Join Rob Widmer for a taste of Widmer Brothers Brewing on Friday, March 12 from 5-7 p.m. Brothers Rob and Kurt Widmer founded Widmer Brothers Brewing Company in 1984, in Portland, Oregon, where people know a thing or two about good beer. Ever since, the Widmer brothers have created deliciously original American and European style beers and have overseen the entire brewing process from fresh grains to finished beers in the proud tradition of craft brewing. What began as a dream for two ordinary brothers who just loved beer is now a reality for two ordinary brothers who just love beer. Join us for a taste!

These cans have been getting a lot of attention since they arrived in our store just before Christmas. As an addendum to last week’s blog about the quality revolution in canned beer, I offer up as our next example these three fine specimens from Hawaii:

• Bikini Blonde 6-pk 12 oz cans, 10.49, 4.2% abv
• Big Swell IPA 6-pk 12 oz cans, 10.49, 6.2% abv
• CoCoNut PorTeR 4-pk 12 oz cans, 9.49, 5.7% abv, 32 IBUs

The Bikini Blond is light, crisp and creamy with hints of apricot and peach. Light and refreshing, it’s like a classic American lager with more flavor and no funky metallic taste.  This one will be especially tasty for those who like a milder, more thirst-quenching style.

Big Swell IPA is quite impressive. We have many great IPAs here in Oregon, and it takes a lot to make it to the top of the list. Even in the category of IPA in a can, Caldera Brewing of Ashland presents a tough act to beat. Having said that, Big Swell IPA is loaded with everything I love in an IPA. It starts with a nose packed full of citrus and pine notes. Its substantial body is quite apparent as its hearty maltiness balances the bitter tones of hops. This is truly a great IPA.

Maui Brewing’s CoCoNut Porter has a strong nose of toasted coconut and coffee. The beer pours a very dark brown with a thin tan head. On the palate, this porter is quite easy drinking. Only moderately rich in body, it is well balanced with just a touch of bittering hop on the finish to balance the malts, spice and coconut.

Boulevard Brewing out of Kansas City, MO has consistently impressed me with well-balanced examples of classic beer styles. Though their new release Bourbon Barrel Quad breaks new ground in creativity. From their website, “After fermentation on cherries, [the beer] was separated into a number of oak bourbon barrels, where it aged for varying lengths of time, in some cases as long as a year. Selected barrels were then blended for optimum flavor. The resulting beer retains only very subtle cherry characteristics, with toffee and vanilla notes coming to the fore.” What surprised me about this beer is that it is 11.8% abv and you would never know it. The effect of lengthy barrel aging to mellow the heat as well as the natural acidity added by the cherries, combine with a touch of sweetness and a wide variety of spice notes to make a gorgeously delicate, yet powerful brew. Enjoy this now, or give it some time in the cellar and see what it becomes.

New Arrivals:
•    Red Nectar 6-pk $8.99
•    Nectar IPA 6-pk $8.99
•    Bridgeport Hop Czar 6-pk $7.29
•    Deschutes Cinder Cone Red 6-pk $6.99
•    Great Divide Hoss Rye Lager 6-pk $9.79
•    Widmer Black IPA 6-pk $7.79
•    Boulevard Bourbon Barrel Quad with Cherries 750 ml $13.49
•    Brauerei Heller Bamberg Helles Schlenkerla Lager 16.9 oz $3.99
•    10 Barrel S1N1ST0R Black Ale 22 oz $3.29
•    Chatoe Rogue Dirtoir Black Lager 22 oz $5.79

Cheers!

A different sort of Holiday Ale
This year’s holiday/winter beer offerings are by far the most innovative and diverse yet. The more traditional caramel and spice tones of the Bateman’s Rosey Nosey English bitter and the elegant ginger spiced Pangaea from Dogfish Head brewers are redefining holiday ales.

Bateman’s Rosey Nosey is a traditional English-style bitter ale that pours a rich golden color with hints of amber. The nose offers up caramel and apricot notes.   On the palate, the Rosey Nosey is medium bodied with a good dose of malty goodness that is balanced by just a touch of sweetness that finishes dry due to the bittering hops. Nostalgia in a bottle.

Heater-Allen Sandy Paws is a dark lager-style beer brewed by Rick Allen in McMinnville. The dark lager, which is similar in style to a dopplebock, but not at all sweet, is a traditional winter beer found in Germany. I have to confess that Heater-Allen is one of my favorite local breweries. Rick captured my attention by offering crisp lager-style beers that showcase the capacity for beer to be refreshing, balanced and full of flavor. The nose offers some moderately smoky and malty notes that persist onto the palate, which is dry and light bodied. This will make a great all-day session beer for the holidays. And for those of you who are smitten by cute puppy labels, Sandy Paws shamelessly showcases the eponymous cocker spaniel.

If the winter holiday season is a time to bring people together, then Dogfish Head Pangaea is the beer that brings the world together in one bottle. With ingredients from every continent, Pangaea has crystallized ginger from Australia, water from Antarctica, Basmati rice from Asia, Muscavado sugar from Africa, South American quinoa, European yeast and North American maize. As packed full of ingredients as this beer is, it still presents itself as balanced and delicious with a light golden-style ale that has just a hint of ginger spice. A great beer for pairing or for enjoying on its own.

A note on canned beer
But can beer in a can taste good? There’s something about the sound of opening a can of beer. The crackle of the metal tab as it punctures through the mouth followed by the gush of carbon dioxide has a certain iconic place in American culture. Until recently though, this pleasant opening act, was almost assuredly followed by an unimpressive performance in the can. You have probably noticed that old-school canned beers often have an off-putting metallic taste that detracts from the overall flavor of the beer that was likely only mediocre from the start.  Aside from the metallic flavor though, cans are nearly an ideal enclosure for beer.  Protected entirely from the effects of light and sealed airtight, cans offer a higher degree of protection from the elements than bottles.  In 2002, Oskar Blues, a small brewery out of Colorado became the first American craft brewery to begin canning their beer. They used a new kind of beer can that contained a liner so the beer never actually comes into contact with metal.  Other craft breweries followed suit, such as Oregon’s Caldera Brewery in Ashland and 21st Amendment Brewery in San Francisco. So the answer is – yes, canned beer can taste good.

21st Amendment Monk’s Blood Dark Abbey Ale is a rich, full bodied, dark and malty Belgian-style Ale. It’s loaded with dates, currants and vanilla, which are mellowed by oak ageing. It’s quite sweet on the palate, which would make it a superb pairing with the Christmas honey ham or as a dessert beer to be paired with all manner of pies, cakes, cookies and/or especially fudge. The best canned Belgian-style ale yet!

Oskar Blues Ten FIDY is a bomber of a beer. The first Imperial Stout in a can, this is the richest, densest most powerful craft brew ever put into a can. The brewery proclaims, “It’s the beer equivalent of a decadently rich milkshake made with Whoppers malted-milk balls and Heaven’s best chocolate ice cream.” On the palate its viscous and loaded with dark fruit, chocolate, malt and spicy hop notes.  For all its weightiness, I find this beer to be incredibly well balanced and pleasant to drink. Ten FIDY will be superb as a slow sipper, a dessert beer, or a stocking stuffer.
 
Here's a list of our new items...

Merry Christmas folks!

New Items:
• 21st Ammendment Monk’s Blood, Quadruple Brown Abbey Ale, 35 IBU, 8.3% abv, 12 oz can 2.39, 4pk cans 9.59
• Oskar Blues TenFIDY, Imperial Stout, 98 IBU, 9.4% abv, 12 oz can 3.99
• Kostritzer Schwarzbier, 4.8% abv, 12 oz bottle 2.19
• Dogfish Head Old School Barleywine, 12 oz bottle 3.99
• Dogfish Head Pangaea, Ginger Spiced Golden Ale, 23.6 oz bottle 9.99
• Lagunitas Cappuccino Stout, 29.5 IBUs, 9.25% abv, 22 oz bottle 3.99
• Red Branch Hard Lemonade, 500 ml bottle 5.99
• Heater-Allen Sandy Paws Dark Lager, 6.25% abv, 22 oz bottle 5.39
• Unibroue La Terriblé, Dark Belgian Strong Ale, 10.5% abv, 750 ml bottle 8.49
• Grand Teton Persuit of Hoppiness, American Strong Ale, 75 IBUs, 8% abv, 1 L bottle 15.99
• Bateman’s Rosey Nosey English Bitter Ale, 35 IBUs, 4.9% abv, English Pint bottle 4.99
• Nogne-ø/Jolly Pumpkin/Stone Special Holiday Ale, 8.5% abv, 500ml bottle 9.99
• Erie Brewing Ol’ Red Cease & Desist Wee Heavy Ale, 10.1% abv, 6 pk bottles 9.79
• Golden Valley Tannen Bomb English Strong Ale, 8% abv, 6 pk bottles 8.59
• Grand Teton Lost Continent Double IPA, 90 IBUs, 8% abv, 4 pk bottles 9.59
• Grand Teton Black Cauldron Imperial Stout, 8% abv, 4 pk bottles, 9.59
• Monty Python’s Holy Grail Ale, English Special Bitter, 4.8% abv, 6 pk bottles 9.99

My favorite little brewery on the Oregon Coast is Pelican Brewery in Pacific City. Tucked into the sandy cove south of the dunes at Cape Kiwanda State Park, it’s located about half way between Tillamook and Lincoln City. The restaurant and brewery are right on the beach, with the perfect vantage for a sunset view. Until recently, if you wanted to enjoy a Pelican Ale, you had to drive all the way to Pacific City. Market of Choice has now has the whole lineup of Pelican Beers at your local store.

 Currently, here at West Linn, we are offering seven different Pelican brews in 22 oz bottles:

•    Kiwanda Cream Ale – 5.99

•    MacPelican’s Scottish-Style Ale – 5.99

•    Doryman’s Dark Ale – 5.99

•    Tsunami Stout – 6.49

•    India Pale Ale – 6.49

•    Wee Heavy Ale – 8.99

•    Stormwatcher’s 2008 – 13.99

Brewmaster Darron Welch, who has made a name for himself at Pelican, helped design the brewery, which opened in 1996. He brews flavorful yet balanced beers that have earned many industry awards. The following are my thoughts and tasting notes on a few of them:

Kiwanda Cream Ale 5.1% abv, 25 IBUs – A cream ale is made using warm fermentation and cold laagering or conditioning. The Kiwanda Cream Ale pours rich golden straw with a white frothy head. The nose is pristinely clean with faint yeasty notes, subdued dried stone fruit and pronounced corn. Palate is dry with a slight peachy core and a crisp hoppy finish. I found this beer to be very well balanced and refreshing. A great quaffer or session beer, this beer is very versatile for food pairings.?

MacPelican's Scottish-Style Ale 4.7% abv, 18 IBUs – I am a bit biased when it comes to Scottish-style ales. I love the toasty malt character and the smooth texture, the total lack of bitterness. For those of you who are looking for an alternative to a huge hoppy IPA, this is a great option. MacPelican’s Scottish-Style Ale pours dark reddish amber. It is light and fruity on the nose with hints of Kiwis and white peaches. Fruitiness persists onto the palate, which is clean and light with minimal hoppiness and light maltiness. Another easy-drinking beer from Pelican with a lot of versatility.  ??Pelican’s dark ales also demonstrate impeccable balance while striking a bolder chord.

Doryman's Dark Ale 5.8% abv, 42 IBUs – Pours a dark amber brown. Nose is mild malt and caramel. Dry, crisp, citrusy hops and dark cherry toasty malts. This easy-drinking brown ale would be great paired with a heartier dish, such as steak with caramelized onions.

Tsunami Stout  7% abv, 50 IBUs – This dark stout pours almost pitch black with a tan head. The nose is malt, chocolate, tobacco, coffee and just a hint of licorice. Medium bodied with a creamy head, the finish is crisp and roasted. Like the Doryman’s Dark Ale, this is also an easy-drinking dark beer.

Join us this Sunday, December 6 from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. I’ll be pouring the Tsunami Stout and the MacPelican’s Scottish-Style Ale.

Cheers!