So the 2011 KLCC Microbrew Festival has come and gone, once again bringing more samples than one (or two) men could possibly taste. Here is a breakdown of the beers we tried at NPR's annual fundraising drink-a-thon with the ratings explained.
1 - Wouldn't wash a stray dog with this crap.
2 - Don't like, don't hate. The model of indifference.
3 - Like it. I'd buy it in the right mood.
4 - A standard. I'd love a case or four to grace my fridge.
5 - Tastes the way we imagine making love to Kate Beckinsale would.
W - A denotation that the brew had a strange taste that made it hard for our palates to categorize.
RPM IPA (Boneyard Brewery) - 4 - Great aroma, great flavor, no sour/waxy aftertaste, but didn't really distinguish itself the way Ninkasi's Total Domination or some of the other great IPAs do.
Cherry Wheat Beer (Boneyard Brewery) - 3 - This wheat beer tastes a lot like Heffeweisen with the citrus aftertaste replaced by the ghost of cherry flavor. Not amazing, but would be good as a summer seasonal.
Six Hop Wonder (Block 15) - 4.5 - This beer was amazing. It smelled gorgeous, it tasted very well balanced, but the kicker was the grapefruit aftertaste. It was the best IPA we had at the fest.
Back in Black (21st Amendment) - 2W - This one was weird. It was a Black IPA served to us out of a can. It looked like a guiness, it had damn near no aroma, and tasted like something between a strong ale and an IRA. Very strange, hard to categorize, and, thus, very hard to rate.
Licentious Goat IPA (Flat Tail) - 4W - Another weird one, but in a way that didn't leave us as confused as seeing a streaker at a dance recital. This IPA had an aroma that reminded me of dandelions, but had a sweet smooth body to it.
Cold Nose Winter Ale (Laughing Dog) - 2 - A sub-par dark winter ale.
Unconventionale (Ninkasi) - 3W - Ninkasi is an old standard. This was the same festival that, years ago, introduced us to a then fledgling hometown brewery and their amazing 5 star Total Domination IPA. It was nice to try something that wandered from their traditional multi-hopped red and pale ales. This brew had a clove taste to it which initially reminded me of a pumpkin beer, but the beer itself didn't do anything overly special. A decent brown ale.
Hop Fury IPA (Silver Moon) - 3 - This brewery out of Bend blew us away. They had some of the best beer we've tasted from a vendor since Ninkasi showed up. The Hop Fury IPA was a 3 basically because it was made to stand in the shadow of big brother Hoptogon.
Hoptagon Imperial IPA (Silver Moon) - 4 - The boost to their IPA gave this beer a great bouquet that put it up there with Boneyard and Block 15's IPA. Had we not tried Block 15's "Six Hop Wonder" this would've been our favorite IPA there.
Bourbon Chocolate Stout (Silver Moon) - 5 - Holy crap. First off this beer had three of my favorite words in its name, which is what brought me over to the vendor. This beer was one that will make you cry when its gone. First off, the aroma is the light sugary whiff you get off a now empty glass that was once graced by a perfectly aged whiskey. The flavor had the thick body you expect from a stout without being as heavy as many stouts (ie: Deschute's Obsidian). The very light influence of chocolate on the beer along with the whiskey aroma made this one absolutely brilliant.
Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale (Stone Brewery) - 3 - Stone has a hard time making bad beer, but this one doesn't have the ostentatious presentation that Arrogant Bastard does.
Jabberwocky Strong Ale (Walkabout) - 2 - Just not a good strong ale. Very little flavor. The only thing that saved this from a 1 is that it didn't have a skunked taste to it.
1 - Wouldn't wash a stray dog with this crap.
2 - Don't like, don't hate. The model of indifference.
3 - Like it. I'd buy it in the right mood.
4 - A standard. I'd love a case or four to grace my fridge.
5 - Tastes the way we imagine making love to Kate Beckinsale would.
W - A denotation that the brew had a strange taste that made it hard for our palates to categorize.
RPM IPA (Boneyard Brewery) - 4 - Great aroma, great flavor, no sour/waxy aftertaste, but didn't really distinguish itself the way Ninkasi's Total Domination or some of the other great IPAs do.
Cherry Wheat Beer (Boneyard Brewery) - 3 - This wheat beer tastes a lot like Heffeweisen with the citrus aftertaste replaced by the ghost of cherry flavor. Not amazing, but would be good as a summer seasonal.
Six Hop Wonder (Block 15) - 4.5 - This beer was amazing. It smelled gorgeous, it tasted very well balanced, but the kicker was the grapefruit aftertaste. It was the best IPA we had at the fest.
Back in Black (21st Amendment) - 2W - This one was weird. It was a Black IPA served to us out of a can. It looked like a guiness, it had damn near no aroma, and tasted like something between a strong ale and an IRA. Very strange, hard to categorize, and, thus, very hard to rate.
Licentious Goat IPA (Flat Tail) - 4W - Another weird one, but in a way that didn't leave us as confused as seeing a streaker at a dance recital. This IPA had an aroma that reminded me of dandelions, but had a sweet smooth body to it.
Cold Nose Winter Ale (Laughing Dog) - 2 - A sub-par dark winter ale.
Unconventionale (Ninkasi) - 3W - Ninkasi is an old standard. This was the same festival that, years ago, introduced us to a then fledgling hometown brewery and their amazing 5 star Total Domination IPA. It was nice to try something that wandered from their traditional multi-hopped red and pale ales. This brew had a clove taste to it which initially reminded me of a pumpkin beer, but the beer itself didn't do anything overly special. A decent brown ale.
Hop Fury IPA (Silver Moon) - 3 - This brewery out of Bend blew us away. They had some of the best beer we've tasted from a vendor since Ninkasi showed up. The Hop Fury IPA was a 3 basically because it was made to stand in the shadow of big brother Hoptogon.
Hoptagon Imperial IPA (Silver Moon) - 4 - The boost to their IPA gave this beer a great bouquet that put it up there with Boneyard and Block 15's IPA. Had we not tried Block 15's "Six Hop Wonder" this would've been our favorite IPA there.
Bourbon Chocolate Stout (Silver Moon) - 5 - Holy crap. First off this beer had three of my favorite words in its name, which is what brought me over to the vendor. This beer was one that will make you cry when its gone. First off, the aroma is the light sugary whiff you get off a now empty glass that was once graced by a perfectly aged whiskey. The flavor had the thick body you expect from a stout without being as heavy as many stouts (ie: Deschute's Obsidian). The very light influence of chocolate on the beer along with the whiskey aroma made this one absolutely brilliant.
Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale (Stone Brewery) - 3 - Stone has a hard time making bad beer, but this one doesn't have the ostentatious presentation that Arrogant Bastard does.
Jabberwocky Strong Ale (Walkabout) - 2 - Just not a good strong ale. Very little flavor. The only thing that saved this from a 1 is that it didn't have a skunked taste to it.
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