Weekend Beers to Feel Good About

The weekend has finally passed.  Okay, it’s Tuesday, and you extended it a little longer than planned perhaps.  It was a great weekend.  Lots of merriment while enjoying the remaining nice days of summer blend into the briskness of autumn.  Here in the Pacific Northwest it is still quite warm during the day and perfect beer drinking and beer brewing weather.  Here’s a look at some of the beers that I was fortunate enough to quaff over the extended weekend.  All of these I recommend you experience if you haven’t already.  And if you have, why not go back for another round to refresh your palate.

Snoqualmie Falls Harvest Moon Ale: This beer is described as “a smooth, Oktoberfest-inspired festbier.” Using Munich, Two-row, and light Crystal malts, this robust, flavorful beer could possibly be one of the best fall beers I have ever tasted (no joke!) A marzen amber-dark copper-orange body besets a thick beige head.  A nose of nutty, spicy flavorsome delight makes this 5.3% ABV beer unbelievably delicious.  Finishing off with a bite of German noble hops and waves of chewy grains.  Try it today.

Allagash Curieux: One of my all-time favorite beers, and quite possibly the most amazing beer to come out of Maine, the Curieux became an instant classic upon its release in 2004. A Belgian tripel aged in Jim Beam barrels, imparting vanilla notes and rich robust tannins.  A new flavor is unveiled in nearly every sip.  At a hardy 10% or so by volume, the alcohol is warming and bears a mild bourbon sting.  Bottles of this beer carry somewhat of a hefty pricetag, but it is a treat worthy of sharing with deserving company who appreciate world class craft beer.
Roots Epic barrel-aged in Pinot Noir: First making an appearance at the 2007 Holiday Ale Festival in Portland, this monstrous brew is an even more extreme twist on the Roots Epic Ale, released on the winter solstice each year since 2005. At more than 14% ABV, the Epic lives up to its name.  This barrel-aged rendition pours a murky, muddy turbulent body (we were near the bottom of the keg) and a head that looked like melted vanilla ice cream.  Flavor complexities range from sour, vinous tart to chocolaty sweet and sticky.  A beer not to be taken lightly, the Epic is comforting but can easily wreck your game.  Drink responsibly, this is the antithesis of a session beer.

Port Brewing 2nd Anniversary: From a 22 ounce bottle, this balmy hop gigantor took olfactic ownership of its surroundings with a stinging floral hops bouquet.  Pouring a bright orange-golden-amber body beneathe a thin, swirling whitish head, it might be an understatement to say this beer had a mammoth hops presence.  All about the hops, the over-the-top hop dosage quickly delivers warm alphas to the temple and cloys to the palate as it rakes all tastebud receptors away for quite some time.  Quite possibly one of the hoppiest beers out there (and 9.5% ABV to boot), this beer is more of an experiement on hops than a likely candidate for balance, yet a rigid malt background with biscuity appeal does some work to bolster the hops that tip the scales.

The Bruery Tradewinds Tripel: Thank you to Geoff at Bailey’s Taproom for sharing this rare 750ML treat.  “A Belgian-style ale brewed with rice and Thai basil.” How could one resist?  Ever on the quest to indulge in new and exciting beer styles, this beer was right up my alley.  From Orange County, California, Tradewinds clocked in a 8.1% ABV with a hazy, light blonde body and a thin yet lively blanketing white head.  The nose was reminiscent of a Belgian witte with hints of candy sugar and boatloads of fruity esters.  Quite carbonic, the body revealed a sour, nutty, gnarly herbal grittiness that finished with a funky, spicy, boisterous pizzazz.  I wasn’t blown away by this beer, but it sure was a unique tasting experience.

So there you have it, a few weekend beers to feel good about.  Now it is almost noon on Tuesday, which means I am half way to Wednesday.  Wednesday is humpday, which is halfway to next weekend.  I guess things are shaping up quite well.  More beers to feel good about to come.  Au Revoir for now…