Cascade Lakes Brewing Company 20” Brown Ale

Cascade Lakes Brewing Company 20” Brown Ale:  Completely drinkable brown ale with a nice full flavor that’s heavy on the malt, and very low on the bitter side. Not one I would buy for myself to drink on a regular basis, but maybe in a fleeting moment of boredom with my regular assortment. 

Elysian Avatar Jasmine IPA

Elysian Avatar Jasmine IPA:  A very interesting floral/perfume-y quality to this odd brew. It put me in the mood for Chinese food! It was easy to drink, out of the ordinary for when you are bored of your regular brew. But I don’t think I would buy it again, for the mere fact that I felt like I was drinking tea as opposed to beer. It lacked the nutty finish I so crave!

Eel River Acai Berry Wheat

Eel River Acai Berry Wheat:  Well I could taste a hint of some sort of berry flavor in this beer, but the “beer” part was very bland. I almost couldn’t tell I was drinking beer (especially with a low 4.0% ABV)…it tasted more like an unsweetened berry TEA. Not impressed….

Laurelwood Brewing Co. Hooligan Brown Ale

Laurelwood Brewing Co. Hooligan Brown Ale:  I tried. I really did. It had a flavor eerily similar to trees. And ever so slight of bitter chocolate. But it was completely devoid of any sort of nuttiness that might have been redeeming to this brew. Eh. Down the drain…

New Belgium Snow Day Winter Ale

New Belgium Snow Day Winter Ale:  Frankly I might have opted to call this “Christmas Tree” Winter Ale for the simple fact that it almost tasted like I was sucking on a pine needle more than anything! Now, I am not saying it was bad. Evergreen essence and citrus essence to me are pretty similar, so you decide! I did have to keep sipping because the flavor was so intriguing to me; however, I highly doubt I’ll ever go seeking it out again.

Lagunitas Limited Release Bavarian-Style Doppel Weizen

Lagunitas Limited Release Bavarian-Style Doppel Weizen: This brew has a fruity intensity (that’s how my palate translated it!) and a warmth to it that promises to relax you in a hurry! At a whopping 9% ABV, I doubt you’ll be conscious enough to down more than a few. Truly, a nightcap type of beverage!

Rogue Dead Guy Ale

Rogue Dead Guy Ale:  I’ll admit, I’ve been hesitant to try this brew, and I can’t even explain my fear. However, based on a friend’s recommendation (thanks Jeff Bailey!) I finally gave it a shot, for science. And you know what? It was delicious. I loved that is was heavy on the molasses flavor, and hardly bitter at all. I could actually drink this on a regular basis! Makes me even want to try using molasses in my own home brewing experiments! 

Samuel Adams Winter Lager

Samuel Adams Winter Lager:  A lager brewed with cinnamon, orange zest, and ginger. Hmmm…some of my favorite spices, and so I just HAD to try this! It was very mellow, the flavors so subtle that I really had to savor each sip to decipher them at all. It had a lovely toasty finish that topped the whole experience off nicely. I liked it well enough, and maybe you will too. Cheers!

Oakshire Brewing Amber Ale

Oakshire Brewing Amber Ale:  The flavor of this was a bit on the heavy side for me to continue to sip on, a little deep on the malt flavor. I think it would make a fabulous bread or pizza crust, so I will set it aside for that purpose. It was good, don’t get me wrong…it just wasn’t what I was in the mood for.

Pyramid Seasonal Ale Snow Cap Winter Warmer

Pyramid Seasonal Ale Snow Cap Winter Warmer:  The bottle states that this is a full bodied ale, and I have to agree. It has a stronger than normal intensity, but since the flavor is balanced, it is not offensive. Just strong… Like 7.0 ABV strong!

Ninkasi Seasonal Release Sleigher Dark Double Ale

Ninkasi Seasonal Release Sleigher Dark Double Ale:  I have never been a fan of the Ninkasi brews, so when my husband brought this home for me to try, I nearly smacked him over the head with it! However, I am not one to turn my nose up to giving a new beer a try, so that I did. And guess what? I actually LIKED it! You heard me right. Not a fan of either Ninkasi (in general, their brews are bitter to me) and neither do I care for many dark beers. This is both, and I absolutely LOVE the flavor profile and I would buy it again. I guess I owe my husband a special favor!

Henry Weinhard’s Private Reserve

Henry Weinhard’s Private Reserve:  I really enjoyed this beer, especially because it had an especially nutty finish. It was smooth, refreshing, easy to drink, and not offensive in the least. A perfect representation of how delicious lagers can be!

Henry Weinhard’s Hefeweizen

Henry Weinhard’s Hefeweizen: This brew has a wonderful bread-like quality to it, and virtually no bitterness that usually comes with wheat beers. I enjoyed it thoroughly, and the only complaint I have is that the carbonation was a bit excessive.  

Widmer Brothers BRRR Seasonal Ale - 2011

Widmer Brothers BRRR Seasonal Ale:  The beer that started off this blog for me last year! The bottle promises a bold hop flavor with a sweet candy finish…I got the bold hop flavor (a very citrusy one) but I did not get the sweet candy finish. It was drinkable, but for me it stops at a single beer, for I instantly taste a headache when I sip on this. 

Alaskan Winter Ale

Alaskan Winter Ale:  This is brewed with Spruce Tips according to the bottle, so I went into this expecting a very pine-needle tasting brew. Not so! I actually couldn’t detect any essence of needle bearing trees, and was actually rather pleased with the especially toasty finish it had!

Bridgeport Ebenezer Ale

Bridgeport Ebenezer Ale:  I cannot complain. For a heavy winter ale, the flavor was quite mellow, and I would have to say balanced too. I did not get any strong hoppy flavors, but I also did not detect any toasty maltiness either. The flavor was decent, and one was easy enough to get through. Probably would be more welcome by those who prefer harsher brews.

Monkshine Belgian Style Pale Ale

Monkshine Belgian Style Pale Ale:  This has a smooth, almost fruity quality to it. It vaguely resembles beer, but lacks any of the typical bitter/toasty undertones. It does have 6.8% ABV, so beware; it’ll sneak up on you!

Kona Brewing Co. Pipeline Porter

Kona Brewing Co. Pipeline Porter:  I am not a fan of porters. However, this one is really, really good! It is made with Hawaiian Kona Coffee, and the flavor is distinct, yet not bitter. It is a nice, toasty coffee flavor that is not heavy like the other dark beers I have had. This would be perfect to sip, on a chilly winter evening while sitting in front of the fireplace!

Red Hook Copper Hook

Red Hook Copper Hook:  This was full of flavor! It developed slight bitter notes upon first sip, followed by a delicious breadiness as it goes down. It leaves a lingering essence to tempt you back in for another taste.

Full Sail Wassail

Full Sail Wassail:  This is a very full bodied (read: STRONG!) but balanced brew. I do honestly prefer lighter beers, but this one was fine to sip on, and it does have a higher ABV than normal clocking in at 7.0%, so take your time tasting this one.