New Arrivals For Friday, Sept. 28, 2007

It's always a pleasant surprise when a batch of AleSmith IPA comes in, and this load was no exception. In addition to the IPA we also received a few cases of Anvil ESB and their latest Anniversary release, Dead By Dawn. A couple of tasty winter beers (can you call them "winter" when they're released in September?) from Great Divide and Dick's Brewing round out the collection for the day.


AleSmith - Decadence (Dead By Dawn): Alesmith's Decadence Anniversary Ale was originally brewed in 2005 to celebrate our first decade in business. The brewers at Alesmith had such a great time concocting Decadence that they decided to make it an annual event, and brew a new style each year to commemorate our Anniversary. The second release in the Decadence series, Dead by Dawn, was inspired by our own seasonal specialty ale, Evil Dead Red. What if we made it bigger, bolder and even more evil? The result is Decadence 2006 Dead by Dawn, a devilicious auburn-colored ale with a complex sweet caramel maltiness balanced by the just the right amount of hop bitterness. Dead by Dawn showcases an enticing hop flavor and intense hop aroma that rounds out this rich, full-bodied ale. Join our Anniversary Celebration with Decadence. You'll soon discover why Alesmith is known around the world as the place to find Legendary Craftsmanship.

AleSmith - IPA: AleSmith IPA used to be known as "Irie Pirate Ale." However, some nasty patent attorneys think the name is too similar to another brand, so we had to "cease and desist." It's a darn shame, but it beats an obnoxious legal battle, in both expenses and Excedrin. Don't worry though, we won't change the beer (which is a MUCH better IPA than that "other" brand). It was conceived as an American-style IPA to satisfy the yearnings of the most die-hard hopheads. Its high alcohol content may catch you unawares if you're not careful, but it's hard to resist once you've tasted it. Appearance: Deep golden to light amber color, and a nice beige head, with good retention when properly served. Flavor: Starts off with strong citrusy, resiny flavors, balanced by a nice malty sweetness, then fades to a dry finish with a lingering hoppiness and a faint hint of plums and black cherries. Aroma: Strong piney-citrusy character, with vanilla in the background. Mouthfeel (body/texture): Smooth, medium-bodied. Feels warm in the mouth from the alcohol.

AleSmith - Anvil ESB: Bright copper color, sparkling clarity, and good foam retention when properly served. Appealing Brussels lace. Deep toasty/caramelly malt balanced by spicy/fruity hop flavors accented by fruit esters resulting from fermentation with a championship yeast strain. The aroma is subtle and reflects the flavor with malt, hop and fruit (ester)/fermentation characteristics. Smooth, medium-bodied. Easy drinking with no harsh or astringent sensations.

Great Divide - Hibernation: Hibernation Ale is Colorado's original strong ale -- it has been Great Divide's winter seasonal each year since 1995. Hibernation's massive flavors are so intense that it requires over three months of aging each year. This lengthy aging process gives Hibernation its revered malty richness, complex hop profile and hearty warming character, which is perfect right out of the bottle or cellared for longer periods of time.

Dick's Brewing - Double Diamond: Northwest style winter seasonal bold enough to get you through the weather. We fill the mash tun to the top with lots of Northwest premium 2-row malted barley, plenty of rich Munich malt, a full bag of sweet caramel malt, lots of crisp malted white wheat, and a touch of highly roasted black barley. This kind of big beer requires several healthy additions of hops with real character for backbone and finish. We don’t call it Double Diamond for nothing.


Coming Soon:

• BridgePort - Hop Harvest Ale: Next week
• Sierra Nevada - Harvest Ale: Next week
• Deschutes - Jubel Ale: Next week
• Rogue - Newport 125th Anniversary Commemorative Brew: Next Week
• Rogue - Hop Heaven: Next Week (First time in Bottles!)
• Deschutes - Lone Rock Organic Amber: Coming soon.
• Full Sail - Wassail: Week of 10/15
• BridgePort - Ebenezer: Week of 10/15

Don't forget, the National Toast To Michael Jackson is Sunday, Sept. 30, 2007. Join us for special beers on tap, a silent auction/raffle of "beer gear", and a short lecture/discussion on Parkinson's Disease hosted by Dr. John Nutt from OHSU. The offical toast will take place at 6pm, and we'll have a small PA system for those who wish to share stories or memories about Mr. Jackson. All the proceeds from the special tap and auction will be donated to the National Parkinson's Foundation.

See you on Sunday!