Amnesia Brewing 10/29/2006
First, my apologies for an inexcusable lack of postings. I have not been on a hiatus from the Keg, but my postings have ceased for far too long. Numerous wonderful Rogue samples have gone unpublished, for which I hope to make amends over the winter season. In the meantime, I have a made a lunch visit to Amnesia Brewing (800 block NE Beech) in Portland, to sample their food and grog.
On today's menu, 6 samples of house-brewed beer and a half-pound burger. The burger is a tasty but simple number, charcoal grilled, but with no onions (?!) and little else to mention. Big, tasty, and filling. Not something to distract one from the beer.
First on my taster tray, the seasonal "Amnesia Summer Ale". This brew was not the most auspicious start to my tasting, being remarkably reminiscent of the amateur homebrews I have sampled over the years. It was not bad, but the level of sophisitication was simply absent. It was a decent light summer ale, with not enough flavor to drown out the notes of fermentation. Drinkable, certainly, but a pint would be somewhat masochistic.
Next up, the "Copacetic IPA". Once again, not really a hit in my book, this IPA was strong, but not well-developed, and had the same homebrew tinge to it. Not truly a professional product, but nonetheless still a decent IPA. Potent, but not well proportioned.
Third up, I decided to try the house ESB. This is where Amnesia turns the corner. This bitter is, as the brewery asserts "as close to an amber as we get" here, and is surprisingly mild and well balanced. Not really overly flavorful, but a good mild bitter, quite palatable and tasty. Not a bad choice.
Fourth, the "Dusty Trail Pale Ale", is a nice simple Ale, full bodied and delicious. Still a little tinge of the homebrew about it, but overall a very good pale ale that really did have a feeling of the trail to it.
Fifth, the Desolation IPA, probably could be considered the signature beer for the establishment, as they are known for their work on IPAs. This particular batch was flavorful and well balanced, with sufficient potency (6.3% ABV) to make itself tops on the alcohol list for this brewery. A nice beer,and one that could even bring me back for another visit here.
Sixth, a rather weak "Slow Train Porter", at only 5.3%, was actually a very nice finish to the tasting. This one lives up to its billing, with "rich caramel and chocolate flavors". Although not a chocolate stout to rival a Rogue, and a bit short of the sweetness standard of Old Market's "Maple Vanilla", this porter makes a very respectable and tasty brew. This is a mild warmer with a very good flavor profile.
Overall, the beers are hit and near-miss here, but if you can forgive a few mis-steps, Amnesia will serve you well. One serious complaint, however, is the flies. Having the brewery in the same open warehouse as the seating area has led to a substantial population of flies in the restaurant. In the summer, this would recommend outside seating, but in the winter season, this is not a good sign. Either they need to re-think the open floorplan, or find a way to prevent the insect invasion. This was a distraction that prevented 100% focus on their product. This is a brewery off to a decent start, with loads of potential. Let's hope they get things going in the right direction. Worth a visit.
On today's menu, 6 samples of house-brewed beer and a half-pound burger. The burger is a tasty but simple number, charcoal grilled, but with no onions (?!) and little else to mention. Big, tasty, and filling. Not something to distract one from the beer.
First on my taster tray, the seasonal "Amnesia Summer Ale". This brew was not the most auspicious start to my tasting, being remarkably reminiscent of the amateur homebrews I have sampled over the years. It was not bad, but the level of sophisitication was simply absent. It was a decent light summer ale, with not enough flavor to drown out the notes of fermentation. Drinkable, certainly, but a pint would be somewhat masochistic.
Next up, the "Copacetic IPA". Once again, not really a hit in my book, this IPA was strong, but not well-developed, and had the same homebrew tinge to it. Not truly a professional product, but nonetheless still a decent IPA. Potent, but not well proportioned.
Third up, I decided to try the house ESB. This is where Amnesia turns the corner. This bitter is, as the brewery asserts "as close to an amber as we get" here, and is surprisingly mild and well balanced. Not really overly flavorful, but a good mild bitter, quite palatable and tasty. Not a bad choice.
Fourth, the "Dusty Trail Pale Ale", is a nice simple Ale, full bodied and delicious. Still a little tinge of the homebrew about it, but overall a very good pale ale that really did have a feeling of the trail to it.
Fifth, the Desolation IPA, probably could be considered the signature beer for the establishment, as they are known for their work on IPAs. This particular batch was flavorful and well balanced, with sufficient potency (6.3% ABV) to make itself tops on the alcohol list for this brewery. A nice beer,and one that could even bring me back for another visit here.
Sixth, a rather weak "Slow Train Porter", at only 5.3%, was actually a very nice finish to the tasting. This one lives up to its billing, with "rich caramel and chocolate flavors". Although not a chocolate stout to rival a Rogue, and a bit short of the sweetness standard of Old Market's "Maple Vanilla", this porter makes a very respectable and tasty brew. This is a mild warmer with a very good flavor profile.
Overall, the beers are hit and near-miss here, but if you can forgive a few mis-steps, Amnesia will serve you well. One serious complaint, however, is the flies. Having the brewery in the same open warehouse as the seating area has led to a substantial population of flies in the restaurant. In the summer, this would recommend outside seating, but in the winter season, this is not a good sign. Either they need to re-think the open floorplan, or find a way to prevent the insect invasion. This was a distraction that prevented 100% focus on their product. This is a brewery off to a decent start, with loads of potential. Let's hope they get things going in the right direction. Worth a visit.
posted by styrofoamtuna at 1:34 PM
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