Alaskan Brewing Company- Black India Pale Ale

I have always been a big fan of Alaskan Brewing Company based out of Juneau, Alaska.  I was in Juneau in 2002 and had my first Alaskan Amber Ale at the Red Dog Saloon while I was there!  What a great bar!  I did not get to tour the brewery while I was there, but hopefully I will on my next visit.  I hated the idea of leaving Juneau with the typical tourist-trap crap that everybody else buys.  The last think I wanted was a t-shirt that said Juneau with the silhouette of a wolf head or something cheesy like that....so I bought an Alaskan Amber Ale t-shirt.....although it is a work shirt, I still have it!

I saw this Black India Pale Ale (IPA) at Ray's Food Place and thought I would give it a try with dinner tonight.

Alaskan Black IPA is 6.4% alcohol by volume.  It poured from a 12 ounce bottle to a pint glass with a very dark color.  It had a nice tan head and laced the glass nicely.

There is a nice, sharp, hoppy start followed with a roasted malt that I enjoyed.  This IPA was also a little smokey.  It definitely has notes of coffee and bitter chocolate. It was a little like a hopped porter.

This IPA is quite drinkable....a nice collision of hops and malt....Alaskan Black IPA is a definite winner!

Bear Republic Brewing Company- Racer 5 India Pale Ale

Greetings!  What a beautiful evening to review a nice, crisp IPA!  I'm relaxing outside with a pint of Bear Republic Brewing Company's India Pale Ale and a halved garlic-lime chicken over briquettes in the barbecue....it has been a nice three day weekend to say the least!  Just waiting to see if we can see the solar eclipse.

Bear Republic is located in Healdsburg, California...right in wine country.  I visited the brewery and restaurant at the suggestion of my friend, Aimee, a few years back.  I will pick up a Racer 5 IPA a couple times per year.  I picked this bottle up at Gooseberries today.

Racer 5 IPA poured from a 22 ounce bottle to a pint glass with a cooper color.  The alcohol by volume is 7.0%.  It had a minimal head that did not last long.  The lacing on the glass nice.  This is not a very floral IPA , but it is hoppy.

This IPA has a medium amount of carbonation with a malty citrus, pine flavor.  I find it to be a nice  and refreshing ale for a warm evening.

***Pause, had to turn the chicken on the BBQ***

Alright, I'm back.....the chicken looks and smells great....so to recap, this is a great, light IPA with hints of citrus and and pine.  Great hoppy bite up front with a nice, malty follow up.   This probably isn't my favorite IPA, but it rates high.  Maybe it  just takes me back to a great trip to wine country and the cabin I stayed in on the Russian River.  That was a great trip to Healdsburg, Calistoga, Napa and the Sonoma area.  My wife and I went down in 2006 with my young son and sister, Jill.  We stayed in a cabin owned by my friend Aimee's family.  In addition to dinner and beers at Bear Republic, we went to Schramsberg Vineyards in the Calistoga area.  It was fun calling up and making reservations....."Daniel Schram, party of four for a catacomb tour........Yes, Schram,   S-c-h-r-a-m, no relation......"

Cinco De Mayo!

Remember, friends don't let friends drink bad Mexican beers!  If you do want a Mexican beer though, Dos Equis Amber with lime is really good.....

Widmer Brother Brewing Company -W'12 Dark Saison

I am reviewing Widmer Brother Brewing Company's seasonal W'12 Dark Saison.  I had never tried a saison-style beer before.  It came in a Widmer Brothers sample pack....Hef, IPA, Drifter and this saison.  Saisons are also classified as Farmhouse ales. 

"Saison" is French for season, because these ales were traditionally brewed in the autumn or winter^[for consumption during the late summer harvest for farm workers throughout the workday during harvest season. Today they are brewed year round. As the saison-style originated before the advent of refrigeration, Belgian brewers had to brew in autumn or winter to prevent the ale from spoiling during the storage period. After brewing, the ale was stored until the late summer harvest. The ale had to be strong to prevent spoilage during the long storage, but at the same time could not be so strong as to incapacitate the workers. Additionally, these beers were strongly hopped, as hops act as a preservative and have antiseptic properties. Saisons brewed in early Spring would often be blended with saisons brewed the previous Autumn.

It poured into a pint glass with red-copper color.  There was not much head.  I noticed a smoked, malty aroma.  The taste was unusual.  I could not tell if I liked or disliked it.  There was a strong flavor of roasted grain....a nice carbonated bite to it with a definite fruity flavor.  The aftertaste is strong.

I enjoyed this beer oddly enough.  I did not love it, but it was different enough to keep me interested.  If you a new to the world of microbrews, you probably will not like this style of beer.

Arizona Microbrew Sampler-Four Peaks Brewing Co., Oak Creek Brewing Co., and The Grand Canyon Brewing Co.

My wife Renda made homemade macaroni and cheese with sliced up Taylor's Sausage uncured (Nitrate and Nitrite free) hot dogs for dinner tonight.  It seemed like a perfect night to sample three different Arizon micro brews that our friend Nicci brought back with her from her trip to the desert.  They were all good and all very different....a Scottish-Style Ale, Nut Brown Ale and an Amber Ale.

I have never seen any of these micro brews in the cooler of any Oregon stores, but I will give a brief review of each.

Four Peaks Brewing Company-  Tempe, Arizona

Kilt Lifter Scottish-Style Ale.  6.0% Alcohol/Volume.

This beer poured from a 12 ounce bottle into a pint with a very copper color.  It had a sweet aroma, but was not very sweet tasting.  This was a very hoppy ale and very crisp on the tongue.  The effervescence was the most refreshing thing about this ale. A slightly malty finish.  I really enjoyed this beer.....maybe a little thin, but very clean.


Oak Creek Brewing Company-  Sedona, Arizona

Nut Brown Ale.  5.5% Alcohol/Volume.

This Nut Brown Ale poured from a 12 ounce bottle into a pint with a dark-copper color.  This ale had a very malty, bready aroma.  It had a very minimal head.  This ale had a very strong coffee flavor and a hint of caramel.  This was a malty, nutty and smooth ale. This ale was not really robust, but was a little heavy.  It could use a bit more hops...very malty, yeasty beer.

The Grand Canyon Brewing Company- Williams, Arizona

Sunset Amber Ale

This Amber Ale poured from a 12 ounce bottle into a pint amber,copper color.  It was a little malty-sweet for me.  It did have some hop bitterness though, which I like.  This amber ale was alright.....nothing special though.  Again, it was a bit too sweet for me.

Of the three different brews, I preferred the Four Peaks Brewing Company's Kilt Lifter.  Renda picked this as her favorite as well.  Thanks again Nicci!  It was fun trying something different!

Eel River Brewing Company- Certified Organic I.P.A.



My wife was at the local organic store and picked up a bottle of Eel River Brewing Company's Certified Organic I.P.A. for me to review.  Eel River Brewing Company is located in Northern California and is very environmentally minded and strives for sustainability.

This Certified Organic I.P.A. comes in a brown, 1 pint, 6 ounce bottle and is 7.2% ABV.  It poured an amber, copperish color with a descent head. 

A very mild hop start, malty with a terrible aftertaste.  It is hard to describe and frankly, a bit traumatic to recount.  It seemed to get worse as it warmed up and was actually hard to finish.

I was impressed with the fact that this I.P.A. was organic and really wanted to like it.  However, I would not recommend this beer to anybody.  Sorry, Eel River....thumbs down.

Topeak Joe Blow Sport II Floor Pump

I recently upgraded my bike pump to the Topeak Joe Blow Sport II Floor Pump.  It is much nicer than the standard floor pump you had as a kid....you know the kind, with the fold down base....

The Joe Blow Sport II has a nice large handle and a large stable base.  I also like that the pump is bright yellow....if your garage can get anything like mine, yellow will help it stand out amongst the recycling, kids bikes, tools, etc!

The  Joe Blow Sport II comes with a dual-sided head for presta and schrader valves.  Some reviewers have complained that it is hard to get a good seal, I have not had that problem though.  They have also said that the head is a little large.  I could see that being a problem for certain bikes.....kids bikes especially.

I really like the built in gauge and storage area for a ball neddle and attachment for inflating pool toys and small rafts.  After attaching the pump, you get a reading of your current tire pressure.

For the price, you can not beat this pump.  It is easy to get really expensive...but for about 30 bucks, you can't go wrong.  If you are interested in this pump, follow this link to Amazon.