Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Northstar Merlot 2004

Picked this up on a really good sale yesterday and cracked it with the parents. Wanted to see what was happening because it received a 91 pt rating from Wine Spectator. So after having some pulled pork (papa home made, of course) I poured myself a glass. Initially a little slow to show itself it definitely opened up quickly. The nose has some nice richness to it. Berries and something else I can't quite name. Tasting notes say white pepper and olive, but I was kind of thinking a hint of licorice, but I think that was stretching it. Well, while the nose was quite nice I was a little disappointed when I put it in my mouth. I thought it was a little flat. It had some nice tannins but those followed a midpalate that didn't do much for me. Now, keep in mind that for me "a little disappointed" is related to the fact that this will cost you generally ~$40/btl. Overall a good wine, but I wouldn't push it past 89 pts.

Friday, May 23, 2008

Abyss (!) and Vitamin R

I finally cracked the Abyss open last night (!). It was heaven. Really good stuff. Full of chocolate and coffee aromas and flavors. Barely carbonated. Dark as night. The smell made me think of a coffee milkshake at first. This is the beer that people were freaking out about. There were stories about people calling from out of state and offering to buy restaurants allocations for three times the normal mark up. Hard to get your hands on. Basically, you had to be on the list months before the release and quantities were very limited.

All in all it was really good. I wish I could pick up another one. It had a bit of sweetness, too. It beats the hell out of Guinness, and I love me some Guinness!

In other beer news, out at Slabtown in NW Portland they carry Rainer tall boys for $2. I was actually pretty excited for this beer because I hadn't seen it since I visited a friend out in La Grande. After the bachelor party weekend, which involved many divey places, it seems to be quite available. Shows where I go out to. It's cheap, that's for sure, but I personally think it's the best cheap beer out there. It drinks better than PBR and High Life. After doing some research it seems that this "local" cheap brew is actually brewed under contract in California. It used to be brewed up near Seattle. I think I like it for the added fact that it is nicknamed "Vitamin R". Mmmmmmm, vitamins

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Rogue Chipotle Beer and Oswego Hills PG

Beer and spicy food go together like, well, beer and spicy food. So why not mix the two? Or so goes the thinking from our beloved Rogue Brewery in Oregon with their Chipotle Ale. It carries a bit of a bite and the chipotle pepper, well known for its smokey/spicy character, shows itself the most on the finish. It's not real hoppy or bitter (35 IBUs), which I imagine would fight the heat too much. It's a mixed bag for me. I like the experimentation but overall it was kind of hard to get through the whole 12 oz. Worth a sip on the tasting menu and could make for some interesting food pairings.

Oswego Hills Winery is located no more than probably 4 miles from my house in the West Linn/Lake Oswego area. I've heard about their wines from customers, mostly positive. At dinner last night we cracked a bottle of their 2005 Pinot Gris with baked salmon, roasted potatoes and broccoli. It had just a touch of effervescence and some nice tropical fruit flavors. On the lighter side but still enjoyable nonetheless. Their website lists it at $15/btl.

One last teaser for the blog that I can't remember if I shared earlier. I got my hands on a bottle of Deschutes Brewery Abyss Imperial Stout. There was such a hoopla when this beer first came out due to its limited availability and reports of how good it is (called by some the best imperial stout. ever.). I've been holding on to this for about a month. Almost popped it open a week ago but was battling a bit of a cold. Look forward to that one coming soon!

cheers

Sunday, May 18, 2008

A Portland Blog Worth Reading

I love Portland. I love Hamburger. I love Portland Hamburgers.

http://portlandhamburgers.blogspot.com/

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Lucky # 13, Lagunitas Red Ale

Lagunitas Lucky # 13 Red, $2.79:

Nice copper/bronze color. Some nice hopiness mixed with pinecone. There is an inescapable sweet soy sauce note too (!). Never smiled that in a beer before. Interesting. It's strong at 8.3% and clocks in 75 IBU (bitter units). For under $3, it's not bad.

Rogue Buckwheat Ale:

Actually tried this one sometime ago but it was memorable enough to write about now. It has the unmistakable smell of, well, buckwheat. In your face buckwheatiness. It was different enough to be interesting and enjoyable. Worth seeking out. Don't remember much else other than liking it, so thumbs up!

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Some recent sips

Willamette Valley Vineyards Pinot Gris 2007:

This has just rolled out into the market and I decided to give it a run tonight. It shows some nice melon shaded by citrus notes. It has a very very light color, almost lacking color. Some would call it "light straw". Gives some good flavor throughout the palate. A little on the front, some nice mouthfeel and midpalate of melon. Finishes with nice acidity and a little citrus, green apple notes. Pretty enjoyable as an apertif, would match up with a nice variety of foods. Worth checking out.

Deschutes Brewery St. Tanith Belgian Ale:

Deschutes just opened a new brewpub in Portland (hooray!). In addition to all of their great beers on tap (some cask conditioned too!) they offer brews that are only available at the pub. They were offering an extra pale ale (passed), a couple others and one that caught my eye, their Belgian style. It comes in a brandy snifter glass and packs a punch at around 8%. Good fruitiness with some hops and that Belgian fruitiness on the beer that makes it awful good. A great deal at $3.50! I've added it to my short list of bars to frequent downtown. imperial pints (20 oz!) for just over $4, say no more.

Stumptown Tart:

Another Belgian style beer from an Oregon brewery. This one sets itself apart by being brewed with marionberries and then aged in pinot noir barrels. It's available in bombers in some places around town for $3/btl. I went quarters on a case with some coworkers. I was half expecting a framboise, sweeter style beer. But that wasn't the case. It didn't have much sweetness but some nice berry notes. It didn't knock me out right at first, however it grew on me. It does have a certain flavor note that I would chalk up to the pinot noir barrels. For the price, it's a nice change of pace for the improving weather.