A Full Nelson...

After a late night run at Memo Park, looking forward to a brew before doing a little linkedin-ing and hitting the hay.

State: A little thirsty and tired

Beer Log: Right now

Widmer Nelson Imperial IPA

Very nice cookie, caramel malt, and grassy hop nose. Amber color with an offwhite reddish head with some good lace. Oh yeah that's nice. Big malt and a moderate hops that probably was stronger when I first got it. Just a great big flavor, with some hint of sweet cherries or liquorice. Big body that is a pinch cloying. The hops have that strong grass and piney thing going on. Has that whole juniper thing going on. I like. 4 Stars.

Summer Madness

Ah Summer Time is here, which means all breweries are going to take this opportunity to put out some lighter flavored, easier drinking beers for the folks. I'm sure it sells well, but this is usually when I kind of bide my time awaiting Oktoberfest season. Sure I'm thirsty as hell, but I'd rather for a helles or dunkel lager rather than a light pilsner. But who someone may surprise me this season.

Beer Log: Earlier today
State: Relaxing after work, eating some spicy spaghetti

Redhook Rope Swing Summer Pilsner
Very fruity nose on a rather yella beer with a good white head. It smells great. On the first drink I get a moderate body with a nice bread character. High carbonation and funky hops thrown in as well. The scent just really helps this one along with the flavor, just an excellent job dry hopping. Not a bad pilsner. Leaves the tongue feeling tingly. I like the moderate hops with a pinch of sweetness. 3 Stars.

Widmer Sunburn
Got to love how Widmer and Redhook always show up at the same time. Who says all mergers are bad. This one has a very citrus/grapefruit nose with some grass in there. The taste is very simple with light hops and great bready MT. Clean and uber-refreshing. Lots of beers this gentle usually have something wrong with them. With the low alcohol content to boot, I'm giving this one a high 3 Stars. I just love that I can down a few of these without getting all hazy, but I guess I need to go ahead and drink this one in the next few days, or it's going bad fast.

Estrella Damm Inedit
Comes in a black bottle with just the Estrella Star on the bottle and the bottle cap. I don't know if that's even legal. I have no idea what to expect, though the basic ED as a basic lager was pretty boring. Nose is sugar, raisin, and brown sugar. Cloudy with a tinged gold color, head is going down fast. The beer has a poofy mouthfeel with moderate body. It's a little sweet like candy and bread. Smooth. Not bad at all. It has a nice low aftertaste to it. It's like a smooth megaswill version of a wheat beer. Very nice. High 3 Stars for the Catalans.

Beer Log: Right Now

State: Chilling out, eating a burger

Widmer 84 09 Double Alt, 25th Anniversary

Dark color with a very thin head. Sugary caramel sweet nose with a dose of chocolate powder. Very smooth, low carbo, good notes of chocolate, malt, and low hops. May be b/c of the age that everything is mellow. We've had this one for many many months. Has some alcohol on the new couple sips with my Saint Arnold winter stout burgers. I like the quick finish, very quick. I'm trying to remember the last time I had an alt, but I alt have another sip. It's like a strong brown ale without any of the cloyingness. Perfect for the bock season. 4 Stars for Widmer's 25th Anniversary.

Moylan's has its work cut out for it.

Moylan's Hopsickle Imperial IPA

Well I love hops, and I'm okay about popsickles. But this one is orangish amber in color, has a poofy white head. Nose is a rathercitrus hops as I turn on the DVR of 24. Great citrus hop character. Plenty of hops in this thing, with probably some orange. Damn that orange is coming through in the aftertaste. And President Hassan's daughter could get it, big time. They have such hot arabic/persian women on this show. The moderately carbonated beer gets a 4 star from me. Two four stars in one night, a rarity.

Ok, now I'm rooting for the Black College Arkansas Pine Bluff against those chumps from Winthrop in the play-in game. PB is up by 11, and I'm loving life right now. Pine Bluff has won the game, fantastic. Black power baby. I'm going to down a Bohemia and walk away.

Oregon Beer Tax Hike

Is Oregon being run by Mayor Bill White of Houston? A 1900% tax increase on beer? Like Bill Cosby says: COME ON, PEOPLE! And look at the picture of the guy sponsoring the bill, he looks like he's on that Michael Phelps Weed. He should be on our side. Maybe he should be looking their policy on Mary Jane and leave Widmer alone.

With this kind of tax, maybe the Houston Texans games will finally have some craft beers from *gasp* TEXAS on tap in the concession stands. For some reason , we have the standard Bud Light and Miller Lite, but we have three craft beers from Widmer/Redhook. I'm glad we have better beer options, but I was a little upset we had to go all the way to Oregon to get it and let the Texans know as much in their season ticket surveys which I'm sure they read. At least I was upset until they brought in the Drop Top Amber, that stuff is the bomb, as the kids say.

Hopefully Oregonians can talk down this tax to something a little more in line with rest of the country. Or do the Newt Gingrich thing and cut it even further, which may prompt people to make/buy more beer, which may net you more money in the tax coffers, which is what you wanted in the first place.


Here's to hoping Oregon can get me that Drop Top Amber at a halfway decent price, and hoping this law proposal does not spread to other States!