HUB Club (finally) begins!

Starting tomorrow, the Hopheads United over Beer (HUB) Club will have its first meeting of the minds (and livers?) at my place. Hurrah!

On the docket:

CAN'T WAIT!

Cheers,
N

Hoppy Thanksgiving!

Ever since I moved to the West Coast, Thanksgiving tends to be kind of bittersweet. For me, Thanksgiving is the ultimate family holiday, as it brings everyone together without the stress and pressure that often bubbles up around Christmas.

Don't get me wrong - I love Christmas. L-O-V-E Christmas. And Christmas in Seattle? It's second to none - and largely because of a very wonderful thing called CHRISTMAS BOATS. Seriously. Christmas + boats = true holiday amazingness.

I digress.

For me, Thanksgiving is like that warm and cozy, no-frills sweater that you really miss whenever you can't find it, have lent to someone, and so on. Over the last five years, I've only gone back home for Thanksgiving once. It's just hard to go back and forth multiple times during the winter holidays, especially when home doesn't align with a major airport and/or airline hub. And then you always risk getting snowed in (a la Christmas 2012) - a huge bummer, for sure.

Ok, double-digression.

In sum, I love Thanksgiving and I miss being with my (growing!) family, but I'm really grateful for the various Thanksgiving adventures I've had out here (and I'm particularly thankful for the people who keep taking this Thanksgiving orphan in). This year, I have the huge pleasure of going over to S and M's for a Thanksgiving filled with health research nerds and their ridiculously cute children. Clearly, I'm bringing my Thanksgiving specialties (homemade cranberry sauce and my mom's famous apple crisp with a PNW twist (Braeburn apples!)) over, as well as the seemingly splendid Seattle Met's Seasonal Six. (And yes, I bought two six-packs: one for the Thanksgiving brood, and one for my own enjoyment - stay tuned for the completely biased review!)

On the subject of tasty brews, with the assistance of several fine friends, I've finally worked through most of my October Hop Head shipment. Some were consumed without any notes (aka me providing incredibly detailed and helpful information like "[Big Al's] Big Bertha = AWESOME" on my iPhone notepad), so I sadly can't say much to their credit. But for the ones I can...

[in no particular order]
(1) Hurricane Kitty, Keegan Ales
(5.7% ABV, 63 IBUs, more stats here)
Described as a "coppery and heavily hopped India Pale Ale" by Half Time's Hop Head cheat sheet, I'd probably agree more with the former than the latter. Ms. H. Kitty definitely has some coppery, red ale-ish taste to it, especially with its smooth flavor and minimal aftertaste. But heavily hopped? HA! This might be a case of an East Coast IPA (Keegan's based in NY) thinking it's hoptastic when it's well, really just an East Coast IPA. Welcome to the Wild West Kittycat - home of real hops, lumberjack hipsters, and 53-degree Thanksgivings (!??!?!). Nonetheless, it's not a bad beer at all (and it could be very much appreciated by people who want a mild(er) IPA). It just didn't quite live up to its "heavily hopped" hype.

(2) The Shed IPA, The Shed Brewery 
(6% ABV, 35 IBUs, more stats here)
Oh Vermont. I love you. And your tasty beers. Although I'll generally always prefer an Otter Creek or Wolaver's brew, the Shed IPA delivered well. Crisp, lightly hoppy, delightful - it was a perfect way to celebrate a long week of work (and work accomplishments!) out on my deck this afternoon. And yes, mayyyyybe some guilty pleasures beyond that of tasty brewskis...

(3) Cisco Indie Pale Ale, Cisco Brewers
(5.8% ABV, IBUs unknown, more stats here)
Um, did someone order some beer with this...chocolate water? While Cisco's "Indie" (is this a typo or a case of trying really hard to be pseudo-edgy?) Pale Ale wasn't inherently bad, I was so overwhelmed by the chocolate-y taste that I definitely couldn't detect the "whirlpool" of "dry-hop additions [that] provide a deliciously quenching finish to this East meets West-coast ale." Nuh-huh. Don't be calling this beer West Coast, fool. It's glorified chocolate water with a dash of beer flavoring (and mayyyyybe a mound of hops or two). In the future, this'll be a pass.

(4) Kuka American IPA, Andean Brewing Co.
(6.2% ABV, IBUs unknown, more stats here)
Ok, so I was excited for this beer. One, its bottle was super awesome. Two (and perhaps more importantly), its Half Time cheat sheet description made it sound super awesome: "This IPA is the perfect balance between an American Pale Ale and Imperial Rye IPA. Simply put, just a clean, fresh, crisp, hoppy beer for your drinking enjoyment." I mean, who wouldn't want that? And yep, it was as described - well, yeah, it was. My only hang-up is that my dear friend K selected it as his beer to enjoy while we worked on my apartment puzzle, and thus I only got a few sips. I guess I'll have to order more of this one...(not pictured here because, well, K is a very expedient bottle recycler, and well, I'm not.)

Other beers from the October Hop Head shipment that I enjoyed (but don't feel right reviewing quite yet - time to order up!):
- Flipside Red IPA, Sierra Nevada (6.2% ABVs, 60 IBUs, more stats here) 
- Wolavers IPA, Otter Creek Brewing/Wolavers (6.5% ABVs, IBUs unknown, more stats here)
- Rocky Mountain IPA, Fort Collins Brewery (6.2%, 78 IBUs, more stats here)

Ok, that's all for now. A very happy (and hoppy) Thanksgiving to all, and to all, have a spectacular night!

Cheers,
N

Mid-month catch-up hop-stop

Ok, I dropped the ball a bit. Fine, a lot. October turned into November, work got busy, I finally unpacked most of my new place, and then work got really busy.

And, for some reason, I prioritized beers with peers and then sleeping rather than writing about them afterward. Crazy, I know.

But now I've got a beer backlog and I don't like it. So here it goes, a quick and dirty run-down of the hoptastic brews I've had lately:

(1) High Tide Fresh Hop IPA, Port Brewing 
(6.5% ABV, IBUs unknown, more stats here)
This brewski was a little lighter than my usual taste, but it was wonderfully refreshing and tasty. I enjoyed this one at The Sixgill, is increasingly one of my favorite go-to places in Seatown. Unfortunately, I don't believe it's on tap anymore - until next year folks...

(2) Notorious Triple IPA, Boneyard Brewing
(12% ABV, 80 IBUs, more stats here)
Ugh. I thought I'd love this one, but it's a perfect example of a big - and potentially delightful - IPA gone wrong. Whatever Boneyard put in to offset the crazy hops and alcohol content made this beer taste syrupy and bordering on bad brandywine status. No bueno.

(3) Dugana IPA, Avery Brewery Company
(8.5% ABV, 93 IBUs, more stats here) 
Mmmmm mmmm, this one was good. "Tasty and complex with that nice dry feeling at the end." There may have been a dash of caramel in there as well, but according to my notes, there's a big question mark following that phrase. Go go Dugana!

(4) Big Bertha IPA, Big Al's Brewery
(10% ABV, 110 IBUs, more stats here)
One word: AWESOME. (thank you iPhone notepad)

(5) New Belgium Progression Night at The Sixgill!
(see below for details)
All of these beers were tasty, but I think my favorite was the first one, the Hop Kitchen French Aramis. It was just everything you'd hope for in a refreshing IPA, especially when watching the Sounders v. Timbers game at The Sixgill. Yep, the game was disappointing, but at least the brewskis were anything but...

(6) Falco IPA, Evil Twin Brewing
(7% ABV, IBUs unknown, more stats here)
OH MY. Oh my. What a swell swell beer. Here's more from someone who might be able to say more about the Falco: "This first sip is packed with clean grapefruit, pine, and straw. A high level of carbonation leads to a light mouthfeel. This is sneaky refreshing for a beer 7 percent alcohol by volume. I get a dry finish. This is a really good IPA, and an approachable one at that."

Ok, that's enough for now. Time to get back to making cookies for my phenomenal co-workers - yep, they're that good.

Cheers,
N

Mmmhop: my first Halftime Hophead delivery!

As I moved to living solo in the not-so-big city of Seattle (ha, the small Seattle stories just get better and more ridiculous with each passing month), I considered a few options for celebrating such a milestone. Instantly unpacking and organizing everything? Meh. Studies show that some level of clutter helps bolster creativity and innovation - or something. I wouldn't want to mess with that. A cat? Nah - I'm just not that into them. Oh wait...

...Half Time's IPA Hophead Beer of the Month Club! 

Yes, this really exists - and yes, I totally expected it to be a hoax. Isn't it too good to be true? But then...

(There's a small chance I got so excited that I kind of ripped the beer rap sheet as I was tearing into the box...)

 ...and THIS!

Oh my, this is going to be very very fun. 

Already, I'm anticipating a nice little East Coast v. West Coast hop rivalry, which incidentally is somewhat symbolic of me and the occasional coastal inner conflict I experience. Which is better (or worse): the immensely annoying passive-aggressiveness that can run rampant in the likes of Seattle - or the often prevalent aggressiveness and intensity that can grip the likes of DC and NYC? Do I prefer the distinctly delicious PNW hop style, or the nostalgic wonderment of balanced IPAs from the likes of Otter Creek? 

At the end of the day, I suppose it's not really an either-or proposition - I could just find the best of both worlds, huh. Well, I guess we'll just have to see...

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

Favorite "go-to" hoppy beers: the six-pack

Whether it's for personal consumption or a fridge of another, a solid six-pack of tasty-but-not-too-fancy-or-expensive hoppy beer is clutch. Key. Sick. Whatever the kids are calling it these days.

Some people (shudder) think all hoppy beers are the same. That they're just all bitter hopbombs without diversity or complexity. That they can only be enjoyed during certain seasons - that, alas, a hoppy beer is just too heavy for the summer months. That only scary lumberjack men with small woodland animals hibernating in their beards and large axes slung over their shoulders could ever  truly love a gnarly IPA...

 ...except they don't, they aren't, and they're not. One of the best ways to garner respect in this town (and others, so I hear) is to bring a decently thought-out, great-yet-relatively-inexpensive sixer along to social gatherings. Well, at least the people I socialize with - they seem to like that. Maybe it's because I'm closer to 30 now than 20. Perhaps it's because my 10 year college reunion is closer than the time I graduated. It definitely took me a little bit to figure out that hey-o, pseudo-adults like myself enjoy things that taste more like beer than water seasoned with beer.

Well, anyway, my people - and especially myself - like to have a solidly good IPA at a social gathering (or, let's be honest here, just hanging solo at my cozy apartment). And because of that, here's a non-exhaustive list of my top six* of six-pack beers:

(1) Inversion IPA, Deschutes Brewery 
(6.8% ABV, 80 IBUs, more stats here)
For some reason, there's something deliciously homey about the Inversion - even though I've never lived in Oregon, I've only visited Portland three times, and I only had my inaugural visit to Deschutes Brewery this past summer. Maybe its the beer's nice blend of bitter and something chocolate-y/coffee-y mixed with some kind of subtle citrus wonderment. Maybe it's the great memories enjoyed with people over a good Inversion or three (summers in Seattle, KL's bachelorette in Leavenworth, an elk burger (!) in Portland). Whatever it is, it's my current #1 go-to sixer - and I'm happy (or hoppy? HA) to say that I'm presently enjoying a bottle right now.

(2) Interurban IPA, Fremont Brewing
(6.2% ABV, 80 IBUs, more stats here)
Yes, I'm slightly biased by the fact that the Fremont Brewery is basically a 5 minute walk away. And that I love the brewery's set-up, especially for a nice post-work beer out in its "urban beer garden" during Seattle's nicer months. And did I mention that I own a growler? The Interurban is decidedly tasty, with enough hops to moderately appease a hop-monster like myself but balanced enough to make the beer widely accessible to more hop-hesitant masses. The biggest bonus: they come in cans! Which is crazy clutch for bringing along on kayak trips and the other water-based sports that Seattle supports so well. Because who doesn't like enjoying a cold one after paddling to a pristine Cascadia Marine Trail campsite?

(3) Lagunitas IPA, Lagunitas Brewing Co.
(6.2% ABV, 46 IBUs, more stats here)
Because if you don't have an Oregon, Washington, and California IPA in your top six (or three) go-to hoppy sixers, your street cred might be on the decline. But seriously, this coast knows how to make a solid, agreeable IPA for all the peeps - and the Lagunitas IPA fills that ballot oh so well. At one of my favorite old work places/watering holes in San Francisco, the Bean Bag Cafe, you could get this drink on tap for $3. For real. Also, I remember buying multiple sixers for our 2012 election watching party - what a thrilling night. In sum, it's a super solid sixer choice, especially if you're looking to subtly impress with your Cali beer know-how in the PNW.

(4) Ranger IPA, New Belgium Brewing
(6.5% ABV, 70 IBUs, more stats here)
Ranger Ranger Ranger...if there's ever been a beer that makes me think of Seattle, oddly enough, it's an IPA from Colorado. The Ranger IPA has been a mainstay for me ever since I moved out west in 2008, whether it was my work's uncanny ability to always stock it for happy hours or my ex-boyfriend's penchant for always keeping it in the fridge. It's a bit lighter than my other six-pack go-tos, which makes for a delightfully refreshing beverage during Seattle's splendid summers. And maybe the rest of the world thinks of it as more of a summer IPA too, because it was definitely on sale at QFC this evening (which was definitely cold enough to make my circulation-challenged toes numb).

(5) Evolutionary IPA, Two Beers Brewing Co.
(6.2% ABV, 48 IBUs, more stats here)
So I have a confession: I didn't know about Two Beers - or at least linking the brewery to its stellar brews - until quite recently. For instance, I couldn't remember it was Two Beers that made the most phenomenal triple IPA at the 2012 Seattle International Beer festival, well, until this evening. But then an old roommate's dad brought a Two Beers six-pack over for a patio hang when he was in town - and oh my, that was good. It was light and refreshing without sacrificing a nice melody of hops - mmm, mmm good. Again, it's one of those spectacular Seattle things wherein you can get the sixer in bottles or cans, allowing you to be the easy champion of the house party or a camping trip.

(6) Torpedo Extra IPA, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. 
 (7.2% ABV, 70 IBUs, more stats here)
Disclaimer: the only reason why the Torpedo ranks as #6 (and not higher) is because it's not as easily a "go-to" six-pack - not because it's not worthy of a higher taste ranking. Like most (all?) beers, it tastes better on tap, but like some beers, I think it tastes astronomically better on tap. I was introduced to the wonderment of Torpedo when I lived in San Francisco, specifically at the oh so spectacular Green Chile Kitchen in my old hood. After intense yoga sessions at night, I would frequent Green Chile for nachos and a freshly poured Torpedo - clearly, the recovery meal of champions. The Torpedo is intense and is only fully enjoyed, in my opinion, when you're really yearning for a wham-bam kind of hoppy beer. However, you're almost guaranteed to gain some props points if you bring this sixer to a gathering of hop fanatics.

* If, and most likely when, these rankings change, I'll try to remember to update. But it's really for my benefit as this blog is basically a virtual reminder system, blinking "heyyyyy, remember that awesome beer? You should totally bring that to M's gathering." If it helps you too - well, bully.

Cheers,
N

Hoppy is as hoppy does

I like hoppy beers. As in, I really like hoppy beers. I kind of love them. Fine fine, I'm totally in love with hoppy beers. Hoppy hoppy hoppiness.

As one former roommate poignantly said, "I just want a beer that will punch me in the face."

I want to be clear: neither my old roommate or myself condone any kind of punching, in the face or otherwise. But maybe you get what I mean - that BAM, that's a bold beer feeling/taste/sensation, how that delightfully dry and bitter taste hops (ha!) around your mouth, when your shoulders involuntarily do a little dance because damn, that was a great, great hoppy beer. Oh wait, that's only me? Errr...

I could blame my dad. He loves big beers full of hops. Whenever I'm back home, he descends into the basement and emerges with an array of hoppy beers he's been saving for my (usually) once-a-year visit. It must be in our DNA (or something): inordinately tiny calves, flat feet, and hoppy beer appreciation.

Maybe it's because I became a beer drinker in a place surrounded by phenomenal beer. Crazy pub deals on and pony kegs of Otter Creek brews during college made me think all 'craft' beers would be that good. Oops, silly me.

Well, whatever the reason, I love hoppy beers. And I like trying them, typically through a very unoriginal (but immensely effective) request of "What's your hoppiest beer on tap?" whenever I'm out and about. It also helps that I live in the Pacific Northwest, home of (some of) the most hoptastic beers ever.

Anyway, I hate having sampled something delectable only to forget it later. And I'm much better with typing than writing anything down. So ta da, a blog about hoppy beers, their pursuit, and which ones I love, like, or loathe.

Here goes nothing. If anyone ever reads this - well, maybe you'll enjoy it. If not, meh - I'll have a highly excellent anthology of my favorite beers that I can't easily lose in my apartment.

Cheers,
N