Holy Bourbon Batman! Full Sail Top Sail Porter
I’ve had a few bourbon barrel beers in my time. Usually, the brewer has the courtesy to pour out the bourbon before making the beer in it. That doesn’t appear to be the case here, cause one sip of this and you’ll be “WOW, Bourbon!”. Whether that produces a smile or a cringe is up to your particular tastes. For me, it was an instant ‘alcohol shiver’. This bourbon flavor in this stuff is strong. Real strong.
Now don’t get the wrong impression here. I’m not saying its bad, because it certainly isn’t. I had two bottles of the stuff myself. This may even be the beer that you can get your “I only drink real alcohol” snob buddies to drink. I just wanted to make sure and give you all a heads up about what to expect, and to give you an idea of how much your breath will smell like a boozy hobo when you’re done. Salud!
I have a dream. The dream, is that someday I will be able to pour a “pumpkin beer” that actually tastes like pumpkin. In the good “pie” way, not the “some kid kicked in my jack-o-lantern and now its rotting on my porch” variety. Sure, plenty of breweries release fall ales claiming to be pumpkin-y. Without having tried them, you would think that they would be so funky and flavorful that no honest beer drinker could take it. But you’d be wrong. You see, the problem is that no one seems to be able to brew a pumpkin beer that actually tastes ENOUGH like pumpkin. An ale is an ale, but when it claims to be themed, and it tastes like … well, an ale … it just sort of leaves you wanting. Like getting raisins when you trick or treat.
Brian is discussing. 
This is a strange post for me. Normally, I sit here and comment how beer I don’t like is brewed of the devil, and only suitable for cleaning the sink. So here I sit today instead, having just had a beer that truthfully I didn’t like. And yet… I don’t have anything bad to say.
So, this is what I get for daring to exercise. A while back, I got the running bug (as I do every decade or so), ran a road race, overdid it, aggravaged a long-dormant case of asthma (not seen since high school), wound up on medication, and had to give up nasty petrochemical-brew malt liquors for a few weeks. As my return to form, I decided to try a beer as close to Easter candy as possible.
Its Blueberry! In Beer! This tastes exactly like it sounds it would. Not terrible, not awesome. Its fruit. In beer. And yes, I know it says “Buffalo Bills” or whatever. But the side of the label says Pyramid brewed it for them. No cheating.
Swill Jockey, and 
Brian 9:22 pm on November 23, 2009 Permalink
I found this at The Beermongers and bought it on the basis of Klickitat Street being the fictional home of Henry Huggins, and I loved Beverly Cleary books growing up. And also, when I moved to Portland from Alameda County California, I was amazed to discover that the street is not fictional, and really exists in North Portland. Meanwhile, I was confused when I saw Alameda beers here, which I never saw in Alameda. So, it all comes together in this beer, which I found delightful. When I see some obscure brewery’s pale ale I brace myself for hop overload, but this has a cream soda smoothness that makes good friends with the floral and bitter flavors.