Anderson Valley - Hop Ottin' IPA

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Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Hop Ottin' IPA
Anderson Valley Brewing Company
17700 Hwy 253
Boonville, CA USA
Est. 1987
www.avbc.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 7.0 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0

Postmortem Brew Review
Slightly hazy, amber color.
Pine and citrus hops nose.
Off-white, two finger frothy head. Dissipates slowly and leaves a nice sticky draped lacing on the glass.
Great biting hops, mostly citrus in taste, cling to the tongue.
Moderate carbonation. 
Medium bodied. Well balanced and easy to drink.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Anderson Valley's lineup of beers is now available in my immediate area. The previous two reviewed were fetched from a trip to the desert, some time ago.

While the first two were enjoyable, they didn't exceed my expectations for style, but to be fair they were worthy beers in their own right. This IPA is however, an interesting and quite tasty example of what West Coast IPA's are all about. The citrus and pine notes show up well in the nose and are downright show stealers during each sip.

Do be sure to get this under your belt, soon.

Rogue Voodoo Doughnut Bacon Maple Ale

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Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Voodoo Doughnut Bacon Maple Ale
Rogue Ales
2320 OSU Drive
Newport, OR USA
Est.1988
www.rogue.com
www.rogue.com/beers/voodoo-bacon-maple

Brain Damage Quotient = 5.6 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 25.4

Postmortem Brew Review
Clear amber color with a honey colored tinge.
Distinct smokiness, bacon and maple aromas that become pronounced, then intermingle. Leans toward smoked meat on nose.
Traces of smoked malt and woody undertones.
Near white head color head that fades to a skim coat and rings the glass.
Maple flavor takes more of the lead at first and the finish has smoky malt sweetness.
Modest carbonation tingles the tongue.
Medium bodied.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
It was the Voodoo Man that caught my attention, not the shockingly pink painted bottle. There he was, standing with a mug of suds in hand, holding (dare I say), squeezing the life out of that piglet in his ham-fisted paw. Pink maple leafs checkered the spaces in-between each little piggy. With his sullen black eyes, pork bone necklace and replete in top hat and coat, the Voodoo Man was egging The Reaper to buy the bottle. Then it struck me that I was at Whole Foods Market. Ah hah! Well, surely this little piggy went to market, so now we would both go wheee-wheee-wheee, all the way home!

Rogue gives a tip of the voodoo top hat to Tres & Cat Daddy over at Voodoo Doughnuts in Portland, OR. The ale is loosely translated from the Bacon Maple Bar that can be found in the doughnut shop.  I had the good fortune to visit this past summer and can tell you that their doughnut selection is mind boggling and nothing short of awesome. Visit them at one of their three locations, but expect a line. It's worth the wait! As Voodoo Doughnuts slogan says, "The magic is in the hole!!!" The same can be said of this bottle.

As for the beer, it is a nice tribute to the creative essence that oozes from the Portland scene. Both brewmaster and baker are trend setters and at the forefront of their respective industries. I consider both the beer and the doughnuts to be fun stuff and worth a try.

Go ahead...pig out!

Sapporo Reserve Beer

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Sapporo Reserve Beer
Sapporo Brewing Company
20-1, Ebisu 4-chrome, Shibuya-ku
Tokyo-to Tokyo-shi, Japan
Est.1876
www.sapporobeer.jp

Brewed by:
Sapporo Brewing Company
(Formerly Sleeman Breweries)
551 Clair Road West
Guelph, Ontario Canada
www.sapporobeer.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 5.2% ABV
Fluid Oz. = 22.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Fairly clear and yellow/golden color.
Grain sweetness and hops.
Tall, tightly bubbled, foaming white head with good lace.
Malt taste and hops finish.
Copious carbonation.
Light body. Clean finish. Refreshing and drinkable.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy 
Premium or Reserve? They are pretty close to me, except for a .2% higher ABV and a golden colored can, I am unable to see or taste much of a difference between this Reserve and the previously reviewed Premium. Both are tasty as far as lagers go. Both have a nice malt taste with a dash of bittering hops for finish. And both come in gleaming sculpted vessels.

Be sure to take a look at the Sapporo commercial, it is like a movie trailer for the next most awesome CGI style fantasy film. Mere words cannot describe it, except to say that it will take you on a 100+ year history of the science, art and magic that has become the Sapporo brewing dynasty. It is breathtaking, beautiful, engaging and weaves a tale of the exacting standards that German-trained brewer, Seibei Nakagawa used to create this beer at Sapporo; the oldest of breweries in Japan.

詳細してください (Shōsai shite kudasai)

Brooklyn - Black Ops 2010

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Brooklyn Black Ops 2010
Brooklyn Brewery
#1 Brewers Row
79 North 11th Street
Brooklyn , NY USA
Est. 1988
www.brooklynbrewery.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 11.3 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 25.4

Postmortem Brew Review
Deep black color on pour.
Nose of roasted malts, leather, bourbon and oak. Deep, rich aromas pleasantly light up the nostrils.
Mocha colored, three fingered, tight bubbled head; not unlike champagne.
Great legs of lacing up and down the glass. Head will reappear easily if swirled in glass.
Tastes of bourbon, leather similar to the smell. Also noted rich (dark) fruits and dry chocolate flavors.
Soft carbonation.
Full flavored, complex tastes. Slight boozy alcohol, but not a distraction. Each sip brings you back for more.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Weddings are special times, and as such they call for special attention to details. From choosing the bride's wedding gown to the coat and tie for the groom, to the flower arrangements, the music selections, the dinner menu and the cake, no detail is too unimportant or overlooked. Similarly, weddings are also steeped in traditions ranging from the exchange of vows, the (in)famous "Here Comes the Bride" march to the "something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue" poem-come-rule.

Several months ago I was able to score a late season hit with a 2010 bottle of Brooklyn's Black Ops. It was squirreled away in the recesses of the beer fridge to be saved for a very special occasion. My oldest daughter was wed this past Friday and as mentioned in the first paragraph, every detail had been meticulously selected by the bride and the groom for this auspicious event. One of the details was, as father of the bride, to deliver a speech and toast to the newlyweds. A champagne toast? From her father, a beer nerd? I think not. It doesn't take long to figure out where this is going.

I couldn't have thought of a better choice. The bottle came in its own lustrous black and silver "tuxedo" label, elegantly wrapped around an equally impressive cork and caged champagne bottle. A Russian Imperial Stout with champagne yeast as a component proved to be a worthy opponent to any fine bottle of champagne. The couple were not only surprised by the gesture, but enjoyed - make that - savored it to the final drop.

Thank you Garret Oliver for making their day so very special, by creating such a fine ale.

My toast to the newlyweds:

"Here's to today, here's to tomorrow and all your tomorrows. May they be filled with health, happiness and love."

Russian River - Pliny The Elder

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Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Pliny The Elder
Russian River Brewing Company
725 4th Street
Santa Rosa, CA USA
Est. 2003 (vague)
www.russianriverbrewing.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 8.0 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 16.9

Postmortem Brew Review
Mostly golden, with slight orange tint in color.
Pine then fruity/citrus hops; powerful aroma.
Off-white, two finger frothy head. Dissipates slowly. Leaves a thin but sticky draped lace all the way down the glass.
Great pungent hops taste that start piney and then become mostly citrus in taste as it clings to the tongue.
Moderate carbonation. 
Medium bodied. Complex hops from pine to citrus all well balanced. Extremely easy to drink despite the 8% ABV.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Yes, the mighty Pliny the Elder. And oooooh yes, I was bad, and had traded for it. Worth every snarky comment I may receive for the sacrifice, but to be sure, it was well packaged for shipment. Even the Reaper's patience was tested as the 08/18/11 dated bottle was not consumed until it's eighth week. Some may dismiss me and claim it as sacrilegious and others may ostracize me for not opening 20 seconds after it had been capped. Bullshit. This ale is brilliant.

It was as good as billed even though it went through the trials of shipping and 2 months time. And we well enjoyed it. Harrumph. Now, don't get me wrong...I fully understand the dozens of warnings on the label to the contrary that (over)state it is meant for early consumption. To be sure, this is not an ale to sit on over time. But my friend, why would you want to? They'll make more next year and you can enjoy it's harvest seasonality again. Once perchance upon your lips is not enough. No reason to doubt the raves of thousands of hopheads on this beauty.

More importantly than the ale itself, I encourage you to read their website and learn more about Russian River Brewing. Their roots are from wine, (champagne more specifically), in Sonoma County. You can learn how dedication to task and stick-to-it-tiveness ruled the day of this brewery's emergence. It is quite a story of cooperation and partner building. One of the most enjoyable brewery history/stories out there, bar none.

Mad River - Steelhead Extra Pale Ale

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Extra Pale Ale
Mad River Brewing Company

195 Taylor Way
Blue Lake, CA USA
Est. 1989
http://www.madriverbrewing.com


Brain Damage Quotient = 5.6 % ABV

Fluid Oz. = 12.0


Postmortem Brew Review
Unfiltered golden yellow color. Yeast suspension at finish of pour.
Spicy, floral hops are present in the nose. Soft grain malts with slight grass aromas.
Two finger, near-white head on pour. Two fingers tall, then rapidly covers to a cap.

Spotted lacing (not much) on the glass.
Hops and malt are well balanced. Balanced up front with mild hops grip at the end.
Light bodied. Easy to drink.


Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Pale Ales just don't get any love. Most are cast aside as erstwhile brews, in favor of their bigger brother the India Pale Ale.


This is an American Pale ale, not an English. The malts are a bit sweeter and the hops give it just the right amount of dryness to the finish. I could easily sit here and drink several of these in a session.  Going back to my opening statement, you see the thing about us Americans is that bigger is better. More, more, more. Well, sometimes less is more. And when it comes to less than an IPA, I'd put money down for this Pale Ale any day of the week. I could be happy with this Pale Ale in any surrounding. And that's coming from someone that quite enjoys a face-melting hoppy beer.

As American Pale ales are only one of three original American beer styles, this one will do just fine, thank you.

Santa Fe - Nut Brown Ale

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Nut Brown Ale

Santa Fe Brewing Company

35 Fire Place

Santa Fe, NM USA

Est.1988

www.santafebrewing.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 5.2 % ABV

Fluid Oz. = 12.0

Postmortem Brew Review

Deep brown color that lets just the slightest amount of light through.

Pleasant caramel sweet malts up front on the nose.

One finger, caramel/tan head that hangs around, leaving some spotted lacing.

Malty sweetness without being over the top. Nice caramel flavor that only slightly overtakes the hops.
Moderate amount of carbonation.

Medium bodied. Nice clean pop at the finish.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy

Brown Ales are one of those tricky little brews that on the surface might seem easy to brew, but some fail to impress. That is NOT the situation here. Santa Fe's Nut Brown Ale was a pleasant little surprise waiting for me in the back recesses of the fridge.

Reading the label I noticed the words "Whole Flower Hops" and "Malted Barley" after the introduction that stated they only use the finest ingredients. That would explain the attention to detail the brewers at Santa Fe take in crafting this Brown Ale. And all done in the English style for a Brown. Very enjoyable and quite easy to session.