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Beer is an escape for us all

Let’s say you’re at a family function and you’re incredibly bored. A neice’s 4rd birthday party. A third-cousin’s graduation party. Grandma’s funeral. And you wish you had a beer to get you through the same stories you’ve been hearing since you could hear. The Argentinian beer brand Andes knows the feeling. And not only do they get you that beer, they do one better. Take note, AB & Miller-Coors, this is what big-brand beer advertising can look like. It doesn’t have to be all boobs and “duuuuuuuuuude!”

Rogue Nation Department of Agriculture

After cruising through some old emails I came across a memo from the Rogue Nation.  This report came out in late summer early fall.  How could you not want to own a farm with the view above.  Part I reviews the barley raw material.  The barley survived wild fires, some of the largest wild fires Oregon has seen.

Dare™ & Risk™ Malting Barley: Four weeks ago we harvested our Dare™ spring malting barley as Oregon’s largest wildfire loomed over the horizon. Stan, Deanna and Andrea Ashbrook of Dufur, Oregon returned to the Micro Barley Farm to drive the combines just as they did for the Risk™ malting barley harvest in early August. In just a few days they brought in the Dare™ crop during some of the hottest weather we had all year. Initial tests show good plump levels and intact kernels, great news for when we malt it.We harvested 897,345 pounds of Risk™ and Dare™ malting barley this year. And while that may sound like a lot, it’s not enough to fill more than a couple of production lines at a commercial malting plant.   More...

Fort George Brewery

 Fort George Brewery is a great place to visit if you find yourself in Astoria, OR, home of the Goonies.  Astoria is a small town that is situated near the mouth of the Columbia River as it dumps into the Pacific Ocean.  There is plenty to do in and around Astoria.

• Drive along Highway 101 aka Highway 1 when you are in Cali.  Beautiful, fun stretch of road.
• Fort Stevens Park – Did you know that we had an active fort on the west coast during WWII?  Did you know that the Japanese used to send air balloons across the ocean with bombs attached to them, so that when they landed they would explode.  Cool historic site.
• Lots of great fishing and tons of charters to head out to sea for salmon, tuna, etc.
• Tons of hiking, both in Oregon and Washington.
• Tour filming locations of the Goonies.  Sloth loves Chunk.

While you are exploring you must stop at Fort George Brewery.  It’s a cool building and has lots of history, plus the beer and food is awesome. The current brewery and public house was built in 1924 as a Ford service station.  The renovated brewery is awesome.  I was there a few year back and had a great time.  The atmosphere is very relaxed and fun.  There is some local art work on the walls and some cool wood pieces.  Beer is served in mason jars and if you are lucky you can show up during one of their BBQ cook outs.  I was fortunate or lucky enough to be there during one of these.  They do it up right, big smoker, fire pit, great beer and live music! More...

Adirondack Brewing Co.

After a long day of bobsledding we stopped by the Adirondack Brewing Co.  The restaurant associated with the brewery is a little more high end than your typical brew pub.  The food is great here.  The Clam Chowder really hit the spot. The menu is full of surf and turf options, all of which looked awesome.

The beer list included: Haystack Blonde Ale, Ausable Wulff Red Ale, Cloud Splitter BelgianThe Red Ale is a good solid brew.  It was amber in color with a rich malty taste.  The Hefeweizen is a traditional German Hefe, you know what that tastes like.  The Belgian Strong Ale is a high alcohol example of a Belgian.  They use Belgian candi sugar so the taste is sweet with a dry finish and a hint of alcohol.  Strong Ale, Hefeweizen, Whiteface Stout, and John Brown Pale Ale.  After we sampled all the brews, Whiteface Stout and the Pale Ale stood out.
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TMBT

Since moving into a new house, I now have ample space to collect all sorts of bizarre/seasonal offerings.  What does this really mean?  Probably more Too Many Bottle Tuesdays as I dig around just to see what I can find out in the beer ether.  This week’s installment comes to us courtesy of Southern Tier with their ambitious new stout that seeks to bring some of the decadent flavor of Creme Brulee to your drinking experience.

Souther Tier Creme Brulee Stout

Appearance : Jet black in color with a small caramel colored head.  The head has a nice dark brown tint belying the ricness of flavor that one would expect.

Aroma : Monster smells of caramel and vanilla.  The aroma is intense.   At this point without having tasted the beer, the drinker is promised rich tapestry of flavors just from the impressive aroma and appearance.

Taste : And….The Creme Brulee Stout cashes this hefty check.  This beer is extremely rich, just like the dessert. Vanilla and  caramel flavors abound through out the stout.  The sweet flavors mixed with traditional dark malts leave a feeling of sweet syrupyness.  The vanilla flavor feels almost like a punch in the face.

Mouthfeel :  Thick and syrupy.  This feels like a meal in a glass.  The heaviness puts a limit on the amount that you might want to drink in one sitting.

Overall : Certainly an interesting beer that has it’s place in the “I can’t believe they brewed that category.”  This is wonderful to share and keep for a special occasion.  Impress your friends that fancy themselves wine experts with this complex concoction that challenges the perception of what a beer can be.  Serve with Creme Brulee or a decadent cake/torte for a real treat!

Thanks to East Tide Fashion for all of their discount fashion purses.