Anniversaries Aplenty

I'm shifting my regular blogging day from Wednesday to Monday, and I'm going to try to start getting these out weekly again, rather than every other week. This is my "cut-over blog" so it will be a little shorter than has been typical lately.

It seems we've got a plethora of anniversaries happening this time of year. Glacier BrewHouse celebrated its 20th just over two weeks ago on 9/17, and La Bodega celebrated its 10th with Bodega-Fest on 9/24. As I wrote last week, the La Bodega celebration will continue with a Beer Dinner at Kinley's Restaurant this Wednesday, October 5th. Also, if you are need of a new growler, La Bodega has some lovely ceramic ones, emblazoned with its 10th Anniversary logo.

Photo courtesy of La Bodega

But there are plenty of other anniversaries to celebrate. Arkose Brewery opened for business on October 11, 2011, and it is celebrating its 5th Anniversary all month long. Owner June Gerteisen sent me this list of highlights:

• New beers (Festbier Dunkelweizen on Sept 30, and Mandarina Moose IPA on Oct 21)
• Anniversary Beer Meets Canvas (plus Lead Dog hot dog stand)
• Anniversary Beer Meets Chocolate (plus Humdinger's Gourmet Pizza by the slice)
• Community Drumming Workshops (Oct. 15, 22, 29) with Percussion in the Valley (also celebrating 5 years of business in Palmer)

The debut of the Mandarina Moose IPA (made with Mandarina Bavarian hops and grapefruit) will coincide with the Beer Meets Chocolate event, which will feature a special custom-made pink grapefruit chocolate from JB Chocolatier. Humdinger's Gourmet Pizza will be crafting up local pizza by the slice on their portable grill out front of the brewery.

June has even created a new hand-drawn logo to celebrate this milestone, which will be available several items from the brewery store. Here's what it looks like:

So congratulations to Arkose Brewery on its first five years, and best wishes for the next five!

Alaskan Brewing is celebrating its 30th Anniversary. Besides releasing its 30th Anniversary Perseverance Imperial Stout (reviewed below), it is also running a contest using "Alaskan Gold Rush" coasters which double as pull-tabs. If you get a coaster that indicates you might be a winner, you tweet a picture of it to #AlaskanGold to be entered to win prizes, including a grand prize of $5000 in gold! So keep an eye out for them!

Moving on from anniversary news, the annual Beers by the Bay event at Seward's Sea-Life Center will be happening this year on November 5th, from 7 to 10 PM. Here's a flier for it:

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I've attended this event in the past and always enjoyed myself, so I recommend it.

This Friday, October 7th, the Eagle River Brewfest will be happening from 6:30 to 9:30 pm at the Eagle River Lions Club. All the money raised goes to support the Boys & Girls Club.

Ther will be a brewfest in Sitka on Alaska Day, Tuesday, October 18th from 2:30 to 6:30 pm at the Totem Square Inn. There's also a Brew Cruise from 1 to 3:30 pm on Sunday, October 16th. You can find more information on both events here.

Glacier BrewHouse has received some used whisky barrels from the Laphroaig Distillery, which is located on Islay, part of Scotland's Inner Hebrides. I'm looking forward to tasting what emerges from them once Kevin Burton gets done working his magic...

Photo courtesy of Glacier BrewHouse

HooDoo Brewing (which will be celebrating its 4th anniversary on Halloween) is sponsoring the Chef's Challenge at the Museum next month. Here's a flier on it:

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Here on the Peninsula, the big news is the release of this year's Winter Warlock Old Ale by Kenai River Brewing. Saturday was October 1st, the date each year when this beer makes its appearance. Look for a formal review in my next blog, but informally, this beer is always fantastic and not to be missed.

Speaking of reviews, let's get to them. I've got three this week.

49th State Brewing's The Great One Barley Wine: I picked this one up in a 32 oz. crowler when I was in Healy on 19 & 20 September. It poured a translucent ruby with a big, cream-colored head. The aroma made it clear this was an English-style barleywine, as it was all malt with no hops noticeable at all. Carbonation was good, and the mouthfeel was medium. The flavor profile was very clean, with none of the hot fusel oil notes you sometimes get on big beers like this one, just malt notes and plenty of them. There was only a touch of alcohol heat on the long finish. And excellent beer, I enjoyed it immensely. 12.5% ABV, 33 IBUs.

St. Elias Brewing's Oktoberfest Lager: This year's version of this traditional fall beer-style poured a translucent ruby with a nice, off-white head. The nose was simple, with notes of caramel and malt. Carbonation was good and the mouthfeel was light to medium. On the palate, there were all the clean, malt notes that are proper for the style, a classic lager taste. Very nice.

Alaskan Brewing's 30th Anniversary Perseverance Ale: Reviewing my tasting notes for the 25th Anniversary release of this beer, I see that I thought that one needed some cellar time to help the sweet notes dry out and better integrate into the overall flavor profile. Not so with this version. It poured opaque with a nice tan head. The aroma was of chocolate and roasted malt. Carbonation was good and the mouthfeel was medium to heavy. Tons of rich malt notes, chocolate, and syrup, but well-balanced and well-integrated. Only a bit of alcohol heat on the finish. I'll be cellaring a couple of bottles out of curiosity, but this beer is certainly perfect to drink right now. 9% ABV, 50 IBUs.

That's it for this week. Be sure to go out and grab some of these special seasonal/anniversary brews while they last.

Until Next Time, Cheers!

The End of September

There are only three days left in September and temperatures have started dropping below freezing at night here on the Kenai, so it's definitely time to start thinking about getting ready for winter. I've had a pretty busy time since my last blog post two weeks ago, so let me tell you what I've been up to.

First, we hit the Denali Road Lottery for the third time this year, so that meant a trip north. Unfortunately, we got the very last day, Tuesday, September 20, so it wasn't really practical to hit both the Talkeetna Beer Fest on 9/17 and be in Denali on 9/20. However, by all reports, it was another great festival in Talkeetna. We drove north on Monday, 9/19, and made a pit-stop along the way at Denali Brewing Company's production brewery, where I was happy to snag a 12-bottle box of its excellent Louisville Sour Ale. I think this brew is only available at the brewery or at the pub in downtown Talkeetna proper, so if you are driving on the Parks Highway and like sour beers, I strongly suggest you stop in and get some.

A delicious sour from Denali Brewing Company

We continued on up the Parks to Denali National Park. Since it was so late in the season, very little was still open; Prospector's Pizzeria had closed on Sunday night, so that wasn't an option. Fortunately, 49th State Brewing's brewpub in Healy was still open, so we ended up dining there on both Monday and Tuesday evening. I was lucky enough to hook up with Vincent LaRochelle, the head brewer in Healy, to talk about how things have been going since 49th State opened its new Anchorage location. The brewery has been very busy; in all of that year, they brewed 78 batches in Healy, while they are already over 84 for this year, with plans to keep brewing for quite some time and likely top 100 batches total for 2016. Batches of Solstice IPA nd Prospector's Gold have been heading south regularly to keep the Anchorage location from running out of either brew, due to the high demand.

Vincent also told me that 49th State has brewed a collaboration beer with Cigar City Brewing from Tampa, Florida. The head brewer from Cigar City, Nick Streeter, came up to Healy and helped brew an imperial stout using birch syrup and spruce tips in the recipe. So that's definitely something to look forward to next year when it's released. I also picked up a crowler of 49th State's The Great One Imperial Stout, which I'll review in an upcoming blog.

After driving around DNP all day Tuesday, we drove back to the Kenai on Wednesday, and then we drove back to Anchorage on Saturday, 9/24, for Bodega-Fest. This was my first time attending this festival, and I had a superb time. Pam and the rest of the La Bodega Team were celebrating their tenth anniversary, and they couldn't have done a better job.  Here's a map of the fest layout, a list of the booths there, and some photos I snapped early in the event.

The 10th Anniversary celebrations will also continue with a Beer Dinner at Kinley's Restaurant next Wednesday, October 5th, at 6 PM. The menu and beer pairing have just been announced:

Greet
 *Sonoma Pitchfork Pear Cider, 6% ABV

 First Course 
*Unibroue Blanche de Chambly, 5.0% ABV
 Pan Seared Halibut Cheek, Pancetta and Pea Risotto, Lemon Brown Butter, Basil Oil, Balsamic Reduction

 Second Course
 *Pinkus Munster Alt, 5.1% ABV
 Spinach Salad, Bell Pepper, Red Onion, Tomato, Chevre, Toasted Pumpkin Seeds, Tortilla Strips, Raspberry-Chipotle Dressing

Third Course
 *St. Louis Fond Tradition Gueuze, 5.0% ABV
 Lamb Slider, Open Faced on Toasted Pita, Seasoned Ground Lamb, Tzatziki Sauce, Feta Cheese, Tomato, Red Onion

 Fourth Course
 *Gigantic Vivid Imperial IPA 8.5% ABV
 Boneless Beef Short Rib, Coconut-Chili Braising Sauce, Gingered Jasmine Rice, Grilled Baby Bok Choy, Pickled Daikon Radish, Basil, Cilantro, Mint

 Fifth Course
 *Wells & Young’s Courage Russian Imperial Stout, 10.0% ABV &; *Tozai Snow Maiden Nigori Saké, 14.9% ABV
 Flourless Chocolate Cake with Pumpkin Sauce and Praline Crumble

Call Kinley's at 644-8953 for Reservations.

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Another upcoming event which I have written about in previous blogs is Zwanze Day at Anchorage Brewing Company, which will take place this Saturday, October 1, starting at 2 PM.

Though you wouldn't know it from its Facebook page, I have it on good authority that Cynosure Brewing Company is open at last. You can find it at 144 E. Potter DR., Unit E, in Anchorage. I don't know its hours yet. Word is that there are three brews on tap, a wit, a steam beer, and a dubbel.

In other beer news, Bearpaw River Brewing Company has signed on with Specialty Imports, who will now be distributing its beers around the state. The beer selection that they are beginning distribution with consists of Sluice-Box Belgian Ale, Mat Maid Milk Stout, and Frontiersman IPA. I'm told that the brewery hopes to begin selling 22 oz. bombers by Christmas and cans in 1 to 2 years. Keep your eye out for a double chocolate version of Mat Maid, planned for release at the brewery's 1st Birthday Party on 17 December.

At Midnight Sun Brewing Company, the cooler weather has brought on the annual release of its Termination Dust Belgian-style Barley Wine as well as the release of a new beer, AutumnFest Marzen. Here's the description:

Midnight Sun's Panty Peeler Tripel also took home a silver medal at this year's Can Can Awards.

Here on the Peninsula, Seward Brewing Company closed for the winter on September 18.

Zach Henry of St. Elias Brewing is just back from his annual moose hunt, so you can expect some new brews on tap there soon. Here's the latest tap list:

Over at Kenai River Brewing, besides its usual flagship brews, here's what's on tap:

That's it for news, so let's do a few reviews.

Prairie Artisan Ales' Prairie Noir Imperial Stout: Another Culmination leftover, this beer poured opaque with a small tan head. The aroma had plenty of bourbon notes, as well as the typical roasted malt elements. Carbonation was okay, and the mouthfeel was heavy. The flavor profile was quite thick and rich, with notes of chocolate, coffee, as well as bourbon and oak. Overall, a nice barrel-aged imperial stout, though not as good as many which are produced here in Alaska. 11% ABV.

Kenai River Brewing's Session IPA: It poured a hazy gold color with a nice, cream-colored head. Lots of Citra hops in the nose. Carbonation was good and the mouthfeel was light. The initial bitter attack was respectable but not excessive, followed by lots of Citra flavor and aroma. At only 4.5% ABV and 62 IBUs, the beer is designed to be highly drinkable, and it hits that target perfectly. If you enjoy hop flavor and aroma and want to be able to enjoy more than one beer, this one is the perfect choice for you.

Deschutes Brewing's Black Butte XXVIII: It poured opaque with a mocha-colored head. The aroma had notes of cocoa, molasses, and coffee. The carbonation was good, and the mouthfeel was medium. On the palate, there were lots of roasted porter notes, plus sweeter elements from the cocoa nibs. It gradually fell away to a long, nice finish. Another excellent entry in this long-running series of superb imperial porters from Deschutes. 11.5% ABV, 51 IBUs.

That's it for this time. Remember, while you're getting your home and vehicles ready for winter, don't forget to lay in a good stock of nice, warming brews as well. There's nothing like enjoying a nice imperial stout or barley wine by the wood stove to help pass those long, dark winter evenings!

Until Next Time, Cheers!

Trying to Keep Up

One of the biggest problems I have as a beer writer/blogger is just trying to keep up with the plethora of beer events/news/brewery openings. You'd think, given how small the Alaska beer scene is when compared to someplace like Portland or Denver, that it would be so simple to keep abreast of all the goings-on, but it's not. Frankly, I don't know how the guys who cover the beer beats in places like Washington State or Colorado manage it. All I know is, I seem to spend half my time scouring social media sites and twitter feeds for news, and still I miss stuff.

Case in point, Rough Woods Inn and Cafe, a brewpub in Nenana. I first heard about this nanobrewpub from a tourist last year, but was unable to find out anything about it, even after searching the Alcohol Control Board's website. I consulted with the Dean of Alaska Beer Writers, Jim Roberts, AKA DR. Fermento, and he came up dry as well. We weren't able to confirm that there was a brewery operating in Nenana until last month, when Ed Miner of Gakona Brewing happened to be passing through and confirmed its existence for both of us. Not only was there a brewery there, but it had been brewing since 2013! If you'd like to learn more about Rough Woods and its tiny brewing operation, I'll refer you to Dr. Fermento's excellent Anchorage Press article, which you can read here. My point is, despite our best efforts, a brewpub managed to operate for three years without either of us knowing about it.

The other challenge I face is that almost as soon as I write something, it's obsolete. The Alaska craft beer scene is such a fast-changing one that little stays the same for very long. Case-in-point, I published the first volume of Beer on the Last Frontier: The Craft Breweries of Alaska back in 2012. Four years later, it was woefully out of date. Seward Brewing Company had a new owner/brewer, Kenai River Brewing had moved to a new facility, other breweries had made significant changes, and Grace Ridge Brewing had opened its doors in Homer. It was time to bite the bullet and publish an update, and I have finally found the time to do so. The revised and updated version of Volume I is now available on Kindle, and the paperback version should be available in a few weeks. If you have already purchased a Kindle version, I believe you can download the updated version for free. If you haven't bought it already, you can purchase it for $6.99 on Amazon.com.

The cover of the 2nd Edition

Of course, now that I've updated Volume I, it's time to start trying to get Volume II up-to-date. Sigh...

On a bit of a side note, friend and fellow author Doug Vandegraft will be selling and signing copies of his book A Guide to the Notorious Bars of Alaska this Friday, 9/16, at The Bow Bar in Kenai from 5 to 7 PM. The book is a great read, so if you'll be in town then, I recommend you stop in.

Enough about writing; let's talk beer news. This weekend is a big one for beer events, as I've been writing in previous blogs. To summarize, events taking place include:

• Oktoberfest Kick-off at Silver Gulch Brewing in Fox
• 5th Annual Talkeetna Brewfest in Talkeetna
• 5th Annual Capital Brewfest in Juneau
• Glacier BrewHouse's 20th Anniversary & Oktoberfest Celebration in Anchorage
• Beer & All-You-Can-Eat BBQ Buffet at Bleeding Heart Brewery in Palmer
• Oktoberfest at HooDoo in Fairbanks

Hopefully by this late date you have already made plans for which one you'll be attending. If you need more details, click on the links above or check out my previous couple of blogs.

Coming up next weekend, on Saturday, September 24th, is Bodega-Fest 2016. I posted quite a bit of info about this in my last couple of blogs as well. FYI, I'm planning to attend that one, so look me up if you are there and say hi. La Bodega is also holding another of its Beer 101 events tonight at its Northern Lights store, from 5:15 to 6:30 pm. $15 gets you a flight of six beer samples plus small bites from Hearth. Finally, the leftovers from The Culmination have gone on the shelves there and at other beer stores around town, so this is your chance to check our beers which aren't usually distributed here in Alaska. See below for my reviews of a couple of beers from Prairie Artisan Ales out of Oklahoma.

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Alaskan Brewing is celebrating its 30th Anniversary with a new release of its Perseverance Ale. It first released this beer to mark its 25th Anniversary in 2011. See my blog on 9/7/2011 for a review of it fresh, and my blog on 10/2/2014 for a review of it with three years' cellar time. Congratulations to Geoff, Marcy, and all the rest of the folks at Alaskan for reaching this historic milestone. Here's to the next thirty years!

Photo courtesy of Alaskan Brewing Company

Anchorage Brewing Company will be releasing a new beer this Friday, September 16th. It's called Love and the Death of Damnation. It's an IPA brewed with Mosaic and Equinox hops.

Photo courtesy of Anchorage Brewing Company

I've heard from Denali Brewing Company that more cans of its Slow Down Brown hit the shelves last week. Also, the Beer/Wine Dinner this Friday night before the Talkeetna Brewfest is sold out.

Photo courtesy of Denali Brewing Company

Tickets are now on sale for the annual HooDoo ChooChoo on October 1. You can get more info or tickets here.

Here on the Peninsula, St. Elias Brewing Company has its Oktoberfest Lager back on tap, and it's being served in 20 oz. glasses. Kenai River Brewing is having its parking lot paved with asphalt. Here's the tap list from Grace Ridge Brewing from my last visit on 9/2.

Grace Ridge tap list on 9/2/2016

Moving on to beer reviews, I have three for this blog:

Deschutes Brewing's Black Butte XXVII: Bottled on 7/20/2015, this one had been in my cellar for over a year. It poured dark with ruby highlights and a nice, mocha-colored head. The aroma was of cocoa, molasses, and bourbon notes. Carbonation was good and the mouthfeel was medium. On the palate there was a complex flavor profile with lots of coffee, chocolate and oak/bourbon elements. A bit of alcohol heat on the finish. Overall, Deschutes continues to deliver an excellent imperial porter with this series. 11.6% ABV, 60 IBUs.

Prairie Artisan Ales' Apple Brandy Barrel Noir (2016): A beer from The Culmination that I picked up at La Bodega, this imperial stout was aged in used apple brandy barrels. It poured opaque with zero head. The nose was difficult to detect with no carbonation to lift it, but what I could get was mostly roasted malt and oak notes. Zero carbonation and a heavy mouthfeel. The initial impression was of chocolate notes in a heavy, almost oily brew, with some alcohol heat on the finish. The apple and oak elements are fairly subtle. Not bad, but it could have used at least a little carbonation to open things up a bit. 12% ABV, 70 IBUs.

Prairie Artisan Ales' Pirate Noir Imperial Stout: This time round, the stout is aged in used rum casks. It poured opaque but with a small tan-colored head that dissipated quickly to a collar. The aroma was rich with malt notes. Carbonation was low but present, and the mouthfeel was heavy.  Thick and rich, the rum notes added an interesting counterpoint to the malt and coffee elements from the base imperial stout. Even the modest carbonation in this beer made it much more appealing than the completely flat apple brandy version. Different but very enjoyable. 11% ABV, 60 IBUs.

That's it for this week. Choose wisely amongst all the upcoming beer events and keep drinking good local craft beer.

Until Next Time, Cheers!

Fall is Here

It's clear that summer's over here on the Kenai Peninsula. The fireweed has all gone to seed, classes have started again, and the temperature was in the upper 30s this morning before the sun came up. We're clearly into our few weeks of fall, and winter isn't that far away. Still, the weather during the day is great, with clear skies and warm temperatures, so let's all enjoy it while we can.

The Culmination Beer Festival took place on Saturday, August 20th at Anchorage Brewing Company. Since all of the beers offered are essentially unobtainable in Alaska, there's little point in my reviewing any of them. I'll just say that as always the festival was a superb beer tasting experience, with great food, good music, and a wonderful crowd of folks who respected the unusual and exceptional beers they were being offered. Can't wait until next year.

As it's the start of fall, it's time for the yearly release of pumpkin beers and Oktoberfest brews. Midnight Sun has released this year's versions of its two classic pumpkin beers: the heavy-weight T.R.E.A.T. (7.8% ABV, 30 IBUs) and the lighter Trickster (7.0% ABV, 22 IBUs).

Midnight Sun has released two other brews:

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The second, Ball & Chain Dortmunder, was brewed to celebrate the wedding of head brewer Lee Ellis to his fiancee Leah, which took place on Saturday, August 20th, in Seward. The brewery has also redesigned its website. You can check out the new layout here.

Bleeding Heart Brewery will be hosting an All-You-Can-Eat BBQ Buffet at the brewery on September 17th, from 5 to 8 PM. Tickets are $25 in Advance or $30 at the door and go on Sale on September 8. Congratulations as well to the brewery for taking a People's Choice Award at the Alaska State Fair.

Alaskan Brewing has decided not to release a pumpkin brew this fall. Instead, it is re-releasing its Alaskan Heritage Coffee Brown Ale, which was first released last year. Read a review of it in my 10/2/2015 blog. It will be released in September and will be available through mid-November.

As I was working through my compilation of festivals in my last blog, I missed one: the 2016 Yukon Beer Festival in Whitehorse. This is the 3rd time this festival has been held, and it will take place on October 14 & 15th in Whitehorse. Click on the link above for more info and tickets.

Speaking of Whitehorse, Winterlong Brewing Company is continuing to work on its expansion, which began back in July. This project includes a serious upgrade to the brewery's tap room, expanding it greatly and doubling the number of taps from 6 to 12. This expansion will allow the brewery to offer beers in regular size glasses, in addition to its samplers, for consumption on site. The target for opening the new space is late September. Here are a couple of photos of the work in progress, courtesy of Winterlong Brewing:

49th State Brewing Company has released a new beer, Blood Drop Red Ale. For every pint of this beer sold at either its Healy or Anchorage locations, the brewery will donate a dollar to the Blood Bank of Alaska.

Seward Brewing Company has announced that it will be hosting its Fall Beer Dinner on Tuesday, September 13th at 6:30 pm. Seating is limited to 24 folks, tickets are $75, and must be purchased in advance. The brewery will likely be closing its doors for winter soon, so this is one last chance to experience its outstanding cuisine.

The Double Shovel Cider Company in Anchorage now has a tap room. Its hours are 4 to 8 pm Wednesday & Thursday, and 3 to 9 pm Friday & Saturday. It's located at 502 W. 58th Ave, Unit C.

I mentioned Bodega-Fest in my last blog, but didn't have a flier for it to share. I've got one now, so here it is:

La Bodega will also be continuing its Summer Tasting series next Tuesday from 6 to 10 PM at Jack Sprat in Girdwood. This one will be focused on beers from King Street Brewing in Anchorage.

Here on the Peninsula, Kenai River Brewing is working hard to start filling more of the 18 taps in its new brewery. Currently, there are 13 beers on tap, including Kolsch, T200 Rye Pale Ale, and Duck it Down Rye Pale Ale.

Photo courtesy of Kenai River Brewing

At St. Elias Brewing the popular Green Giant DIPA is back on tap.

Grace Ridge Brewing in Homer will be open on Labor Day from noon to 8 pm. It has also debuted a new beer: Halibut Cove Lemon Tart.

That's about it for news, so let's review some beers.

Firestone-Walker's Wookey Jack Black Rye IPA: This beer poured opaque with a big, mocha-colored head that left good lace on the glass. The aroma was full of citrusy American hop notes. Carbonation was great, and the mouthfeel was light. There was good bitterness up front, with spicy rye notes, followed by good hop flavor. Unlike many so-called black IPAs, this beer was not loaded with roasty flavors, which I think is good. If your black beer has lots of roasted notes, you've made a hoppy porter, not a black IPA. 8.3% ABV, 80 IBUs.

Stone Brewing's RuinTen Triple IPA: It poured a deep, clear copper color, with a big, off-white head. The nose had tons of citrus hops, plus hints of toffee. Carbonation was good and the mouthfeel was light to medium. There is a tremendous initial bitter attack, as you'd expect from 100 IBUs, then the big malt backbone moves in to bring things a bit more into balance, followed by some alcohol heat on the finish. It lives up to the Triple IPA name, so if you're looking to smash your palate with bitterness and alcohol, here's the beer for you. 10.8% ABV.

New Belgium's Bretta IPA: It poured a clear gold with a huge white head. The aroma was a combination of spritzy citrus hop notes and brett funk. Great carbonation and a light mouthfeel. On the palate there was moderate initial hop bitterness, followed by notes of brett funk, followed by hop flavors on the finish. A very nice beer, particularly if you are as fond of brett as I am. 7.5% ABV, 75 IBUs.

Sierra Nevada's Ovila Quad: I had cellared this bottles for a bit over a year. It poured a dark, barley translucent ruby color with a small, cream-colored head that dissipated to a collar. The nose was classic quad: plums, figs, raisins. The mouthfeel was medium, and the carbonation was okay. The taste profile was luscious, rich and complex, with notes of dark fruit, leather, and tobacco. The beer tasted perfectly Belgian; I could have easily believed it was made in a Trappist monastery in Europe, rather than in Chico, CA. 10.2% ABV, 21 IBUs.

Midnight Sun Brewing's 2011 Arctic Devil Barley Wine: Another bottle that I pulled in my recent visit to my beer cellar, this beer was over five years in the bottle. There was a slight his as I popped the cap, so it did retain some carbonation. It poured a dark honey-color with a small cream-colored head that quickly dissipated to a collar. The aroma was rich in caramel & toffee notes, plus a hint of oak. Carbonation was low, as you'd expect, and the mouthfeel was medium to heavy. The flavor profile was plenty of rich, thick malt notes, plus oak and some sherry notes, falling away to a long slow finish with some alcohol heat. The beer was still good, but I think I could detect the first hints of deterioration, so if you have any 2011, I'd recommend drinking them now. It's possible that if I had taken some extra precautions, such as waxing its cap, this bottle might have been able to be cellared a bit longer. 13.4% ABV, 20 IBUs.

That's it for this week. Get out an enjoy this great weather while we have it, as we all know it won't last much longer.

Until Next Time, Cheers!