Belgian Wits are great summer-time beers. Light, slightly spicy, slight citrus; refreshing. Avery’s “White Rascal” has been one of my favorite Wits since I first had it on tap two years ago. If you can find it on tap, stop thinking and start ordering! This guy is unfiltered, meaning there is some yeast in the bottom that is extra tasty. The scent from this is slightly citrus and crisp. It has a moderate level of carbonation, which thickens the mouth feel. Even with that, this is a smooth, thin-tasting beer. Which means it’s easy to drink. It never really gets sweet, and you get more of the citrus peel mid-gulp, along with a little bit of some unknown spice (coriander). It’s got a crisp, quick finish that is ever so slightly bitter/citrus/sour, but not in a bad way. In a great way!

Specs:
12 oz. Bottle
5.5% ABV

I have to say, I support Avery Brewing Co.’s making these small batch, uber-specialty beers that are stronger than wine and have theological names/labels. It really elevates the brewcraft into an art form, and allows their brewers to have some fun. The name “Mephistopheles” comes from the Greeks, translated meaning “not a lover of light”. However, the character comes from Faust. Clever name for a stout, if you ask me. This stout smells tasty – sweet, dark, heavy, slightly smoky – all the things that make a stout great. The first taste is rough. This beer is 15.92% ABV! The high alcohol content is readily apparent in that first gulp. I could feel the alcohol descending to my stomach, and the strength of it made it’s way back up to my esophagus and warmed the whole way. This is not a beer for the casual beer drinker – you gotta be a pro to drink this stuff! One quarter of the way through, and the bite has softened just a little. It now just tastes like a sour stout, which I can’t say is any better than it sounds. Delving deeper into the abyss of the glass, there are more roasty, coffee notes, but still on the sour side. Was this one worth $10? I’ve got to say no. In my world, expensive specialty beer is supposed to taste awesome and make you want to get another. Mephistopheles’ Stout does not fit into this category. Kudos to Avery for experimenting, but I can’t recommend this one for anything beyond the novelty.

Specs:
Batch 4, bottled Nov 2008
12 oz. Bottle
15.92% ABV

I was at the grocery store, just for salad. To be fair, I had had an inkling. A premonition. I knew it was getting to be that time of year. I wasn’t shocked when lo and behold! it was waiting for me in the microbrew section of the beer aisle. Oh, Late Harvest Autumn Ale from Red Hook. You are so beautiful. You are the one for me. I don’t understand why they don’t sell this beer in 18 or 24 packs standard. It’s never worth it to only buy a six pack of these. Never. The first time I bought it, in fact, I wanted to buy just a sixer. “Autumn Ale?”, I said. “Well, I love Autumn, and Ale, so this sounds like just my speed!” They were out of six packs, but they had twelves. “Well, it’s beer. Even if it’s terrible, it’s still seasonal microbrew. I don’t know that there’s a seasonal microbrew that exists that I would feel awful about drinking a twelve pack of alone.” So I took the plunge, and the rest is history. This is my “oh @&%# I’m in big trouble!” beer. Why? It’s so good. It’s smooth, with a spot on seesaw balance of malt and hops. It’s a little on the sweet side at first, but flips to a great semi-bitter palette-cleansing finish. It even tastes a little bit woody, like a forest or leaves. Or Autumn. I don’t know how they do it! The fateful night that I first cracked into that twelve pack, I said that’s damn good beer! When I was finishing the third one that hour and considering getting a fourth, I realized I had better stop as it was a work night! I can’t recommend this one hard enough. And since Red Hook has nationwide distribution, you should be able to find this everywhere!

Specs:
12 oz Bottle
5.9% ABV

If you look back to my July 7 entry, I was gushing my praises about red ale. This red ale is what started my summer lust for reds. I had this on tap, and I forgot who I was. My mind was blown, recollected, then blown again. That’s how good it was. In the bottle, it’s not as good as it was on tap. However, this is a damn fine red ale any way you slice it. The forward taste and feel is malty, but Three Skulls somehow magically made it so at the point you expect a heavy red ale, it disappears into a light, refreshing, slight taste of hops, slight taste of alcohol, almost lager. The hot red-headed pirate on the label doesn’t hurt, as I’m an unabashed sucker for redheads. Sigh. Anyhow, this brew keeps getting better and better, the more I drink. It has that wonderful red ale flavor, but it’s smoother and cleaner finishing than most red ales I’ve had. I suppose I should note, in terms of reds, I am drawn to the female variety moreso than the ale variety. That said, I’ve had plenty of red ales. This one is a way local brew, which is a shame for everyone not in the Pac NW. But if you are, you can get it on tap and forget who you are, for a little while at least.

Specs:
22 oz. bottle
5.5% ABV

Why did I pick this beer up? Well, I was intrigued. By what, you ask? It’s punny. It’s called “Raison D’Être”, which is French for “Reason to be”, as in a reason to live. It also has raisins in the brew. Hee hee. It also has beet sugars. This sounds like the sort of beer someone would review on a website. Like this site. And this review. Despite these seemingly odd additives, this beer is fairly normal tasting. I like it, but it could have tasted like grape borscht, which, for the record, would have been terrible. But no, this little guy is pretty tasty. Don’t let the weird ingredients throw you – this is a good amber ale. It’s more malty than hoppy, but the malty is very smooth and slightly sweet on the finish. If I didn’t know it was brewed with raisins, I don’t know if I’d suggest that the finish tastes a little raisin-y or grape-y. But I do and I will. It’s also 8% ABV, which is great in my book!
Specs:
12 oz. bottle
8% ABV

Avery Brewing Co makes some great beers. I recognized the name, and that this was a special bottle the likes of which I’d never seen. Upon a second glance, I realized this was no ordinary beer. The foil wrapper, the intriguing art, the $10 price tag. This little guy came from Batch 4, brewed in April 2008, and clocks in at 15.53% ABV! This is more than your average mixed drink at a bar! I think legally that makes this wine rather than beer, but lawyers, whatever. This is absolutely a sipping beer. The taste is surprisingly malty for such a high ABV. The strong taste of alcohol is still there, a third of the way through the glass, but it is slowly slipping away. I bet the last gulp of this will be incredible! This is hardly hoppy at all, although it’s got a hint of spice to it, maybe cinnamon or clove. The oak flavor is subtle. How does one make a beer that is 15% ABV? Turbinado sugar, in this case. It says so on the label. Basically, the yeast added to beer eats the sugars and converts them to alcohol and CO2. To get a higher ABV, you can add sugar and the yeast has more to eat. However, adding refined sugar can lead to off flavors. I imagine Avery used oak chips to mask some of the off flavor, and make this smoother and more interesting on the palette. While I’m enlightening you, the discerning reader, check this out too.  I’m only halfway through and already I can feel me getting drunk. I haven’t eaten dinner yet, but this little guy is knocking me out. If you are an experimental beer drinker (and I assume you are, if you are visiting this site!), then I’d say absolutely try this out if you get a chance. Or, if you like to drink but feel that a 6 pack is too filling, you could also give this guy a spin.

Specs:
12 oz. bottle
15.53% ABV

If I had a strange medical condition where I could only drink one style of beer or I’d get terribly sick, I’d spend a lot of time at my doctor’s office. Once I wised up, I’d stick to drinking either porters or stouts. I’m trying to say that my favorite style of beer is like I like my coffee is like I like my women – ground up and in the freezer! No, no, that’s not right. Dark beer. Yes, there we are. I’ve always been a fan of Deschutes Brewery’s Black Butte Porter. It’s my favorite beer of all time. Why am I talking about some other beer in this beer review? Jealousy plays! No, I mention it because I love that beer so much, I never gave any of the other Pacific Northwest dark beers a fair shake. Let me state it now – there are many, many great dark beers in the Pac NW. That includes this Dragonstooth Stout. It’s dark, with faint hints of red. Even the head is slightly reddish. Mahogany, even. According to the bottle, it has won an impressive list of awards at the Great American Beer Festival, as well as the World Beer Cup (maybe it should be World Beer Pint Glass, or Flagon). I believe it. I’ve always loved the ancient Greek/prog-rock epic theme of Elysian, and this brew’s label is a great example of that style. I feel that this would be a great beer to drink if you were watching “Dragonheart”, or listening to “Dragonforce”. Dragon-style sticks together. As for the beer itself, this is a stout that any dark beer lover could drink and be very happy with.
Specs:
22 oz. bottle
7.45% ABV

Ahh, red ale. It’s more complex, bolder than a standard ale, but still lighter in body than a porter or IPA. I like a good red when it’s been hot outside for a few days straight; I get tired of drinking lighter ales, and I want something more flavorful but not as heavy as a porter or stout. I am still human and I need to be refreshed. Iron Horse Brewery’s Imperial Loco Red definitely hits this spot. It’s described as a “big, hoppy red ale” and there is truth in advertising at work! It’s got a great flavor, with touches of the sweetness from a red ale, but enough hops to pull the sweet out of the aftertaste. It’s got the initial floral bouquet and head of an IPA, although much milder than a standard IPA. This bad boy clocks in at 7.5% ABV, and was only $3.75. Hey Iron Horse, I would still be satisfied by this if you doubled the price!
Specs:
22 oz. bottle
7.5% ABV

I’m not a huge fan of IPA’s, although the more beer I drink the more I like them. As I’ve said before, it’s the bitterness that gets to me. This IPA, however, is incredible. It has very little of that bite common to most IPAs. It also has a milder bouquet, which is a little disappointing, but you can’t have your cake and eat it too. With the oak aging, this beer is mellower and smoother than your standard IPA. The picture may not show it, but there were some big suds in the bottle after I poured it.  Make no mistake about it; this is a full-bodied beer. The mouthfeel is thicker than the color would suggest. Before I knew it, I was at the halfway point of the glass and feeling fine. On warm summer days, this is a great refresher and everything a person could want in a beer. Take mouthfuls, or sips, either way is great. However, this guy will get you lit up quick – it’s a whopping 11.0% ABV!

Specs:
22 oz. bottle
11.0% ABV

This is supposed to be a “Brew 2000 Imperial”. I don’t know what that means. It’s only 6.3% ABV, which seems low for an Imperial, and the label doesn’t go into further detail. It does say that it took the gold in the 2008 World Beer Cup. I was more intrigued by the fact that this has jasmine in it. It’s not that I have an unhealthy obsession with Disney characters, or that I have any special affinity for jasmine. It’s really more that I’m interested in things I haven’t seen before, and I’ve never seen a jasmine beer. I am not 100% sure what jasmine tastes like, but to me this seems like a fairly standard IPA. It’s a little less bitter, and a little smoother on the finish than other IPAs I’ve had, but otherwise tastes like a bitter beer. I’m not sure what I was expecting out of a “Jasmine IPA”; something more exotic or interesting tasting, but this doesn’t meet up with my expectations.

Specs:
22 oz. bottle
6.3% ABV