Alpine Email

I received an email from Alpine Beer Company yesterday. It is releasing its Nelson IPA, and here is a description:

So, to cheer you up from any possible holiday blues, we have released, for growler fills, “Nelson,” our golden rye IPA. The Nelson Sauvin hops from New Zealand are the primary hops used in this 7% ale. This is a particularly delicious batch which will be delivered to many of the better beer establishment around the county today, Friday (12/19).

I have never tried this beer, but it sounds like it would be good. Later in the email, the high cost of hops and its impact on beer prices is discussed. No make a long story short, Alpine's beer prices are going up due to the increase in hop prices.

Update: Summer of Beer liked the Nelson.

Sculpin

I had the latest Sculpin release last night. I was waiting to share this with a friend, but its hard to keep a fresh Sculpin in the fridge. (I still have one more to share, so I was not that much of a Scrooge this Holiday season.) It was great, of course, but I still don't think it matches the first release of the year last spring. What made that release so memorable was its smell. Pouring a glass would fill the air with the smell of hops. The last two releases did not seem to have the powerful aroma of the first release this year.

The Sulpin has a marvelous floral hop flavor. But many IPAs have tremendous hops. What, to me, makes Sculpin great is its drinkability, which is due to its balance. It has to be one of the most balanced IPAs I have had. Without its balance, Sculpin's great hop flavor would overwhelm the taste buds and render it too bitter. The offsetting malt allows the hops to shine. It is a tribute to Ballast Point that it could pull off this masterpiece.

Sculpin Release - Part III

Ballast Point Brewing is releasing its special release Sculpin IPA for the third time this year. I picked up two bottles at Ballast Point's Linda Vista location last night. I had heard that Sculpin was going to be a brewery-only release, but was told at the Olive Tree Market in Ocean Beach yesterday that it will be getting several cases. On a separate note, Ballast Point is remodeling its Linda Vista location in January to expand the tasting area. (The picture on the right is from this year's first release of Sculpin last spring.)

Emails and Updates

I received my first email from The Bruery today. It is expanding its distribution to Northern California and the Northwest, and soon the the Philadelphia area. Here is the tidbit that jumped out to me:

Partridge in a Pear Tree was just released! This is our Holiday beer, brewed in the monastic style of Quadrupel, which is the strongest and maltiest beer the Trappist monks in Belgium and the Netherlands produce. Ours is 11% ABV, dark brown in color, and has a rich maltiness balanced by a slight roastiness and complex fruit notes. This is a beer made for aging. We encourage you to hold onto a few bottles, as we think you may want to revisit this one in 2019 when we release "Twelve Drummers Drumming". It should be showing up around Southern California and Portland as you read this, and in Northern CA in the next few weeks as well.

Oh my, another Vertical Epic-type series. I must admit, I am a sucker for this type of promotion. An 11% Quadrupel, pure Holiday cheer in a bottle. I am encouraged by The Bruery's twelve-year plan, but Ten Lords-a-Leaping and Eight Maids-a-Milking could be tricky. I want to know where to get the stemware in the picture below:


Over the weekend, Ballast Point will release its Sculpin IPA for the third time this year. This is more Holiday good news, as Sculpin is a limited release and, in my opinion, one of the best IPAs I have ever tasted.

Deschutes Detour

I was in Portland for a meeting several weeks ago and had the opportunity to visit the new Deschutes Brewery and Public House in Portland's Pearl District. I had a beer-less business lunch and then stopped back as I waited for my cab to the airport. The food was old school brewpub - fish & chips, burgers and such - with an organic, stylistic approach that focuses on local and seasonal food. For example, I had the chili, but it was venison chili. Most items on the menu looked very good. The menu will attract foodies but not scare away those who visit for the beer and are looking for simple pub fare.

For my second trip, I tried a 10-oz Jubelale, Deschutes' Christmas beer. The cost was only $2.50. It poured a deep auburn with moderate foam. Here is a picture of Jubeale. It had plenty of spices, but they were not overpowering. It also had a strong malt base. This is a Christmas beer to look for. I think it has a wide distribution so finding it should not be difficult.

I was at Deschutes the day after its Abyss was released. I saw a steady stream of customers coming in to buy bombers. I think Deschutes limited purchases to two bottles per person. The bartender said it was going fast. It was also on tap, served in a 10-oz chalice. The Abyss is a Russian Imperial Stout and it is aged in Pinot Noir and bourbon barrels. It has a whopping 11% ABV. I asked the bartender if I could have a taster, and was told that tasters of Abyss were not allowed. She then proceeded to give me a taster - shown at the right. It poured pitch black with a large moca foam. It was surprisingly sweet and spicy. I could really taste the bourbon, and the alcohol was pronounced. I am no expert on Russian Imperial Stouts, and the taster I had was small, but I could tell it was a good beer.

Portland's trendy Pearl District now has three excellent places to get good beer. It has the Deschutes Brewery and Public House, Bridgeport Brewing and the Rouge Ales Public House. Rouge has more of a bar feel than either Bridgeport or Deschutes, which are kid-friendly. Portland has great beer where ever you turn, but the Pearl District is now a good place to put on your beer agenda.

Emails

I subscribe to emails from multiple breweries and restaurants. I am going to try and start posting information I think is relevant. Here is information I received earlier today from Alpine Brewing and The Linkery. From Alpine:

Hide the women and children. We have released a great big “Bad Boy” double IPA that weighs in at 9.45% abv. It is available for growler fills so bring in your clean growlers and we will gladly fill them for you.

Another double IPA from Alpine, beautiful. I think this is what Alpine is bring to Port Brewing's Strong Ale Festival.

From The Linkery:

Just a quick note to let you know that, starting tonight, Friday,we'll be featuring 4 or 5 cask-conditioned ales all the time. And also, we're debuting Linkery Cuvee #1 house wine (from Christopher Cameron Vineyards in Carlsbad) served from cask as well. Friday is the 75th anniversary of the repeal of Prohibition, and it seemed like the perfect occasion to roll out our new lineup.

The Linkery is a must visit for anyone who likes excellent beer and farm-fresh food.

Funked Up Devotion

I tried the Devotion with the added Brettanomyces tonight. This was an outstanding beer. I find it hard to describe it other than to say it was excellent.

I think it poured darker than a regular Devotion (and the bottle label was different, brown trim rather than green), with a color that was a rich, cloudy copper. It had plenty of carbonation, but this did not result in added foam.

The Brettanomyces sure added a twist (sour) to this beer. It was drinkable, for sure, but it had a definite funk that made it compelling. I am sure glad I bought two extra bottles of this beer. This beer was one of the reasons I joined The Lost Abbey's Patron Saints last year. I wanted some beers that were not widely available. (I know that the Sinners membership has this as more of an objective than the Saints.) Before the special Devotion, all my Saints beers were readily accessible at my local market. This funked up Devotion was a treat.

Last Saint Shipment

My last Patron Saint shipment arrived today. I waited at home until after 1:00 to sign for the package. Of course the shipment arrived when I stepped out for fifteen minutes. I am glad FedEx left the package without the required signature. Here are a couple of pictures of the last shipment, two Gift of the Magi, two special Devotions and two extra Devotions:

And a second picture:

I put one of the Devotions in the fridge, and maybe I'll open it during the Charger game tonight.

Strong Ale Festival

Pizza Port Carlsbad is hosting its Strong Ale Festival this Friday and Saturday, December 5th and 6th. I have never been to one of Pizza Port's festivals, but it's supposed to be a great time. Pizza Port also has a real ale festival in early June and a Belgian festival in March. Pizza Port does not usually publish a beer list in advance, which is good because it would be depressing to see what I am going to miss.

Winter Yulesmith

Alesmith has released its Winter Yulesmith. This is an Imperial Red Ale and, despite the similarities in name, is a different beer from the Summer Yulesmith, which is a double IPA. I have not yet had this year's Winter Yulesmith, but previous years have been good. It is a winter seasonal, but like Sierra Nevada's Celebration Ale, it is not full of exotic spices and herbs and is the same every year.

Thanksgiving Beer

I went mostly all beer for Thanksgiving. For starters, I shared Port Brewing's Ne Goeien Saison, a collaboration beer between Port and Belgium's Brouwerij Leyerth. Here is a link to Tomme Arthur's blog post describing the beer. (I will post a picture at a later date.) We had this before dinner as the cooking and preparation were in full swing. I thought it was excellent. It was refreshing and not overpowering. It poured light and had a good saison flavor. I could have had this all night, and it was a great way to gear up for a big meal.

For dinner I had The Lost Abbey's Avant Garde. I thought it went well with the traditional Thanksgiving meal's flavor mish-mash, and all the starch bombs. I actually did not eat that much for dinner, so enjoying the Avant Garde was made easier. I had a Gift of the Magi in reserve but did not break it out.

I also brought some wine. I opened a Cabernet Sauvignon that was rich and smooth (and dummy me did not get its name). The kicker was a White Burgundy that had gone rancid. It was a 2003, purchased for $30, and I had this for a year or two stored on its side. I knew immediately it was bad, as the cork was completely soaked. Sure enough it was undrinkable, an immediate drain pour. It was a gift, so I was not out the $30, but I was looking forward to tasting it and enjoying the sublties of a White Burgundy. Overall, it was a mellow Thankgiving with the Ne Goeien Saision and red wine being the stars.

Missed Opportunity

I went to Corvette Diner for dinner tonight. Corvette Diner is owned by the Cohn Restaurant Group that owns eleven restaurants in San Diego. I posted last month about the Corvette Pale Ale, as I was told it was brewed by Coronado Brewing Company. I was told tonight that the Corvette Pale Ale was brewed by Red Hook. The waiter tonight seemed more sure of himself than the waitress a month ago.

Either way, it is a shame that one of San Diego's largest restaurant groups does not do more to promote San Diego's local brewers. Corvette Diner had no local beers on tap or in the bottle. I searched all the other Cohn Restaurant menus on-line, and the only local beers I saw, when a list of beers was provided, were Stone IPA and Ballast Point Pale Ale, and these were in only one restaurant, Island Prime. I am guessing the other restaurants offer beer (fancy martinis seemed more prominent) and hope more San Diego selections are available.

This is not to say that the Corvette Pale Ale wasn't good, it was very tasty. I just think it would be good to support local brewers, especially since San Diego has such excellent brewers that are crafting such a diversity of beers.