The Portland metropolitan area is one of the craft beer capitals of the world, according to foodandwine. com. Pacific northwesterners like myself would probably agree that it can be hard to figure out which brews will meet your specific taste needs.
With too many craft beers to choose from, I recently challenged myself to branch out and try five different crafts from local breweries. Ranging from stouts to pale ales I tried to really embody the unique qualities of the different beers.
I started dark with Alameda Brewhouse Black Bear XX stout. The label, a black bear smoking a cigar, was the sole reason I picked this beer off of the shelf. While my reasoning for choosing this beer had nothing to do with beer characteristics, the first sip impression was delightful and it proceeded to get better from there. With a strong malt coffee flavor, delicate chocolate undertone and smooth finish, Black Bear XX stout is a must try for any stout lovers out there.
Moving to a beer slightly lighter in color, I tried King Kitty from Coalition Brewing Co. This red ale was sweet and malty at first then gained a more bitter and hoppy flavor the longer I sipped. Much like the Black Bear stout, I picked this beer solely because of the label, which had a kitten on it. As a malt lover, I was surprised by the strong flavor in this red ale. However, the longer I sipped, the more bitter and uninviting the beer became, especially in comparison to other red ales I have tried from the Pacific Northwest.
Keeping with the same style of tasting in a “dark to light” fashion, I moved on to Pyramid Brewing Company’s Apricot Ale. As a person who has never shown interest in fruity beers, I was hesitant to try this one and finished with mixed reactions. Flavor-wise, this beer was surprisingly delicious. With such an impressive first sip, I was expecting to enjoy the entire beer. However, the more I drank, the less I enjoyed it. As time went on, the beer got sweeter and fruitier. If you are someone who gravitates toward the sweeter beers, you will probably love this apricot ale. If you prefer “hoppier” crafts, this beer probably isn’t for you. My next try was another light colored brew,
Breakside Brewery’s Breakside IPA. Like the previous beers, it was chosen because of the cool looking bird on the front. As a person who believes the darker the beer the better, IPA’s are usually hit or miss for me. However, the Breakside Brewery did something special with this pale ale. With a juicy citrus profile and a piney finish, I could taste the pure quality in this flagship beer. IPA’s are usually on the lower end of options for me, but Breakside gained a follower with this one.
Lastly, I tried Backwoods Breweries Gifford Pinchot Pilsner. This Czech style beer, yellow in color with a low hop profile, bready aroma and lower carbonation, was the lightest beer I tried and packed a flavorful profile. With large floral notes and a pleasant ‘nature-like’ finish, this beer is great if you don’t like heavy beers.
Did you know?
September was suicide awareness month. In honor of WSU Quarterback Tyler Hilinski who committed suicide in January, a portion of all proceeds from the Backwoods Brewery Crimson Red Ale are donated to the Hilinski’s Hope foundation. This Crimson Red Ale can be found at these WSU-supporting pubs and taprooms: Tom’s Pizza and Sports Bar, 3Peaks Public House and Taproom,Taps Growler House, Peaks and Pints and RedHot Tacoma.