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Hopworks Urban Brewery Releases The Iconic Ace of Spades
HUB is back in the saddle again - Ace of Spaces is back!
Portland’s Hopworks Urban Brewery (HUB) has released its new 2011 version of Ace of Spades. Hold on to your butts.
Ace of Spades is the former GABF Gold Medal winning Imperial IPA that blew the socks off Seattle back in 2009. During Brouwers Cafe’s Hopfest 2009, a keg of Ace of Spades spun my head around, made me Google HUB, and plan a trip to see more. Since then, HUB has been producing some of our favorite NW IPAs, as well as one of our favorite stouts – Survival Stout.
HUB released Ace of Spaces again last year, when it became a bit more accesible in bottle form. Beer Blotter ran a review of that beer back in December, which you can view by visiting this link. We cannot wait to try it again this year!
Here is the HUB press release. Be sure to look for it next time you are at the supermarket:
PORTLAND, Ore. – Hopworks Urban Brewery’s (HUB) award-winning Organic Ace of Spades Imperial IPA is now available on tap and in 22 oz. bottles at select bars, restaurants and stores across the Northwest. The limited release beer won a gold medal at the 2009 Great American Beer Fest in the Imperial IPA category and is an annual favorite with beer enthusiasts across the region.
Named in honor of rock n’ roll icon Lemmy Kilmister and his band Motörhead’s popular song and album, Ace of Spades prominently features Amarillo, Cascade and Centennial hops, added at every point of the brewing process: mash tun, first wort, kettle, and dry hop. All of the hoppy green goodness results in a beer with a huge citrus hop aroma, flavor and deep, clean bitterness.
Ace of Spades Imperial IPA is 9.5% ABV and more than 100 IBU.
Hopworks Urban Brewery (HUB) is Portland’s first Eco-Brewpub. HUB offers an assortment of award-winning, world class beers made from organic malts and locally-sourced hops on draught and in bottles across the Pacific Northwest. HUB incorporates a range of sustainable practices in the production of its beer and brewpub operations and makes every effort to protect “our” future with a thoughtful alternative. The 20-barrel brewery produces 6,400 barrels a year and provides the SE Portland brewpub with ten different HUB organic beers on tap and two cask ales at all times. In early summer, Hopworks will open its second location, Bike Bar in North Portland, expanding the company’s love of beers, bikes and the environment.
HUB is located at 2944 SE Powell Blvd. and is open Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to midnight. For more information, please visit Hopworks online at www.HopworksBeer.com or follow on Twitter @HopworksBeer.
Washington v. Oregon: Let the Games Begin
SBW continues today with Firkin Firkin- yes this is a picture of a firkin.
We are neighboring states, we enjoy beer together and make good beer together, but tonight at Elysian Brewing Co.’s Capital Hill location, Washington beers will be up against Oregon beers at Seattle Beer Week event, Firkin Firkin. All beers will be in cask conditioned firkins.
Drum Roll Please: the Firkin Firkin match ups are…..
Pale: WA-Ram 71 Pale Ale OR-Hopworks Crosstown Pale
IPA: WA-Elysian Prometheus OR-Double Mountain Hop Lava
2x IPA: WA-Naked City IIPA OR-Ninkasi Tricerahops
ESB: WA-Silver City Ridgetop Red OR-Laurelwood Organic Deranger Red
Porter: WA-Black Raven Brown OR-Bend Cherry Baltic Porter
Hybrid: WA-Big Time Trombipulator w/Agave OR-Beer Valley Black Madness
Seaaion: WA-Pike Dry Wit OR-Pelican Kiwana Cream Ale
Strong: WA-Fremont Bourbon Abominable OR-Rogue Imperial Younger’s Special Bitter
Look out for the top competitors from both states (Pelican Brewing Co.- go there someday; Black Raven Brewin Co- WA Rookie of the Year; Double Mountain- quality brews and Fremont Brewing Co.- the Center of the Universe)and no matter where you are from, remain unbias- good beer is good beer!
May the best city win!!!
Tonight Beer Blotter hangs with some of the best brewers in the USA at East meets West- more on our encounter with beer royalty later!!
The Beer Blotter Guide to Beveridge Place Pub’s Bacchanal 2010
The facade of Beveridge Place Pub in West Seattle - the site of the Annual Bacchanal of Barleywines
Beveridge Place Pub’s 7th Annual Barleywine Bacchanal kicks off this Friday, February 26th, with over 40 barleywines pouring for a week straight from 24 taps. That’s a lot of big bold brews to choose from. Since there is clearly more beers than taps, there will be a constant rotation of kegs a flowin’. As one blows, another will replace it, and so on.
The folks over at the Washington Beer Blog were kind enough to post the complete list for all to slobber over. Below you will find the entire list. Clearly, all are barleywines, and thus, all are going to be packed with copious quantities of both malt and hops. All will be fairly high in alcohol, and chances are good that all will taste pretty darn good. Your main fear should be a harsh, young vintage. Sometimes these fellas just need some time to mature and mellow out. Too much bitterness and not enough sweetness can make your barleywine experience akin to being strangled by a hop vine. There is no question, if you read this site with any regularity, that Beer Blotter holds great respect for Father Time and his agile hand at improving beers of many kinds, especially barleywines.
For Beer Blotter, the older the vintage, the more excited we are to try it. Both rare and refined, these pours should improve your evening no matter who brewed them.
So our first overarching tip to you, “age is all the rage”.
But we need more detail than that. Let’s dig deeper.
The biggest challenge of the Bacchanal is the barrels-to-taps ratio. The rotation system will make it difficult to have a clear game plan for your visit, whatever day you choose to attend. You will never really know exactly what to expect, which, granted, offers its own brand of excitement. Your best bet is to pre-create a list of b-dubs that you’re most excited to taste, and chances are that no matter what day you decide to venture out to West Seattle there will be at least a few of them available.
Perhaps a look at the Beer Blotter list could assist you in creating your own list. Below, as promised, is the unadulterated list. Below that, the Beer Blotter list.
Complete List:
Alaskan, Barleywine ‘06, ‘07,’08
Anacortes, Old Sebastes ‘07
Anchor, Old Foghorn ‘06, ‘07, ‘08
Anderson Valley, Horn of the Beer ‘09
Avery, Hog Heaven ‘09
Big Sky, Old Blue Hair ‘06
Boulder, Killer Penguin ‘09
Boundary Bay, Old Bounder ‘09
Deschutes, Mirror Mirror ‘09
Diamond Knot, Icebreaker ‘09
Dick’s, Barleywine ‘05, ‘09
Dogfish Head, Olde School ‘09
Elliott Bay, Old Portside ‘09
Elysian, Cyclops ‘09
Fish, 10 Squared ‘08, ‘09
Fish, Leviathan ‘06
Flying Dog, Horndog ‘09
Full Sail, Old Boardhead ‘06
Full Sail, Old Boilermaker 98 (yes, 1998)
Hale’s, Rudyard’s Rare ‘06, ‘09
Hopworks Urban Brewery, Noggin Floggin ‘09
Hood Canal, Breidablik ‘06, ‘07, ‘09
Lagunitas, Old Gnarleywine ‘04, ‘06, ‘07
Laurelwood, Old Reliable ‘09
Left Hand, Oak Aged Widdershins ‘07
Lucky Lab, Old Yeller ‘09
Mad River, Old Barleycorn ‘07
New Old Lompoc, Old Tavern Rat ‘08
North Coast, Old Stock ‘07, ‘09
Pike, Old Bawdy ‘07, ‘08
Port, Angel’s Share ‘09
Port Townsend, ‘09
Rogue, Old Crustacean ‘08
Schooner Exact, Old Sinking Ship ‘09
Scuttlebutt, Old #1 ‘06, ‘08
Sierra Nevada, Bigfoot ‘08
Skagit River, Shiver Me Liver ‘09
Speakeasy, Old Godfather ‘09
Stone, Old Guardian ‘07, ‘08, ‘09
Three Skulls, Wreckage ‘09
Victory, Old Horizontal ‘09
Walking Man, Old Stumblefoot ‘08
Beer Blotter List:
Alaskan, Barleywine ‘06, ‘07,’08
-This is a “must” if offered at the time of your visit. A Northwest Masterpiece. Alaskans know how to warm up with Barleywine. This guy ranks very well in any festival that it is involved in. In the last 5 years this brew has placed in the top 3 at Brouwer’s Hard Liver Barleywine Fest 3 times, and the ’07 vintage was number 1 last year. A warning though…chances are high that these will only be available on Monday, March 1st or Tuesday, March 2nd when verticals are offered. To try all three vintages side by side would truly be a treat.
Lagunitas, Old Gnarleywine ‘04, ‘06, ‘07
-In Beer Blotter’s humble opinion, there is not many Barleywines being made in the world better than Gnarleywine. The ’08 vintage was awarded 3rd place in this years Toronado Barley Wine Festival, and chances are, the older the better. Do not skip this one, any vintage. Another warning: 3 years offered…look to vertical night for these.
Speakeasy, Old Godfather ‘09
-Though this is young, the ’06 got second place last year at Brouwer’s. Expect this one to be high in alpha…it’s the Speakeasy way.
Stone, Old Guardian ‘07, ‘08, ‘09
-If you read Timperial’s review of the ’07 vintage you would know, this beer is sickly good. Astounding balance, even through time.
Victory, Old Horizontal ’09 & Dogfish Head, Olde School ‘09
-With the exception of a few CO representatives, these are the only 2 offerings that aren’t from the West. Reason? They are astounding beers made by two of America’s best breweries.
Fish, 10 Squared ‘08, ’09 & Leviathan ‘06
-Both of these beers are incredible and hard to come by, even in their home state. 10 Squared was probably my personal favorite from last years Hard Liver Fest and old vintages of Leviathan, like this ’06, are pretty much legendary. The barrel-aged version of Leviathan is in the top 10 on ratebeer.com’s list of barleywines.
Port, Angel’s Share ‘09
-It would be silly of me to leave this one out since it is literally one of my favorite beers of all time. Number 9 on ratebeer.com’s barley wine list.
New Old Lompoc, Old Tavern Rat ‘08
-Beer Blotter recently had this from the always-impressive taps of Uber Tavern and really enjoyed it. Very nutty if you’re into that.
Boundary Bay, Old Bounder ‘09
-Seattle does not see enough Boundary Bay. Maybe if we drain this keg quickly the “will of the people” will change that depressing fact.
That’s a pretty healthy list for you, and honestly, I could go on an on. There is A LOT of really good stuff on this list, and even a few that Beer Blotter has never had and looks forward to trying (like Lucky Lab, can we please have more of their beers in Seattle?).
Anyone and everyone within striking distance of Seattle should never, EVER miss events like this. We are so lucky to have beer bars that put so much time, effort and money into aging beers for years and organizing such exciting festivals. Beer Blotter sends a massive hug to Gary and The Bev for making this happen year after year.
Find us in West Seattle, raise a glass, it’s barleywine season!
Portland & New York: On Deck
The artistry continues inside at Old Lompoc's Sidebar, attached to the brewing space. Try some damn good barrel-aged brew here.
Unfortunately, the BB crew has to maintain employment at real jobs. So we apologize for the lack of material this Monday. We promise to make up for it with some great content on Tuesday.
On Deck – BeerBlotter.com release installment #2 of its New York Beer Chronicles, which includes visits to Blind Tiger, Gingerman, Rattle N Hum (Again), d.b.a., Spuyten Duvil, and Mugs Alehouse.
Also, BeerBlotter.com’s run through Portland. This trip we tried to hit some of the outlying grog houses, including Concordia Alehouse, Lompoc’s Sidebar, Hopworks Urban Brewery, Beermongers, Eastburn, Upright Brewing, and of course – a stop at Belmont Station, Horse Brass, and Bailey’s Taproom (sneak preview: Horse Brass still the best).
So check back tomorrow to read up and meet some of the great people we met along the way (thanks Cody @ HorseBrass and Patrick @ Lompoc).
