Saturday, November 28, 2009

Diamond Knot Brown Now On Sale!


Diamond Knot's Brown Ale won last weeks contest and is now on sale at The Beer Authority. Supplies were demolished at the pre-Thanksgiving rush but there are still several bottles left! Make sure you pick up a bottle before the sale ends at closing on Tuesday 12/1/09...

Diamond Knot Brown: Is a beautiful deep amber/brown in color, reminiscent of the most noblest of not only American, but also Bristish Browns. The complex malty flavor comes from the 6 distinct grains that make up the grain bill. Add a Willamette hop finish, and you get a brew that compliments any occasion.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Show No Mercy! SleighR is at The Beer Authority


Ninkasi's new Dark Double Alt is a refreshing change from the standard Strong Ales and Imperial Stouts we see during the holiday season. SleighR, with the type font reminiscent of the heavy metal band Slayer's albums, is malty and roasty with a crisp finish.

Ok, tasting notes...the nose is toasty and it pours a medium brown color with a thin, beige head. Excellent lacing as I could track each gulp after finishing the pint. Somewhere just shy of a hint of coffee and definitely roasty the flavor was pleasing. Checking in at 7.2% abv there was no chance alcohol would interfere with the taste yet quickly gave me that "winter warming" feeling. The finish is what you would expect from fermenting at low temperatures- crisp and clean.

The SleighR, although named a "Dark, Double Alt", is actually a Sticke Alt (Secret Alt)-a style brewed by many German breweries for the holiday seasons. Most Sticke's are darker and higher in alcohol and this one is no exception. We will definitely be stocking this one all winter...

Monday, November 2, 2009

Tuesday Taste 11/03/09

I typically stay away from the big sticky's during the summer - it's just too hot for a huge hop and malt bomb. But now that the weather has turned, and especially now that it's Tuesday and the weekend is so far away, I've gone back to the staple of my winter months - Double IPA's. The tasting, as mentioned in the email, came about as a result of a visit to the Pike Brewpub. I have always dug the ambiance of the Pike and yesterday was no exception. They always hit the trifecta - great beers, great service and lot's of shit to read on the walls...

Here's today's taste:

Pike Double IPA: Pike Double IPA is a golden hued beauty in the glass. Weighing in at 8% alcohol and 80+ IBU’s it is strong yet balanced. It features Columbus; Chinook; Centennial; Cascade; and Amarillo hops - and is dry hopped with Amarillo and Columbus giving the beer a wonderful aromatic nose. Balanced and drinkable are the key words - like all Pike Beers.

Lagunitas Hop Stoopid:
(I copied this verbatim from their website) So Hoppy that it threatens to remove the enamel from one's teeth.

Stone Ruination:
So called because of the immediate ruinous effect on your palate. 100+ IBUs. Bracingly bitter. Thick, pungent hop aroma. We would say that no hops were injured in the brewing of this beer, but that would be a massive lie. In fact, the words "Stone Ruination IPA" are what older hop vines use to cause little hop vines to quiver with fright and lose sleep at night . We at Stone honor the brutal massacre of countless hops with this "Liquid poem to the glory of the hop!" Paganism at its best!