What Northwest Beer Are You Drinking Now? (2022)

No pic, but we have a Black IPA on at Breakside Milwaukie and Dekum, created by yours truly! I was just enjoying some earlier today. I need to try the pFriem & Ex Novo ones.

 

Wow. Thanks a bunch. Is it available in distribution?

We live in SW WA. It's not too hard finding Breakside here or down in Vancouver. We'll be on the lookout for it!

 

I had occasion to drink Bevel’s Black Ace at the Central Oregon Winter Beer Fest yesterday. It’s an outstanding CDA, get it if you see it.

 

Double Lion Hop Loin.
Hazier than remembered

 

Mountain..jeez

 

Hopefully next spring.

 

This was just a one-off pilot batch so no distro yet, just draft, sorry.

 

I enjoyed a four-year-old de Garde Purple Kriek last night. Not jammy anymore, it finishes dry but with a lot of raspberry and cherry flavor. Proper acidity considering the fruit. Very nice.

 

Bummed I won’t be able to try it. Knowing that Breakside usually treats new recipes as a chance to learn something about ingredients and/or process, would you mind talking about this beer vs. previous Breakside Black IPAs/CDAs?

 

Good question - to my knowledge we haven't done a CDA in a long time, if ever. My main focus was trying to find the right balance between classic American and newer hop flavor without clashing with the darker malt flavors. I went with Chinook, Strata, and Simcoe cryo, which I'm really happy with. There's some pine resin and citrus, and some sweet fruit without being too tropical. The kettle hop and dry hop schedule is similar to Wanderjack, since I love the aroma and rich hop texture of that beer. I hope I get another chance to keep working on this recipe, of course I'd love to see it on store shelves!

 

Tried out a Silver City Thaw Out winter warmer tonight and quite enjoyed it. Rich and malty with just the right amount of hop balance. Almost has the flavor of a slightly bitter Scotch ale.

 

I am thinking they had the wrong keg hooked up. This was on 29 and a Double Mountain hazy was on 30. Wasn't spectacular at all.

 

Has anyone seen Enegren beer in Oregon?
Would be interesting to do some science and compare with A couple of good Oregon lager brewers.

 

All this talk about CDAs…



Very tasty. Seems like a good time of year for CDAs. Wish there were more.

 

You should ignore everything else and put it on your list of new year's resolutions to get a fresh four pack of Reality Czeck. Maybe a few cans of Death and Taxes and Lunatic Lager. In my opinion, those are the only beers that compete with what we get in the PNW for fresh lagers. Just make sure it's fresh and stored cold. RC, especially, is simply nonpareil.

As an aside, I was in the bay area this weekend,( San Mateo County, to be precise) and I was surprised to find beer reasonably priced. I was expecting $9-10 pints, but the number of $7-8 options was surprisingly high.

 

yum.

 

I would. In a heartbeat. But Moonlight, like Enegren, is not available here.

(Also: bonus points to @DefenCorps for correct and awesome use of the word "nonpareil" in a BeerAdvocate post.)

 

This second can of Reuben’s Imperial Reuben Claus is even better than the first. It’s the perfect use of peppermint and just a smooth drinking imperial porter.

 

Curiosity piqued. Maybe Santa will find this as an accompaniment for his cookies under the Christmas tree this year?

 

Stumbled into the Goat on my way home from work, as is my wont. Today they put on a keg of Threat Level: Midnight, a CDA, so I'm drinking that.

I'm also eating their special Breakfast Sandwich.


It's a ballsy move, doing a breakfast sandwich when you're not a place that serves breakfast and doesn't open til 11am, but it's pretty good stuff. I'd definitely hit it again.

 

Congratulations on the anniversary. Curious where you went for said Ribeye. My folks have a very definite place in the Mighty Tri for steaks and I'm wondering if it might be the same place.

 

From the Goat, I wandered to Whistle Punk, and had their newish London Porter. Nails everything I remember about the Fuller's London Porter I thought was ambrosia from the Gods back when I first got into beer geekdom in the early 00s, except maybe for the mouth feel, which is a bit thin.

3° outside per the NWS. I can't feel my face.

 

Sipping a classic during holiday months. Still tasting great. Love HotD. Big dumb cat in the background

 

Well, even the greats sometimes stumble. Got this at New Seasons about 3 weeks ago, canned in early Nov. Its quite unremarkable. Not a drain pour, but nothing stands out. Ends up as a slightly carbonated kinda-fruit punch from a third tier caterer at a cheap church basement wedding reception.

Easily our lowest rating for any Ft. George product. Again, YMMV.



We're doing a SN Celebration just to get a real beer to start the evening

 

Schools out til…next year. Decided to hit it with some buds. First stop at a “dugout” scored 3 NOGs. Fresh. Excellent batch.


Moved over to coppertop. First was a mistake - I ordered 37, not 34. French toast Bastard.


Tasty, but way too sweet for 37.



Much better. #37 Cold Smoke. Smoooooth. Next up…



Iron Goat’s Goatmeal stout. Can’t remember if I have ever had before. But, i definitely will have more. Very tasty.

 

You tell me the spot for a steak. Seriously. Need to know. Once TS Cattle Company shut its doors, I have been lost.

We didn’t plan at all and wound up at Twigs. No complaints on the steaks and NOGs, but the ambiance and waitress ruined the experience. Still. The steak and NOGs were tasty. So glad it wasn’t our first date.

PS. Our first date was at TS Cattle Company. When she ordered a steak and potato I knew then she was a keeper.

 

My Dad's favorite place for steak is Cedars, on account of the cognac pepper cream sauce they do. My Mom doesn't always go for steak there, but when she does, she usually goes biergarten style.

 

Ex Novo’s Equinox Flux is my idea of a winter warmer, in the tradition of English strong ale. Malty and bold, with just the right amount of bitter. Bottom of the can tells me it’s the same as Liquid Sweater, which I haven’t had since Ex Novo was still doing 22oz bombers.

 

I have a feeling that beer was probably at its best hours after it was kegged. Shouldn't have been canned

 

FWIW, I thought the mint flavor was very mild, and definitely took a backseat to the cacao nibs and overall luscious roastiness. Imperial Reuben Claus is a much better beer than regular Reuben Claus. A fine upgrade.

 

Last night, while enjoying the Edmonton Oilers vs Dallas Stars game, I opened an Ecliptic Starburst IPA. Nice and fresh (canned 11/30), and priced to move at my local Trader Joe's ($9.49 for a sixer).

Still a tasty IPA which I'm happy to keep in the rotation.

 

I made no secret how impressed Single Hill’s FH game was. How about winter warmers? Love the name - “Family Time;” makes me chuckle.

This winter warmer is a Dopplebock-style lager. I don’t have a lot of experience with this style, but find it to be easy drinking, quite tasty and enjoyable.

 

At The Bine. Doug the Dark CDA from Ferment

 

Heater Allen - 2022 Sandy Paws Baltic Porter, still at The Bine