This is about sharing my adventures within the vast world of microbrews

Today Dan Jan got to visit his most anticipated brewery during his time in Portland, Hair of the Dog. Known for their bottle conditioned and barrel-aged beers, HOTD has gotten quite the following over the years as they plow along making their beers with no reqard to what anyone else thinks.

Beer: Doggie Claws 2010

Brewery: HOTD

Style: Barleywine

ABV: 11.5%

Location: Portland, OR

Appearance: Caramel colored, with 2.5 finger of head that lasts throughout drinking the beer

Aroma: Carmel, hops, malt, sugar

Taste: Caramel, toffee, honey, sugar. Sweetness. Bit of wood, even bourbon. Some hop kick towards the end, but it’s just what I want to break up all the sweetness that this beer loads up front

Mouthfeel: Smooth but seems to stick to the mouth a bit

Drinkability: I would love to drink tons and tons of this beer in one sitting, but I don’t like passing out in pubs or having to take a taxi home

Beer Advocate grade: A-

My grade: A+

Matt Campo, a good friend from Bucknell, recently sent me a review on Mikkekler’s Beer Geek Breakfast

Beer Geek Breakfast

Brewery: Mikkeller (Using Nogone O)

Style: Oatmeal Stout

ABV: 7.5%

Location: Grimstad, Norway

Appearance: Black, moderate initial head that quickly dissipates. Leaves little/no lacing.

Aroma: Very heavily coffee and chocolate. Especially coffee.

Taste: Very similar to taste. Finishes with a dark, roasted coffee bean flavor. Also moderate malts.

Drinkability: If you like coffee, you’ll love this. It was perfect for a 16 oz glass, but that was enough for me.

BA Grade: A-
My Grade: B+

Thanks again Campo!

Today Dan Jan and I went to my favorite bottle shop, which is coincidentally where Puckerfest is being held. Puckerfest is a little festival-ish thing that celebrates only sour beers, with 15 different sour beers on tap with “meet the brewer” events every night for a week. I really wasn’t feeling up to trying a million different sours, so I only tried 3.

I’m feeling a little lazy today, so I’ll only post the types of beer, the Beer Advocate grade, and my grade.

From left to right:

New Belgium Eric’s Ale

Beer Advocate grade: A-

My grade: A-

Double Mountain Devil’s Kriek

Beer Advocate grade: A-

My grade: B+

Deschutes Sour Saison

Beer Advocate grade: N/A

My grade: A

So right before dinner, Dan Jan and I decided to split this beer:

Beer: Imperial Stout

Brewery: Lagunitas

Style: Russian Imperial stout

ABV: 9.9%

Location: California

Appearance: Black, with a half finger of cream colored head

Aroma: Coffee, roasted malts, chocolate, and what kind of seems like soy sauce?

Taste: Smoke, roasted malts, coffee, chocolate, alcohol heat

Mouthfeel: Abrasive, high carbonation for a stout

Drinkability: Not hard, but I was very happy after a single 16 oz. snifter

Beer Advocate grade: B

My grade: B

A few days ago my friend Dan Jan from Bucknell came to visit PDX just in time for the Portland International Beerfest. Dan is a new member to the beer geek crowd and this was a great way to wet his whistle in the craft beer world. So without further delay, here are the beers that I tried during this rainy day in Portland (bright side is, no waiting in lines for delicious brews!)

Beer: Elijah Craig Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Russian Stout

Brewery: Stone Brewing

Style: Imperial Russian Stout

ABV: >10.5 (this beer doesn’t exist on Beer Advocate, and normal IRS is 10.5%, so putting a strong beer in a bourbon barrel will give you an even stronger beer)

Location: Escondido, CA

Appearance: Pitch black, minimal lacing, minimal head

Aroma: Bourbon and oak, with some roasted malt and coffee

Taste: Bourbon up front, malt, oak, alcohol heat, with some smokiness on the exit

Mouthfeel: medium carbonation, but a slightly abrasive feel to it

Drinkability: Easy to drink, but do NOT drive afterwards. You have been forewarned.

Beer Advocate grade: A (normal IRS)

My grade: A

Beer: Iris

Brewery: Cantillon

Style: Lambic

ABV: 5%

Location: Belgium

Appearance: Pinkish, with some yellow and gold highlights

Aroma: Lactic sour awesome with a hint of epicness

Taste: Citrus, lactic sour, funkiness, and kind of tastes the way spring smells

Mouthfeel: Very light and crisp, but puckering and makes the back of your jaw tingle

Drinkability: Easy to drink, but I wouldn’t want more than a 16 oz. snifter or so

Beer Advocate grade: A-

My grade: A

Beer: Rainier Kriek

Brewery: Double Mountain Brewery

Style: American Wild Ale

ABV: 9%

Location: Hood River, OR

Appearance: Weak yellow, kind of like lemonade

Aroma: mostly sour and funky, with only little hints of tart cherries

Taste: Dear god this thing is sour, but the amazing mouth lathering kind, with cherry at the finish

Mouthfeel: Light and crisp, but drinking this beer results in you making interesting faces

Drinkability: Preferred weapon of delivery = straight from the keg

Beer Advocate grade: A-

My grade: A

Beer: Blackberry Nightfall

Brewery: Cascade Brewing

Style: American Wild Ale

ABV: 8%

Location: Portland, OR

Appearance: Looks like cranberry juice

Aroma: Sour cherry, with lots of blackberry afterwards

Taste: Blackberry, some cherry, with moderate sourness in the aftertaste

Mouthfeel: Extremely light, with high carbonation

Drinkability: I want as much as people can give me

Beer Advocate grade: A

My grade: A+

Beer: Schaerbeekse Kriek

Brewery: Drie Fonteinen

Style: Lambic

ABV: 6%

Location: Belgium

Appearance: Kind of like a watered down red wine, with pink head and lacing

Aroma: Tartness, cherries, funk

Taste: Lactic, funky, lots of cherries

Mouthfeel: Lots of jaw tingle, puckering, moderate carbonation

Drinkability: A very drinkable lambic

Beer Advocate grade: A

My grade: A+

Beer: Tsunami Stout

Brewery: Pelican Brewing

Style: Stout

ABV: 7%

Location: Pacific City, OR

Appearance: Black, with some red highlights

Aroma: Coffee, roasted malts, and caramel

Taste: Chocolate, malt, and coffee in that order

Mouthfeel: Very smooth, with low carbonation

Drinkability: Finishing a 6 pack would be easy

Beer Advocate grade: A-

My grade: A-

Beer: Jelly Roll

Brewery: Cascade Brewing

Style: Fruit Beer

ABV: 4.5%

Location: Portland, OR

Appearance: Raspberry lemonade

Aroma: Raspberries, and that’s it

Taste: Raspberries, some yeast

Mouthfeel: What mouthfeel?

Drinkability: If you’re not a girl, less than one bottle.

Beer Advocate grade: A-

My grade: B