Flavor is more unapologetically sour. So much so that I wouldn't actually call it a Gose. Still, it's a delightfully bright and refreshing sour wheat ale with lemon remaining front and center. The salt is more apparent on the palate than in the nose, and provides a nice balance to the acidity. No apparent hop character. For all its complex intensity, it's a delicately balanced beer and remarkably easy to throw back. Medium-thin body and lively carbonation. I find myself wishing I'd saved this to drink outdoors on a warm, sunny day. A more aggressive take on the style than I was expecting, but a pleasant and characterful interpretation that I enjoy more with every sip. This is one worth seeking out. Bravo, @cascadebrewing #beertography #craftbeer #beerchat #beerporn #pdx #cascade
@cascadebrewing Gose (sour barrel aged) from Portland, OR. Bright, hazy yellow. Dense head with medium retention. Wow. A lot going on here. Aroma is predominantly lemon with plenty of Brettanomyces funk behind it. Strong but not forceful. Ginger Ale and Squirt soda minus the corn syrup. Salt. A sharply tart sugary character that reminds me of Fun Dip. Earthy, woody, almost minty notes. A hint of allspice. And it's strange, but I'm getting a small tinge of something like unburnt incense, which may owe to the combination of the coriander and the barrel. 1/2 #beerchat #craftbeer #beerporn #beertography
We couldn't find the image for the @steamworksbeer Great Pumpkin Ale so here's a driving picture @emily.fleck took last week instead. The notes on the bottle call the color "Autumn Sunset". I'd say this qualifies. Aroma is dry for a pumpkin ale, which is fine with me. Nothing too aggressive. Earthy, warm pumpkin pie spices lead with low bready malt underneath. Flavor is malt just on the sweet side with a perceptible caramel. Slight sting of hop bitterness and spices. Finish opens up into deep, balanced tones with notable roasted gourd. Well done. #beerchat #craftbeer
Surprisingly, cucumber is dominant in the flavor. It's well-attenuated, cleanly fermented. The beer itself is flavorful, but nothing so intense as to steal the spotlight from the cuke. Effervescent finish. Quenching but elegant. Really a fantastic beer, @steamworksbeer ; our six pack disappeared quickly. 2/2 #beerchat #craftbeer
@steamworksbeer Killer Cucumber Ale. Bright hazy gold (some wheat in this). Even just the nose is refreshing. Aroma is firm but balanced citrusy Northwest hops with bright clear cucumber underneath. It's got a bit of Belgian witbier in the nose, too. 1/2 #beerchat #craftbeer #vancouver
Em (@emily.fleck ) recently was in Vancouver BC for a conference and managed to sneak in a visit at @steamworksbeer before heading back stateside. She brought back a few bottles that we'll share right here. Photo from the Grouse Grind, a popular hike in North Vancouver that kicked Em's ass.
Flavor is cranberry sauce, ginger ale, kumquat, faint pie crust, underripe melon, bitter orange peel. Scouring, carbonic finish. Not my favorite from Heretic, but pleasantly quaffable. 2/2
@hereticbrewing Petit Rouge. 1/2 Teetering between bright ruby red and orange. Pale pink spritzy head which dissipates quickly. Sharp, tart, floral, estery aroma. Very little malt. Cranberry. Orange and lemon zest.
The bottles from our #Oktoberfest tasting tonight, in tasting order. Ben liked the Spaten and Sierra Nevada best (though he was of course bummed about the skunkiness of the former). Biggest disappointment was the Warsteiner. #beerchat #craftbeer
Last beer for the night, the Sierra Nevada #Oktoberfest. This is a very fresh beer, so it must have been brewed stateside (even though the taste is quite German). It's more bitter than all the others, but that's likely because of the freshness as well. The initial brightness fades into dense fundamental maltiness. Just a tinge of sweetness. It's toasty but not bready. Clean as fuck, and well attenuated: something to drink by the liter. Ben says "I haven't had German lagers IN Germany, but I would image this is how they taste before traveling a third across the world to get to us." In a word: Delightful. #beerchat #craftbeer
This is Odell #Oktoberfest. We both observed this one as more American: more highly carbonated, mineral water-y, and overall brighter/sharper in taste. Ben wondered aloud if Northwest hops might have been used. It's got a well-attenuated, toasty malt backbone. Bright fruity notes, slightly thinner-bodied than the style would suggest. Ben finds it tasty, but it screams "American!" Kinda like jorts and running shoes that never actually run whilst visiting the Louvre. #beerchat #craftbeer
We had to bring it inside; the mosquitoes were devouring us! Anyway. Now we're drinking Spaten's #Oktoberfest. Color is on point (nice to be back), though you might not be able to tell from this image. Flavor is full, rich, and bready, and while the hops are more apparent in this version than the first three, it's still low, and it's well within range of the style. Clean fermentation is apparent and it has a solid mouthfeel. @emily.fleck says this has the most yeast-forward flavors of the bunch this far. Ben concurs. It's very obviously German. Highly drinkable. BUT. There's a bit of skunk! Damn you, green bottle. #beerchat #craftbeer
