Alaskan Imperial Red Ale

Alaskan Brewing Co. was one of the first craft breweries I toured almost 10 ten years ago and they are still growing and brewing strong.  The have a series called the Pilot Series that is a rotating collection of different beers that are offered in 22 oz. bombers.  Alaskan Imperial Red Ale (8.5% ABV and 70 IBU) is a west coast style Imperial Red and Alaskan is going for a balanced beer that is slightly malt-forward.

American Amber / Red Ale -http://beeradvocate.com/beer/style/128 - BeerAdvocate.Com 

Appearance - Deep amber / ruby with a two finger head that takes some time to recede.
Aroma - Let it warm up a bit - one can detect sweetness (honey?) from the malt, alcohol, and citrus, herb, and resin from the hops.
Taste - Sweetness if the first sensation, then bitterness (citrus - grapefruit / lemon) and then a dry finish.
Overall - B - This was not a bad beer; however, it is not a great beer. I think the Barley Wine, Perseverance, and the Double Black IPA were fantastic beers. I suggest to try one of these, Smoked Porter or Alaskan Amber if you are looking for something from Alaskan Brewing Co.

Website description - "Alaskan Imperial Red is a full-bodied deep mahogany ale with ruby red highlights. Citrus notes of chamomile, grapefruit and Meyer lemon brighten the aroma. A zesty array of hop flavors from mango and bitter orange to green mint and hibiscus meld with the nutty, roasted caramel and subtle dried fruit flavors of the complex malt profile to create a surprisingly fresh, yet warming example of the style."

URL - http://www.alaskanbeer.com/our-brew/limited-edition/pilot-series/alaskan-imperial-red-ale.html

Lagunitas - The Censored and Anchor - Liberty Ale

Lagunitas The Censored (6.75% ABV) is described as a “Rich Copper Ale” and is an American Amber / Red Ale and The Censored pours a beautiful copper color this is a malty beer and it has some nice bitterness with it.  I enjoyed this one and Lagunitas is a great brewer.  The web description of The Censored is, “The original name of this original ale was originally derived from an origin so heinous that we cannot reveal its aboriginal oregeny. sorry. Actually, it's an easy drinking malty Copper Ale that goes easy on the hops. Whatever.”  Side note – Chronic is slang for Marijuana – I am not sure if this is what they are referring to.

 Anchor Liberty Ale (5.9% ABV) and was first brewed to commemorate the bicentennial of Paul Revere’s famous ride.  Liberty Ale pours golden with a large head.  This is another tasty beverage from Anchor.  Anchor is a great brewer and I really appreciate them leading the craft beer revolution.  The web description of Liberty Ale – “First introduced in 1975, Liberty Ale^® is brewed strictly according to traditional brewing methods, and, like all Anchor Brewing Company products, uses only natural ingredients — water, malted barley, fresh whole hops and yeast.  A special top-fermenting ale yeast is used during fermentation and is responsible for many of Liberty Ale's subtle flavors and characteristics. Carbonation is produced by an entirely natural process called "bunging," which produces champagne-like bubbles. Dry-hopping (adding fresh hops to the brew during aging), imparts a unique aroma to the ale. It is a process rarely used in this country today.”  Note – There are a number of brewers that use the dry-hopping technique today.  These are the craft brewers and I do not know if any of the macro-brewers use this technique.

5 from Ft. Collins Brewery

Ft. Collins Brewery distributes the “Brewer’s Lunchbox” that has a selection of many different styles.  Five that I have recently sampled are Red Banshee (5.3% ABV and 33 IBU) an American Amber Ale, 1900 (4.7% ABV and 31 IBU) an Amber Lager, Rocky Mountain IPA (6.4% ABV and 80 IBU), Major Tom (5.2% ABV and 34 IBU) a Pomegranate Wheat, and Chocolate Stout (4.9% ABV and 33 IBU).  I am estimating on the ABV and IBU as the site shows thes on a sliding scale - I am very close on these.  Personally, I like it when the brewery offers a variety pack for the purchaser to sample different style brewed.  I am not a fan of fruit beers and I was not a big fan of Major Tom.  I really liked Rocky Mt. IPA, Red Banshee and Chocolate Stout; as well as Z and The Kidd from a previous post.  Ft. Collins Brewery has some good offerings and the “Brewers Lunchbox “ is a great way to sample their products.  Below are pictures of the 5 from Ft. Collins Brewery. 

Red Banshee (5.3% ABV and 33 IBU) an American Amber Ale

1900 (4.7% ABV and 31 IBU) an Amber Lager

Rocky Mountain IPA (6.4% ABV and 80 IBU)

Major Tom (5.2% ABV and 34 IBU) a Pomegranate Wheat

Chocolate Stout (4.9% ABV and 33 IBU)

Two very tasty Amber Ales

Full Sail’s Amber Ale (5.5% ABV and 31IBU) has been around since 1989, and it is the flagship beer for Full Sail and has won 14 medals over the years.  Amber pours amber with a two-finger head.  Full Sail describes Amber as, “a sweet, malty, medium-bodied ale with a spicy, floral hop finish.  It’s brewed with 2-row Pale, Crystal and Chocolate malts.  And we hop it with Mt. Hoods and Cascades.”  Full Sail’s Amber is very tasty and this is a well-balanced ale with just the right amounts of sweet malt and spicy, floral Northwest hops. 

Next up was Twisted Pine’s American Amber Ale (5.5% ABV and 55 IBU) is a little more bitter than Full Sail’s Amber.  This is another good beer and it pours amber with a frothy head – I had to let is settle a bit before I could empty the bottle.  Twisted Pine describes Ambers as, “medium bodied beer with good hop character.  The aroma is slightly hoppy, malty, and lightly yeasty.  The beer’s texture starts off crisp and effervescent, and becomes a little thicker toward the finish.”  This is another very good Amber Ale and Cascade hops are used along with Northern Brewer.  You cannot go wrong with either of these selections.  I paired these with a dinner of roasted chicken, rice, sauteed Vidalia onions and mushrooms (with some Amber Ale) and sauteed garlic green beans.  Very tasty pairing too.

DAB Original, Boont Amber Ale and Alaskan White

Dortmunder – DAB – Export

Dortmunder or DAB Export (5.0% ABV) is a German Lager and it is packaged in a green bottle.  Now a short rant – I do now understand why brewers bottle a product in a container that is affected by sunlight.  The amber bottle or the can is the best packaging for beer because these two containers prevent the beer from being ruined by exposure to sunlight.  Quick rule of thumb – if it is not in an amber bottle or a can – don’t buy it.  Dortmunder pours gold with a two finger head and good carbonation.  I would compare this beer to an American marcro brewery and I was not impressed.  I recommend avoiding this one.

Anderson Valley – Boont Amber Ale

Boont Amber Ale (5.8% ABV and 15 IBU) is an American amber ale.  Boot pours cloudy amber with a vigorous head and I had to let it settle a couple of times while pouring.  I thought this beer was much hoppier than it is when I first tasted it.  This amber ale is better when it warms a bit and I thought it tasted more balanced at the end of the glass than at the start.  This is an unfiltered and is not pasteurized, so keep it cold until you are ready to enjoy.  The website recommends it should be served between 40 – 45 and I agree that the flavor is much better at this temperature that right out of the fridge.

Alaskan – White

Alaskan White (5.3% ABV and 15 IBU) is a Belgian-style Wit beer and I enjoy this style.  White pours gold with a large head – be careful when pouring.  White is a drinkable beer and I could pick up hints of coriander and bitter orange.  Both of these and probably grains of paradise are used in the brewing of this beer.  Using spices during the brewing process are part of the Belgian Wit history.  Another good beer from Alaskan Brewing.

Bridgeport IPA and Breckenridge Avalanche at NoNo's Cafe

It had been some time since the family went to NoNo’s and we decided it was time.  NoNo’s is located in Littleton, Co on County Line Road just east of Sante Fe Dr. (HWY 85).  Brian and Sonda Brewster are the owners and they have a great place; they know about good food and service.  Fresh bread is served with a special dipping sauce and my son always wants seconds on the bread.  I ordered Bridgeport’s IPA with an ABV of 5.5% and IBU of 50.  This is a nice IPA that pours golden with a nice head.  It has a very good floral aroma and is not as bitter as many craft brew IPAs.  This went very well with the dipping sauce, cutting through the fat and going well with the spice. 

I ordered the NoNo’s Sausage Classico for the main entrée, which is two sausage patties on a bed of linguine noodles smothered in a nice tomato based sauce that is just a bit spicy.  I ordered Breckenridge’s Avalanche Amber Ale with an ABV of 5.4% and IBU of 19.  This is a good beer and is very drinkable, but it was a bit overpowered by the spiciness of the dish.  Not a bad pairing, but the IPA probably would have been a better choice.  It paired much better with a beignet that I split with Lori.  It was a nice meal and I tasted two nice beers. 

NoNo’s never disappoints and I am very happy this restaurant is close to home