud to say I took him to his first Rogue meeting hall. And now that I'm a citizen in the nation, I'll be taking him more often, as I new get discounts on Rogue pints. Booyah. Cheers.

Rogue: American Amber Ale

Earlier today, I was pondering Budweiser's effort to muscle into the craft-brew market with their American Ale. Mattie has discussed some of this already in his earlier post, but it is an interesting move because it shows that Budweiser thinks that craft-brews have moved past a cult phenomenon and are now worth mainstream money. But it is also interesting that Budweiser's foray into the craft-brew market was with an amber ale. I would have thought that the American-style pale ale (a-la-Sierra Nevada) or amber lager (think Sam Adams) would have caught a wider audience. Clearly the brains at Bud are betting that the amber ale is poised to make a much bigger splash.

So before Bud's American ale gets too big, it's worth noting that their name is a direct rip-off of a much longer-running brew: Rogue's own American Amber Ale. But whereas Bud loaded up on sweetish malts and cascade hops, Rogue's original is a little more subtle. The malts are there, but they are a little more scaled back--a hint of coffee or maybe toasted bitterness offsets the sweetness. The hop bitterness is much stronger than you see in a lot of other ambers, and it's much more earthy than you get in beers like Fat Tire or Bud's American Ale. The beer is medium-bodied and persists with a slightly bitter-earthy aftertaste, but it's nothing unpleasant.

I was a little disappointed in this one only because I generally expect to get some pretty complex flavors from Rogue. Instead, they've stuck to the basics and produced a simple, but very well-balanced ale. It's probably best described as a hophead's alternative to some of the sweeter ambers on the market--bringing in all the roasty malt flavors you expect from an amber but still indulging in a generous amount of hoppiness. All-in-all, a very good beer, if not a great one.

Rogue: Dead Guy Ale

Rogue originally created this ale to celebrate day of the dead. But what began as an obscure seasonal celebration ale quickly became Rogue's flagship brew. The skeleton-man label gives this brew a unique look, which is appropriate, since Dead Guy has an equally unique taste.

To the naked eye, Dead Guy is rather unassuming. It has a clear golden color and a quickly-dissipating head. But the taste is subtle and complex. It starts off with a dry toasted malt taste, but an earthy hop flavor follows quickly. The hop bitterness is accented by an almost peppery spiciness. At some point in there I think I can taste a faint citrus-sweetness, though it is hard to identify amidst the persistent hoppiness. It is very light bodied and moderately carbonated, which leaves you with a crisp but noticeably bitter aftertaste.

Dead Guy combines a number of elements that makes it drinkable in juts about any situation. It has the crispness and light-body that you want in a summer brew, but it also boasts a bold combination of malts and hops that is more suggestive of a cold-weather ale. It is complex enough to be a sipping ale, but also light-bodied enough to be a session beer (though the bold flavor might eventually bowl you over).

Descutes Brewery: Obsidian Stout

Before drinking this stout you need to prepare yourself for a big west coast style beer experience. The brew is black. Blacker than soot. It's a very dark stout and produces a deep tan and brown head to match.

The flavors are also very powerful and build off the shadowy color. Incredibly strong roasted malted barley sensations are present in every sip. Despite these intense flavors the beer is very well carbonated. There are some monster sized bubbles floating around in the head. In addition, the carbonation cuts through the roasted malt flavors producing a smoothfeeling that is necessary to cleanse the pallate. If you didn't have the high carbonation this beer would taste similar to an imperial stout. It's boasts a high alcohol content and rich flavors all around.

I wasn't expecting such a strong stout when I cracked the bottle. Deschutes' black butte porter has less alcohol and softer flavors. I'm glad I branched out from the Deschutes brews that I know. This is one of the most powerful stouts I've ever have and sometimes that's what you want. A dark deep black beer. Cheers.

Full Sail Brewing Co: Amber Ale

It's time that I finally understand Full Sail's flagship beer. I've had varied experiences with this amber ale. I first tried this brew at an outdoor summer festival in San Francisco where some friends and I shared bottles while enjoying music, fun, food. Drinking the amber in the warm weather, the beers tasted light and refreshing and definitely quenched our thirst with crisp light flavors.

Recently I revisited the brew, sampling this amber again at a poker game in mid-January. I don't know if it was due to the change of season, but on the second occasion, the beer felt very thick and chewy with tons of deep and rich malt flavors. These two different experiences didn't add up in my mind and I couldn't sort out the spectrum of flavors I tasted in my two attempts of drinking this beer. As a result, I decided to sit down with Full Sail's Amber Ale again, and give it a thorough drink and review.

Not surprisingly, I found aspects of both the crisp lightness and dark malts that I experienced in my prior tasting. This amber has the aroma of a citrusy IPA with some light lemon citrus flavors that match when the liquid first hits the tongue. To back up the hop citrus, there are also some thick brown and deep caramel malt flavors that balance out the beer. Overall it's a medium bodied amber ale that probably can fit into any occasion or season. It's pretty tasty and a good example of the west coast amber ale style. I'd give it a try; any time of the year. Cheers.

Full Sail Brewing Co: Wassail

I just finished up some holiday shopping and now it's time for another beer break. Full Sail's Wassail is a great way to ease any pain caused by December shopping anxiety. This brew is also an apt beverage to drink this time of year as the brewery has incorporated some clever Christmas puns on the label and bottle cap (I'll let you enjoy for yourself if you decide to pick up the beer). The term Wassail itself is a form of 'Christmas punch' and I see no reason why this winter warmer cannot be included into that genre.

Wassail is a deep reddish brown color and its got a strong flavor to match the dark hue. The brew is so malty and it feels like drinking layers and layers of different types of malts stacked one on top of the other. It's pretty tasty and an unique take on the winter warmer style of beer. There is a touch of hop bitterness at the end, but do not be mistaken this is a malty brew. The malt flavors range from chocolate to syrup to coffee and they are everywhere. It's a pretty hearty beer, but that is to be expected anytime you pick up a 7% winter warmer. The flavors linger on the tongue for quite a while after each sip and in a way the beer itself is sorta reminding you of the taste and begging you to take another sip. Maybe I'll grab another Wassail, and extend my break before wrapping gifts. Cheers.

Rogue: Santa's Private Reserve Ale

It's been a while since I reviewed a Rogue, so I figured I was due for another review. Inspired by Mattie's Anchor review and in the mood for something a little spicy, I decided to go for their Christmas Ale.

While this beer advertises itself as roasty and malty, it's the centennial hops that really comes through. That, and a unique spruce-pine flavor. I suppose Santa likes his beer to taste vaguely like Christmas trees. However it isn't as though the malts are entirely absent. In fact, they contrast with the hops quite nicely. But you have to have a taste for that earthy centennial hop flavor to really enjoy this one of Rogue's offerings.

Perhaps surprisingly, this one is pretty drinkable for being a winter warmer. It's got a very light mouthfeel and is pretty well carbonated. I guess that means this might not be a brew to reach for if you are really looking for something thick and satisfying. Overall, however, not a bad offering.

BridgePort Brewing Co: India Pale Ale

So I finished (with the help of friends) drinking my second home-brewed batch of beer. Very soon I'm going to start up the process of making my third batch. In tribute of this fine style of beer creation, I picked up a six pack of 'authentic bottle conditioned' beer.

You can't miss BridgePort's prominent advertising of their bottle conditioning: right on the neck of each individual bottle. (Click picture to right). After a full pour into a pint glass you also can't miss the syrupy yeast mixture left behind at the bottom of the empty bottle. So BridgePort isn't kidding, this micro-brewery is carbonating their beer the same way I carbonate mine; in the bottle.

As for the taste, overall a pretty good beer. For an IPA it's not nearly as hoppy as you would expect from a West Coast India Pale Ale. Due to it's mild hoppiness other flavors have the chance to emerge. There are noticeable citrus and bread flavors that round out this ale.

While finishing, the brew leaves a thick smear of lacing all the way down the glass. It's quite beautiful. It really get me ready to start brewing again. Cheers.

Full Sail Brewing Co: Old Boardhead Barleywine Ale

When you think 'barley' you probably think 'beer'. When you think 'wine', well you probably think 'wine'. Barleywines, not surprisingly, are a beer-wine combo: containing the grain base and taste of a beer and the high alcohol content and ageability of a wine.

I picked up a 220z bomber of Full Sail's reserve line of barleywines. The store had the '07 version in stock. I went with Full Sail's ale simply due to the price. I'm sure you've all noticed that Full Sail beers are always consistently 2+ dollars a six-pack cheaper than other microbrews. I really have no idea why, as I find that their brews are just as tasty as any other micro. (The amber ale and limited edition lager are quite tasty). Most great American breweries justify their good or poor beer with prices that match, but I think Full Sail defies this reliable indicator. Since most 22oz Barleywines go for about 5 bucks a pop, I easily handed over the $3.29 for this 9% ale. 22oz at 9% is about 4 beers in one bottle; sounds like a good deal to me.

With my bargain in hand I began the sipping. This is not a beer to plow through. Some people even pour these brews in wine glasses for best results and to ensure paced consumption. That was a little too weird for me, so I went with the standard pint glass. Probably a faux pas at many beer bars. Oh well.

Anyway, the beer smells very earthy. Almost like a redwood tree. The lacing is also quite frothy; so coupled with the smell I knew I was in for a dousy. The taste was also pretty rich to match. Hoppy and almost dark. Surprisingly there were no fruit flavors. I thought this was a staple in this style of ale, especially since the others I've tried were very fruity; but I guess not. Overall pretty good. Enough flavors to mask the alcohol and enough good tastes to justify sticking with one bottle the whole night. Cheers.

Rogue: Chocolate Stout

My last experience with Rogue was so good that I couldn't wait very long before coming back for more. And I have to say, the second time was as good as the first. Watch out everybody, I might be on the verge of picking a new favorite brewery.

Rogue's chocolate stout is not the darkest of stouts; significantly less dense than a Guinness. It also has a fairly minimal head, giving the initial worry that the beer might be a little lacking in flavor or body. Fortunately, these worries are quickly dispelled. The stout is a well balanced mix of malts and hops, leading with a pronounced chocolate flavor and finishing with a pleasant mild hoppiness and a hint of alcohol. The taste is quite bold, though not at all overpowering, and the thickness is medium-bodied. And that's the great achievement of this beer: somehow it packs in a maximal amount of taste and remains quite drinkable. I only bought one. If it wasn't a Wednesday I would already be on my way back out to grab a lot more.

All in all this is a beer you have to try, assuming that you like stouts of course. If Rogue offers many more beers as good as the two I've had so far, I may just have to see if they've got an upstairs room above their SF pub that I can live in over the summer.

Rogue: Mocha Porter

I like beer. I like chocolate. I like coffee. When you mix coffee and chocolate you get mocha. And when you mix mocha and a dark strong lager, you get pure deliciousness. Enter: Rogue's Mocha Porter.

Rogue is another brewery I'm sure you're all familiar with. They are from Orgeon, and along with Red Hook, Pyramid, and Deschuttes they are helping to establish a formidable Pac Northwest brewing tradition. They are best known for their "Rogue Dead Guy" ale, but to date their Mocha Porter is my new favorite. In fact I'd go so far as to say it's the best west coast dark beer I've ever had, period.

The beer isn't all that heavy, but it's got extremely full flavor. It's a very malty beer, with distinct coffee notes and a lingering hint of chocolate. It's almost the perfect balance of sweet and bitter. The hops are initially overpowered by the dark malts, but a hint of hoppiness comes through at the end to cleanse the palate a bit. Overall a very pleasant drink: very full and satisfying flavors but a very mild aftertaste; none of that tongue-coating effect you get sometimes with thick, dark beers.

Don't know what else to say about this one then to try it yourself. And I can finally rest assured knowing that when I come back West, there will be at least one grade A porter waiting for me.

Deschutes Brewery: Hop Trip Fresh Hop Ale

Warning Warning! Beer prices on the rise!

My mother informed me that six packs might go up a dollar next year. Although this increase is not an incredibly large amount, for how much some of us consume (or use to), this rise is worth noting.

Beer drinkers in the Northwest became very upset when they heard this news. The northwest is a great beer brewing region. Washingtonians especially love their beer. (Enhanced by the fact that hard liquor is state regulated so its not available at supermarkets.) Washington writers have been intently following the agricultural updates on the upcoming shortage. My mom, a Seattle PI reader, forwarded along this article to me last month. The exerpt below, explains next year's price increase:

"Hops and malt, a form of barley essential to fermentation, are both in short supply nationwide. The shortage is caused by poor crops, high demand, the weak dollar and the increasing popularity of ethanol, which has prompted farmers to plant corn rather than hops or barley."

What does this all mean? Well don't worry, there probably won't be a shortage of beers out next year. With one exception: Harvest Ales.

If you read my Sierra Nevada Harvest Fresh Hop Ale post you may remember that a few breweries make a pale ale at harvest time with a large batch of fresh instead of dried hops. The process requires more fresh hops than would be needed if the brewers used the traditional dried formula.

So, with the possibility of no Harvest Ales on the shelf next year, (it looks like this is only a one year problem) I decided to try Deschutes Brewery: Hop Trip Fresh Hop Ale.

And I'm glad I did. It is delicious!

Although not as hoppy as their traditional pale, Mirror Pond, it has a wonderful soft mouthfeel. One of those beers that I could easily polish off a six pack and not be sick of the brew by the end. Like a trademark harvest ale, you can taste the hop resin sloshing around in the beer as opposed to a bitter kick. Sierra may have written the book on harvest ales, but Deschutes makes a damn tasty one. So, I recommend grabbing the remaining bottles of this fall brew before it's gone. Cheers

Deschutes Brewery: Mirror Pond Pale Ale

If there is a truly "West Coast" brew, then it has to be the Pale Ale. Microbrews from Seattle to San Diego vary widely in the beers they offer, but I can't think of a single brewery with any reputation that doesn't have its own version of the medium-bodied hoppy ale. And of course the most widely available West Coast brew is Sierra Nevada's Pale Ale. (It's the only West Coast beer that appears with any frequency on the East Coast.)

From Bend, Oregon, the Deschutes Brewing Company sends its take of this brew. The Mirror Pond Pale ale is a bit drier than Sierra Nevada, but despite this it maintains a full flavor. However, what makes the Mirror Pond distinct is a subtle tartness which may be masked if the beer is consumed with especially flavorful food. Thus, the beer is probably best appreciated before diving into a hearty meal. When consumed along with a burger or a burrito, the fainter flavors fade and it tastes like "just another Pale." Of course, this is not necessarily a problem for those of us that love our Pales.

All in all, I think Mirror Pond is probably a step ahead of the vast majority of American Pales. It's also a fairly widely available alternative for those who are a little bit tired of Sierra Nevada. But the search for the perfect Pale must go on.