New Arrivals and Event Notices

It's always a pleasant surprise when something arrives when we're told to expect it, so I was pretty darn pleased when the Laurelwood Green Elephant and Bridgeport's Stumptown Tart both rolled off the trucks this morning. Throw in a couple of new lagers and you've got a nice list of stuff to drink this weekend.

New Beers!

Laurelwood - Green Elephant: Mmmm....Green Elephant. Big, crisp, and chock full of citrusy, floral goodness. This is my second favorite IPA from the 'Wood, right behind the delicious Workhorse. As I mentioned yesterday, they only bottled a couple hundred cases, so snag some while you can.

Bridgeport - Stumptown Tart: Much has already been written about the Tart, so I'll let Angelo, Jeff, and John wax poetic about the brew. All I'd like to add is that I'm amazed how inexpensive it is. At 8%abv and loaded with marionberries, I didn't expect it to hit the shelf at less than $5 per 22oz bottle, but here it is. People keep asking me, "How long will it age?", and even though I'm sure it's got some staying power I'd wager that the good folks at Bridgeport would prefer you drink it fresh and soak up all the marionberry goodness.

Mt Shasta - Lemurian Lager: Given the recent trouble that Mt. Shasta has been having with the TTB, I just shook my head and grinned when their new Lemurian Lager came in this morning. Printed in 80pt block font on the front of the label is the word WEED, and on the back side there's a curious little story about the mythical creatures that inhabit the wilds of Mt. Shasta. Cap it all off with an enthusiastic recommendation to "Celebrate Weed!" and you begin to see why they've run afoul of our ever-protective government. In any case, the beer is brand-spanking new, so there's not much info to pass on until we have a chance to try one. Show the TTB what you think of their decision and go "Try LEGAL Weed!"

Lakefront - Cherry Lager: Light and smooth, the Lakefront Cherry Lager is loaded with essence of Door County Cherries for a nice tart balance. If it ever warms up around here, this will make a nice afternoon sipper while you sit on the porch. If current trends continue it'll make a nice beer to sip while you sit on the couch and wonder why your PGE bill is so high...

Event Notices:

Hair of the Dog Earth Day Sale: Twice a year Alan Sprints opens up his brewery to the public for a dock sale, and the Earth Day sale is always popular. He'll have a fresh batch of Blue Dot IPA, a couple hundred cases of Fred From the Wood, and probably an assortment of other vintage offerings (Doggie Claws, Rose Cassis?) as well. The official start time is 10am, but get there early or you'll be standing in line for a while. 10 a.m. - 4 p.m, Saturday April 26th at the brewery, 4509 S.E. 23rd Ave

Concordia Alehouse Beer Brawl: I'm going to pass this one off to Mr. Foyston again because he's already given a more in-depth description than I could have. Taste the best that Oregon and Washington have to offer, and vote on your favorites. Starts 11:30 a.m. Friday, runs through Sunday at the Concordia Ale House: 3276 NE Killingsworth St.; $10 per taster tray, $20 with a cool commemorative t-shirt.

New Arrivals For Friday 12.21.07

Another day, another new beer. Make that 3 new beers, 2 new flavors of Beer Chips, and a partridge in a pear tree. OK, the partridges were out of stock, but we'll get them soon...

NEW BREWERY! (sort of): After a long absence, the Mt. Shasta (aka Weed Ales) beers are once again available in Oregon. These guys certainly aren't shy about the ganja references; in fact they seem to have a chronic desire to reference "the herb" whenever the opportunity presents itself. I guess it shouldn't come as a surprise considering the brewery is located in Weed, California, and it should do well in places like SE Portland, but I have to wonder if the names and imagery are a hindrance in more conservative locations. Anyways, regardless of your position on cannabis the beers are pretty tasty, and well worth picking up.

Mt Shasta - Mountain High IPA: I haven't tried this one yet, but here's what the brewery has to say: A deep golden, mild and malty India Pale Ale. Late hop additions contribute a floral and piney aromas reminiscent of Mount Shasta. Note: If you need more info on any of these beers click the embedded links to view the ratebeer.com listing for each brew.

Mt Shasta - Weed Golden Ale: I haven't had a chance to drink this one either, but the brewers want you to know that's it's "A light, fruity, golden colored ale, tasting crisp and clean as the mountain air. A perfect introduction to craft brewing."

Mt Shasta - Shastafarian Porter: This is the most highly-regarded beer in their portfolio, and for good reason. Everything just works. The body is nice and full without being overwhelming, the chocolate and roast flavors are in perfect balance with the hops, and the slightly bitter finish leads you to take another sip.


Returning Favorites:

Redstone - Vanilla Bean and Cinnamon Mead: I've had this delicious holiday treat on several occasions, but Degarth sums it up better than I can. "Full aroma of honey and vanilla with only a suggestion of cinnamon. Still and headless with a shiny light golden color. Tastes AMAZING. Probably too sweet for beer and Red Wine drinkers, but I thought this was perfection and would gladly buy many bottles of it. The honey predominates, but the other flavors are present and complimentary. Would make a great holiday treat for guests. I doubt anyone could truly dislike this and most would love it."

Fullers - Vintage Ale 2006: This wonderful, bottle-conditioned ale is brewed with a different recipe every year, and it evolves over time, so it's hard to say how this vintage is doing right now. When I last had one (probably 9-10 months ago) it was still young and seemed like it needed time to mellow and mature, so tonight might be a good time to revisit it. Each bottle is individually numbered and comes in it's own box, so if you're looking for one last beer gift for that special someone I'd recommend stuffing one of these in their stocking.

Lagunitas - Kill Ugly Radio: The Lumpy Gravy should be here on Monday, but if you missed the last release in the Zappa tribute series you've got one last chance to snap a bottle or two.

That's it for the beers. Oh yeah, the new flavors of Beer Chips. Can't forget about them. In addition to the original beer flavor, they've added Hot Potatoes (spicy bloody mary flavor) and Chip Shots (margarita flavor) to the menu. I had a chance to sample them over the last couple days, and if I had to put them in order of tastiness I'd put the Margarita flavor at the bottom, the regular Beer Chips in the middle, and the spicy bloody mary flavor at the top of the heap. The bloody mary flavor really wasn't that spicy, but they have a nice tomato tang and a worcestershire/pepper zing to them. The margarita flavor was too sweet and "limey" for me to really get into, but if you like sweet and salty stuff they'd be right up your alley.

One more last minute update: The Roots Epic Release party is happening as I type this, so if you're reading this tonight I'd suggest popping down there and grabbing one of the magnums while they're still available. If there are any magnums left on Monday they should be bringing some of them here, so if you miss the release party give us a call.