North Coast Brewing Brother Thelonious

North Coast Brewing Brother Thelonious

Serving: 750ml corked bottle.
Style: Abbey Ale
ABV: 9.4%

So it's been a month since I've updated my blog, but I've been a busy young man. Recently got a job at OHSU doing research in a field that I am very interested in, so I've been busy for the first time in about 8 months. Don't worry! I'm still drinking beer!

Ahhh, another big brew. Lots of flavor and lots of gravity...just the way I like it. Beer pours a nice dark dirty ruby color that catches just enough light to make it shine. Thin lace of carbonation makes it's way up to the top of the brew.

Smells fruity! A hodgepodge of tasty dark fruit wafts up into my nostrils. Some alcohol-ey ester smell in the back as well, just to remind you that at 9.4% this beer isn't messing around.

First sip, and my initial thought is that this beer is a little unbalanced. A bit too sweet and really missing some mellow earthy notes that I get with other abbey ales. Also there is a weird aftertaste that is slightly off putting.

All the other aspects of the beer are intact here, bold dark fruit flavors, deep malty complexity, and pretty decent drinkability for a 9.4% beer.

Final Verdict: C

-Overly sweet and unbalanced. If I wasn't such a fan of the style I probably wouldn't be able to drink this whole bottle. I would recommend many other abbey ales, especially the excellent offering from New Belgium Brewing at a bargain price. You can do a lot better at 7.99$ a bottle. Ommegang and Unibroue make great abbeys at this price point.

Bud Light Chelada

Bud Light Chelada

Serving: 24oz demonseed.
Style: Regurgitated Stomach Acid
ABV: 4.2%

So this is self inflicted torture. Poured it and some head formed...somehow.

Why did I even try to smell this...like fish gone bad and tomato soup. Egad. I cant believe my mom picked up the glass and took a drink of the stuff and didn't bat an eye...what a trooper. Smells so wrong.

Had to get myself pumped up to take a drink of this. Here we go...Not as bad initially as I'd thought. Eventually turns into a horrible salty weird aftertaste that is an affront to taste buds everywhere. Not sure if I can take another drink. Second sip is worse than the first. Very salty...cant really get any taste of beer in this drink.

After three drinks there is an unnatural burn in the back of my throat...almost spicy. I kind of feel like throwing up. Whatever you do...avoid this at all costs if you enjoy beer.

Final Verdict: F+

-First drink was interesting, second was not something we looked forward to. Third drink was to be avoided like the plague. If we were stranded on an island, we could possibly survive on it if there was no water...but it would be something gross that Bear Grylls would drink to shock the audience. First beer I've ever poured out.

Ninkasi Tricerahops DIPA

Ninkasi Tricerahops Double India Pale Ale

Serving: 22oz Bomber
Style: Double IPA
ABV: 8.8%

Like I said, I'm giving ninkasi a second chance with their DIPA. Pop the top and aromatic floral hoppy zest flows out. Smells just like the fresh hops we used in the homebrewing last week. Very inviting.

First sip is grand. Nice complex sweet citrusy flavor initially that blends into a very mild pleasant hoppy flavor. Lots of orangeness at the start, which blossoms into floral complexity.

Brad chimes in with the assertation that the citrus flavor is almost grapefruit. I concur with this. I should mention that Brad will accompany me on this reviewing adventure. He is drinking a triple.

Drinkability is pretty good for a strong IPA, though Brad and my Dad were slightly overwhelmed by the hop flavor.

Brad's quick review of Pater Lieven Trippel, the beer he has chosen for the evening:

s'good, Grade: B (He says it needs to do extra credit to bring up the grade).

My final grade for the Tricerahops: B+

-Great strong IPA. Not overwhelming like I thought it would be. Nice blend of sweet citrus and bitter hop at the end of the tasting. Would consider buying again if I was looking for a strong hoppy refreshing beer.

Ninkasi Spring Reign Ale

Ninkasi Spring Reign Ale

Serving: 22oz Bomber
Style: American Blond Ale
ABV: 6.0%

This is my first beer from Ninkasi, and I've heard good things about their double IPA (Tricerahops) and other hoppy brews. Pours a nice yellow golden color with a hint of orange and bubbles triumphantly upon pouring. Kind of smells like an average IPA would, so I am expecting some hoppy character.

As the beer first hits my tongue there is a blast of malty sweetness, which surprisingly switches over to mellow bitterness very quickly. The first thing that jumps into my head is that this reminds me of a much more mellowed out Barleywine. It has a similar progression of flavor, yet in more modest amounts. As I sip, a burnt caramel aroma wafts into my nostrils, along with some faint citrus notes.

There is perhaps a bit too much bitterness at the end, and detracts from the overall balance of the brew. It lingers and is rather unwelcome to my pallet. After sipping on this for awhile the bitterness starts to become less intense, but is still out of balance with the rest of the brew.

Overall, a pretty average Ale from Ninkasi. It certainly doesn't inspire me to run out and purchase the rest of their offerings. I should still give some of their other brews a chance...and I plan to review another from them.

Final Grade: C

-Has some nice malty character going for it in the beginning, but is unbalanced by bitterness at the end. Evens out to an average beer for me, might be slightly more appetizing for hopheads out there. The hop character isn't very good though. I think I'd rather be drinking a PBR.

SIDE NOTE:
Helped Mike Adams start his homebrew earlier this week! It was super fun and was a lot easier than I thought. Cant really afford homebrew supplies right now...but hopefully when I get a job I can invest in a decent setup. I had an interview at OHSU yesterday so hopefully I made a good impression so I can start brewing some beer!

Stone Imperial Russian Stout

Stone Imperial Russian Stout

Serving Type: 22oz Bomber
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
ABV: 10.5%

The standard stone gargoyle on the front of the bottle is adorned with a Russian style fuzzy hat. The label says that this gargoyle fends off any bad juju that could invade the sanctity of the beer. Cheers to you, Stone Brewing gargoyle, I hope you did your job.

The beer pours out like thick dark molasses, and a dark tan head erupts from the tumulus pour. Just looking at the beer lets me know that I have my work cut out for me, especially since I'll be downing 22oz of the brew. Aroma is strong with espresso and molasses. Also getting some nice vanilla-ey smells.

Pow! Explosive flavor from even the tiniest of sips. I think I need to let this warm up a bit more before I partake completely. Initial impressions are a very smooth mouthfeel that just coats your mouth. Almost sweet flavor transitions into a bitter flavor reminiscent of baker's chocolate. Also some espresso flavor finds it's way in towards the end of the tasting. The sweet flavors as the beer first hits your tongue are like molasses and malty deliciousness. Each sip is a swirling symphony of dark sweet and bitter flavors that opens up even further with each drink. This is definately a brew that will benefit by warming up a bit. There is also some spiciness going on, maybe cinnamon or some other zestyness.

Drinkability is pretty damn good for the style. It masks it's alcoholic content pretty well, as there is minimal burn in the back of the mouth after a generous quaff. I would again recommend sharing a bomber of this stuff with a friend, as most would have trouble finishing 22oz of such a powerfully strong beer. This is about as zesty as beer can get.

So I have to compare this to The Abyss, which many people believe is the gold standard for russian imperial stouts. This beer is very similar and isn't aged in whiskey barrels like the abyss is, at least I dont think so. This beer would age wonderfully as well, I'm tempted to pick up another bottle and just leave it in the fridge for 6 months or so. After trying the aged stone barleywine I've been exposed to the power of aging a powerful high gravity beer. It's amazing what time can do to these beers.

This beer reminds me of the different character that a beer can become. From the lightest wit to the darkest stout, beer is a blank canvas to impose upon.

Final Grade: A-

-Probably one of the better Stouts I've had, and the complexity of flavor is balanced and well composed. I think that with six months to a year of aging and this beer would be world class. I'm likely going to pick up another bottle to try out this theory, but not right now, becuase this beer has got me a tad saucy.

Rochefort 8

Trappistes Rochefort 8

Serving Type: 11.2oz Bottle
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale
ABV: 9.2%

Nothing like a trappist brew, where you know a bunch of monks put their love into making this spectacular style. This stuff was brewed traditionally as a cheap nutritional drink for the monks to survive on. I cant imagine these monks controlled their sobriety very well with such a strong and flavorful drink available to them at all times. Anyway, on to the beer.

Pours a dark brown color, and is pretty cloudy due to residual yeast that is left in the bottle (this is a good sign that your beer is going to be good). The head is a nice light brown and hangs around after pouring the brew. The bubbles coming up from the bottom of the glass pick up little bits and yeast and causes them to dance around a bit, kinda nifty.

Nose isn't overwhelming and smells like most tasty belgian beers I've had. Some dark fruity notes and a grainy smell that translates into similar tastes. Definitely getting some dark fruity flavors mixed in with the nice mild malty-ness. Really complex flavors in this one, that mix in really well with the mild heat of the alcohol. It all blends together into a nice little dance in your mouth, catalyzed by the peppy carbonation in the drink.

This kind of tastes like how I imagined beer would taste when I was a child. Thick and hearty with complex flavors bursting all over the place. It has a slight sweetness to it, and blends into a mild bitter flavor and heat at the end, really great sensation. This beer is really agreeing with me. I wish that there was more than 11.2oz in the bottle, because I'm nearing the bottom of my glass.

Final Grade: A

-This is beer. Plain and simple. Accessible to any beer drinker, and will be enjoyed. I can recommend this to anyone who likes beer, and to many who don't. Complex and delicious, mixing and marrying flavors perfectly. Only downfall is the stuff is not cheap at $5.50 a 11.2oz bottle. Oh well, it's worth it.

Stone Old Guardian Barleywine

Stone Old Guardian Barleywine 2008

Serving Type: 22oz Bomber
Style: Barleywine
ABV: 11.26%

Pop the top and a plethora of amazing smells comes out. All sorts of spices and dark fruity notes jump out of the glass. I can definitely pick out some coriander or dried orange citrus deliciousness. I'm really loving the smells that this beer is giving me.

The color is quite nice, a little cloudy and a deep orange. Head is a one finger or so and light and hangs around, kind of like espresso foam.

On recommendation from many reviewers on beeradvocate I'm letting this beer sit for awhile and warm up. On second thought I'm thirsty and this beer just smells great.

Wow, what a first sip. Has a spectacular mouthfeel that just goes down so smooth. Reminds me of how the Rogue Double Dead Guy Ale felt in my mouth. Definately a strong hoppy finish that is really refreshing and appreciated.

Having never had a barleywine before, I can definitely see the appeal. It is malty like a strong stout, yet finishes hoppy like a good IPA. The hoppy finish could be a bit much for some not acquainted with the power of the hop.

This is a 2008 release, and as of writing this, there is also a 2009 that is available. So this beer has had a year to mellow out and grow more complex. Makes me curious to see how the new beer compares to this one. As I drink I can see lacing on the glass after each sip, pretty cool.

Delicious!

Final Grade: A-

-I'm a big fan of this beer but I can understand if the hoppyness turns off some people. If you like hoppy beers you will get aroused while drinking this. Dont say I didn't warn you.