10/2009 BEER: BERLINER KINDL WEISSE SCHANKBIER, AND FULL SAIL SESSION LAGER AND SESSION BLACK LAGER

As mentioned earlier, we are SWAMPED with samples. So please pardon the review dump.

Berliner Kindl Weisse: Fat chance that you'll find this funky German beer in the U.S. Our globetrotting friend, Baird, brought some back from his bicycling trip to Germany. (God, our lives are dull in comparison.) He enjoys it with a bit of fruit syrup, as did we, though straight up also is pleasant. Note: if you are thinking this beer will taste like the typical clove-y, nubblegum-y wheat beer, you are mistaken. KINDLE WEISSE is slightly sour, almost like Gueze, hence folks habit of putting raspberry syrup in it. (Rating ***3/4) For more information, see http://www.Berliner-Kindl.de. (Of course, you need to be able to read German.) Or you might also read a bit at http://www.germanbeerguide.co.uk/berliner.html.

(2) and (3) Full Sail Session Lager and Session Black Lager. The good stuff just keeps coming from FULL SAIL of Oregon. We liked the SESSION LAGER (Rating ***1/2) and loved the BLACK SESSION LAGER (Rating ****1/2). The latter had the body of a lager but toasty, chocolate-y notes. Awesome. For further information, surf to http://www.fullsailbrewing.com/session.cfm.

Labels: Full Sail, Germany, Lager, Oregon, Weisse

 

9/2009 QUADY NORTH ROSE 4-2, A

Summer is coming to an end, but a few balmy days are still to come. Call it rose season.

Good rose is difficult to come by, and great rose is incredibly rare.

This offering from Quady falls in the former category. It is worth the $13 or so per bottle (retail). It is a mild, dry rose that shows strawberry and cherry notes. Well done. (Rating ***3/4)

For further details, visit the website of Quady North.

Labels: Oregon, Quady, Rose

 

4/2009 FULL SAIL KEELHAULER SCOTTISH ALE
Oh darn, another 22 ounce bottle of FULL SAIL BREWING beer has arrived. Darn, we just hate tasting these beers. They always are so unpleasant.

Ha, ha. As our readers know, we have been perennially impressed by FULL SAIL BREWING. Every couple of months a new brew seems to appear, yet they have not yet bollixed one up. This Scottish Ale was fun --- a solid 6.8% ABV, and it tasted of rich malt and little smoke and spice. (Rating ***3/4)

Contact the friendly folks at FULL SAIL for further details at http://www.FullSailBrewing.com/.

Labels: Full Sail, Oregon, Scottish Ale

 

2/2009 FULL SAIL BREWMASTER RESERVE BLACK GOLD IMPERIAL STOUT
We love our mother, but we kid you not -- we would run her over to get our hands on case of this beer. Just released, this stout was brewed a year ago, and then aged in Bourbon barrels. It's a huge beer --- 10.5% ABV, and it floods the mouth with flavor. The texture is silky --- we can't recall tasting a beer like this. It tastes best at around 50 degrees Fahrenheit. (We preferred a tulip-shaped glass.) You will taste roast, chocolate, coffee, and a touch of vanilla. Fabulous. Drinking a 22-ounce bottle leaves one grinning and placid. PERFECT. (Rating ****)

You can read more about this beer here, and you can contact FULL SAIL at http://www.FullSailBrewing.com/.

Labels: Full Sail, Imperial Stout, Oregon

 

8/2008 ROGUE CHOCOLATE STOUT
What a delicious beer! Slightly toasty, chocolate... so good. Serve it at 40-50 degrees Fahrenheit. (Rating ****1/2) For further details on ROGUE CHOCOLATE STOUT, surf to http://www.Rogue.com/. To see if you can buy a bottle or three from our retailer, click here.

Labels: Chocolate Stout, Oregon, Rogue

 

8/2008 FULL SAIL SESSION PREMIUM LAGER
What to say about this brew? Well, obviously we love the retro-look bottle, which reminds one of the grenades chucked by U.S. forces in World War II. Beyond that, though, the contents are just good, American beer. It starts a little sweet, then closes a little bitter. It has more bite than BUDWEISER, and it feels more full in the mouth than RED STRIPE JAMAICAN LAGER. Very nicely done. (Rating ****) For further details about FULL SAIL SESSION LAGER or to get a half-dozen bottles or more, surf to here.

Labels: Full Sail, Lager, Oregon

 

7/2008 FULL SAIL LTD SERIES LAGER BOTTLING NUMBER 2
Ah, another pleasant surprise from the folks at FULL SAIL BREWING. Though the bottle says "lager," your mouth will sing, "full flavor!" This light copper beer ain't no Budweiser; au contraire,it's ale-like, with rich floral and malt flavors. It's tasty, and about 2-3 bottles will more than satisfy the belly. (Rating ***3/4) For details or to get some, surf to here.

Labels: Full Sail, Lager, Oregon

 

6/2008 WIDMER HEFEWEIZEN
"Uncompromised and unfiltered," announces the label of this WIDMER wheat beer. Well, we're all for that; we like honest hefeweizens. As readers may recall, we are rabid fans of SCHNEIDER WEISSE and its doppel-brother, AVENTINUS. This brew was a disappointment. It looks good in the glass -- pretty color, fat head. ... But it delivers nearly nothing to the nose or palate --- just a little yeast. Where are the clove, fruit, and banana notes? In the mouth it felt thin, and it closed with an odd, bitter, almost metallic flavor. Maybe we got a bad batch. (The labels on the bottles in this six-pack say they were bottled "040208".) Toss in a lemon, and the taste improves, but only because it is lemony. Bummer. According to the folks at Widmer Brothers, this brew has won medals in years past. Go figure. (Rating **1/2)

Labels: Hefe Weizen, Hefeweizen, Oregon, Wheat Beer, Widmer

 

2/2008 FULL SAIL BREWMASTER RESERVES SLIPKNOT IPA AND TOP SAIL IMPERIAL PORTER
The folks at FULL SAIL BREWING COMPANY of Hood River, Oregon have again impressed us. These two brews are a delightful pair. SLIPKNOT IPA is a hop festival in a glass. So pungent, yet, it's not obnoxious. Though a hefty pour, we could have enjoyed a few 22 ounce bottles of it. (Rating ****1/4) Meanwhile, TOP SAIL IMPERIAL PORTER is an absolutely fantastic beer. Aged in bourbon barrels for 10 months, it oozes roasty-malty notes. It's almost port-like; as it warms and breathes more flavors tumble forth-- fig, berry of some sort.... Wow, so much flavor. What can we say-- it's terrific. A PERFECT score. (Rating *****)

To see if our retailer can sell you a bottle, click here. Otherwise, check with the FULL SAIL folks at http://www.fullsailbrewing.com/.

Labels: Full Sail, India Pale Ale, IPA, Oregon, Porter

 

2/2007 FULL SAIL LTD SERIES LIMITED EDITION LAGER
This is a new brew from FULL SAIL, those beer meisters from Oregon. It is one robust lager- hooooo-eeee! Copper colored, oozing malt, with mild hops. And it's 6.4 ABV. Hubba, hubba. This is definitely a cold weather beer. Lucky us for getting the chance to try bottling number 1! (Rating****)

To see if our retailer can send you FULL SAIL, click SHOP and type "FULL SAIL" in the search engine and click the magnifying glass. Otherwise, surf to http://www.FullSailBrewing.com/.

Labels: Full Sail, Lager, Oregon