I had intended to make "Weekend Best Bets" a regular feature of this blog. I guess periodic feature is better than nothing, though. So without further ado:
Allagash Tripel Reserve (Concordia Ale House). Allagash does Belgian ales, and they take pains to make a great tripel. This version is drier than most you will have tried, but smooth, gentle, and yummy (technical term).
Beer Valley Leafer Madness, on cask at Belmont Station. Dunno if it's any good, but an imperial IPA (9%, 100+ IBUs) from Ontario, Oregon on cask--three facts that tip the scales in favor of sampling.
Bike Town Brown, the latest Collaborator is on tap at the Eastburn. I went to a Brew Crew meeting last night to do some research and was reminded that Collaborator is one of the rare jewels in the crown of Beervana. Browns are perfect beers on a 52-degree, rainy day. Guess what the weekend's weather is supposed to be?
Cascade Mouton Rouge (Bailey's). The most under-rated of the Gansberg sour lineup, this is the base beer for many others, and it's wonderful on its own.
The Horse Brass has one of my faves, Caldera Dry Hop Orange, and there's a beer there I know some of you don't hate--Pliny the Elder.
Finally, a couple good ones are pouring at the Green Dragon: Fort George Raspberry Wit, a beer I really enjoyed when I was in Astoria (check out the subtlety of the rasberries and how the wit character remains). And although I have not tried it, Lost Coast Double Chocolate Porter beguiles. Double chocolate? What can it mean?
The Allagash Tripel gets really nice around the year mark. Lots of honey. Wish the put the bottling date of batches on their web site.
ReplyDeleteHey Jeff,
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, thanks for the plug :)
Secondly, the Leafer Madness has been going quickly, and we will probably blow through the remainder of the keg today. We have a cask of Double Mountain Hop Lava (another huge, hoppy monster) lined up to replace it.
Cheers!
~Chris
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ReplyDeleteDamn, won't get to tap into the Leafer Madness... had a bomber of it which can be found at Belmont Station, and the QFC on Burnside.. and I am a huge fan of that one... I just wish people would quite calling it an IIPA :-) It's a DPA... hope to try a lot more from Beer Valley Brewing soon. Elder would be sweet nectar from tap... want that too. Missed a cask tasting of Tricerahops from Ninkasi at Moon and Sixpense too last night :-( I am missing too much :-(
ReplyDeleteDosir: I'm really not trying to bust your balls.... follow this link to see the Leafer madness label:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.trendyink.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/beer_valley_brewing-leafer_madness_large.jpg
It states Imperial Pale Ale. It's not an Imperial India Pale Ale, nor an India Pale ale, nor a DPA which was made up by Pyramid about 8 years ago.... It's an "Imperial" Pale Ale.
Just wanted to clear that up... :-)
I gotta go with Dosir on this one. An imperial pale is like an imperial bitter. Leafer's an imperial IPA. By the way, the Collaboratir's gone at Eastburn. Try the Biere Mars by New Belgium instead. Great stuff.
ReplyDeleteWell the Mouton Rouge is gone. But the Allagash Tripel replaced it. We have the Bike Town Brown on as well. Hair of the Dog Adam just went on.
ReplyDelete-Geoff
Bailey's Taproom
"I gotta go with Dosir on this one. An imperial pale is like an imperial bitter. Leafer's an imperial IPA."
ReplyDeleteSo.... It's miss labeled? I agree, a Imperial PALE ale who be like a Oversized English Bitter which sounds ODD in itself, but that is what the label states.
I always wonder (because that's the kind of guy I am) why breweries use MISDIRECTING names on their beer label? It if bought Leafer Madnass I would think it's a BIG Pale Ale, NOT a Imperial India Pale Ale. That's misrepresetation of a product... Of Course, "Miller Cold Filtered Genuine Draft" is nothing more than a bunch of crap to make the beer sound impressive.
I know, I'm being nit picky, but I like to know what I'm drinking and know what I'm expecting in a bottle.
If a brewery had a label that said, "Scotch ale" you kind of expect to get a Scotch Ale??
Maybe Bear VAlley has the right idea! The idea of trying my 300th IIPA sounds too painful, an Imperial PAle Ale sounds a little different. ;-}
That's what I meant Wort if you read my post.
ReplyDeletePeople think it's an "Imperial India Pale Ale" and I stated that I wished people wouldn't call it that, as the brewer calls it on the label: "Imperial Pale Ale".
It's a "Strong Pale Ale, or Imperial Pale Ale, or Double Pale Ale... or just a "Damn good ale!"
I thought you were refering to a DPA, the DRAFT Pale Ale....
ReplyDelete...Yes, I can read... ;-}
regardless of the arbitrary category the leafer madness gets stuffed in, from beer engine it's like a luscious herbal hug from a hop-filled pillow. at that strength and IBU it seems like it has no right to be so smooth.
ReplyDeleteI'll have to make sure to get some hop lava off the engine before it's gone...