Elysian - Dragonstooth Stout

Dead Soldier 

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Dragonstooth Oatmeal Stout
Elysian Brewing Company
1221 E. Pike Street
Seattle, WA USA
Fort Collins, CO USA
Est. 1996
www.elysianbrewing.com


Brain Damage Quotient = 7.5 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 22.0


Postmortem Brew Review
Deep black color on the pour.
Carmely and roasted malt nose; nicely malty. Good presence of hop aromas.
Short, stout, tan colored head with strings of lace.
Smooth flavors of caramel, chocolate and oats.
Soft carbonation.
Full bodied. Rich, full flavored.


Grim Reaper's Eulogy
I picked this one up on the west coast. Not gonna' lie, the dragon artwork really caught my eye. It is actually done by a Seattle tattoo artist named Joe of Pierced Hearts Tattoo Parlor. According to the label, he's a good friend of the brewery.

Also not gonna' lie, I was in search of a good oatmeal stout. Pretty sure I nailed that quest. This stout uses Crystal, Chocolate and Munich barley along with rolled oats to achieve a sultry smooth and roasty stout. A really great ale to curl up with in the dead of winter. Don't you think so too? Muaaahaahaa!

The bottle lists Fort Collins, CO as an additional location, but I don't see much in the website's credits to match that info. Also, the folks at Elysian have three locations to choose from while in Seattle. That's nice.

And what about the name Elysian? According to Mirriam Webster, it means "blissful, delightful". I agree. Each sip brought me to a state of enjoying the oatmeal stout with elysian ease! With a bit of exploration on their website, I found many of their ales and beers belie the tranquility of their company name. Titles such as Loser, Perseus, Dark o' the Moon and Men's Room, along with above mentioned Dragonstooth conjure up fiercer imagery. But again, I'm not gonna lie...I dig it! After all , I am The Reaper! Muahaaha mUUaHaaHAAA!

Okay, enough of that. Get some of this stout and you'll see what I'm talking about. It's seriously good stuff.

Pyramid - Outburst Imperial IPA

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Outburst Imperial IPA (Seasonal)

Pyramid Brewing Company
91 S Royal Brougham Way

Seattle, WA USA

Est. 1984(Hart Brewing) 1996(Pyramid)

www.pyramidbrew.com


Brain Damage Quotient = 8.5 % ABV

Fluid Oz. = 12.0


Postmortem Brew Review

Rich, resonant orange/copper color.

Powerful pine hops nose with malts that can be slowly picked out.

Two finger firm firm off-white head that leaves great draped lacing. Settles to a cap long into the glass.
Firm hops traction after starting with a rich malt and caramel taste. 
Finishes on the hoppy side. Very slightly warming tones.

Pin prickly amount of carbonation zip.

Full flavor, full bodied. No noticeable alcohol notes, save for the warmth.


Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Opening this one, before it is past prime as it's been chillin' in the examining room cooler for a few months. It is a spring seasonal, and already the brewers are sending out the fall stuff. Not to be dissuaded, I removed the skull cap during the dissection. You cannot believe the amount of hop notes that arose from that 3/4 inch opening at the top of the bottle. I hadn't even poured it and the hops aromas were leaping out, sprung like the hounds on a hunt. Oh, ho, ho! This is going to be a treat!

Though seasonal, this would be a great year round entry to their regular lineup. The 8.5% ABV made this Imperial IPA hold up well through the summer in the back of the fridge. Nothing could deter the fine flavors of this twelve ounce beauty. Now, I have examined their brews by the ounce at The Great American Beer Festival in the past, but a whole twelve ounces of this beer is, (dare I say), heaven on earth!

Did I just say heaven on earth?!? Muahahaahahaaaa!

Pike - Kilt Lifter

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Pike - Scotch Style Kilt Lifter Ruby Ale
Pike Brewing Company
1415 First Avenue
Seattle, WA USA
Est.1989
www.pikebrewing.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 6.5 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 22.0

Postmortem Brew Review
Amber to maple brown color.
Smooth malts and a bit smoky in the aroma.
Soft warming feel and fruity, soft spice flavor.
Two finger head with some rings of lacing.
Sweet caramel malts and toasted grain taste. 
Fruity flavored with mild finishing hops.
Medium mouth feel and modest carbonation.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Pike - Scotch Style Kilt Lifter Ruby Ale, wow that's a mouth full of description. Let's break it down through the morgue analysis, shall we?

Scotch style by the BJCP implies one of three, 9A-Light, 9B-Heavy or 9C-Export. This is categorized as a Wee Heavy. But wait! There is that nagging end tag of Ruby Ale. Under the Scotch Style there is a separate category of 9D-Irish Red (Ruby) Ale. So what is this schizophrenic brew anyway?

None of the above! Wee Heavy gives it away as a 9E-Strong Scotch Ale. So there it is, all you would-be Quincy M.E.'s. It's a Wee Heavy and not too bad for an ale with a bit of an identity crisis. Pike would like you to know that this is, "...an approachable Scottish Ale."

So off to the morgue with you all.  Lift your kilt and examine one soon!

Pike - India Pale Ale

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Pike - India Pale Ale
The Pike Brewing Company
1415 1st Avenue
Seattle, WA USA
Est. 1989
www.pikebrewing.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 6.3 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 22.0

Postmortem Brew Review
Copper to bronze in color.
Floral smell of hops; piney with a bit of malt.
Caramel tan, two and a half finger head that lasts.
Light carbonation.
Medium malt taste and citrus pine smack of hops Good balance.
Medium bodied.  Will not weigh you down. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
From the rain of Seattle to the Sunshine State, the latest beer to "come down the pike", is now here in Florida.  Okay, that was an excruciatingly droll pun, but if you are a regular reader, you know what to expect from me by now.

Pike is here, all the way from the state of Washington. A real humdinger of an IPA at first blush.  It has 60 IBU's of hops heat and yet, it doesn't cause tongue burnout.  I could see myself sessioning this easily.  As a matter of fact, the bottle is 22 ounces, so that is going to be pretty much of a given.

My good buddy Gerard 'Tweeted' about the appearance of Pike in Florida.  Knowing that I had obtained some, he couldn't wait to see the written eulogy.  Well, I wasn't about to let him down.  In fact, it is as good an excuse as any, on a midweek night, to pop open a bomber of this IPA.

The ale's hoppiness stands up all the way to the bottom of the bottle.  The flavors open as it warms a bit and that is where you get the rich undertones of the malt characteristics.  It surely hit the spot at the end of a long grueling day at the mortuary.  It sort of "livened up" the evening at the crypt...if you catch my drift. Muahhahaahaahahaa!

Pike has quite a few beers and ales introduced to the Sunshine State and I plan to sample them all.  There was a double IPA if I'm not mistaken. I'm surely looking forward to the rest of their stuff making an appearance in my cooler for future obduction.

Welcome to Florida, Pike!  We're sure glad you're making it rain beer, here.

Red Hook - ESB

Taps for a Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Red Hook - ESB
Red Hook Ale Brewery
35 Corporate Drive
Pease International Tradeport
Portsmouth, NH USA
14300 NE 145th St.
Woodinville, WA USA
Est.1981
www.redhook.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 5.8 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 (On Tap) 

Postmortem Brew Review
Amber with orange tint.
Bitter hops aromas, some malts coming through.
Soapy head; off-white color.
Lace coats glass well.
Tart, bitter, dry hopped taste.
Medium body with drying finish on the palate. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
A long time ago, I had a Red Hook beer.  It was in a bottle, had a 10 month old date on it and probably hadn't been handled very well during its shelf life.  At least not to Cicerone levels of expectation. But, as I said, that was a long time ago.

Walking into a new restaurant, the greeter gave us a choice between the tavern or the dining room.  Actually there was no choice.  It was going to be the tavern if I had my way, and I did.  Strolling by the tap selections I noticed the ESB handle and thought, "...it's been long enough to try a Red Hook again."  After all, it wasn't their fault the first one was bad.  But still, just the memory of it haunted me. Yes, me.

Well, the ESB, (Extra Special Bittering), was fresh, and it was bitter hopped and it was damn tasty.  So glad that I made that selection.  And although this wasn't the very best example of an ESB, it was very good indeed.  Now I must admit that I should go back and review that Long Hammer IPA sometime, to be sure it was just an aberration.

Red Hook - Long Hammer

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Long Hammer India Pale Ale
Red Hook Ale Brewery
35 Corporate Drive
Pease International Tradeport
Portsmouth, NH USA
14300 NE 145th St.
Woodinville, WA USA
Est.1981
www.redhook.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 6.5 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Weak hop aroma.
Slight sour fruit flavor and taste.
Long lasting head.
Cloudy from pour to finish, similar to wheat ales.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Very cloudy throughout, but not sure if it was intended. Palatable, but something seemed awry in taste. Maybe the 7/11/07 expiration date had something to do with it? I'll have to try again, sometime.