Review: Cascade Lakes, Rooster Tail Pale Ale

I remember drinking this one about 3 years back and being far more impressed than I am now.  Maybe my sense of taste has sharpened.  On the other hand, I may have been drinking crap beer all along and never realized it.  I picked up a six-er of the once friendly Rooster Tail Pale Ale and I have to say; if I had brewed a beer that tasted like this does now, I would have given it a sailors funeral.  It has a orangeish straw color and appears clear and refreshing upon visual inspection.  A little smell test reveals something odd.  Butter.  Home brewers know this problem all too well.  The fermentation may not have been complete before they transferred, or they are having a problem with sanitation.  Either way, this beer is almost undrinkable.  It has nice carbonation and a pleasant appearance but I'm having a hard time finding any other redeeming qualities in this one.  It'll get ya drunk?  Well, there's better ways to do that, so, lets get to the numbers.

Aroma: 4/12   Appearance: 2/3   Flavor: 6/20   Mouthfeel: 1/5  Overall Impression:  4/10  Total:  17/50


Fail, fail, and fail.  I can't get over the mouthfeel.  It's like greasy butter or like if someone microwaved a stick of butter and poured it into a cup of water.  Cascade Lakes Brewery has a problem that needs to be fixed.  I'll have to check out some of their other beers to see if the problem is widespread.  

Review: Ninkasi Brewing Company, Maiden The Shade

Here's a beer that I don't see around too much.  Maiden The Shade from Ninkasi Brewing under the right light looks kinda like orange crush.  It has a very strong pineapple smell and a nice frothy stable head.  Seven different hop varieties go into this "Summer IPA"  gives it a real nice hop character which helps to balance out the large amount of malt in this one.  6.8% alcohol by volume means that your weekly lawn mowing can become challenging, however; this one drinks very smooth.  A few sips later it seems almost sweet and the hops seem to mellow out just enough.  This one didn't have the bitterness of an IPA but I like the idea of a lighter, sweeter IPA as a good change from the imperial IPA's I've been sampling recently. . . . Ruination IPA anyone!?  I just brewed a 10 gallon "clone" batch of Ruination IPA that needs some dry hopping very soon.  This Maiden does have some thicker malt aftertaste that helps you remember what you're drinking.  This ain't no light beer folks.  It's refreshing, hoppy, and easily drinkable.  I'm in Bend, Oregon as some of you know; where can I drink Ninkasi beers on draft?  Here's the number rundown...

Aroma: 8/12   Appearance: 3/3   Flavor: 14/20   Mouthfeel: 3/5  Overall Impression:  7/10  Total:  35/50


Another very nice beer from Ninkasi, I think I'm gonna have to take a trip over to the valley and have some straight from the source.  I need to come out to Hop Madness one of these years...  Has anyone ever been?  Let me know!

Review: Ninkasi Brewing Company, Believer Double Red Ale

Oh, look what I found today.  A Believer Double Red Ale from the Ninkasi Brewing Company in Eugene, Oregon.  Right away I poured it into a tall pint glass and noticed the ample carbonation.  The head is a light tan color and has a shaving cream texture to it.  This beer changes color from deep red at the bottom to near black at the top of my glass and the head continues to rise slowly for the next few minutes.  It has a sweet, floral hop aroma which seems out of place for this type of beer.  This concoction has a sweet malty caramel flavor at first which blends into sort of a pine-citrus hop flavor.  A really nice combination that gives this medium-bodied beer replay value.  It's a great beer to break into the "imperial amber ale" category due to the drinkability.  This red is 6.9% alcohol by volume with 60 IBU's.  The hops are very present and appealing and it is balanced nicely with the darker malts.  So for now I'm a believer, but I want to try this one on draft.  Anyone know a good place to find it?

Aroma: 9/12   Appearance: 3/3   Flavor: 16/20   Mouthfeel: 3/5  Overall Impression:  8/10  Total:  39/50


I think there could have been less carbonation, but the flavor and appearance were very good examples of this style.  I can certainly taste the alcohol and that's the way it should be with this American Red.  Has anyone had this one before?  

Review: Hopworks Urban Brewery, DOA Deluxe Organic Ale

Hopworks Urban Brewery produces all their beers with "organic" malted barley.  The DOA Deluxe is 6.9% alcohol by volume with 55 IBU's (international bittering units).   It pours into a nice deep golden-brown color with great head retention.  I was expecting some bitterness, but the rich malty flavor hides any attempt to bring out the hops.  It feels very heavy and full-bodied on the tongue and makes for a very nice after dinner drink.  I think this kind of beer would go great with some kind of hot sandwich like a Ruben, or a French Dip.  So, next time you're in Portland, ride your bike over to the HUB and pick up a few for your friends, and me too! They'll also be kind enough to fill your growler for you.

Aroma: 9/12   Appearance: 3/3   Flavor: 14/20   Mouthfeel: 4/5  Overall Impression:  7/10  Total:  37/50

I really wanted to taste more hops in this one, but the rich malty goodness really takes control of this beer which is why I didn't score the flavor higher than I did.  The description on the bottle says, "This unique beer is a trifecta of bold flavors.  Hops, malt and alcohol bully the taste buds on the organic playground while the monitor blows the whistle."  If this is a "trifecta" then I would expect to taste the hops a bit more.  I look forward to trying more beers from the HUB.

Any suggestions on what I should drink next?  Leave a comment!