Oregon Beer Review # 1 – IPA from Burnside Brewing

The month of March is featuring reviews of Oregon beers that I brought back from one of my semi-regular jaunts to my hometown of Portland and to start, I cracked open an IPA from Burnside Brewing.

Here is what the brewery says about the beer, “Burnside IPA is our flagship brand on our sparkling new 15bbl system. An IPA with plenty of malt body and thoroughly hopped with 6 varieties of the herbaceous perennial. Expect to taste notes of pine & grapefruit in Jason’s first offering.”

The Beer Tasting Tool Kit

Hopefully, on our craft beer journey’s we all have been to a blind tasting. Personally, I love seeing how totally off base I usually am. And also by now, we probably have all had at least a tasting or two (informal or not) at home to show off some great beer we just got.

Now, there is a handy pre-made kit to help you do your own blind tasting at home. Check out the full story HERE at the Beervana blog (which is one of my daily reads)

from the cellar – Review # 3 Black Phoenix from Bootlegger’s

This is a younger aged cellar bottle. I purchased this back in October of last year and stashed it away to see what a “little” aging caused. Here is what I said back in October about Black Phoenix from Bootlegger’s Brewery in Fullerton, California.

“I was worried about the chipotle. usually pepper beers have too much of a heavy hand. This one is mild with some good coffee notes to it. Middle of the road but solid.” I gave it a 2.8 rating out of 5.

Now the review 3+ months later……

from the cellar – Review # 2 Monk’s Blood from 21st Amendment

The second cellar beer comes from 21st Amendment in San Francisco (though the beer was canned in Minnesota, I believe). It is Monk’s Blood.

I opened one can back in March of 2010 and gave it this review “Pours a lovely dark amber / brown color. predominant aroma is stone fruit which fades into fig then some other notes that I can’t pin down. taste is very strong. very warming initially. some vanilla notes. not tasting the oak or cinnamon at all. a well made beer but not to my taste”

Now, almost two years later, is my cellared version review….

Review – Surf Brewery Surf Patrol Black IPA

The last California beer to be reviewed this month comes from just up the coast and evokes the surfer lifestyle. It is Surf Patrol Black IPA from Ventura’s Surf Brewery.

Here are the details from their website:
“Our American Style Dark Ale features vibrant citrusy and floral American hops balanced against a complex malt profile of toasty dark malts with a hint of roasted barley. Just like an early morning surf session, once you start you keep going back.
16°P 67 IBU 37 SRM Alc.Vol. 6.5%”