Epic 2012 Pumpkin Beer Review

This year I went a little crazy for the pumpkin beer. After getting my first exposure last year with a couple different choices that surprised the heck out of me, this year - as you can see - my entire fall beer drinking plans seemed to rotate around pumpkin beers of all kinds.

Below is my impression of what I tried. This is in no way an exhaustive list of even what is available in Portland let alone all over. I included my initial notes from my Untappd check-ins, as well as a few follow-ups.

Rogue Ales - Pumpkin Patch Ale
Newport, OR - 5.6% ABV

Very good flavors - Pumking-esque - with a little more hoppiness. Nice nose - banana along with pumpkin pie spices. Bonus points for a pumpkin-colored bottle.

4 Stars

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Southern Tier Brewing - Pumking
Lakewood, NY - 8.6% ABV

Still the king - need to have side by side with Stingy Jack. Great nose, pleasant sweetness followed by great spice. Use part of one bottle to make a fantastic beef and squash stew.

5 Stars

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Dogfish Head - Punkin Ale
Milton, DE - 7.0% ABV

Lightly pumpkin on the nose, lots of flavor. Pleasant bitterness follows. Solid pumpkin ale. Not sure if the recipe changed a bit from 2011, but I remember liking the '11 version much better.

3 Stars

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Laurelwood Brewing - Stingy Jack Pumpkin Ale
Portland, OR - 7.5% ABV

Not much nose, but fantastic flavor. All the pumpkin pie spices plus vanilla. A lot of depth. Had forgotten how good this was last year.

5 Stars

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Elysian Brewing - Dark O' the Moon Pumpkin Stout
Seattle, WA - 6.5% ABV

Very nice pumpkin nose. As a stout this is great - lots of coffee with a tiny dash of pumpkin spice. The combination didn't produce something greater than the parts.

3 Stars

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Uinta Brewing - Punk'n
Salt Lake City, UT - 4.0% ABV

Very nice nose. A little sweet, but otherwise not a ton of flavor. At least it was low in calories.

2 Stars

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Elysian Brewing - Night Owl Pumpkin Ale
Seattle, WA - 5.9% ABV

Similar nose and spices to Pumking, but the flavor is...younger, if that makes sense. Will definitely drink again.

4 Stars

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Elysian Brewing - Blight Pumpkin Ale (12 Beers of the Apocalypse series)
Seattle, WA - 7.4% ABV

Lots of cinnamon on the nose and in the glass. Cloves, vanilla, squash. Very tasty. This is one of those beers that at first shocks with the medley of flavors and you aren't sure if you like it, but the more you drink and even long after it's gone you keep thinking about it. Very unfortunate it was a one-time release.

5  Stars

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Elysian Brewing - Great Pumpkin
Seattle, WA - 8.1% ABV

This was fine. Nothing special. It taste good enough, had a solid balance, a light nose and was generally acceptable. The most average of pumpkin beers.

3  Stars

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Elysian Brewing - Hansel and Gretel Pumpkin Pilsner
Seattle, WA - 4.7% ABV

Overwhelming flavors of sharp, fresh ginger. Really needed some sweetness for balance.

3  Stars

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Shipyard Brewing - Smashed Pumpkin
Portland, ME - 9.0% ABV

Very little nose and nothing on the tongue but burning hot cinnamon. There didn't seem to be much attempt to develop flavors. Didn't finish it, which for the price ($10) was disappointing.

1  Stars

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Oakshire Brewing - Big Black Jack Chocolate Pumpkin Porter
Eugene, OR - 9.0% ABV

Smells like choc/pumpkin bread. Yummy as a porter, but want stronger flavors of the advertised chocolate and pumpkin. If you promise chocolate, I want chocolate.

3 Stars

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Conclusions?

Besides the fact that it took me four months to get through all of these, it was a fun experiment with mostly highs. 

Two major disappointments:

1 - The most expensive beer on this list, the one from Shipyard, was the worst. I have to think that maybe I received a bad bottle because the cost and the reviews indicated it was a quality beer that had a lot of thought put into its development. 

2 - The Pumpkin Patch box from Elysian didn't meet my (admittedly high) expectations. I wanted to love them all, but instead my favorite of the $25 box was the Night Owl, which also comes in six-packs of 12 ounce bottles for less than ten bucks. 

Now the highs.

This fall I plan on buying just three (and multiples of them) from the 2012 list: Rogue's Pumpkin Patch (which in retrospect should have been a five as well), Southern Tier's Pumking and Laurelwood's Stingy Jack. I would absolutely include Elysian's Blight on that list, but since it was from the 12 Beers of Apocalypse series we may never see it again (unless we beg?). It would be fun to try those three side-by-side-by-side to see which I truly think is the best, but that would involve one serious night of drinking for which I am frankly too old. College me could have done it. Twice. 

I also have some plans for using pumpkin beer for something other than just drinking. A couple months back Wifey and I made ice cream with some Kona coffee beans and Deschutes' Abyss stout, which turned out amazing, and I'd like to find a good recipe for integrating a pumpkin beer into an ice cream recipe. I also think a beer float with French vanilla ice cream and Pumking would be amazing. 

Already looking forward to this fall!

My 2012 in Beer

If you have followed this blog much - which, admittedly, was incredibly inconsistent in 2012 - you know two things about me: I enjoy a good brew and I spent the majority of the year trying to get healthy.

Most "diets" and "experts" will tell you those two things are incompatible. Those people are wrong. You've seen the pictures of me in previous posts and I've mentioned a few times about how one of the main goals when starting that process (which ended with me down 57 pounds and dropping 14% body fat, which I have kept off for almost two months now) was not to cut things out of my diet because I feel that only sets you up for failure after the losing weight process is done. It's just that much more difficult to add items you denied yourself so long back into regular eating and still expect to stay healthy.

All I did was limit myself. I figured out the rough calories of whatever beer I wanted to drink (yes, you have to PLAN it and STICK TO THE PLAN) and work it into the daily allocation of food. Beer calories are based almost exclusively on the ABV (alcohol percentage), so the higher the percentage the higher the calories. There is a complicated math formula you could run, or you could do what I did and use this fantastic reference chart from Simply Beer:

How Many Calories Are In My Beer?

It's not exact, but it's close, and for me it seemed to work. I generally drink one bottle a week (pretty normal for me - well, since college ended at least), so it admittedly wasn't a drastic change - I didn't have to adjust from a six-pack or more a week habit. That being said I have a tendency to go for beers in the high percentage range (8%+) and I like variety, so it was still a challenge.

All that said, this is what I drank in 2012, presented with minimal comments (all 2012 bottlings unless otherwise noted). You may notice a lot of pumpkin ales - that's a further blog post I will put up when I finish the last few of 2012 still to try. (And if there is anything you think I should try, by all means leave it in the comments and I'll add it to my list!)

Winterfest - Wasastch Brewing (Salt Lake City) - 12oz bottle/winter warmer/7.1%
Hoppy and malty, nothing special.

JosephsBrauWinterfest - Trader Joe's - 12oz bottledoppelbock/7.5%
Not special, but a solid brew for a buck a bottle.

Our Christmas Ale - Anchor Brewing (San Francisco) - 12oz bottle/winter warmer/5.5%
Notes of pine and cherries - everything worked really, really well.

Sandy Paws - Heater Allen Brewing (McMinnville, OR) - 22oz bottle/baltic porter/6.5%
Heater Allen auctions off the right to put your dog on the label every year, with proceeds going to charity. I thought about getting Misaki on there, but a couple grand was too rich for my blood.

Blight Pumpkin Ale - Elysian Brewing (Seattle) - 22oz bottle/pumpkin ale/7.4%
From the 12 Beers of the Apocalypse series. Excellent! Too bad it's gone forever.

Bell's Pale Ale - Bell's Brewery (Kalamazoo, MI) - 12oz bottle/American pale ale/5.2%
All Bell's brews courtesy of a friend in Chicago; Bell's sadly doesn't distribute in Oregon.

Bourbon County Brand Stout (2010) - Goose Island Brewing (Chicago) - 12oz bottle/imperial stout/15.0%
Some of this went into a gingerbread Wifey made - so good.

Big Black Jack - Oakshire Brewing (Eugene) - 22oz bottle/chocolate pumpkin porter/9.0%
Won't get again in 2013.

Probably the most unique beer, for me, of 2012.

Sweet Heat - Burnside Brewing (Portland) - 22oz bottle/fruit beer/4.9%
Apricot and peppers? I was scared, but this works very well.

Chatoe Pumpkin Patch Ale - Rogue Brewing (Newport, OR) - 25.4oz bottle/pumpkin ale/5.6%
One of the year's best pumpkin ales.

Strawman - Angry Orchard (Cincinnati) - 750ml bottle/cider/10.0%
Ugh. Way too dry for our tastes.

CoCoNuT Porter - Maui Brewing (Hawaii) - 12oz can/American porter/6.0%

Pumking - Southern Tier Brewing (Lakewood, NY) - 22oz bottle/pumpkin ale/8.6%
Some of this went into a pumpkin chili. 

Punkin Ale - Dogfish Head Brewery (Milton, DE) - 12oz bottle/pumpkin ale/7.0%
Not as good as I remember.

My favorite pumpkin ale label.

Stingy Jack Pumpkin Ale - Laurelwood Brewing (Portland) - 22oz bottle/pumpkin ale/7.5%
Will buy more of this in 2013 - perhaps my favorite.

Third Coast Beer - Bell's Brewery (Kalamazoo, MI) - 12oz bottle/barleywine/10.2%

He does look angry.

Iceman - Angry Orchard (Cincinnati) - 750ml bottle/cider/10.0%
Exact opposite of Strawman - almost like apple juice. 

Jubelale - Deschutes Brewery (Bend, OR) - 12oz bottle/winter warmer/6.7%
Perhaps the best version in years. Might have to stock up.

Dark O' the Moon - Elysian Brewing (Seattle) - 22oz bottle/pumpkin stout/6.5%

Oberon Ale - Bell's Brewery (Kalamazoo, MI) - 12oz bottle/wheat ale/5.8%

Punk'n - Uinta Brewery (Salt Lake City) - 12oz bottle/pumpkin ale/4.0%
Very little flavor.

Small Beer - Anchor Brewing (San Francisco) - 16.9oz bottle/English bitter/3.3%

Pliny the Elder - Russian River Brewing (Santa Rosa, CA) - 16.9oz bottle/double IPA/8.0%
I avoided this for so long because I'm not a fan of IPAs. That was a mistake on my part. This brew is mind blowing.

Blackberry Pear Cider - Fox Barrel Brewing (Colfax, CA) - 12oz bottle/cider/5.0%

Smoked Porter - Breakside Brewing (Portland) - taster/porter/6.2%
Had a tiny taste of this at a pastry chef showcase. Need to get to Breakside Brewery at some point.

Black Cherry Stout - Walking Man Brewing (Stevenson, WA) - on tap at Horse Brass Pub/fruit beer/7.2%
A wonderful melding of cherry cola and beer. 

The Dissident - Deschutes Brewing (Bend, OR) - on tap at Deschutes Brewery/Flanders oud bruin/11.2%
My first sour beer. It was...sour. Very sour. Not sure it's my thing.

Black Butte XXIV - Deschutes Brewing (Bend, OR) - on tap at Deschutes Brewery/porter/11.0%
Needs some aging. Won't crack any of the bottles I bought yet.

Fresh Hop Black Ale - Deschutes Brewing (Bend, OR) - on tap at Deschutes Brewery/CDA/?
The next four were tap only at the Portland pub.

Rhineland Alt - Deschutes Brewing (Bend, OR) - on tap at Deschutes Brewery/lager/?

Deep Red Belgian Specialty - Deschutes Brewing (Bend, OR) - on tap at Deschutes Brewery/Belgian/?
My favorite of the four tap onlys.

Genevrier Wit - Deschutes Brewing (Bend, OR) - on tap at Deschutes Brewery/wheat beer/?

Chainbreaker White IPA - Deschutes Brewing (Bend, OR) - on tap at Deschutes Brewery/IPA/5.6%
A friend in Tucson said I need to try this, but I was put off by the IPA in the name. I shouldn't have been. It's excellent.

The Wu - Coalition Brewing (Portland) - on tap at Coalition Brewing/cream ale/4.9%
Great name, average beer.

Night Owl Pumpkin Ale - Elysian Brewing (Seattle) - 12oz bottle/pumpkin ale/5.9%

Rooster's Cream Ale - Coalition Brewing (Portland) - 22oz bottle/cream ale/4.8%

TBA - Stone Brewing/Bear Republic/Fat Head's - (San Diego/Healdsburg, CA/Pittsburgh) - 12oz bottle/brown ale/7.1%

Longboard Lager - Kona Brewing (Hawaii) - 12oz bottle/lager/4.6%
Used most of this in an attempt to make nukazuke, which failed miserably. Can't blame the beer, though it's nothing special.

Kaz Premium Red Ale - Echigo Brewing (Japan) - 12oz bottle/red ale/6.0%
Had a pretty red label with a crane on it at Uwajimaya. Solid beer.

Hell or High Watermelon - 21st Amendment Brewing (San Francisco) - 12oz can/fruit beer/4.9%

Four-year Abyss vertical - 2009-2012. 

The Abyss (2010) - Deschutes Brewery (Bend, OR) - 22oz bottle/imperial stout/11.0%
Abyss is never not awesome. Made some Kona coffee /stout ice cream and a cake with some of this.

Collage Conflux No. 1 - Deschutes Brewery/Hair of the Dog Brewing - (Bend, OR/Portland) - 12oz bottle/strong ale/11.6%
Really enjoyed this one. I distinctly remember banana and vanilla - tasty.

Hefeweissbier - Weihenstephan (Germany) - 16.9oz bottle/hefeweizen/5.4%
Is THIS what a hefeweizen is supposed to taste like?! Well damn...sorry Widmer.

Smoked Porter with Vanilla Bean - Stone Brewing (San Diego) - 12oz bottle/porter/5.9%
Not nearly enough vanilla.

Black Butte Porter - Deschutes Brewery (Bend, OR) - 12oz bottle/porter/5.2%
Still my favorite beer I can get just about anywhere.

Mango Weizen - Trade Route Brewing (Pacific, WA) - 22oz bottle/wheat beer/5.0%
No good. Not at all.

Monk's Blood - 21st Amendment Brewing (San Francisco) - 12oz can/Belgian strong dark/8.3%
Buying a box of this when it comes back in 2013. Super good.

Back in Black - 21st Amendment Brewing (San Francisco) - 12oz can/CDA/6.8%

Stumptown Tart - Bridgeport Brewing (Portland) - 22oz bottle/fruit beer/7.8%
This is about as fruity as I want my beer. Very well balanced.

Orange Blossom Cream Ale - Buffalo Bill's Brewery (Hayward, CA) - 12oz bottle/fruit beer/5.2%
Almost tasteless.

Aprihop - Dogfish Head Brewing (Milton, DE) - 12oz bottle/IPA/7.0%

Bitter American - 21st Amendment Brewing (San Francisco) - 12oz can/American pale ale/4.4%
I have enjoyed everything I've tried from 21A.

Cassis - Brouwerij Lindemans (Vlezenbeek, Belgium) - 12oz bottle/lambic/4.0%
Not one I'd get again.

Framboise - Brouwerij Lindemans (Vlezenbeek, Belgium) - 12oz bottle/lambic/2.5%
Really like this.

Velvet Merlin - Firestone Walker (Paso Robles, CA) - 12oz bottle/oatmeal stout/5.5%
Very good - need to make a point of trying more Firestone Walker brews.

Monkey Face Porter - Cascade Lakes Brewing (Redmond, OR) - 12oz bottle/porter/5.0%
Disappointing. Bland.

Choklat - Southern Tier Brewing (Lakewood, NY) - 22oz bottle/imperial stout/10.0%
Yum! Would be even better if they used a top tier chocolate.

Oatmeal Pale Ale - Burnside Brewing (Portland) - 22oz bottle/American pale/5.6%

ReNEWAle - Ninkasi Brewing (Eugene, OR) - 12oz bottle/porter/5.9%
Shrug.

Oatis Oatmeal Stout - Ninkasi Brewing (Eugene, OR) - in ice cream at Salt & Straw/oatmeal stout/7.2%
I liked the oat stout flavors it added to the ice cream. Need to try it by itself, though I haven't enjoyed much from Ninkasi.

Trippel - New Belgium Brewing (Fort Collins, CO) - 12oz bottle/tripel/7.8%

Stormwatcher's Winterfest - Pelican Pub & Brewery (Pacific City, OR) - 22oz bottle/barleywine/13.0%
This is what gets barrel aged and becomes the annual Mother of All Storms. You know what? It tastes exactly like it, just younger. Really enjoyed it.

Backbone Chocolate Espresso Stout - Boneyard Brewing (Bend, OR) - on tap/stout/6.0%

Feathertop Pumpkin Stout - Flat Tail Brewing (Corvallis, OR) - 22oz bottle/stout/8.0%
Was not impressed.

Stone 11.11.11 Vertical Epic - Stone Brewing (San Diego) - 22oz bottle/Belgian pale/9.4%

Deschutes Abyss 2011

It's fall, so that means it's time for another installment of Deschutes Brewery's The Abyss. This beer, while a stout which I don't always love, has become an annual event on my beer calendar (as you can see by me also writing about the 2009 version here, and again here aged, and the 2010 version here).

All have been good, and the 2011 is no different. On the nose Abyss gives you coffee and licorice, then pours rich, thick, and dark into the glass. So dark, actually, that even the bubbles are caramel-toned, and the liquid leaves "legs" like a good wine.

I have no idea why it looks like a face is reflected in my glass. It's somewhat disturbing.

The flavor profile layers as the beer warms, giving molasses and a touch of chocolate with the coffee and licorice. I also felt I found the tiniest bit of tobacco.

As usual The Abyss is a very, very, very good beer. Grab it now, before they sell out. I picked up two bottles - one to drink and one to save - from the Deschutes pub in Portland's Pearl District ($12 each). Some of the local bottle shops placed limits of two and three bottles, but the pub has cases to spare. And, if you go there fairly soon, you may still be able to get Abyss poured for you on the nitro taps. I haven't tried that yet, but plan to eventually. (Oh, and another thing - Deschutes gift cards don't expire. I had one in my wallet for two years and it was still good, allowing me to get my two bottles for $8 out of pocket. Nice.)

Speaking of that bottle to save...here's some beer porn for you:

Who's up for a vertical?

Mother Of All Storms

Last summer Wifey and I stopped in Pacific City for a quick bite on our way up the coast and ate on the patio of the Pelican Pub & Brewery. I had never been there before or tried their beer, but after a solid meal and a tasty Kiwanda Cream Ale, I was ready to try some more.

I had heard stories about the Mother of All Storms, a bourbon-barrel aged barleywine released in the fall bringing scores of visitors from the Willamette Valley into this small beach town. The beer only makes it to a select valley locations, and even then that's if the small run doesn't sell out at the brewery itself. And the taste? It's legendary.

So fall came and we wanted to get out of town for a night, and we came across this deal, a combination deal with Pelican and the Inn at Cape Kiwanda, situated right across the street from the brewery. Keep in mind, I've never even tried this beer, but decided what the hell. I mean, who doesn't need an entire case? They even threw in a free T-shirt with the beer's logo (it says 2010, but who am I to quibble?). Plus, if we got to see an actual storm, that would be nice too.

And it was pretty stormy, at least on Friday. The rain was heavy, the clouds dark, and the wind viciously cold.

The next day the sun broke out of the clouds a bit, and as promised a case of 22-ounce bottles and a T-shirt were waiting for me at the front desk. A case!

Yes, of course I opened one when we got home that evening. I mean, how could I not, since we spent the night and drove to the coast and back for it. Plus, I have quite a few of them - might as well get started, right?

This beer has a very nice nose if you are a bourbon fan (I am, as you can see in my comments about Goose Island's Bourbon County Stout, Full Sail's Top Sail, and Boulevard's Bourbon Barrel Quad). It pours a very, very dark amber, but isn't nearly as viscous or syrupy as some other beers. As the beer warms in various turns you will get flavors of malt, caramel, vanilla, and oak.

And it should be allowed to warm a bit, for this is a sipper if there ever was one. Why? At the time of bottling this beer is a 13.5% alcohol and as it ages - as it should age well in the bottle if stored correctly - that number will go up. To be real honest, half a bottle of this is plenty. Unless you really don't have any other plans that night, it's best to share with someone or even stick half in the fridge, where it will be fine for a couple days.

All of that adds up to a ringing endorsement from me. I'm glad we went out there and I'm glad I have so many of these, but it probably wasn't necessary. I'd go back next year to pick up a couple bottles on release day, but I don't drink enough beer - and like variety - to justify an entire case. Maybe splitting it with someone.

Either way, if you find yourself driving north from Lincoln City and want to stop for a bite and a beer, Pelican Brewery is the place to go. And, if it's November and you want one of the most exclusive and well-balanced beers in the state of Oregon, pick yourself up a Mother of All Storms. Or a case.

Venturing Into Trappist Beer

I'm not a huge beer drinker, but I do like to sample new things and gain appreciation for the most well respected flavors and traditions on the market. And while I still cannot drink a Guinness - it's too harsh for my palate - I have enjoyed the few beers I've had that claim to be traditionally Belgian in influence.

So if I like those, why not check out the giants in the field? That, and the encouragement of friends, led me to decide I needed to try out these Trappist beers.

A few weeks back when I made my pilgrimage to Belmont Station for Pumking they also had this:

What better way to get a feel for a classic Belgian than a sampler pack of Chimay? And hey, free glass - sold.

I started with the Red Cap, pouring into, of course, the new glass.

The red has a very rich, dark orange color with a nice head on it, pouring very smoothly. The nose is mildly sweet with some spiciness. I expected a very rich flavor from the smell and color, but I didn't get that. It wasn't bad, just a little flat, in my opinion (which, I see, doesn't match 1,400+ reviews on Beer Advocate). I also felt the alcohol showed through a tad too much, almost overpowering the flavors of the malt and the spices. It wasn't bad, really, just wasn't the greatest thing ever.

Next up was the Triple, in the bottle with yellow label.

I really liked this one. It had a slightly sweeter, more fuller flavor than the red. I was a tad surprised by that because the color was lighter in the glass (had about the same amount of head). A tiny bit of fruit in the nose. I'd have this one again.

Last up of the Chimay gift pack was the Blue Cap, predictably the one with the blue label.

This was, by far, my favorite of the group. It had a great nose, a little bit fruity and with a nice yeastiness, like rising bread. The Blue pours a rich, dark auburn/orange - almost a mahogany color. Unlike with the other two Chimays, the alcohol is almost non-existent in the flavor in favor of various fruits. Definitely the most balanced of the group.

Overall I would buy the Blue Cap again, I'd drink the Trippel if available and in the mood but I wouldn't seek it out, and the Red Cap I probably wouldn't go back to.

But wait - there's more!

Saying I'm trying Trappist ales and then only trying one brewery seems a little silly, doesn't it?

So I also picked up a Rochefort 8 at the suggestion of friend on Twitter, from the Abbey of St. Remy in Rochefort, Belgium (that link is in French, but if you use Google Chrome as a browser it will handily translate the page for you).

The 8 is the middle offering from Rochefort, and I picked it over the 6 and the 10 (John's Marketplace in Multnomah Village, just outside of Portland, carries all three) because...no reason. Just on a whim. I do intend to try the others at some point.

This beer had a very foamy head on it and poured a very rich amber color. It had only a slightly yeasty smell and little fruit. My suggestion? Let it warm up a bit and the flavors will meld very nicely. Also, don't drink it before having to do some serious writing for the night. It's less than a 12-ounce bottle, but be wary of that 9.2% - it sneaks up on you.

I did really enjoy the Rochefort 8, but of these four Trappist ales Chimay Blue was my favorite, with the 8 a clear second place over the other two Chimays. I thoroughly enjoyed this foray into Trappist ales and will at some point try the other Rocheforts as well the other breweries - Orval, Westmalle, and the like.

I don't know that I'll decide I like these better than my favorite stouts and porters, but they are a nice change of pace and just as enjoyable in their own right.

Hail to the King, the Pumking

I had sworn off fruity and flavored beers completely.

There had been some bad experiences - and zero good ones - most notably the Black & Blue by Dogfish Head tasting of rancid blueberries and raspberries. Ugh.

I was not going to bother with ales brewed with pumpkin, figuring it was just another shtick I would end up regretting spending my money on. But then friends started going on and on about how good their pumpkin brews were, and it eventually broke down my defenses. Everyone else was enjoying them and I wanted in.

So I started with Stingy Jack, a pumpkin brew from the local Laurelwood Brewery. I could smell the pumpkin a little bit when I popped the cap off the bottle, but I only barely tasted it. The flavors were very well balanced though, with not too much pumpkin pie spices or hops. I enjoyed it, so I decided I was willing to try more.

Next came Punkin Ale from Dogfish Head.

As I mentioned above, I'd had a bad experience with Dogfish, even though many craft brew fans love them. Another one of theirs I tried, the Festina Peche (peach flavored), was just odd and I wouldn't recommend it. But still, Punkin was one of the top-rated pumpkin brews nationally and also one of the more inexpensive bottles, so I said what the heck.

And I liked this one too. It had slightly more spice than the Stingy Jack, but was still well balanced. I'm not a big hops fan, something Dogfish Head is known for, but this brew shows a lot of restraint in that regard.

At this point I deemed myself a pumpkin ale convert.

Friends on the east coast sang the praises of Southern Tier's Pumking all this time, so I had to have it. The problem was Southern Tier hadn't sent any to Portland yet. Most of the local places I pick up beer - Whole Foods or New Seasons, or specialty shops like Belmont Station and John's Marketplace - all carry Southern Tier and I swore I had seen it in previous years, but the middle of October came and still no one had any in stock.

I had just about resigned myself to not getting any Pumking, when Belmont Station - about 18 miles away from me across Portland - posted this:

Here it is. After literally hundreds of phone calls over the last few weeks, the Southern Tier Pumking is finally here. Despite us receiving 40 cases it's sure to go quick, so don't delay if you're hoping to stock up.

Belmont Station is a great place for craft brew aficionados and they maintain their website very well with twice-weekly updates of bottles they get. Needless to say, I was there when they opened the next day. (I have no idea how far 40 cases - 480 bottles - goes, and since they had hundreds of calls I didn't want to miss out.

I bought two bottles and opened up one that night with dinner. Just opening this bottle is tasty, because it smells exactly like pumpkin pie. Exactly. You don't get the alcohol in the nose at all. It pours a nice orange-amber with little head.

And it tastes as good as it smells. Maybe better. I would recommend this to the entire world if I could, since I stocked up with a couple more bottles the next day.

I'm saving these a little bit...it'll be nice to crack one open in March or April, to get a little bit of a fall flashback.

Then, after all of that pining and looking, I stopped at New Seasons to get some milk on the way home from work the other day and what do I see? Cases of Pumking. So buy them now, while you can, because they sure won't last long.

Well, that, and it's one of the best beers I've ever had. Believe the hype and bow down before the Pumking.

A Newport Sunset - In Pictures

During vacation a couple weeks back Wifey and spent a couple nights at the Hallmark Inn in Newport, Oregon, right on the beach (and dog friendly - Misaki approved!). The day we arrived the weather was nice, but by about 7pm the clouds had rolled in, so despite our oceanfront room there was no pretty sunset (my favorite part of staying the beach, other than eating a whole bunch of crap).

Then Day 2 it rained all day long...until about 6 (which meant reading most of Chelsea Cain's Heartsick, which was a fantastic book). Then the clouds started to break up off the coast and we actually received a pretty decent sunset. Here are a few pictures as the sun went down (it actually still sprinkled on land, but out over the water it was pretty nice.

Newport is a decent place to spend a couple days. It's pretty laid back and has some good places to eat, in addition to the Oregon Coast Aquarium and being the World Headquarters of Rogue Brewery.

We had a decent meal from Nana's Irish Pub, which wasn't too far from the hotel. The scotch eggs tasted good, but I barely found any sausage flavor at all. The chicken pot pie was very good. They also do food to go, which we did since we had Misaki, and the pot pie came in a piece of cookware ($5 deposit pending the return).

La Maison Cafe and Bakery does fantastic baked goods. Supposedly they do good cafe food too, but again, we had Misaki. Surprisingly hard to find food when the weather isn't nice and we can't eat outside with the dog. We had a decent chocolate muffin (really, a cupcake), and a fantastic chocolate peanut butter pie.

The area we stayed at is called Nye Beach, where there are plenty of hotels and shops. One shop was in the middle of construction but had a sign on it saying Indulge Sweets was coming soon, with a link to their website. After looking them up we found out their original store was 10 miles south in Seal Rock. Since the weather was crappy, we checked it out. Conclusion? Awesome. The chocolate peanut butter fudge had actual peanut butter in it (as opposed to just peanut butter fudge, which sounds like it would be better but never is), the dark chocolate sea salt caramels were excellent, and so was the dark chocolate covered house made marshmallows. Cannot recommend this place highly enough.

On the way home we drove up the coast to Tillamook instead of heading back through Corvallis to the Interstate. Just a few miles north of Newport we stopped in Depoe Bay and took some pictures, then picked up some caramel corn (this is a coast trip must - every single time) at Jordy's Karmelkorn Shop, which we both enjoyed.

Lunch was at the Pelican Pub and Brewery in Pacific City. It was nice outside and they had a patio, so despite the wind we sat and ate there because of the pup. Dogs aren't actually allowed on the patio and are supposed to stay in the sand next to it, but Misaki curled up under Wifey's chair to get out of the wind and no one seemed to mind (probably because it's not busy on a Thursday afternoon). Pelican does most of the normal pub foods and it being the coast had red snapper fish and chips. Between than and a pizza with a couple different meats we had plenty to eat (and bring home). Their Kiwanda Cream Ale is very good. Surprisingly clear for a cream, but with plenty of nuanced flavors. Nice to see they have it at the grocery stores at home, along with others, so I'll be checking those out. Pacific City also seems like it would be a nice place to spend a few days, so maybe our next trip to the coast will be there if we can find a dog-friendly place to stay.

Our final stop before home was at Cape Mears, where Misaki took in the sights with us.

I gotta say - we had never traveled with Misaki before on an overnight trip. We thought she'd be fine because she's a quiet, sweetheart of a Shiba, but you never know, right? As it turns out she was fantastic, minding all of her manners and being a good dog the entire time. We'll have to do it again in the summer where we can eat at more places outside, instead of having to bring food or find places that do takeout.

March Tasting Notes

EAT!

Kenny and Zuke's - biscuits and pastrami gravy, Day After Thanksgiving sandwich, cheesecake: Honestly, both of these items fell a little flat for us. The pastrami gravy was just too salty, which if I had to guess may be because the gravy was properly salted but then the pastrami (plenty salty on its own) was added. I'm probably wrong, because I'm not a chef, but that's how it tasted. It was great for a few bites, but after a while the saltiness was overpowering. The turkey (and everything) sandwich was good, but the elements seemed to cancel each other out, if that makes sense. And it needed more gravy - as in, more than none. The fries with the sandwich were very good. We'll absolutely go back, just order something else. And, as usual, the cheesecake was to die for.

Alder Pastry and Dessert - chocolate croissant, chocolate peanut butter cake: This was our first visit to the new Bakery next to Ate-Oh-Ate on East Burnside and it absolutely will not be the last. Both items were fantastic.

Alma Chocolates - chocolate chip cookie, Maker's Mark bourbon bon bon, salted peanut butter cup truffle: All three of these items were good. The cookie, well, was fine, it's just not as good as ours. I will say it's probably not as easy to make large amounts as it is one dozen, like we do at home. And that's fine, it really is, but it just means we'll probably stop buying cookies. I really liked the bourbon bon bon - had a solid but not overpowering bourbon flavor - and I would get again. The salted peanut butter cup is excellent.

Yuzu - gyoza, tori karaage, kakuni ramen, wiener sausage fry, gyu negima: The gyoza was good, the karaage excellent, and the gyu negima (thin sliced ribeye seared and wrapped around green onion) fantastic. I will say, I prefer the rib eye wrapping asparagaus instead of green onion, but that's a seasonal thing - have to go back in a few months. The sausage fry was interesting, a little greasy, and we probably wouldn't order it again. We both loved the ramen. The broth was rich and flavorful, the pork a little but not too fatty, and the sesame seeds and garlic they serve on the side unexpectedly added a whole other dimension. Definitely recommend.

The Dump Truck (food cart) - "Mr. Ma's special" pork dumplings: These dumplings were, well, marginal. The wrappers were thicker than ideal and we could barely taste the pork inside; the only flavor I picked out was onion. The dipping sauce was okay. Probably won't go back.

Ziba's Pitas (food cart) - combo plate with meat burek and cufte in white sauce: The meat burek we've had plenty of times, but this was our first time trying the cufte (pronounced "chuf-tee"), which are meatballs with various spices. Fantastic! The white sauce was very good with it and the ustipaks (bread - but much better according to the menu) I wanted about 12 more of - they were that good. Very moist, but dense. Next time I might order just cufte and no burek (gasp!).

The Whole Bowl (food cart) - Big Bowl, chips: Continue to love Whole Bowl. Fantastic meal, hearty, and fairly healthy. Great change of pace for us.

Mojo Crepes - S'mores crepe: We've been hearing about Mojo for a long time now, but since it's out on SE 84th and Division - far from home - we hadn't been. Finding ourselves in the area we had to stop to check out these stuffed crepes. And honestly? Not impressed at all. The crepe itself seemed soggy, undercooked, and lacking in flavor. Maybe it was our choice of flavors, but it did nothing to convince us we should go back.

The Country Cat - beef brisket sandwich with onion rings, "Hot Brown" sandwich: The brisket was well cooked with great flavor. It had a bit of heat with it which I wasn't expecting but wasn't unpleasant. I'd order it again. The onion rings were very, very thinly sliced - more like ribbons than the rings I expected. Light and fluffy with good flavor. The Hot Brown is an open-faced turkey sandwich with mornay sauce and bacon topped with  bit of romesco. One would think all the flavors would make a rich whole, but for some reason the end result was a tad bland. The turkey seemed a bit dry. Maybe it needed more mornay? Not sure. The home fries are excellent (this was a substitution on our part - who wants salad?).

Immortal Pie and Larder - garlic herb chicken pie, creme brulee pie: Immortal makes pies similar to Pacific Pie Company - small, perhaps individual-sized meat pies, in plenty of flavors. And they do dessert pies. The creme brulee pie was nothing short of fantastic. It seems like it's hard to find good creme brulee around Portland, but this is absolutely good creme brulee and their crust is so light and fluffy. The herb chicken pie was very hearty - Wifey and I split it with a side of veggies and filled ourselves up. AND - it's half a block away from The Country Cat. How convenient. They also sell wines, chocolates, and Belgian beers, among other things, so we picked up a French cotes du rone for a later meal.

Dove Vivi cornmeal crust pizza - corn, quattro fromaggio, pepperoni classico, sausage classico: Dove Vivi won't satisfy a real pizza craving, but it creates one all on it's own. The corn continues to be my favorite, but the sausage and pepperoni slices were excellent as well. The quattro fromaggio, to me, needed something. Maybe more sauce? Seemed a tad dry.

Violetta - corn dogs, yukon gold fries: Corn dogs are absolutely not on my diet (then again, what of this page is?), but when Violetta posted a special for two for $7.50 with the dogs being Kobe beef from Snake River Farms we couldn't resist. Most corn dogs are bad, doughy and greasy disgusting blobs on sticks, but these, these are what people remember when they talk glowingly about the dogs of childhood (provided that childhood was many, many moons ago, and included Kobe beef). That is to say, not my childhood, where I grew up not liking the massed produced crap some pass off as corn dogs. The corn crust on these was very well made, crunchy with a tiny big of sweetness. So. Damn. Good. Oh, and the fries are good too.

Little Big Burger - burger with bleu cheese, burger with cheddar: Something changed with LBB since our first visit, in a good way. The first time we went the burgers were pretty dang good. This time they were excellent. I have no idea what the change was, but I like it.

A visit to Pok Pok merited it's own post.

DRINK!

Wine:

Bergstrom's 2009 Old Stones Pinot Noir: We tried a tiny bit of this wine, but really only bought it to have a red to make boeuf bourguignon. Nothing jumped out at us about the wine itself, but it did great in the whole pot dish.

Ponzi's 2007 Pinot Gris: This was fine. Citrusy a bit, a little sweet, no complaints. Not sure what we liked in it at the Ponzi tasting that made us feel like we had to have a whole bottle though.

Beer:

Bridgeport's Cafe Negro Porter: I wanted to like this one, but it didn't move the needle for me. The coffee was there, chocolate flavors were there, but they didn't seem to mesh very well. I'd drink it again if someone gave me one without any whining, but wouldn't buy again.

Full Sail's Black Gold Bourbon Imperial Stout: I liked this stout, with a nice bourbon flavor and rich chocolate and caramel flavors, but I wanted to love it. I wanted to drink it and say, "Damn - I need to stock up!" That didn't happen. I drank it, liked it fine, and forgot about it. Maybe at $12/bottle it's better that way.

Kona Brewing's Koko Brown: I read about this beer finished with toasted coconut a couple months back and had been keeping my eyes open in the stores I shop at - normally New Seasons and Whole Foods, which stock Kona's other offerings - but finally found it at a closing Haggen grocery. Picked up a six pack for 20% off. It reminded me a little of the Beertown Brown Bridgeport Brewing did last year, which I also liked, but the big difference was the aftertaste of the toasted coconut. Excellent. It's not as good as the Pipeline Porter, but it lives up to the standard Kona has set for itself.

Coffee:

Edenway Coffee - mocha: Shrug. It was near my dentist, so I tried it. I don't need to make a special trip to get it again, and in six months when I go back to the dentist I'll probably try somewhere else. Okay flavor, slightly sweet, nothing special.

February Tasting Notes

EAT!

VooDoo Doughnuts - Voodoo Doll, Lemon Chiffon creuller: I'd never actually been to a VooDoo Doughnuts before, but I know the one just off Burnside downtown always had a line, so I went to the one just off Sandy on the east side, because I had never seen a line there. Well. Apparently this is an old Taco Time or something and the line squiggles all around the inside. If you look in the picture below, you can see them - the cash register is to the left, out of the picture. I stood in line for about 20 minutes for two doughnuts...both were good, but I think doughnuts just aren't our thing anymore. What I couldn't believe was how many people ordered multiple dozens. Are you kidding me?! Do you know how many calories are in those things?!

Sizzle Pie - Don Caballero slice, Wake and Bake slice: Sizzle Pie opened on East Burnside a couple months ago and every review I've seen goes on and on about how great their variety is and how awesome the pizza is. Those people must be stoned. Our slices were a little burnt; my Wake and Bake slice didn't even have yolk on it (three eggs on the entire pizza, of course I get a slice with no yolk...); and I just wasn't impressed with the sauce or really much else. Can't see myself going back with so many other good pizza options in town.

Pacific Pie Company - sausage roll, Sunday roast lamb pie; beef and pinot pie, chocolate caramel tart, chocolate peanut butter pie: Pacific Pie Company first caught our eye at the Beaverton Farmer's Market a couple years ago, where they sold wonderful single serving Australian pies (check out the menu - beef and stout is fantastic). This was actually my first visit to their store on Ankeny, though they are moving now to a new location (bigger, more seating). I picked up the sausage roll and roast lamb pie for dinner (lamb) and brunch (sausage roll) and both items were very, very good. Then, with Valentine's Day upcoming, they had a special pie - the beef and pinot - along with an array of sweet pies. The sweet pies they didn't always have at the Ankeny location (but believe they will more often or always at the new place). The beef and pinot was so balanced, the wine providing a perfect balance to the beef, mushrooms, and everything else. If they had this on their menu all the time I'd have to buy one every week. The two sweet pies, though, were the real star. To be real honest, these might be two of the best desserts I've had in Portland. The chocolate caramel tart was hard but not too hard to chew, and the chocolate peanut butter pie melted in my mouth with goodness. I can't wait until the new place opens, and I can't recommend Pacific Pie Company highly enough.

Corbett Fish House - walleye fish and chips: I had never had walleye before and this is one of the only places in town to get it, plus they are know for fish and chips so what the heck, right? And they were good - very good. The breading and spices were tasty but not overdone and the fish was cooked perfectly. The fries were fine, nothing special. But would I go back...that's the question. Well, as I said, the food was good. But this dish cost me $16 for three relatively small pieces of fish. Perhaps the fish is expensive, I could buy that if it's true (no idea), but their halibut version is $17.50 - way more than anywhere else for food that is as good and the customer receives more. No complaints on the dish, just on the value provided and the claim it's the best in town. It's good, but the cost probably knocks them out of the running.

Cafe Velo - chocolate chip cookie: Portland Monthly magazine did a piece on Portland's best chocolate chip cookies and Cafe Velo made the cut. They use the famous Jacque Torres recipe, which we have found at home is good, but not as good as this recipe from The New York Times which tweaked it. For the better. Cafe Velo's rendition was not as good as the Torres one we made at home and not nearly as good as the NY Times version. Apparently it's time to open our own bakery.

Also, check out the two restaurants of the month that merited their own reviews: Roost and Little Bird!

Roost: There is a restaurant at the corner of SE 14th and Belmont called Roost. It's not a big place, perhaps seating 40 or so, and the decor is sparse. Not sparse in the sense of poor or underfunded, but sparse in a minimalist sense, all black, white, pine, and stainless steel. Read More!

Little Bird: Last summer I had one of the best meals of my life at Le Pigeon, a tiny French restaurant on East Burnside in Portland run by Gabriel Rucker, one of the most acclaimed chefs in Portland. Around that same time Rucker announced he would be opening a new restaurant in downtown Portland, a French bistro named Little Bird. It finally opened in early December to very good reviews and we've been meaning to make it over there, but didn't make it there until the other day for lunch. Read More!
DRINK!

Coffee

Grendel's Coffee - mocha: VooDoo, Sizzle Pie, and Pacific Pie Company were all part of a couple hour walkabout in same general area on East Burnside. The last stop there was at Grendel's Coffee, a small neighborhood-type place across Burnside from Le Pigeon. The menu has no surprises but the mocha was a very solid offering. That's good, since there is no close alternatives.

Beer

Great Divide's Smoked Baltic Porter: I think I've mentioned this one before, but it's the best smoked porter I've tasted. I need to go buy more. Again.

Southern Tier's Blackwater Series Choklat Stout: This is the second Southern Tier brew I've tried (if you remember, the Creme Brulee was far from a favorite). I was skeptical about this - but yes, bought it anyway - because of the previous experience, but that skepticism proved to be completely unfounded. Imagine if you can the flavors of your favorite mocha. Now imagine those flavors seamlessly blended with a well-balanced stout. Does that sound like a tasty beer? Yes, yes it does. And that beer is this one. Stock up and thank me later.

Blue Moon's Grand Cru: Last year's Grand Cru I like to a certain extent, but this year's was much better. The balance between the citrus and ale flavors was more seamless and they complemented each other, rather than pulling at each other a bit. I also think this year's version had a higher level of accomplishment in the beer component, providing a little more complexity to the flavors. Blue Moon gets a bad rap in the craft beer world because they are owned by Coors, but this beer definitely deserves some attention.

Wine

Sokol Blosser's 2007 Dundee Hills Pinot Noir: We bought this wine because we wanted a nice pinot to go with a beef dish we were making, but after the first couple sips we decided it really wasn't something we wanted to drink. It had way too much spice and tannins for our taste buds...so I found a recipe I've been meaning to make for a while and used the rest of the bottle to make coq au vin (the recipe from Alton Brown I pointed out here). Drinking the wine - not so great. Cooking with it? Fantastic!

January Tasting Notes

EAT!

Olympic Provisions - Strata of kielbasa, yukon gold potatoes, apples, onions with sauce mornay; Smoked chicken salad, apple-fennel slaw on baguette: This strata wasn't as good as the one we had the first time we visited last summer, but it was still good. The apples were large chunks which was a little offputting in such a dish. It was also a little short on the mornay sauce. The sandwich was good except for the vicious amount of horseradish, which was not noted on the menu. Yikes. We like this place, but will probably order something else next time.

Ken's Artisan Pizza - amatriciana pizza, fennel sausage pizza, blood orange galette with vanilla gelato, chocolate espresso tart with pistachio and whip cream: The last top pizza place we go to in Portland ends up being what I think is my favorite. Apizza Scholls, Nostrana, here...it just depends on what's most recent in my memory. Both of the pizzas were excellent, with nice char on the crust, good flavor in the dough, fantastic sauce, and well-made and flavored meats. The desserts were fantastic, which shouldn't be a surprise because they probably came from Ken's Artisan Bakery on the other side of the river. The gelato was very rich and creamy with a nice Madagascar vanilla flavor. The tart's crust was extremely tough and coated with ground coffee for a fantastic after-dinner wake up call, but it's a good thing we shared both desserts; a whole chocolate espresso tart for one person could be a death blow with the richness of the chocolate.

Taste Unique - pollo mediterraneo, orecchiette with aged ricotta, Sicilian cannoli: Wifey and I have been faithfully visiting Taste Unique since not long after it opened, but we had never stopped in for lunch, so we rectified that. The sauce on the pollo mediterraneo (chicken with a garlic tomato sauce) was very good, so good you could taste the freshness. The chicken, though, seemed a tad cold - not sure why. It also came with a side of pan roasted cabbage, which was excellent. The orrechiette (pasta, translates as "little ears") was thoroughly enjoyable, as all of Stefania's pastas always are. The cannoli was stuffed with a pistachio cream I'm not sure either of us were too excited about. As usual, the focaccia was fantastic - the olive oil tasted like it had been pressed earlier in the week it was so fresh.

St. Jack - eclair, chocolate cake (gateau chocolat), latte with chocolate: We can't get enough of this place. This time we just stopped in for treats. The eclair had wonderful vanilla cream and was covered in a decadent serving of dark chocolate. While the pate a choux (the dough) was thicker than we've had elsewhere and gave it a distinctly different flavor, it was still well worth the few bucks. The cake was very good, but not everyone here likes hazelnuts. And the latte? With the housemade chocolate it really is just a mocha, and it was fantastic. Perhaps one of the best around, honestly. St. Jack also makes their own caramel sauce (and vanilla too, I believe - fifty cent add-ons to any coffee drink), so I think a caramel latte will be on the order next time. And sometime we need to go for dinner - the menu looks fantastic. Doesn't that gratin de macaroni sound heavenly?

DRINK!

Beer

New Belgium's Frambozen: In contrast to one further down this list, New Belgium does a raspberry-flavored beer just right. Not too sweet, not overpowering the rest of the flavors, this ale was a nice change. I couldn't sit and drink more than one probably, but I'd recommend it.

Goose Island's Demolition: Shrug. The Demolition is a very citrusy, very pale ale, with a lot of bubbly. The flavors were, well, fine I guess. Probably wouldn't buy another one.

Fire Mountain's Oregon Pale Ale: I grabbed this bottle off the shelf on a whim. I needed to grab a pale ale for a cheddar-ale soup (which was awesome!) and this just happened to be in the right place, plus I got to try something new. First off, this is not pale at all - it's more of an amber. I suppose that's how it gets called "Oregon Pale" - we don't do the super pale beers. The flavors were excellent and I can't wait to try their other brews - would definitely get this again.

Dogfish Head's Black and Blue: This ale was made with the puree of blackberries and raspberries, hence the name. Using fruit in beer has to be done just right, otherwise the fruit either overpowers everything else or it becomes a syrupy mess. This one must have had bad puree or something - to me the fruit flavors were a bit rancid. I poured out half the bottle, it was that bad. After trying and not liking three different Dogfish Head brews, I think I'm done with them.

Also, a return to Deschutes' 2009 Abyss got it's own review here.

Wine

Pacific Rim - White Flowers Sparkling Riesling: Ugh. We picked this up as kind of a New Year's drink, but like a previous bottle of Pacific Rim we bought a few months back it simply tasted bitter. There was none of the promised sweetness and came out tasting like a weak champagne.

Coffee

Water Avenue - El Toro Blend: I'd heard of this place but never been there, so when we saw their offerings at Whole Foods we decided this one sounded good. The Toro blend has chocolate and caramel notes - if you have been reading for awhile you know that's what we go for - and is very, very smooth.

Stumptown - Columbia Las Mingas: Whole Foods and New Seasons were out of my favorite Hairbender on the same day - what are the odds of that?! - so we decided to try this one. Like the Water Avenue Toro it is very smooth and brought some chocolate (and supposedly a fruit I can't recall), but it fell short on giving a morning kick.

Back Down The Abyss

Fourteen months ago I bought a bottle of Deschutes Brewery's Abyss, the 2009 version, and wrote about it here. I wasn't sure I'd like it because of how dark and how, well, stout it was, but I ended up thoroughly enjoying it.

Over the course of the past year I've tried a few other stouts and most of them haven't really been all that great to my palette. In the buildup to the Abyss 2010 release I read quite a few early reviews and found many of them talked about how 2010 was better than 2009, and that 2009 may have been the worst of the series (2010 is the fifth, I believe). Considering I enjoyed 2009 that made me excited for the 2010 version, which after cracking the bottle I did like it, though perhaps not as much as the hype.

But that got me thinking a little bit. After enjoying 2009 Abyss when it was released I went out and bought two more bottles to save, because like with the others in Deschutes' Reserve series these come with a Best After date. Well. 2009 Abyss hit the Best After in November of 2010, so it seemed like a good time to open one of the saved bottles to check out the changes in the flavor profile, if any.

That idea also filled me with a little trepidation, after finding out saving Black Butte XXI for a year didn't necessarily - to me - make it better. Still, I figured worth a try. Besides, last Monday was the NCAA national championship football game, and it seemed like a good time to crack a special occasion beer.

I've got one word for the aged 2009 Abyss: Wow! Even if my team had managed to win the game (this is where I pretend it never happened, like it seems like all other Duck fans are as well), this bottle would have been the star of the night. When fresh the flavors in this bottle had been sharp and distinct, the 14 months of aging not only mellowed them all out, but the smoothed edges now dance together beautifully.

All of the original flavors are still there - the coffee, the chocolate, the vanilla, the licorice, the molasses - and all are identifiable, both on the tongue and in the nose, but the complexity blending of the flavors makes it difficult to pick out just one at a time. You don't pick out chocolate; instead you get chocolate with a licorice background. You don't pick out molasses; instead you get molasses with an edge of vanilla.

This is a strong beer alcohol-wise, measuring in at north of 11% when it was first released. I thought it would pretty much end my night drinking this bottle, but unlike the Black Butte XXI - which absolutely became stronger through the aging process - Abyss 2009's alcohol was hidden without the same almost sickeningly sweetness. Perhaps this masked the impact of the alcoholic strength - or maybe I was just well rested and it didn't hit me as hard - but the strength of the beer didn't seem like other 11% beers I've had in the past. This includes the fresh 2009 Abyss, the aged Black Butte XXI, and the recent fresh Bourbon County Stout 2010.

For any beer bloggers and reviewers, both professional and amateur, who weren't as pleased with 2009 Abyss when it was first released, I strongly encourage you to open a bottle of 2009 if one was saved and try it now - you may change your mind.

Sadly I now have just one of these bottles squirreled away, waiting for a suitable drinking time. Hopefully 2010 will age just as well as 2009 did.

December Tasting Notes

EAT!

Lardo (food cart) - porchetta sandwich, pork belly and farm egg sandwich, lardo fries: I have to say, these sandwiches were flat-out fantastic. The fries were good, the pork on each sandwich fatty and moist, and the bread held up against the meat and toppings very, very well. Both sandwiches were also good the next day. Taste-wise I could eat this all the time. Unfortunately, doing so would probably kill a person in less than a month. Great, great food, but this is a once-a-year type place, unless you really are focused on gaining weight and clogging your arteries. We'll go back. In 2012.

Sweet Pea's Brulee (food cart) - creme brulee, vanilla marshmallows, s'mores, rice krispie treat w/chocolate: We stopped at this cart because it caught our eye while eating at Lardo. Everything looked so good...and ended up being disappointing. The creme brulee had a decent flavor, but was a little lumpy and had a faint taste of just burnt, rather than crisped sugar. This could be because it was melted with a medium duty propane torch - I don't know. The rice krispies were stale, so that was not good at all. The graham crackers of the s'mores were supposedly housemade, but they looked a lot like Nabisco to us. The marshmallows were average, but despite saying vanilla they were actually orange, which isn't the greatest of suprises. We won't be going back.

St. Jack's - smoked salmon tartine, madeleines, chocolate caramel tart, ham and gruyere croissant: We stopped in here just before the full opening of the restaurant, when just the cafe/bakery part was open, for breakfast. The tartine was magnificent, topped with capers, greens, a generous amount of smoked salmon, radish, and cucumber - very light and full of flavor. The baguettes come from Little T, so of course they are good. The croissant was excellent - one of the best I've ever had. (See pictures here.) The chocolate tart had a very light crust and a rich, full chocolate flavor, one I could eat daily (though shouldn't). The madeleines are baked to order and while they were definitely tasty little bits of baked dough, they didn't do anything special for me. Can't wait to go back now that the restaurant is open.

Little T American Baker - apple danish, baguette: I'll just leave it at nothing I have ever had at Little T has been bad. Just go there, see what's in the case, and buy it. And take home some bread. You will be happy. We go back often.

Foster Burger - Kiwi Burger, Foster Road Pileup: In the neverending quest to try all the best burgers in Portland Foster Burger, a newer place, finally made an appearance in my stomach. The Kiwi burger, supposedly #4 on the list, was an excellent burger, but I thought the lamb lacked a strength of meaty flavor to stand up to all the other toppings. It seemed to have good seasoning on it's own, just not enough of "it" for me to say it's really great. Very good, just not great. The Pileup was kind of a big mess, as one can expect. What was not expected was the insertion of super damn hot peppers, which aren't on the online menu but apparently are on the menu at the restaurant. If those peppers hadn't have been there, it probably would have been sufficiently awesome, but I'm not a fan of the hot. The fries were a solid offering as a side; the cole slaw was horrible. I went here for lunch and was one of two tables with patrons. Sure, it was the week before Christmas and this location isn't near offices (best for a lunch crowd), but it was sad. Can't see it justifying lunch hours if that's typical. Also ordered a pint of Black Butte Porter. BBP was typically yummy, but Foster Burger serves it literally ice cold. That's way, way, way too damn cold for a porter - the vast majority of the beer didn't get touched until the burger was gone. Service was fine, nothing special. We'll go back.

Lucy's Original (food cart) - Jucy Lucy, Bistro Burger: In Minneapolis there are a couple places who claim to have created the Jucy Lucy, which is a burger with the cheese actually inside the burger, placed there before it's cooked up. Up until now this wasn't available in Portland, but the wonderful people who previously ran the Little Red Bike Cafe have started a new food truck specializing in just these kinds of burgers. And they are awesome, very awesome. The Jucy Lucy, with American cheese inside the patty, comes with housemade sweet pickles, which I loved even though I'm not normal a sweet pickle fan - they provided a nice balance to the rest of the flavors. The Bistro Burger comes with blue cheese inside the patty, bacon on top, and a spot of fig jam for a striking contrast of sweetness to the meatiness of the bacon and beef and the robust flavor of the cheese. The wheat buns are also tasty and hold up well under the drippings of the burger, making a napking almost unnecessary. Almost. Will definitely be going back.

LATE ADDITION!

Nostrana - Olio Nuovo small plates, gnocchi in tomato butter sauce, bistecca alla Fiorentina, tiramisu: Nostrana had some special dishes for their Olio Nuovo 2010, which celebrates the new crop of olive oil from Italy. We ordered a special set of three small plates: Manila clams and zolfino beans - clams aren't usually my thing but this was excellent; purees of carrot, lentil, and potato - the oil drizzled over the top made this heavenly; and zuppa alla frantoiana - basically a vegetable soup with a piece of toast and oil mixed in, which was perfect. It really was a very nice set of appetizers and showcased the flavor of the olive oil as well as showed some fun ways to use it. The gnocchi was light and fluffy as gnocchi should be, but the tomato butter sauce - while excellent - may not be the right fit. I should point out this was our choice, so perhaps choosing the pesto would have been a better complement. We also tried a wine flight of reds made from Sangiovese grapes in Tuscany which were supposed to really show off the regions terroir, plus go well with pasta and grilled meat. All three (Dei Rosso di Montepulciano 2007, Pian dell'Orino 'Piandorino' 2006, and Felsina Chianti Classico 2007) did complement the dishes well with notes of leather and some berry. One in particular, the Dei glass, had a soft, buttery aftertaste as well. Not sure I'd buy a bottle of any of them, but we enjoyed them. And then there was the bistecca all Fiorentina. A 50-day aged, two-inch think, one-kilo beast of a steak smothered in Italian herbs and garlic and cooked to the rare side of medium rare before being sliced and arrange on the plate with a side of lemon slices, the steak was a masterpiece. I had seen pictures and this steak lived up to all my expectations. Of course, at $60 (check the dinner menu on the site link above - it's always on there) it better, right? Thankfully we had a certificate for $25 off when you spend $35 or more from Restaurant.com (which I paid $2 for), so that lessened the blow a little bit, but this was still a spendy meal by any stretch. And you know what? I was okay with that - I feel like I got my money's worth. I won't be spluring again for that steak anytime soon, but it was definitely a great meal - and there were leftovers! Oh, and the tiramisu was excellent. We split the dessert and it wasn't all that big, but it packed plenty of flavor. The ladyfingers were still spongy, instead of being a sodden group. To me that speaks of it being fresh, which is a rarity. Of course we'll go back...one of our favorite places in Portland.

Wifey and I also said a goodbye to one of our favorite places, Alba Osteria. That took up it's own post.

DRINK!

BEER

Southern Tier Brewing's Creme Brulee Imperial Milk Stout: I think the milk stout (milk because it has lactose sugar) part of this beer was very good. The creme brulee part, not so much. The flavoring used, although supposedly brewed with vanilla beans, wasn't up to my vanilla standards. I admit to being a bit of a Madagascar vanilla snob, but this tasted literally like that fake vanilla extract made with "vanillin" - whatever that is. I would try another stout, even a milk stout, from Southern Tier, but not this one.

New Belgium's 2 Below: Many people love New Belgium, but admittedly I have only tried Fat Tire and not been that impressed. This winter offering from them, though, I really enjoyed. It has a nice spicy and somewhat sweet flavor, is nice and light, and smells very good actually. I'd drink more of this.

Deschutes 2010 Abyss: I really enjoyed last year's Abyss and have one of the 2009's I plan on cracking open on January 10th for a certain football game on TV. Personally, I didn't get the feeling the 2010 lived quite up to that standard, though it was still a very good drink and I did buy an extra bottle for saving until the Best After date. Since trying the 2010 Abyss on my own, I've read various reviewers with much more refined beer palattes than I say the 2009 was the worst Abyss and 2010 seems like it could be the best, especially after a little aging. Obviously it's still up to the individual drinker, but I just thought that was interesting. Still, definitely a recommend...and maybe I'll get to the Portland pub to try the Abyss on nitro.

Hair of the Dog Doggie Claws: This is one of the most well balanced beers I've had in a long time. The hops and malt are in perfect harmony and the resulting taste is excellent, with a tiny bit of fruit and a nice sweetness. Supposedly this is a barleywine (11.5% alcohol!) that should age nicely, so I picked up a couple more to save. What's the bonus? It comes in 12 ounce bottles - more special beers should come in 12 ounce bottles.

COFFEE

Batdorf and Bronson's French Roast, Holiday Blend, and Guatemala Antigua Finca El Valle: We wanted to try something new earlier this month and Whole Foods was out of the Dancing Goats and Holiday blends, so we opted for French Roast and the Guatemalan. The French was a rich, dark coffee, but too dark for Wifey and not as strong as Stumptown's Hairbender for me in the morning, so we drank it but it doesn't seem to have a fit for us (we liked it, just not better than our other staples). Holiday is an excellent blend we both liked - smooth, balanced, with nice chocolate notes. The Guatemalan was also well balanced but a little too light for me - not enough caffeine. It's a good afternoon coffee, giving just a little bit of a pick-me-up for the after work writing. As usual Batdorf and Bronson make excellent coffee - haven't had one we didn't like.

WINE

Andrew Rich 2007 Pinot Noir: Wifey and I both really liked this wine. We got the bottle on sale at New Seasons, then used most of it to make French Onion soup. The soup was excellent, if a bit wine-heavy, but the wine also drank very well on it's own. A little fruitiness, a hint of leather, and just a tiny bit of spice for balance. Of course when we went back to New Seasons and wanted more it was sold out and probably not returning. Damn. Rich's wines are at the Winemaker's Studio in Carlton, a place we have been wanting to go anyway, so it might be time to make that trip.

Adelsheim 2009 Willamette Valley Pinot Gris: This wine was supposed to be light, crisp, and bright. It was those things, but it also wasn't very good. We drank it because we can't throw it out (just would be wrong), but definitely wouldn't get again. To me a pinot gris should have at least a note of sweetness in there, preferably something of the peach/pear/citrus category, but this had none of that. Not for us.