Freddie's Beer Fridge

While I was there I took back some bottles that had been piling up. After waiting in line with 6 other people while the attendant tried to get more than 3 of 4 of the machines working I vowed to lobby the state legislature to change our bottle return system. But that’s another post.

After staring at the wall of beer with what must have been an expression of pure agony, I settled on a 4 pack of Dogfish 90 minute IPA. The box said, “Quite possibly the best IPA in America” or something like that so I figured it had to be good.

Next stop was dinner. We’ve been driving by a local Ochoa (Mexican cart) for weeks and remarking about how many people  were there at all hours of the night. I decided Tacos Lupitas would be my source for bachelor nourishment.

Tacos Lupitas

On the corner of 87th and Beaverton Hillsdale Highway the location is less than ideal. It’s nestled between a pawn shop, an eyeglass repair shop, and a place called “Private Rendezvous” that deals in erotic massage. I’m not sure what people thought when the Skylark rumbled in but a couple thumbs-up made me feel welcome.

Once home I queued up Richard Pryor Live from the Sunset Strip, opened the Dogfish 90 minute IPA, and dug in to my Carne Asada tacos. The meat was subpar but the salsas, grilled onions and peppers, and pico de gallo was amazing.

Psst… Story time is over, here’s the review!

As for the Dogfish 90 Min IPA, it was like nothing I had ever tasted. To call it an IPA merely hints at the experience. At it’s heart, the 90 min is an IPA. The taste is driven by the hoppy goodness I love about IPAs. However, that is just the beginning. The taste builds to resemble something more akin to a bourbon or whiskey. It kind of resembles  a barrel aged beer but the taste is more complex and goes well beyond a hint.

The final sip revealed only one inevitable flaw. That would be alcohol content (9%, probably more). After two I was pretty much done. Not trashed, but pretty darn close. Maybe I’m a lightweight but damn, this beer kicked my ass. Of course, that only means that my brain now has a pavlovian chemical association with the 90 that will only make me love it more.

A few weeks ago I had the 60 minute (almost blogged about it!) and although the two beers share a few syllables, they are much different. I still got the impression I was going to be trashed after a couple, but they really stood alone. I guess that is why they make two versions.

So, one beer in the Freddie’s fridge down and a couple hundred more to go. Tonight Deschutes Brewery’s Red Chair IPA is queued up. I think I might review it too, but don’t bet on it.

—Skylark

In part one I’ll cover my favorite of the three; the Ninkasi Tricerahops Double IPA. But first, a little background on Ninkasi and my introduction to it.

I first heard of Ninkasi at John Barleycorn’s tavern in Tigard. I sat at the local McMenaman’s with my friend Ken listening to him, a fellow beer connoisseur, rant about how mediocre McMenaman’s beer is. Personally, I’ve never had a problem with a nice Rubinator (Terminator and Ruby) but I have encountered some interesting flavors in the past. In the end, I respect Ken’s opinion and like him, will continue to drink the swill the McMenemin brothers are serving.

As we were talking, Ken motioned to a nearby table interested in the conversation taking place. Evidently, the table guests were made up of some McMeniman’s big-wigs and the brewmaster from Ninkasi. Ken wondered what they could be talking about and pondered who it would be better for, McMenemin’s or Ninkasi. After a few minutes Jamie Floyd, Ninkasi brewmaster and owner, came over and said hi to Ken. Being fellow Eugenians they had met before. I was struck by how Jamie talked about his brews. He described them the way an artist talks about a series of paintings. He described them with beauty and vision. I had to try his beer. Its taken a few months and an especially painful close call at the Ship (in Multnohmah Village) but Frosty delivered Ninkasi to my doorstep.

So how does it taste damn it! Tricerahops Double IPA doesn’t disappoint. The first thing that took me was the complexity of the flavor. Hops for sure, but not just hops. Many brewers think they can create a great IPA  just by doubling or tripling the hops. Lagunitas and Rogue have been able to do it successfully but most fail with thundering cheek-smash.

Ninkasi Tricerahops Double IPA is a work of art.

I’ve tried a few of their varied selection, many of which are not always available, but their Hop On Imperial IPA is delicious. A lot of IPAs try to out-hop the competition at the cost of drinkability. Hop On delivers that satisfying hoppiness but with a long, smooth taste. It had an effervescent finish that tickled the nose and made me want to pick the glass up and take another drink right away.

On the beer menu under Hop-O, it says, “Ted Dignan, regular, wife will not allow him to drink on weekdays.” After two, I can see why. Lots of gravity.

Anywhoo, the only downside to the trip was that pretty much everyone down there drinks Coors Lite. Another downside is that I had to come home early while the family stayed to enjoy the beauty which is Santa Barbara County. Of course, when we have lemons we make lemonade.

I went up to New Seasons, got myself a New York steak, some Walla Walla sweet onions, red potatoes, baby greens, and a pint of Green Flash Brewing Co., Imperial India Pale Ale. Then I came home and made myself one of the best meals I’ve ever had. I caramelized the onions according to a variation of Frosty’s recipe (olive oil, chipotle pomegranate sauce), grilled the potatoes and the steak to perfection. The result was amazing.

The beer was a perfect compliment. Although super-hoppy, I didn’t get the expected bite. It was surprisingly smooth and packed a punch. The coolest thing was that after the bees chased me inside, I turned on the television to watch Reno 911 (the movie) and found nothing other than the end of RED DAWN. Hell yeah. Watched Charlie Sheen and Patrick Swayze die and then laughed my ass off with Reno 911.