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  • Frosty 10:42 am on February 15, 2010 Permalink | Reply  

    New Belgium Frambozen – Fruit. Beer. Actually Yummy. 

    I will go on record as saying my mind is open to fruity beer. On that day I had the first Stumptown Tart, a whole new world of fruit brewed beer opened up to me. I was amazed and ready to experience beer life anew in this new world of taste. And then it all came crashing down as I tried horrible attempt after horrible attempt at getting anything even drinkable. Hey guys, juice poured into beer tastes like … juice poured into beer.

    So it was with some trepidation that I sat down with my on again off again lover, New Belgium, to try their latest fruit beer concoction. The first thing I noticed was the audaciousness of it. This wasn’t your standard “gonna try it but not commit” 22 oz, but rather a full on 6 pack of bottles. Buying a six pack of something like this is a real commitment of trust between the brewer and the buyer. As in, this better be good, or there will be 5 unused bottled flying through the air toward Fort Collins.

    Thankfully, due to a sale at the beer swiller, I took that leap of faith, and brought home a 6 pack. Now, home, I popped one open and braced myself. I was ready for tang, I was ready for yuck, but what I wasn’t ready for was….what the hey, this is good! It was a nice mellow brown ale, with a raspberry flavor that complimented it, without punching your tastebuds with a “HEY IM RASPBERRY, TASTE ME!”. In the summer time, sipping a beer in the shade by the grill, this Ale would be a perfect easy drinker; an ideal fruity escape from the cheap boxed wine your neighbor brings to the 4th of July party.

    It is a bit sweet, so one a day certainly was enough (still not quite sure about the 6 pack thing), but I must tip my hat to old NB for making something that did the fruit beer world proud.

     
  • Frosty 8:08 pm on August 29, 2009 Permalink | Reply  

    Drink-O-Rama 2: Dogfish Head Midas Touch 

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    Having missed the Oregon Brewfest this year, SwillJockey and I felt like perhaps we had cheated a bit, and in the interest of not losing our “beer snob” cards, we decided it would be best to grab a collection of brews, and do the second edition of our patented Drink-O-Rama. This years round of 8 new beers, included some foreign, some fruity, and some just plain nasty. One of the worst even counted as all three. For the next eight days, I’ll be highlighting each of the beers we dared ourselves to drink. When complete, you will understand the depths we go through to report things on this website.

    midasFirst up was a crazy little number from the folks at Dogfish Head called Midas Touch. I had seen this beer in the aisle before, but never thought to actually pick it up. Why? I’ll let the description on the bottle tell you: “Handcrafted Ancient Ale with barley, honey, white muscat grapes, and saffron.” Yeah that. The brewers claim it is the oldest known beer(?) recipe. All I can say, is that there is a reason that our ancestors stopped making it. Ew. Frankly, I just couldn’t get over the taste. Somewhere between grape juice, beer, and gross. This one got the abominal one swish sinker from both SwillJockey and I. I suppose on a different day I could have had the whole thing, but at this point I was still sober. The ladies liked it for some reason, but then, there is no accounting for taste. They married us after all.

    Notes from the peanut gallery:

    Drunk Comments Score
    Ivana Goodbeer Its beer, no wine….no beer….wine 3
    Frosty Ugh, now I know what burnt grapes taste like. *sink pour* 1
    Mrs. SwillJockey Fruity, with definate grape undertones *Frosty groans* 3
    SwillJockey *sips* Augh…moldy! *sinkpour* 1

    Average score: 2.0. Tomorrow, we continue our fruit beer adventure with Sam Adams…

     
    • Ivana Goodbeer 1:50 pm on August 30, 2009 Permalink

      I think, if you are expecting a robust ‘beer’ taste, then it would seem nasty. But if you were expecting something along the lines of a beer flavored wine cooler, then you wouldn’t be disappointed. I’d drink it again… perhaps with a fish dinner.

  • Another Pint Please! 2:05 pm on July 23, 2009 Permalink | Reply  

    New Grist Beer by Lakefront Brewery, Inc. 

    sorghumToday was a day of “firsts”.  The first time I ever posted a beer review and the first time I ever tried a beer made from sorghum and rice.   Billed as a “crisp and refreshing session beer”, it was crisp, reasonably refreshing, and not quite like any other beer I’ve ever tasted.   However, before even tasting it, I was struck by the brew’s unnusually floral scent.  The crisp quality of the beer was also a secondary characteristic to the beer’s spicy finish, which was initally somewhat distracting.   I can’t say that the experience was unpleasant but I was happy to limit my “session” to a single bottle.

    If popularity were the best way to judge a beer then Bud and Corona would be at the top of everyone’s list.  Just the same, there is probably a reason why you don’t see more sorghum and rice beers.  I’ll try almost anything once and I wouldn’t want to steer anyone away from trying this beer either.   As a new experience it was worth the price of the bottle.  But if it’s an acquired taste, I’ll probably never find out.

     
    • Ivana Goodbeer 3:01 pm on July 23, 2009 Permalink

      I had a sip of it and thought it tasted similar to a red. Nice post!

    • Frosty 3:51 pm on July 23, 2009 Permalink

      Welcome to the party APP! Excellent first post. Even if your tastes are questionable, I encourage a continued flourish of witty reviews. :)

  • Frosty 12:26 pm on July 1, 2009 Permalink | Reply  

    Stumptown Tart II: Not Empire Strikes Back, but better than Temple of Doom 

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    It’s always a little scary to go into a sequel when you loved the original so much. As you may remember, the original Stumptown Tart still holds as my favorite beer of all time. So when I heard they were remaking it with a new formula, I was super hesitant. I was also however super impatient, so without waiting for it make it to the local store, I drove downtown to pick up a bunch of bottles from the Bridgeport Brewery. (Before I go on, I would like to point out that buying beer at the brewery is ridiculously cheaper than buying it at the store. Still love you — Belmont Station!)

    So I fired up the BBQ, poured a bottle into a cool glass, and took a sip. Now, when I went to the new Star Trek movie last week (awesome!), it took a while to really get into it, because I had to put out of my mind the movies and shows that had come before it, and accept it on its own (Winona Ryder?). This beer was much the same. I finished the whole bottle, but actually refused to do any reviewing at all until I had a second bottle (not right away…geez I’m not that much of a drunk).

    It was after finishing off the second bottle with Grandpa Goodbeer that I decided this beer had really come into its own. It’s a cherry wheat, which if Sam Adams is any indication, can be done very, very wrong. Luckily, Bridgeport knows how to do what so very few brewers do, and that is to make a fruit beer that doesn’t feel like you are getting a swirly in a beer tinged fruit salad. This stuff is great. The fruit is really low key, and the aged ale gives just the tiniest hint of sourness.

    The only downside was reported by the wife, who had a real problem with the smell of the beer … which to be honest did have a hint of ‘wet dog’. Luckily I’m a mouth breather with allergy congestion, so this issue evaded me. Still, I figured I’d mention it just to warn you ’smell endowed’ folks.

    In all, although ST2 isn’t quite the elixir of love its predecessor was, its still a super awesome beer. Not Wrath of Khan, but way better than Matrix Revolutions. Movie analogies now exhausted, it’s further proof that Bridgeport is the ‘awesomest of awesome’ craft brewery around.

     
    • SwillJockey 2:12 pm on July 13, 2009 Permalink

      I wasn’t put off by the smell, in fact I didn’t notice anything off-putting about it.

      I’m still torn on which of the two is better. I’m leaning towards Stumptown II currently though. Stumptown I was a bit of a challenge to drink, a good challenge, while Stumptown II is tasty, interesting, and easy to drink. It’s a great combination.

  • Frosty 8:45 pm on March 9, 2009 Permalink | Reply  

    Pyramid Blueberry Oatmeal Stout. Its blueberry. 

    100_4536Its 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.

     
  • Frosty 8:03 am on March 6, 2009 Permalink | Reply  

    Laughing Buddha Mango Weizen. What’s so funny? 

    Insert Jelly Bean into Beer. Stir.

    There you go. I just gave you the recipe for Laughing Buddha Mango Weizen. Wanna talk sweet? Holy cow. This beer is funny in that it didn’t actually taste bad per se. It was just that it was so overpoweringly sweet and… semi-fruity that I just couldn’t drink. The fruit itself itsn’t even real fruit. It is to fruity flavor as grape Bubble Yum is to real grapes.

    So in short. Blech. If you are looking for somehting fun to try that won’t make to cringe or vomit, go for it. But if you want a beer you can actually drink, walk on by.

    And for the obligatory Buddha reference, here is a zen koan for you. ‘If it goes from the bottle to the sink, is it really a beer at all?” Meditate.

     
  • Frosty 9:51 pm on February 20, 2009 Permalink | Reply  

    Lost Coast Raspberry Brown – Fruit gone wrong. 

    Fruity beers can go one of two ways. An awesome brew of fruity flavor, ala Stumptown Tart, or a nasty, syrup tinged nightmare like Lost Coast Raspberry Brown. I mean this stuff is terrible. What would possess them to make something that tastes like Raspberry Syrup poured into Brown Ale is beyond me. I assume there is a Brown Ale in there somewhere, but its hard to tell past the pucker.

    Because Lost Coast’s Downtown Brown is so good, I will chalk this one up to the brewers having too many evenings over in “herbal” Aracata. Now that i think about it, I guess that explains the wrappers.

     
    • joebarstow 1:51 pm on March 30, 2009 Permalink

      Hmmm. I had this ale last night at the bullpen and thought it was very refreshing! although I only had a few sips and gave the rest to my girlfriend who enjoys rasberry sweet stuff. Anyway, this deserves 2 mugs at least!

    • Frosty 6:57 pm on March 30, 2009 Permalink

      To be fair, the bottle I drank looked like it had been sitting around for a while. For a reason maybe?

  • Frosty 9:10 pm on May 14, 2008 Permalink | Reply  

    Chris McGowen brews beer 

    This is Chris McGowen. Everyday that you go to work and your computer doesn’t die a horrible death from viruses and botnets (assuming you use McAfee), you should be thanking Chris.

    Personally, every time I’m thirsty and am looking for solid alcoholic beverage to chill with on the patio, I thank Chris. Cause by golly, does this guy brew some tasty beer. Not just tasty, but in a true nod to the comfort in his manliness, a fruity beer. Very fruity, and perfect for a warm evening BBQ, or for boozing up your lady for a night of lovin’.

    Chris’s entry was a tasty ruby ale that we at the Goodness have name “Ruby McGowen”. The name makes me think of one of those waitresses you’d order pie from in a Texas diner. Sweet, but with a hint of sharpness if you push her. In this case, Ruby had a cool, sharp flavor on first sip, then went down with a mellow fruitiness.

    And unlike some fruity beers I’ve had, it had no sugary aftertaste to sicken the palette. (McMenamins!!) All in all a worthy brew that I hope I can con Chris into giving me some more of.

    As an aside, I would like to acknowledge my restraint on not making a joke after I wrote the words “went down with a mellow fruitiness”, as well as give a mild taunt to the one called “Jilot”. Mr Packer, along with Chris himself, claimed that Ruby was overly “heady”. Well my friends, take a look at the picture of this pour. I call it skill. Or perhaps a testament to how much I drink…

     
    • Skylark 8:59 am on May 16, 2008 Permalink

      I also had a chance to sample Mr. McGowen’s Ruby brew. I would have called it Ruby Brewsday or something, but I like e the whole Ruby McGowen sweet and sassy waitress idea.

      As a fan of McMeniman’s Rubinator (Ruby + Terminator) this ruby found a good balance between sweet and stout.

  • Frosty 9:16 pm on April 25, 2008 Permalink | Reply  

    Stumptown Tart … sweet sweet candy 

    For a change, before buying this, I actually felt with it and hip. If it hadn’t been for some pressing home matters, I would actually have been at the “release” for this brew. Or at least the tasting. So much was my surprise when I went by the wall of beer and saw a nice big bottle of Stumptown Tart sitting there. I mean look at her, how could you not grab that bottle.

    In stark contrast to Walt’s testosterone fueled bottle art, this label not only wouldn’t kick your ass, but would most likely do something entirely different to it. But since this site needs to stay SFW, let’s move on.

    The first pour of this told me how good it was going to be. The color alone was inspiring. Ruby-purple. I mean come on. I may be gushing a little too much because I just drank the whole big bottle, but I loved this beer. It takes fruity to the next level.  In all fairness, it’s probably closer to a lambic than an actual “beer”, but its damn good. It’s like drinking an alcoholic carbonated fruit juice.

    My only semi-complaint about it, which may seem sort of nit picky, is that the serving size is too big. Because of the size of the bottle, and the desire not to have flat gross day old beer, you feel compelled to drink the whole thing. But man, is that a lot of sweet. I like a good tart as much as the next guy, but there can be too much of a good thing (chaffing?).

    Still, super kudos goes to Bridgeport, who currently hold a 6 and a 5 on this site. I’ve been wary in the past since they sell beer at Trader Joes … but hey, everyone is allowed one mistake in life. With this and Haymaker, Bridgeport have climbed the mantle and can now hold on to the coveted “Frosty’s Official Portland Brewery” medal.

    In closing, I bid you all to key an eye out for this sweet tart. And when you find her, grab her gently, take her top off, and wrap your mouth around … uh, er … you get the idea.

     
  • Frosty 9:30 pm on April 11, 2008 Permalink | Reply  

    Eisbock – At least the bottle is shiny 

    Before I begin, I would like to point out that written on this label are the words: “Original Bayrisch Gfrorns”. Preach on, shiny nonsensical bottle, preach on.

    Trips to the store with Lil’ Frosty have proven fruitful in the past, so as I stood confused at the wall of beer, I once again deferred to the toddler for my ticket to inebriation.

    “Get that shiny one!”, I was told. Putting my faith in the hands of someone who eats boogers, I picked up the overly shiny bottle and brought it home.

    My first impression was that someone spent a lot of time on this label. Some like, say, Liberace. I do applaud it though. Despite the garishness, there is something appealing about a bottle that takes risks, and isn’t afraid to adorn itself with nonsensical sentences.

    Unfortunately, the cliche’ about “overcompensating” proves itself true here again. I honestly didn’t quite know what to make of the beer itself. It was a bit overly fruity, but not too offensive, and thankfully was pretty free of cheek smash. But despite that generic assessment I just gave, the only way I could describe it was that I just didn’t like it. You’d think that something with virtually no hop flavor would be a big hit for me, but alas. It was like the anti-Easy Drinkin’ beer. By the time I was 3/4 of the way through it I had to pour it out.

    I found myself having to force it down, drinking it had become a chore. Like that time in college when the beer goggles wore off, but you still weren’t ‘there’…not that I’ve had any experience with that sort of thing…

     
    • SwillJockey 11:49 am on April 13, 2008 Permalink

      There is something delightfully tacky about that label, but you should have known better than to choose beer based on “bling”.

      Bad Beer Swiller, no brew for you!

      -Beer Nazi

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