Creamy Scotch sweetness and nutty brown chocolate-y center hold up well against dry fruited plain of formerly known Fat Bastard Ale (named after Austin Powers character). Praline, hazelnut, macadamia, and chestnut reinforce rum-soaked dried cherry resolve and sugar plum reminder. Smooth.
Monthly Archives: December 2009
SCUTTLEBUTT 10 DEGREES BELOW ALE
Creamy wintry weizenbock retains soft, fluffy texture for cinnamon-spiced brown chocolate theme. Prune, raisin, and cherry gird cocoa-dusted molasses malting as vanilla, cappuccino, and walnut illusions emerge. But seasonal clove and gingerbread spicing lacks stamina.
SCUTTLEBUTT GALE FORCE I.P.A.
Similar to Scuttlebutt Amber Ale, though a slight bit better and more resilient. Still, for hop-notched India Pale Ale, proper yellow-orange-fruited tang and piney bitterness lack while toasted cereal graining takes the lead. Phenol walnut-charred dryness gets exhaustive. For contrast, nominal butterscotch, pecan and candy apple nuances simmer through sugary almond-pasted marzipan sweetness.
SCUTTLEBUTT AMBER ALE
Wavering mocha-spiced sweetness fades into honeyed wheat spine. Nominal citric twang falters, leaving sugared date, dried fig, hazelnut, and tobacco illusions to wallow in the delicate caramel midst. Under-whelming and uninteresting.
PORT TOWNSEND STRAIT STOUT
Frothy brown chocolate-vanilla creaminess rises above hop-oiled walnut toasting and tannic grape tartness. Roasted Brazil nut, cola nut, and macadamia illusions sharpen bittersweet mocha-influenced black cherry-pureed backdrop.
NEW OLD LOMPOC PROLETARIAT RED ALE
Well balanced copper-hazed delight with tingly hop-spiced bittering countering barley-roasted caramel malting and candied apple sweetness. By midst, cinnamon-baked apple influence overrides peach-pear-orange fruiting as well as cocoa, tea, and honeysuckle illusions.
NEW OLD LOMPOC C-NOTE IMPERIAL PALE ALE
Quaffed at Portland’s Morningstar Café, quince-wafted medium-to-full body with dark amber tone brings lingered piney hop resin to grapefruit peel bittering countering sweet apple-orange tang. Minor wood lacquering upended by wheat-honeyed caramel malting.
FULL SAIL I.P.A.
Fine burgundy-hued ruby red-highlighted medium body with fruity zing and piney nose retains zesty apple-apricot-peach-cherry tang and bittersweet fig-plum-date tartness above mild grapefruit peel bittering. Peat-smoked caramel-whiskey malts bring butterscotch, almond, and macadamia illusions to the party for well-balanced fruity dazzler.
(FISH) LEAVENWORTH DUNKELWEIZEN
Problematic ‘Alpine-style dark wheat ale’ sustains sour-malted rye-pumpernickel blandness, phenol dried fruiting and dismal nuttiness. Though never catching fire, red grape-fig-date tartness and banana bread illusions nearly save the day.
CHUCKANUT PILS
Adequate yellow-fruited, corn-malted, cereal-grained pilsner brings herbal-tinged lemon spoilage to the fore. But German-styled moderation’s murky orange-grapefruit meander needs better thrust.
CASCADE LAKES ‘20’-INCH BROWN
Generous perfumed hop spicing embeds nutty pinewood bitterness and dried fig-date souring of medium-bodied amber-browned ale. Grain-roasted macadamia, hazelnut, and peanut oil nuances suffice, bringing further depth to brown-sugared raw-honeyed mocha malting.
CASCADE KRIEK ALE
One of brewers’ most popular and well-integrated sour ales, remarkable Belgian-styled Flanders red ale retains soft-flowing tannic grape bitterness as well as sweet fruited tartness and fermented lactic acidity. Oak barrel-aged cherry sourness retrieves musty Sauvignon-Cabernet warmth and vanilla-spiced cranberry-raspberry wisp crowding loud carbolic fizz. Sweet cider and rhubarb cherry pie illusions fill the middle as grassy horse-blanket earthiness parches vinegary white grape pucker at the backend. Wispy nutmeg-clove spicing adds depth and overall acidity never overwhelms.
