Friday, April 21, 2006

Racoon Lodge

The Racoon Lodge is a friendly place on Beaverton-Hillsdale that offers a selection of ten house brews for a sampler. Here's what came with mine:

The IPA is mellow and tasty - not punchy, really a well-defined ale. The Ring Tail Ale is what a domestic beer could be if it were good - weak, but tasty and with a hoppy finish. The oak-aged IPA has extremely strong bourbon notes from the oak cask, and retains the overall balance and definition of the regular IPA. You can taste the tannins, too. The Raspberry Wheat beer is so fruity you can hardly tell that it is a beer - it tastes almost like a raspberry cider. Very good. The Baltic Stout is a strong stout that is gentle on the beer lover - tasty malt and chocolate flavors, with a little coffee, and 9.4% ABV. Racoon lodge is my friend. They also have a Mango-Wheat, which is not really my thing, but they do it well. The Blonde Bock is a gentle bock, light and hoppy, with no real bite - extremely gulpable. The Celtic Copper is a malty brew with less hops and more body, also a well-balanced beer. The owner of the establishment is obviously a real beer lover. The Black Snout Stout is a hearty Irish-style stout, that could go head to head with even a Beamish and do well. Last but not least is the Winter Defroster 3, a powerful winter brew with all the right flavor. This place is great, and my burger is here. One Ringtail burger for me, thanks. Until next time.... hop on.

Tuesday, April 18, 2006

Bridgeport Brewpub

Well, the new Bridgeport Brewpub has been open for a while now, so I decided to finally drag myself down Marshall street and have a looksee. Not bad. The place has a funky Portland-apropos feel to it, a little hip for me, but relatively comfy. I decided to scarf a pork butt sandwich before diving into my taster tray - eight brews on tap, for $5. Not a bad deal (20oz pint for 2.50 at happy hour is not bad, either). To start - the Supris - a take-off on the Belgian style, with the taste to prove it. This one is light and airy, with a mouthy malt to balance hops that really are quite gentle, but flavorful. This is one light beer that doesn't skimp on strength (6.0%ABV). A great summer brew. The India Pale Ale is hoppy in the best sense, while remaining understated - a sophisticated IPA. A little less punch at 5.5%ABV, but very tasty and easy to quaff. The hoppy E.S.B. has me convinced that Bridgeport is on the right track - this one has all the Special, without too much of the Extra or the Bitter. Nice. A Cask Conditioned IPA is a nice, very mellow version of the style, notable for being shy yet still carrying the goodness of the original. Old Knucklehead Barleywine is a strong brew, no doubt about that - but it is so balanced that there is little to complain about. Unfortunately, there is also not too much to rave about - it is so mellow it has little personality, in spite of potency. It does have a nice deep red color, and the strong hops and malt are there, but it doesn't speak as a good barleywine should. The Porter is also short on personality, but it does have a good flavor, and the molasses shines through as a sweet toasty note. Only as potent as the Surpris, this is not going to win any medals, but it does do the style justice. Not bad. The signature Blue Heron Pale Ale is tasty, though it does leave room for improvement. It is a weaker (4.9%ABV) brew, and has the weaker character inherent in such a beer. It has notes of malt and hops, but an abrupt finish kills any lingering hoppy tingle. Last but not least, the Ropewalk Amber Ale is a caramel malted, mellow brew. It doesn't hit the high notes, but it carries its own weight and does a nice job bringing up the rear - it is a representative ale for Bridgeport, but not something special. Overall, Bridgeport makes good beer, in any style - but nothing spectacular. At $2.50 for 20oz, though, one could go far here, and could do far worse elsewhere.

Monday, April 10, 2006

The New Old Lompoc

Well, another day, another brewery. Tonight I find myself at the new old Lompoc, explaining to the other guests how EVDO works, and sampling seven of their fine brews. I start with the IPA - hoppy - just like I would make it myself. All the brews here are 5% or better, so I know I will be happy with my selections. The IPA is a little homey - not as sophisticated as a Rogue brew, to be sure - but certainly a step up from the lucky lab. It has enough to it to be interesting, but it is not as mesmerizing as the I2PA which is my gold standard. The condor pale ale is a hearty and gulpable homage to the local condor breeding program, and a mild brew with a unique hop flavor. These folks do seem to know what they are doing. The Fool's Golden Ale is not as silly as it sounds - this one is a good mellow balance of hops and malt, not too powerful to enjoy a pint of - but I am glad I have four more tasters to sample. The C-Note will probably be my fave - being a hop-head, I enjoyed the description on this one "This Pale Ale is all about the hops! Using Centennial, Crystal, Cluster, Chinook, Cascade and Columbus hops; this hop head's dream pushes 100IBU. 6.8% a/v" My kind of beer, no doubt. Perfectly hoppy. The Caldera almost tastes like a volcano - this so called amber ale is actually red in color, without a distinct hop presence, but with some indefinable malt interest. The LSD (Lompoc Strong Draft) is a real beer, deep red in color, with gutsy malt and enough hops to keep it on the level. At 6.9%, this is far and away the strong beer of the bunch. The Sockeye Cream Stout on Nitro is a tasty treat - rather weak for a stout, but well seasoned with tasty notes of coffee and very mild bitterness.

All around, Lompoc is a good stop - there is something here for most beer lovers to fall for, and though I am a citizen of the Rogue nation for life, I could see myself stopping in for some LSD or a C-Note now and then. Recommended.

Thursday, April 06, 2006

Pyramid Taproom

Well, after driving in circles for a while, I finally made it to the taproom on Industrial Avenue. Within minutes I was sampling a selection of the local ales, weizens, and porters. The Amber weizen is unfiltered and smooth, with a moderate amount of character, but still understated. Hints of fruit and caramel. Mac's Ale is a huge step up, with a significant hop presence, and enough malt to maintain a modicum of balance. It is clear why this is one of the more popular brews here. The Hefeweizen is a good example of the type, with ample body and a light feel - this one is also unfiltered, and balances well with the obligatory lemon wedge. The Curve Ball is one I have had from the bottle before, but it is more crisp and has a better mouthfeel coming from the tap. A good example of how the Northwest has learned the best of the Germans' beer tricks. Next to last is the Blackwatch Cream Porter, with roasted malt and oatmeal, this one is almost a meal in itself. A yummy porter if I ever had one. I'm still waiting on the Snow Cap, which is always a fave of mine.

Tuesday, April 04, 2006

Beamish in New York

Before leaving New York, I had the pleasure of a dinner at the New York Sports Grill in the JFK Airport terminal. This is a sports bar with a dozen flat screen tvs, and four dozen beers on tap. Out of all the selections available, most from overseas, I spied the Irish classic Beamish, and set about sampling the only real Irish beer there is. I was not disappointed. Beamish is smooth and strong, with deep flavors of malt and chocolate, with a very substantial body. Something like Guinness, but in my opinion better than the old standby in almost every respect. This is a fine beer, dark and with a truly beautiful head and bouquet. If you ever see this beauty on tap, I advise you to try it out - a real taste of Ireland.

Lucky Labrador

Well, as usual, I have been lax in recording my keg hunting exploits. Many a keg has fallen before my lips, but here I shall pick up the story at a cavernous venue in SE Portland. I finally expanded beyond Rogue and the Old Market Pub, and made my way to the Lucky Labrador brewpub. Located on Hawthorne, and boasting a selection of handcrafted brews, the lucky lab is a dog friendly pub with outdoor seating, plenty of parking, and a laid back atmosphere. I started with the Chicken Bento (spicy chili, please) and a four pull taster of Dog Day IPA, Hair of the Dog (nitro), Crazy Ludwig's Alt, and Stumptown Porter. The Dog Day is light and gulpable, with a noticeable but mild hop flavor, and bashful malt - today's cask conditioned ale makes for a good start. A great summer brew for relaxing with the pups. Next I sampled Crazy Ludwig's Alt, while the Nitro "Got Hops?" settled a little. Crazy Ludwig's is a reddish brew with a strong hop flavor, with the typical yumminess of cascade hops. Strong at first, it mellows as you make your way to the bottom of the glass. Next up - the Nitro. Being a huge hop fan, I was excited to see that the hoppiest brew in the house would be on Nitro - this should be great. Shockingly mild, actually, not the kick I was expecting. Very smooth, with the hops balanced at a reasonably mild level in this golden bier. Only one taster left to explore - Portland's very own Stumptown Porter. This one is incredibly drinkable, and potent. Even though I am a big hop fan (and therefore very much enjoying the Alt), this porter is smooth and well balanced, and will make for a great complement to the others. Ah yes, the joy of beer. Well, back to my bento... until next time.