Washington Beer Commission Open House This Saturday!!

Washington Beer Commission's logo- a staple in the beer community.

This Saturday, February 26, 2011 (TOMORROW)  for approximately 4 hours, you should go on a tour of the local craft brewing industry.

The Washington Beer Commission organized an Open House of sorts where local breweries open their doors to beer lovers providing them with the good stuff to make this an epic Saturday afternoon. From 12PM-4PM you can plan your route or pick an area of Washington to tour:

 

CENTRAL and EASTERN WA

 

C.I. Shenanigans Brewery, Spokane
Iron Horse Brewery, Ellensburg
Palouse Falls Brewing, Pullman
Yakima Craft Brewing, Yakima

 

NORTH and EAST of SEATTLE

 

American Brewing, Edmonds
Anacortes Brewing, Anacortes
Black Raven Brewing, Redmond
Boundary Bay Brewing, Bellingham
Chuckanut Brewing, Bellingham
Diamond Knot Brewing, Mukilteo
Foggy Noggin Brewing, Bothell
Gallagher’s Where U Brew, Edmonds
Lazy Boy Brewing, Everett
Redhook Brewery, Woodinville
Scuttlebutt Brewing, Everett
Snoqualmie Falls Brewing, Snoqualmie

 

NORTH SEATTLE

 

Big Time Brewery, U District
Fremont Brewing, Fremont
Maritime Pacific Brewing, Ballard
Naked City Brewing, Greenwood

 

DOWNTOWN SEATTLE

 

Pike Brewing

 

SOUTH and WEST of DOWNTOWN SEATTLE

 

Big Al Brewing, White Center
Elliott Bay Brewing, W. Seattle
Epic Ales, SODO
Georgetown Brewing, Georgetown
Schooner Exact Brewing, SODO
Three Skulls Brewing, South Park
Two Beers Brewing, SODO

 

SOUTH SOUND

 

M.T. Head Brewing, Graham
Trade Route Brewing, Pacific
The Ram Brewery, Puyallup
The Ram Brewery, Tacoma

 

WEST of PUGET SOUND

 

7 Seas Brewing, Gig Harbor
Der Blokken Brewing, Bremerton

This event will showcase a number of special beers, beer pairings and surprises at many locations. You will just have to go and find out what is in store. Don’t forget this Saturday is the Grand Opening of American Brewing Co.

This event is free but beer prices at each location will apply. Drive safely or don’t drive at all and ENJOY!

 

Belgium Fest 2011- Get Your Tickets ASAP

One of several beer fests in Seattle throughout the year, Belgium Fest is the first in 2011. On January 22, 2011 this festival, run by the Washington Beer Commission will begin. Due to the high demand of this event, the venue has been moved to Magnuson Park (it will be heated, do not worry).

Word on the street is that tickets are already being sold at an alarming rate, so go online NOW and secure your spot. This is a festival that requires some advance commitment. Waiting until the day of might not be the best idea. $30.00 advance and $35.00 at the door, if available. As always, the designated driver ticket is $5.00 and only available at the door- includes free water and soda.

You pick one of two sessions on Saturday, January 22, 2011-

Session 1: 12:00-4:00 p.m.
Session 2: 5:30-9:30 p.m.

The Workshop at Magnuson Park
6310 NE 74th St., Seattle, WA

Now for the important stuff. The beers. For now all I have are the breweries, but hope to have a list of all the beers in the next week or so.

Breweries expected to participate:
Anacortes Brewery
Baron Brewing
Big Al Brewing
Big Time Brewery
Black Raven Brewing
Boundary Bay Brewery
Der Blokken Brewing Co.
Elliott Bay Brewing
Elysian Brewing
Fremont Brewing
Georgetown Brewing
Hale’s Ales Brewery
Issaquah Brewhouse
Lazy Boy Brewing
Naked City Brewery
Odin Brewing
Paradise Creek Brewery
Pike Brewing
Ram Brewery
Redhook Ale Brewery
Scuttlebutt Brewing
Snipes Mountain Brewery
Snoqualmie Falls Brewing
Silver City Brewery
Two Beers Brewing

Its going to be a doozy!

Notes of a Beer Nerd: Big Time Brewery & Alehouse Old Sol Wheatwine Ale

The old sun breathes life anew.

***Notes of a Beer Nerd is a column written by resident cellar dwelling mammal, Timperial Stout. Feel free to e-mail him at beerblotter@gmail.com with any questions, concerns or comments***

Enjoyed on 7/19/2010

Brewery: Big Time Brewery & Alehouse

Location: Seattle, WA

Beer: Old Sol Wheatwine Ale

Web: http://www.bigtimebrewery.com/

Presentation: 22 oz. – Brown Glass Bottle – Capped

Vintage: 2010

Style: Wheatwine

Barrel: N/A

ABV: 9.75%

IBU: N/A

Hops: N/A

Malt: N/A

Vessel: Oversized Wine Glass

Recommended Serving Temp: 50 degrees

Notes From the Bottle: The labels on Big Time bottles have a very DIY feel to them.  This isn’t surprising considering that they only sell the bottle in-house.  The website offers the following information:

Old Sol Wheatwine Ale, our summertime barleywine style ale, introduced in 2002, Old Sol is available on tap and in bottles to go.

The 2003 Old Sol won a GOLD MEDAL at the Great American Beer Festival. This summertime version of Barleywine made with 46% wheat and Warrior, Simcoe & Amarillo hops will be a sure winner.

OG 23.6 Plato 1.100 SG 9.75% by vol. 7.75% by wt. Brewed on the Lunar New Year, tapped on the Summer Solstice.

Food Pairings: Shellfish, chicken, salad

Cheese Pairings: Gorgonzola, Limburger, Feta

Beer Advocate: A

Rate Beer: 89 (3.52)

Timperialstout’s Notes:

Wheatwine is a strange animal.  The style is still very new, and no one seems to know quite what to make of it.  The specs, more often than not, require a malt bill that is nearly 50% wheat and an abv ranging from 9% to 14%.  When it comes to competitions or indexing within beer rating websites, wheatwine is often lumped into the barleywine or strong ale category.  Even though it seems that large beer festivals like GABF are permanently expanding the number of categories up for vote, wheatwine has yet to be added.  Something tells me that it won’t be long until this exciting style has its day in the spotlight.

That something is the fact that wheatwines seem to be gaining trendiness by the day.  More and more breweries have been making them, and if you were to take a look at some of the community run sites like beeradvocate.com or ratebeer.com, you’d probably be surprised that it didn’t catch on much earlier.  Unlike ratebeer.com, beeradvocate.com actually has wheatwine as a category, and lists 70 beers.  That may seem like a lot, but it really isn’t when you take into consideration that other not-so-popular styles like rye beer, old ale, and rauchbier have 322, 248, and 125 entries respectively.  Also, a large percentage of the beers listed under wheatwine are variations on the same beer, one-offs, or brewery only draft specialties.  But, my point that this style should have caught on earlier isn’t solely based on the fact that it’s an untapped resource.  Even more so, it’s the ratings that have been acquired by the wheatwines that do exist.

There are very, very few wheatwines on beeradvocate.com that are rated lower than a B.  ratebeer.com’s number system may offer a bit better of a perspective, but like I said earlier, they don’t recognize the style on its own, so it takes a bit of digging.

Smuttynose Brewing out of Portsmouth, NH makes, most likely, the longest standing, most widely known wheatwine in the States.  In fact, other than the beer reviewed here tonight (and one mentioned later in this article), the entire Beer Blotter collective has only ever had one wheatwine…that of Smutty.  Smuttynose Wheat Wine is a 95 on ratebeer.com.  The much talked about collaboration Oatgoop, between Three Floyds Brewing of Munster, IN and Mikkeller of Denmark, recieved a 98 on ratebeer.com.  General stalwarts of the style, New Holland Pilgrim’s Dole and Terrapin Gamma Ray are rated 91 and 90 respectively.  Point being, the people like the wheatwine.

Just a year ago, it seems to me that it would have been very safe to say that there was only a handful of breweries in America making the style.  Most likely, a good percentage of the craft beer lovers out there are not all that different from us,  and have only tried one or two different wheatwines in total.  In the last few months, more and more brews have been popping up in the style.  Boulevard Brewing out of Kansas City, MO just recently added a wheatwine to the Smokestack Series called Harvest Dance.  It received a 97 on ratebeer.com.  Locally, Black Raven Brewing of Redmond, WA just made a wheatwine for Malt and Vine‘s (a Redmond based bottle shop) third anniversary.  Only three ratings exist so far on ratebeer.com. – not enough for a score, but I can tell you first hand, it’s delicious.  I was lucky enough to taste this little gem the day it was released.  The 9% brew was enhanced with the addition of California orange peel, black pepper corns, local nettles, and a distinct sour quality.  Quite possibly, Black Raven is so far ahead of the game that they are already throwing curve balls at the competition.

Just today (yesterday as you read this), there was a report on the front page of beernews.org that Duclaw Brewing out of Baltimore, MD will be releasing a wheatwine called Misery.  They just keep coming and coming.  You won’t get any complaints from me.

Enough about the rest, lets talk about the best…well, for tonight at least.  The beer on the menu this evening is brought to you by Bill Jenkins of Big Time Brewery.  ***Attention all, this is a name that you need to memorize.***  This guy can brew a beer!  Yes, Bill is a celebrity in my eyes.  I dare you to make a list of the best breweries in WA that doesn’t include Big Time.  Yes I know, it is nearly impossible to get their beer outside of the University District brewpub, but that’s the charm of it, right?

Lets gather in the experience of Old Sol.

Old Sol fills the glass with a beautiful, clearly filtered, orange-tinged amber that looks ever so inviting.  The carbonation is clearly minimal here, and the head, or lack there of, is right inline.  What foam does develop on the pour is stark white and leaves a faint bit of lacing on the inside of the glass after each sip.  A ring of white persists, in conjunction with the slightest cirrus cloud of a wisp.

The odor is very fruity, sweet, and boozy.  Belgian style ales come to mind immediately.  Notes of mango, nectarine, peach, banana… where it not for the malty scents at the core I’d sense this was a fruit juice before me.  The malts are light and biscuity with a dash of caramel and vanilla.  The wheat is doing things that I’m not entirely used to it doing, and I like it.  So many of my experiences with wheat beers have been with unfiltered beers.  Most often these brews are jammed up with suspended yeast that, inevitably, steals a lot of the subtle fragrances of the wheat itself.  I finally feel like I am spinning, arms outstretched, through the great wheat fields that dominate the Mid-Western states of this great country, and it’s a good feeling.  This thought may be just what sparks thoughts of a barnyard scent lingering deep within the nose.

The most elegant characteristic of this beer, and for that matter – this style, is the mouthfeel.  “Velvety” seems to be the word of choice in the style guidelines, and I’d have to agree.  The carbonation and alcohol seem to hibernate all the way until the swallow, which leaves only the viscous, sugary, syrupy, mouth-coating, wheaty goodness at the forefront for ultimate enjoyment.  I’d be lying if I said it was hard to swallow, but sometimes I just want to revel in the moment and let the fluid glide around my mouth for ages.

Honestly, as odd as it sounds, the taste of this beer is the least exciting.  I know, that sounds ridiculous, but it by no means takes away from the marvelous and unique experience that this beer provides..  What can I say, wheat is subtle.  I’m also a tea drinker, so I know and respect subtle.  The Belgian thoughts creep back, but then quickly subside when the wheat strikes.  Infused sugars dominate, with a bit of spice and banana essence that seems to be a constant extract of the malt in question, or possibly the yeast.  With great warmth, some bubblegum flavors make their presence known.  There is another bizarre attribute found post-swallow – the flavors remain but the sweetness if so dominant that a dryness competes.  I want more but I don’t need more.  Confused, I’m fearful of a hangover, but I’ll take it in stride.  All for the joy of sipping down the next big thing in craft brewing.

If you like Big Time Brewery & Alehouse Old Sol Wheatwine Ale, you should try…

Smuttynose Brewing Co.‘s Wheat Wine; New Holland Brewing Co.‘s Pilgrim’s Dole; Boulevard Brewing Co.‘s Harvest Dance

Disclaimer: This beer was purchased on my own with my own hard-earned money at a local bottle shop, and aged to perfection by yours truly.

Beer Blotter’s Guide to WA Brewers Fest 2010

A major highlight at this year's WA Brewers Fest

This coming Friday, Saturday and Sunday is the WA Brewers Fest.  You should go.  Support our great state’s breweries, both new and old.

Very few states in this great US of A have so many exciting breweries.  Unless you are some sort of professional brewery visitor and all you do from Monday through Friday is travel from brewery to brewery, trying everything available, there is no way you have tried all of the beers available at this fest.  Get out, educate yourself, have fun, challenge your palate, and be responsible.

The following is the complete list of beers available for taste throughout the weekend.  Well, I guess they won’t all be available throughout the weekend, some are Friday only (indicated with **).  I’ve chosen to steer clear of these, for the most part, for several reasons.   The biggest reason being that most of these beers have rarely been seen before, if at all, and thus I have very little information about them.  If they sound good, and most do, and you are able to get a pour, sip it down and let us know what you think.

Of the remainder, I’ve highlighted the ones that I feel are most worth checking out.  If you know about something special that I glossed over, please feel free to contact us.

Washington
192 Brewing*- Kenmore, WA
Granny’s Apple Ale (Fruit Ale)
Shticky Blonde (Blonde Ale)
Bier de Garde (Farmhouse Ale) - Timperial Stout loves saisons and is in a constant search for the world’s fairest.  A recent visit to The Dray allowed for our taste buds to experience the exquisite nature of Double Mountain Bonne Idee.  FL’s St. Somewhere probably makes one that’s even better.  How will this new brewery’s offering compare?
Shed Light (Light Ale)
Vanilla Stout** (Stout)

7 Seas Brewing*- Gig Harbor, WA
British Pale Ale (British Pale Ale)
Rude Parrot IPA (Spring/Summer Seasonal IPA)
Ballz Deep Double IPA (Double IPA)

Airways Brewing- Kent, WA
First Class IPA (IPA)
Jet City ESB (ESB)
Triple Chocolate Stout (Stout) – Airways keeps eluding me.   The name of this brew alone makes my mouth water.  A must try for me.

Alpine Brewing- Oroville, WA
Alpine Pilsner (Pilsner)
Alpine HefeWeizen (HefeWeizen)- Alpine and Chuckanut are always battling it out for German style superiority.  A hefe is one of the very best styles for outdoor summer drinking.

Anacortes Brewery*- Anacortes, WA
Belgian Dubbel (Belgian Dubbel)
Mai Oh Maibock (Maibock)
IPA (IPA)
Hefeweizen (Hefeweizen)
Cask IPA** (Cask IPA)

Baron Brewing/Three Skulls Ales*- Seattle, WA
Three Skulls Blood Orange Wit (Witbier)
Three Skulls Amber (American Amber Ale)
Baron Pilsner (German Pilsner)
Baron Schwarzbier (Schwarzbier)
Hop the Plank IPA (IPA)

Big Al Brewing*- Seattle, WA
Summer Lager (Helles)
Big Al Pale Ale (Pale Ale)
Belgian Tripel (Tripel)
Brougham Bitter (ESB)
5 Star Chile IPA** (Chile IPA)

Big Time Brewery- Seattle, WA
Wheat beer (American Wheat)
Trombipulator (Belgian Tripel) - In case you didn’t know, bb.com has a strong affinity for Belgian ales.  Big Time is quite possibly Seattle’s best brewery, but it often slips under the radar with its U-District hideout and lack of bottle distribution.  I’ll take a little slice of Europe in the Emerald City any chance I get.
Ave Rat Malt Liquor (Malt Liquor)

Black Raven Brewing*- Redmond, WA – Ummm… I’d say it’s pretty safe to say that Black Raven isn’t messing around.  Every one of these is worth a try.  Wisdom Seeker is WA’s greatest effort to date for world hop supremacy.  Not to be missed.  Coco Jones won gold at the most recent World Beer Cup for “Herb and Spice Beer”.  A true rarity.
Wisdom Seeker (Double IPA)
Malt & Vine 3rd Anniversary (Sour Mash Rye)
Jerked Brown Porter (Herb & Spiced Ale)
Splinters (Bourbon Barrel Aged Scotch)
Coco Jones** (Coconut Brown Porter)

Boundary Bay Brewery- Bellingham, WA
German Tradition Single Hop Pale Ale (Pale Ale)
IPA (IPA)
Peach Blonde Ale (Blonde Ale)
Dunkles Bock (Dopple Bock) – Silver medal winner at this year’s World Beer Cup.  Drink some suds from the nation’s largest brewpub.

Chuckanut Brewery & Kitchen- Bellingham, WA
Kolsch (German Ale)
Pilsner (German Pilsner) - It is extremely rare that I recommend a lager of any kind, especially a pilsner, but chances are good that you will find no better brew in the style than that of Chuckanut.

Diamond Knot Brewing*- Mukilteo, WA
Industrial IPA (Imperial IPA)
Scottish Ale (Scottish Ale)
Whip Ale (American Pale Ale) – This is Michael “Whip” Wilton of Queensryche’s beer.  Lazy Boy Brewing made it first, now it’s DK’s turn.  Let’s see if it has been improved.
Mystery Cask (changes daily)

Elliott Bay Brewing- Seattle & Burien, WA
Demolition Ale (Strong Pale Ale)
Wit von Boorian (Belgian Wheat Beer)

Elysian Brewing*- Seattle, WA
Loser Pale (Pale Ale)
Avatar Jasmine IPA (IPA)
Mens Room Original Red
Valhalla

Fish Brewing*- Olympia, WA
Fish Tale Organic IPA (IPA)
Fish Tale Organic Blonde Ale (Blonde)
Leavenworth Whistling Pig Hefeweizen (Alpine Style Hefeweizen)
Spire Mountain Pear Cider (Pear Cider)
Starfish Imperial Red Ale** (Imperial Red Ale)

Flyers Restaurant & Brewery*- Oak Harbor, WA
Pacemaker Porter (Robust Porter) - I’ve never had this one before, but a very reputable source once told me that this is the best porter in WA.
Afterburner IPA (Northwest IPA)
Humbles Blonde Ale (Blonde Ale)
Barnstormer Brown Ale (English Dark Mild)
Afterburner Mach II IPA** (IPA)

Foggy Noggin Brewing*- Bothell, WA
Bit O’ Beaver (English Bitter)
Christmas Duck (Porter) - Here is a good chance to check out one of our newest breweries.  At the very least, these guys seem to know how to name a beer.  I’m simultaneously hungry and thirsty right now.
Kastrated Dawg** (Strong Ale)

Fremont Brewing*- Seattle, WA
Universale Pale (Pale Ale)
Interurban IPA (IPA)
Solstice (Summer Ale)
Mystere de l’ete (Mystery beer) – We really like Fremont Brewing.  Whatever this ends up being, it should be tasty.
Scary Monster Double IPA** (Ridiculous IPA)

Gallagher’s Where U Brew- Edmonds, WA
Magnum PI…A (IPA)
Citra Blond (Blond Ale)
Eric the Red (Red IPA)

Georgetown Brewing*- Seattle, WA
Manny’s Pale Ale (Pale Ale)
Lucille (IPA) – Those of you who read our work with any regularity know that we have done some gushing about this one.  Timperial has yet to try it.  It will be sampled.
Roger’s Pilsner (Pilsner)
Cask Porter** (Porter)

Hale’s Ales Brewery*- Seattle, WA
Supergoose (IPA) – Chances are good that you have had this one before.  Its presence on the market is very strong.  If by chance you haven’t, please do yourself a favor.  This beer is really good.
IX Gold on Sour Cherries (Belgian Strong Golden)
Kolsch (Kolsch)
SBW (Double IPA)
Saizon** (Saison) – Another saison for us to try.  Let’s see how a Fremont brewery interprets the farmhouse style.

Harmon Brewing*- Tacoma, WA
Pt. Defiance IPA (American IPA)
Scott’s Puget Creek Vanilla Porter (Flavored Brown Porter)
Rajah’s Royal IPA** (IPA)

Hood Canal Brewery*- Kingston, WA
Dabob Bay (IPA)
Big Beef (Oatmeal Stout)

Iron Horse Brewery*- Ellensburg, WA
Quilter’s Irish Death (Dark Smooth Ale)
High Five Hefe (Ginger Honey Wheat) – A recent bb.com trip to Ellensburg solidified our opinion that all things Iron Horse are worth drinking.  This hefe packs a punch, but should fit in very well at this outdoor festival.
Loco Imperial Red Ale (Big Hoppy Red)
Biere de Garde (French Ale)

Issaquah Brewhouse- Issaquah, WA
White Frog (Wit Bier)
Brutal IPA (IPA)

Chili

Beer

Plus

Lazy Boy Brewing*- Everett, WA - This is what they call “shameless self promotion”.  But seriously, all of these beers are delicious.  If for no other reason, get the chili beers so that all of the pain Shawn and I go through manually chopping those peppers is worth it.  Dry, cracked brewer hands + Scoville units = burning for days!

Nacho Pilsner (Dry Hopped Chiles/Pilsner)
Lazy Boy Pale Ale (Pale Ale)
Oscuro Con Chiles** (Infused/Porter)

Mac & Jack’s Brewing- Redmond, WA
African Amber (Amber)
IPA (IPA)
Black Cat Porter (Porter)

Maritime Pacific Brewing- Seattle, WA
Double Dry Hopped Imperial IPA (Imperial IPA) – Just read the name.  ‘Nuff said.
Maybock Lager (Helles Style Lager)
Nightwatch Dark Amber Ale (Amber)
Special Aged Portage Bay Pilsener (Northern European Style Lager)

McMenamin’s Brewery*- Seattle, WA
Terminator Stout (Stout)
Herd of Eagles IPA (IPA) – OK, this beer is called Herd of Eagles.  I need it.
Whiskey Barrel Aged Terminator Stout** (Cask Stout)

Naked City Brewery*- Seattle, WA
Yankee Drifter (Pilsner)
Fleur d’ Elise (Saison) – Oh look, another saison.
Hopacalypse Now** (Double IPA) – Yes, this is a **, but bb.com had an extensive discussion with Don Webb about this brew a few weeks back and let me tell you…it’s a labor of hop love.  Strongest possible recommendation.

Northern Lights Brewing*- Spokane, WA
IPA (IPA)
Solar Winds (Strong Pale Ale)
Blueberry (Fruit Ale)
Chocolate Dunkel (German Style Dark Ale)
Cask IPA** (Cask IPA)

Odin Brewing- Seattle, WA
Odin’s Gift (Ruby Red)
Freya’s Gold (Kolsch)

Old Schoolhouse Brewery*- Winthrop, WA
Ruud Awakening (IPA)
Blazing Amber (American Amber)
Epiphany Pale (American Pale)

Pike Brewing*- Seattle, WA
Dry Wit (Belgian White Beer)
Naughty Nellie (Golden Ale)
IPA (IPA)
Kilt Lifter (Scotch Style Ale)

Port Townsend Brewing*- Port Townsend, WA
Hop Diggidy (IPA)
Brewer’s Surprise 1 – Ohhh I like surprises.
Brewer’s Surprise 2 - See above, number 2.

Pyramid Breweries*- Seattle, WA
Haywire (Hefeweizen)
Outburst (Double IPA)
Curveball (Blonde Ale)
Thunderhead (IPA)

Ram Restaurant & Brewery*- Seattle, WA
Barefoot Wit (Belgian Style White Ale)
Black Sheep IPA (IPA)
Cat Tread Red (Red Ale)
Cloudburst Cream Ale (Cream Ale)

Redhook Ale Brewery*- Woodinville, WA
Copperhook (Copper Ale)
Rope Swing (Summer Pilsner)
Big Ballard Imperial IPA (Imperial IPA) – Much respect for acknowledging those Ballard roots.  Plus, “imperial” is in the name.

Rock Bottom Brewery*- Seattle, WA
Raw City Red Ale (Irish Red Ale)
Saison au Printomps (Farmhouse Ale) – Ok, I think you get the point.  Looks like you could make a day of the saisons alone.  We likie.

Rock Bottom Brewery*- Bellevue, WA
Hop Bomb IPA (IPA)
Pretty N Pink (Raspberry Wheat)
Uberwit (Belgian Wit)
Milk Stout (Milk Stout) – I’m hoping to make a milk stout in the near future at Lazy Boy.  Every brewery should make one.  Sweet, creamy, delicious.

Roslyn Brewing- Roslyn, WA
Roslyn (German Style Dark Lager)
Brookside (German Style Pale Lager)

Schooner Exact Brewing*- Seattle, WA
Seamstress Union (Raspberry Wheat)
Gateway Golden (Golden Ale)
Gallant Maiden (Hefeweizen)
3 Grid IPA (IPA)
Imperial Project #2: Virgil Gamachinator** (IPA)

Scuttlebutt Brewing*- Everett, WA
Tripel 7 (Belgian Tripel)
Mateo Loco (Imperial Red Ale)
Homeport Blonde (Blonde Ale)
Cask Oaked Porter** (Cask Porter)

Seattle Beer News/Big Al Brewing*- Seattle, WA
Passive Aggressive Wheat (Hoppy American Wheat Ale) – Props to our buddy Geoff Kaiser over at Seattle Beer News for making this happen.  “Hoppy” and “wheat” rarely tangle together.

Silver City Brewery*- Silverdale, WA
Ridgetop Red (Irish Red Ale)
Fat Scotch Ale (Scotch Ale)
Whoop Pass IPA (Double IPA)

Skookum Brewery*- Arlington, WA
Off Kilter (Scottish Style Wee Heavy)
Olde Tom (American IPA)
Katspaw (Blonde Ale)
Mammoth Jack** (American Double IPA)

Snipes Mountain Brewing- Sunnyside, WA
Dos Borracho’s (Pilsner Lager)
IPA (IPA)
Cask IPA (Cask IPA)
Cask Twangzister Sour Cherry Stout** (Barrel Aged Sour)

Snoqualmie Falls Brewing*- Snoqualmie, WA
Summer Beer (Alt Style Pilsner)
Wildcat (IPA)
Haystack (Hefeweizen)
Black Frog (Nitro Stout)
Sunstroke** (Imperial Pilsner)

Trade Route Brewing- Pacific, WA
Midnight Ale (Brown Ale)
Chieftan Amber (Amber Ale)
Jetstream Lager (Lager)

Two Beers Brewing*- Seattle, WA
Crooked Belgian Wit (Belgian Wit)
Immerson Amber (Amber)
Evo IPA (IPA)

Alaska
Alaskan Brewing- Juneau, AK
Alaskan Amber (Alt Style Amber)
Alaskan Summer Ale (Kolsch Style)
Alaskan IPA (IPA)
Smoked Porter (Rauchbier) - This is a perennial favorite.  If you like liquid smoke, join in on the fun.

California
Firestone Walker Brewing- Paso Robles, CA
Double Barrel Ale (English Style Pale Ale)
Pale 31 (California Style Pale Ale)

Sierra Nevada Brewing- Chico, CA
Summerfest (Lager)
Southern Hemisphere Harvest (IPA)

Stone Brewing- Escondido, CA
Stone Lieviation Ale (Amber)
Stone IPA (IPA)

Colorado
New Belgium Brewing- Fort Collins, CO
Ranger IPA (IPA)
Trip VI (Spring Citrus Pale Ale) - In case you have been living under a rock for the past few years, the Trip series is a collaboration with Seattle’s own Elysian Brewing.  These rarely strike out.  Spring Citrus sounds really refreshing.

Oskar Blues Brewery- Lyons, CO
Dales Pale Ale (Pale Ale)
Old Chub (Scotch Ale)

Delaware
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery – Milton, DE
Festina Peche (Berliner Weisse) – I don’t think that we could possibly talk up DFH any more.  These guys poop gold.  A low abv, peach flavored sour beer…are you kidding me!  The pinnacle of spring/summer drinking.
Indian Brown Ale (Brown Ale)

Hawaii
Kona Brewing- Kailua Kona, HI
Longboard Lager (Island Style Lager)
Wailua Wheat (Wheat Ale)

Illinois
Goose Island Beer Co. – Chicago, IL
Matilda (Belgian Style Ale) - I’m kind of amazed that these guys are going to be at the fest.  They are clearly quite serious about pushing into the WA market.  That’s very fortunate for us.  Goose Island makes killer brews and Matilda is no exception.

Missouri
Boulevard Brewing – Kansas City, MO
Unfiltered Wheat (American Wheat Beer)
Single Wide IPA (IPA)
Zon (Belgian Style Witbier)

Oregon
BridgePort Brewing- Portland, OR
BridgePort IPA (IPA)
BridgePort Hop Czar (Imperial IPA)

Deschutes Brewery- Bend, OR
Twilight Sumemer Ale (Light Ale)
Hop in the Dark (Cascadian Dark Ale) – CDA is another way of saying black IPA, or balanced to the extreme.  You can never go wrong with Deschutes.

Double Mountain Brewery- Hood River, OR
Kolsch (Kolsch)
India Red Ale (Hoppy Red Ale)
Hop Lava (Northwest IPA)
The Vaporizer (Pale Ale)

Ninkasi Brewing – Eugene, OR
Total Domination IPA (IPA)
Rudiant Seasonal Ale (Pale Ale)

Widmer Brothers Brewing- Portland, OR
Drifter Pale Ale (Pale Ale)
Widmer Hefeweizen (Hefeweizen)
Sun Burn (Blonde Ale)

2010 Washington Brewers Fest WABL Beer
Three Tree Imperial Porter by Elliott Bay Brewing
Available exclusively to WABL members at the WABL/Merchandise Booth

So that’s the list.  Very impressive if you ask me.

If you happen to be at the fest early on Saturday or late on Sunday, swing by the Lazy Boy Brewing booth and say hi.

Timperial Stout’s Guide to Brouwer’s Back in Black Stout Night

No, the other type of stout.

I have been dubbed Timperial Stout for one simple reason: I love my beers deep, dark and mysterious. Lucky for me, the people over at Brouwer’s Cafe have created a night to honor that holy opaque beverage we call stout.  I’d be remiss to not mention it and provide my take on how one would work up a game plan for such an event. I’ve posted the list below, that was so thoughtfully provided by the folks over at Seattle Beer Week.  In this case, it has proven very helpful that two members of the SBW collective get a paycheck from Brouwer’s.  After each selection I have provided some commentary.  I’ve tried to be brief, but you know…I love this stuff.

Allagash Black is delicious and unique, but it’s not all that rare so I’d skip it here and get a bottle at the bottleshop if you’ve never tried it.

Avery Black Tot on the other hand…pretty damn rare.  This is the third release in Avery’s Barrel-Aged Series and is an imperial oatmeal stout aged in Gosling’s rum barrels.  I’m sure this wont be cheap, but I’d bet it’s worth every penny.

Avery Czar is, in my opinion, one of the best regularly available imperial stouts out there, but for this event, “regularly available” = “skip it”.

Avery Meph Addict is Avery Mephistopheles with coffee added.  I have never had (or seen for that matter) this one, so rare…yes.  The original Meph is a beast of a brew.  I recommend you tread lightly with these fellas, they are over 15% abv.

Avery Mephistopheles – See above

Beer Valley Black Madness – I’m either unaware of this beer or this is a mix up on words.  Beer Valley makes Black Flag Imperial Stout and Leafer Madness Imperial Pale Ale, but I’m not so sure about Black Madness.  The SBW site lists “Black Madness” again for the Firkin-Firkin event at Elysian, so I could be misinformed, or not informed at all as the case may be.

Big Sky Bottleworks 11 is going to be showing up at special events at Brouwer’s for a few years to come now I’d assume, considering the beer was made and kegged exclusively for them (Bottleworks, Brouwer’s, same difference).  Never-the-less, it’s a very intriguing beer with some intense sour and vinous notes.  Worth a taste if you missed out on the bottles.

Big Time Old Rip – Bill Jenkins knows how to make a beer folks.  If you don’t make it to the U-district with much regularity, you may have never had this one.  Go for it, drink local.

Boulevard Nitro Dry Stout – Boulevard out of Kansas City, MO has been doing a lot of experimenting lately.  They seem to be really making things happen, and everything that I have had of theirs so far has been quality.  They are still fairly new to the Seattle market…I can’t say that I’ve seen a lot a kegs come through.  I would never get this because I don’t like dry stouts, but if you are into Guinness, Murphy’s, Beamish, Moylan’s Dragoons, etc, check it out.

Chuckanut Export Foreign Stout – The words “Export Foreign Stout” are not very commonly used, but they basically indicate a “bigger” stout, built for long journeys on boats and such.  Considering the many recent accolades being tossed in Chuckanut’s direction, when I see that brewery name on something I want to try it.  Seems like a great starter to the evening to me.

Dick’s Woodford BBN Oak Cream Stout – I, sadly, don’t know a lot about this one, but the words “oak” and “cream stout” get me excited.  Worth a try, and possibly a bit more manageable in the abv category.

Dogfish Head Worldwide Stout – This one is extremely high on my list of best beers on planet Earth.  ‘Nuff said.  Oh, except beware of the strength – 18%.

Double Mountain Imperial Chaos is a draft only imperial stout from the impressive folks down in Hood River, OR.  I’ve never had this one, but I have continually been impressed by 2x Mountain.  I think I’ll be trying this one.

Elysian Dragonstooth Stout – One of the best single stouts in Washington, if not the country.  Very underrated in this area, possibly due to its permanent availability and therefore lack of hype.  Even still, I wouldn’t get it at an event like this.  Get a bottle at Whole Foods and take it home.

Firestone Walker Parabola 10 is my number one on this list.  I will scratch and claw to get it.  It is a 13% imperial stout that was blended from all sorts of different barrels, vintages, what-have-you.  It’s probably least rare this year then ever before in its existence, but still, very rare.

Firestone Walker Velvet Merkin is a fairly traditional oatmeal stout with a really great name.  Decent beer by one of the premier breweries in America.  I’d look for it on another day.

Full Sail Imperial Stout – Full Sail might be one of the largest breweries in the North West, but they still make really good beer, especially those in the Brewmaster Reserve series.  This is not Black Gold, so it’s not barrel aged, but it’s a great beer.  Worth getting on any other day, but there are better choices on this list.

Glacier Jack Daniels Impy Stout – Glacier is without a doubt one of Alaska’s finest.  Sadly, even though we are the closest neighboring state, we don’t see all that much of their work.  If this is in any way even close to matching the quality of their Big Woody Barleywine, this will be amazing.  Get it!

Great Divide Espresso Yeti – Yeti, like Avery Czar, is one of the best regularly available imperial stouts out there.  The espresso version is not as good in my opinion, but it’s a must try for all coffee junkies.

Green Flash Espresso Stout – I think this might be a keg only one-off brew.  Sounds rare.  Green Flash makes great beer.  I’d go for it!

Hales Machete – This puppy is brewed right down the street from Brouwer’s.  I give them a big “f%&@ yeah!” for the name but I think I’ll have to skip this one, only because of better options.

Hitachino Espresso Stout – This is the best espresso stout I have ever had, but you can get it in the bottle pretty easily.  Not appropriate for this event.

Laughing Dog Dogfather – This is one of the best beers to come out of Idaho.  I will skip it only because I still have a few bottles in the cellar, but it’s worthy of a purchase.

Left Hand Oak Aged Imperial Stout – This one is released annually in the bottle, and can sometimes be found during the “off-season” at local bottle shops.  This beer is really freaking good, but get a bottle.

Lost Abbey Serpents Stout is Tomme Arthur’s idea of a Belgian stout.  If there is an actual Belgian brewed stout out there that is this rich and delicious, I have yet to find it.  Alvinne Podge is about as close as I can think of.  If you have never had this beer you need to get it.  This is fairly commonly available in bottles so I’d skip it here.

Mad River BBN Export Stout – A quality California brew, but not up to par with some of the competition.

Moylan’s Ryan O’Sullivan – I don’t often think of this beer when I ponder the great impy stouts of America, but I should.  It is a high quality brew, but yet again, a bit too common for this event.

Odin Sour Stout – believe it or not, I have yet to taste the nectars produced by Odin.  I know, it’s crazy.  I don’t know much about the sour stout but I must admit I’m intrigued.  This night just might be my first dance with Odin.

Oskar Blues Ten Fiddy – One of the very few, if not only imperial stouts released in a can.  That’s pretty damn cool, and it’s delicious to boot.  If I was at Brouwer’s on a regular day, I’d get it, but not tonight.

Port Brewing Old Viscosity – This beer is great, but not as good as its older brother.  Go with the older.

Port Brewing Older Viscosity – Regular readers will know that I’m mildly obsessed with this beer.  It’s chocolate covered pretzels to a T.  Get this and be like the stout fella above…meditate for a bit – you will go places.  I will most likely only get this one late in the evening, well after my better judgment has evaded me.  This is only because I have had it a bunch of times already.

Port Brewing Santa’s Little Helper is a good impy stout, but it’s a bit thin for my liking.  I’d skip it.

Porterhouse Nitro Oyster Stout – This is a low abv dry Irish stout.  Sorry but…not interested.

Porterhouse Nitro Wrasslers 5x stout – Sorry Ireland, your stouts are boring.

Sierra Nevada Fritz & Ken – This was recently reviewed glowingly on this site by yours truly.  It’s a damn good beer with a damn good story to tell.

Southern Tier Jahva – This is a member of the ST Imperial series, which should read “AMAZING”!  Easily one of Beer Blotter’s favorite breweries in the world.  Their stouts are impeccable.  This one is just slightly less impeccable than the Oat below, so get that one.

Southern Tier Oat – See above.

Stone I.R.S. – This beer is very unique.  I have never had an impy stout with such a strong tobacco flavor, which is a good thing in my opinion.  Like Ten Fiddy, I’d order this in almost any other situation, but not tonight.

Victory Storm King – You might have heard that this was the first impy stout I ever tasted.  I owe it a lot.  Luckily for me, it’s one of the country’s best, so I started off on the right foot.  I’d get it if I didn’t already have a bunch in the cellar.

Walking Man Black Cherry Stout – Beer Blotter finds this beer to be like soda.  If that sounds good to you, hop on board.  Not so much for me, but I do love Walking Man.

Waterstreet Stout – Skip is gone.  I have little faith.

In summary, since that was probably a bit of a task to read, I offer my top 5, in order of importance.

5) Double Mountain Imperial Chaos

4) Avery Meph Addict

3) Glacier Jack Daniels

2) Avery Black Tot

1) Firestone Walker Parabola

Give me!

Belgiumfest 2010: Meer bier alstublieft!

Belgiumfest 2010: Seattle, Washington

“More beer please” is what we plan on saying all day on Saturday, January 23, 2010, as Belgiumfest begins in the Seattle neighborhood of Georgetown.  Belgium beer styles vary from pale lagers to blondes to lambics, Saisons and Flemish reds.  This country knows their beer, as some of beer brewing’s origins date back to the Middle Ages in Belgium. With over 125 breweries in this magnificent country, Belgiumfest 2010 is the perfect kick off to the countdown of Beer Blotter’s trip to Belgium in March.

Belgiumfest will take place at the Engine Room located on Airport Way South. Divided into two sessions, 12-4PM and 6-10PM, this event focuses on local, Washington breweries that feature Belgium style brews.

And the line-up INCLUDES (click here for a full list):

Anacortes Brewery: Sour Brown (Belgian Sour)

Big Time Brewery: Malaprop 8 (Belgian Abbey)

Black Raven Brewing Co.: Pour les Oiseaux (Wine Barrel Aged Saison)

Elliott Bay Brewing Co.: Blended Brett Beer (Blonde & Red Brett)

Fremont Brewing Co.: Solstice Saison and Sideshow Saison (Saison)

Issaquah Brewhouse: White Frog (Belgian Wit)

Port Townsend Brewing Co.: Belgian Dark Rye (Belgian Dark Strong Ale)

Two Beers Brewing: Crooked Belgian Wit and the Cask Dry version(Belgian Wit)

There are so many more breweries, 20 in total and most are presenting 2 or more Belgium beers.  Tickets are $30.00 in advance and $35.00 at the door. What does that get you?? A 4oz tasting glass and ten taste. Extra taste are available for purchase. NOTE: ONLY CASH AND CHECKS ARE ACCEPTED DAY OF FOR TICKET PURCHASE.

To purchase tickets in advance, visit brownpapertickets.com.

Get your tickets now and we hope to see you there!! In parting, we leave you with this….

Verhoog zo uw glas naar België, naar bier en tot vele meer jaren om van België bier te drinken. Gejuich!

A Week of Beer Events: December 7, 2009

Inside the Ginger Man: One of New York City's Top Beer Bars

Its Monday again, we know, its getting cold outside and the last thing you want to do is start a work week. Well lets cure those Monday blues by going through all of the exciting beer events coming up this week. Just think, you work so you can pay for beer!

Monday, December 7, 2009

Get A Pint of Black Raven’s Wisdom Seeker IPA: Seattle, Washington

3:00PM- 11:00 PM @ the Beveridge Place

Come get a pint of Black Raven Brewing Co.’s Double IPA. Trickster, the brewery’s single IPA won Beveridge Place’s slot for regular draught IPA. Wisdom Seeker is bitter, hoppy and refreshing.

Granite City Batch 1,000 Tapping: Fort Wayne, Indiana

5:00 PM- 8:00 PM @ The Granite City Brewery

For all of you “Mug Club Members” grab a friend and stop by Granite City Brewery to try a very special beer. This beer was specially made in honor of the 1,000th batch of beer brewed. Quite an accomplishment!

The Remainder of Big Wood Fest: Seattle, Washington

11:00 AM – 11:00 PM @Brouwer’s Cafe

Today makes 5 days of Big Wood and there are still 40 woody beers on tap. Check out our previous blog by clicking here and if any of the beers mentioned in our post are still pouring. GET ONE, GET THREE!!!

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Heavy Seas Takes Over the Taps: Mount Holly, New Jersey

7:00 PM until 11:00 PM @ High Street Grill

Clipper City Brewing Company out of Maryland, is pouring their Heavy Seas line of brews tonight! This list features, Red Sky Saisson, Hang Ten, Big DIPPA, Uber Pils, Category 5 Winter Storm, and Yule Tide.

Brewer’s Night: Seattle, Washington

No time posted @ Naked City Tap House

Tonight is the unveiling of four in house brews by Naked City, Seattle’s local beer bar. The Big Lebrewski, an Imperial Cream Stout aged on Kahlua soaked oak is featured along with the Yankee Drifter, a light Pilsner, Hoptari 664, a fresh- hop harvest ale and Bing, an English Style Old Ale with a surprising twist!

Big Time Brewery is Finally Legal: Seattle, Washington

5:00 PM- until close @ Big Time Brewery

A micro brew out of Seattle’s University District, Big Time Brewery is turning 21 today! Come eat some cake, celebrate in style and go home happy. This event will be featuring a tap list full of IPAs and guest beers brewed by previous brewers.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

A tasting of Goose Island’s Bourbon County Stout: Villa Park, Illinois

Starts at 7:00 PM @ Lunar Brewing Co.

Join Goose Island’s Market Manager, Eric Hobbs as he pours Bourbon County Stout 2007, 2008 and 2009. This Imperial Stout is one of the best and this is a wonderful chance to compare and contrast the taste through the years.

Its the middle of the week and time for some Holiday Cheer!: Seattle, Washington

All day this week 12:00 PM- 2:00 AM @ Elysian Brewing Company, Tangletown and Elysian Fields

Elysian Brewing Company is pouring their holiday ales all week. Its getting dark early, its cold outside, you deserve some holiday cheer and beer! Featured festive ales include: Elysian Bifrost, Bye-Bye Frost, Bete Noel, Arboreal Chestnut Brown and Valhalla Christmas Ale.

Rouge Winter Beer Kick Off Party: New York, New York

6:00 PM- 2:00 AM @ The Ginger Man

New yorkers, come one, come all and get a taste of the West Coast. Oregon’s Rouge Brewery will feature their Chocolate Stout, Yellow Snow, Hazelnut Brown, Mogul, Brutal Bitter, Dry Hopped Red, Imperial Porter, Collaborator, and Dead Guy. The Hazelnut brown is a dark ale with an amazing nutty, sweet flavor that does not overpower the beer. A must try!

Cask Firkin of Old Bawdy: Seattle, Washington

6:00 PM- 9:00 PM @ 74th Street Ale House

Tonight, the 74th Street Ale House is featuring Pike Brewing’s 2009 Pike Old Bawdy Barley Wine. Come join Pike headbrewer, Drew Cluley, and sales manager, Andy Walls when they raise a pint of the 09 vintage of Old Bawdy.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Sweet and Sour Event: Norristown, Pennsylvania

11:00 AM- 1:00 PM @ Capone’s Restaurant

For all of you who live in Norristown or the surrounding areas and if you are reading this post, we are SO ENVIOUS of your close proximity to this event. Southern Tier’s Mokah, Dogfish Head Brewing’s Red and White, RUSSIAN RIVER TEMPTATION, Ommegang Rouge. Great List!

Beer Belly Dinner: Portland, Oregon

Begins at 6:30 PM @ The EastBurn

The EastBurn will be serving up 5 courses of great food and 5 courses of Deschutes’ finest Ales while brewer Cam O’Connor answers all of your questions about Deschutes Brewing Co. and brewing. The $35.00 ticket price goes to RideOn, a non-profit that turns to horses in order to benefit people physically and emotionally.

Friday, December 11, 2009

Friday Night Sampling of Yards Brewing Co.: Wayne, Pennsylvania

5:00 – 7:00 PM @ The Beer Yard

Have we got an early Christmas present for you! Yards Brewing co-founder Tom Kehoe, the last man standing from Philadelphia’s craft brew revolution of the mid-1990s, will be gracing us with his presence and pouring all of your favorite beers. Meet a pioneer and enjoy an ESA, Brawler, Philly Pale Ale or one of the Ales of the Revolution.

Avery Mephistopheles’ Stout Release Tasting: Boulder, Colorado

5:00- 7:00 PM @ The Avery Tap Room

A once in a lifetime opportunity to be the first to taste the 2009 vintage of our Mephistopheles’ Stout along with vintage years 2006, 2007 and 2008. This is a great chance to see first hand how well this beer cellars. The $15.00 will be well worth it!

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Stone Brewing Company Open Late: Escondido, California

8:00 PM- Close @ Stone Brewing Company

Just because Stone Brewing loves filling growlers, they are staying open late! Stop by for some live music and to get your growler filled with Ruination, Levitation or the many other beers on tap.

Cask and You Shall Receive: Newark, Delware

Begins at 12:00 PM until the beer runs out @ Iron hill Brewing Company

Join Iron Hill in Newark for the tapping of not 1, not 2, but 8 different brewery’s beer. Real Ales from Iron Hill as well as Victory, Stoudt’s, Stewarts, Yards, Sly Fox, Troegs, Flying Fish and Nodding Head.

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Holiday Folly for Charity: Fort Collins, Colorado

Tour of the brewery begins at 3:45 PM, event from 6:00 PM- 10:00 PM @ New Belgium Brewery

Come listen to live music, partake in a silent auction, sip on some amazing New Belgium brews and you might go home with a New Belgium Crusier! All proceeds go to the Larimer County Food Bank and New Belgium is brewing a “special” beer just for this event. It will be a one of a kind, so if you end up going, please report back to Beer Blotter!

And that concludes the week of December 7, 2009. Beer Blotter welcomes events that we did not post and comments on events attended this week! Feed back! Monday has come and gone, now we can face the rest of the week knowing there is good beer to be drank and events to attend.