Spring forward - or hop forward?

Whoa. So, right. A few months have passed since I touched this thing. And wow, a lot has happened.

The Seahawks won the Superbowl. I went to Zambia and Uganda. I was selected as a back-up for watching over S when M has her baby in May. I started drafting a Modern Love column. Did I mention the Seahawks and the whole Superbowl thing?

And oh yes. The beer. There's been a lot of tasty beer enjoyed by this girl recently. Or not so recently, as the case may be.

Here's what I can briefly gather from my iPhone notes:

Enjoy By 2.14.14 and Enjoy By 4.20.14, Stone Brewery
(allegedly 9.4% ABV, 88 IBUs for each iteration)
More like enjoy by whenever you can get your hands on these brews. The 2.14.14 round got me through some long days at work, largely enjoyed at Fremont's The Sixgill. Here's how it'd go: work a minimum of 10 to 12 hours. Discover I had forgotten to eat enough or had had too much caffeine to easily sleep. Swing by The Sixgill at 9 pm for foodstuffs and a delectably tasty, complex, hoppy but balanced, Enjoy By. Go home, sleep a bit, repeat. One month later, Enjoy By 4.20.14 gets bottled and hits the Seattle shelves. After a rough week, I bought an overpriced bottle at PCC and brought it over to M and S's to watch an immensely high-brow television series that rhymes with the smachelor. Again, so tasty, so interesting to the palate, hoppy but balanced - way to Stone, way to go Enjoy By. I've never been more thankful for the next four weeks.

The Brother Imperial IPA, Fremont Brewing
(8.5% ABV, about a billion IBUs, more details here)
Oh brother - you've ruined every other beer for me. It's a bold move, I know, but this beer might just be my new favorite. Perhaps even ever. I thought The Sister was pretty spectacular, but well, like my little brother, this one just rocks my socks off. Thankfully, Fremont Brewing decided to have The Brother for awhile this late winter-to-early spring, as I've enjoyed it several times: (1) post-NFC championship game wherein the Seahawks emerged oh so victorious; (2) post-report finalization with A; (3) drinks with J; (4) drinks with M; (5) drinks by myself...ok, ok, ok, have I made my point clear? This is a truly awesome IPA, bold but somehow light(ish), hoppy and citrus-y, and...sir, may I have some more?

Topcutter IPA, Bale Breaker Brewing
(6.8% ABV, 70 IBU, more details here)
So this is fun: according to N (and The Sixgill), Bale Breaker Brewing has only recently started to distribute its hoppy wares in Seattle. The Moxee-based brewery (basically Yakima - oh my upstate NY accent is wonderfully showcased by saying Yaaaaaaakima) has made this fine IPA that has a lower alcohol content without sacrificing hop-tasticity. It tickles the palate with some kind of citrus-y goodness, and I imagine this brewski would a tasty one for the summer months. Bonus - it comes in cans! All the better to pack for kayak adventures - hurrah! Is it summer yet?

Alright, this makes sound like a happy-hoppy-hippy. Indeed, I have had some disappointing beers in the last few months. For instance, I really didn't like High Water Brewing's Hop Logic in January - I actually bought one of those 22 oz bottles at Bottleworks and promptly dumped it down the drain after my first sip. "Gross brandy-wineness, ugh" says my iPhone. And subsequently, I turned down High Water brews several times due to this unfortunate experience. Sorry guys, but my hop-discerning gullet is just not that into you.

Next up: reviews of Washington's Hob Mob Triple IPA Roadshow (courtesy of myself, M, and K). Sneak preview: Georgetown's Kiss Ass Blaster "is more like kick ass!" and Spinnaker Bay's Three Sheets to the Wind is "burnt, earthy, heavy - whatever. I stick my tongue out at it."

Cheers,
N

Heading home to Heady Topper

Heady Topper.

This increasingly sought-after - and widely heralded - brew has caused all kind of brouhaha (or shall I say...brewhaha? HA HA!) for its small hometown of Waterbury, Vermont. After BeerAdvocate rated Heady Topper as the world's best beer (supplanting long-time favorites Pliny the Younger and Elder from Russian River), its popularity has absolutely exploded. The Alchemist Brewery recently closed its retail operations in order to appease its residential neighbors, who have apparently disliked the "rowdy beer lovers" stampeding Waterbury in pursuit of the fairly rare Heady Topper. People have been busted for trying to sell the beer on Craigslist, a move that sounds fairly ridiculous (sure) but perhaps more accurately reflects the pure demand and the lengths people will go for the illustrious Heady Topper.

Guess whose dad somehow got a four-pack of the good stuff from his ski patrol friends - and who kept that four-pack until his daughter came home for the holidays.

In sum, it was pretty spectacular. It was certainly hoppy (it's a double IPA after all), but not in an overly aggressive manner. You can tell that The Alchemist was thoughtful in producing the Heady Topper, deliberately considering how to balance out heavy hops without sacrificing the beer's delightful bitter undertones with too much sugar or additives. It's a bit citrus-y, but not like you're sucking on a lemon - it's just an additional component of the beer that makes tasting it even more fun. 

I think I still prefer Pliny the Elder - it's been too long - and some of the other PNW brewskis that aren't as highly lauded (Stone's Enjoy By series are stellar, and they're "only" ranked 53rd by BeerAdvocate), but it's quite exciting to see an East Coast brewery go head-to-head with reigning West Coast hop champions. Well done The Alchemist, and most importantly, well done Dad.

Cheers!

N

Get it before it's gone: Enjoy by 10.25.2013

It's the final countdown....!?!

Yep, you officially have about 3 days (+/- a couple of hours) until Stone Brewery's "Enjoy by 10.25.2013" is officially obsolete. Described as "devastatingly fresh" by its maker, I couldn't agree more: I just enjoyed my second sampling of the 10.25.2013 with E at Bravehorse Tavern.

This round was just as good - if not better - than my initial taste (at Fremont's Sixgill earlier this month). I don't think it was Sixgill's fault (I love the place), but perhaps it was more of matter of timing. After all, I'm getting dangerously close to the enjoy by date.

So what's it like? At 9.4% ABV and some kind of high IBU (my otherwise decently honed research skills aren't panning out this time), it's a delightful symphony of hops and something more balanced (citrus? maybe?). In other words, it's got enough bitterness to make a hop freak like myself happy, but it's not so overwhelming to alienate people who can appreciate some hops but honestly just like damn good beers.

I had the Greenflash Green Bullet Triple IPA first, and upon the first sip, well, I wished I had hit up the 10.25 instead. Luckily, the conversation and good times with E permitted a second round, during which I immediately requested what I should have gone for in the first place.

In sum, you've got a countdown and it's ticking: be sure to try the 10.25.2013 by Stone Brewery before its time is up.

Find 10.25.2013 in Seatown (or at least a few options based on a quick Google search):
- Bitterroot
- Bravehorse Tavern
- Noble Fir
- Sixgill
- The Roanoke
- Downtown Spirits (apparently)

Cheers,
N