Well, after several days consideration (and brewing another Boh Pils) and planting my hops for the year (Goldings, Hallertauer, and Willamette), I have some insights into the 38 breweries and 71 beers that may suprise some of you. Breweries will be listed in ascending alpha order (since that's the way it was posted in the event program, despite some obvious errors in brewery location).
Alameda brewery: Black Bear XX Stout -- pretty good west coast stout (like a foreign extra stout, except with American hops), slight coffee aroma and flavor, enough body to float a battleship, well balanced with a nice dry roasty finish. Klickitat Pale Ale -- standard American Pale Ale with usual and customary malt and hop profile (aka grapefruity/citric hopping).
Alaskan Brewing Company: Alaskan Amber -- standard American Amber Ale with a smooth malty palate balanced with a nice clean hop note (tastes like classic European noble hops or their American equivalent) with a clean slightly dry finish. Smoked Porter: after having this beer the first time several years ago, I noticed that the usually strong smoky aroma and flavor is smoother and cleaner than previous tastings. After talking to the brewmaster Geoff Larson, I found out it was aged for a year which explains the smoothness. Afterwards, he graced me with some of his 2001 Smoked Porter and it was awesomely smooth and clean.
Alesmith Brewing Co.: Grand Cru -- nice try at a difficult style; tasted more like a Saison than a Grand Cru, but still noteworthy. Smoked Porter -- well, nice try here too, but they missed the mark (as compared to Alaskan) as the smokiness tasted more like liquid smoke or Rauch malt that had gone slack. Maybe time will help this beer out, I dunno...Wee Heavy -- tastes a little to hoppy to be a Scotch Ale, especially a Wee Heavy; needs to get rid of those "C" hops and use more traditional type English hops or their American equivalent. Still a good beer, just not what you would expect for a Wee Heavy Scotch Ale IMHO.
Alpine Brewing: Weizenbock -- clean, strong, and spicy, this is a creeper beer with the alcohol slowly coming on, but the weizen character muted over European counterparts (while not Aventinus, still a good brew by any standard). Pilsener -- tastes more like a Blond Lager rather than a Pils, but still a pleasant beer to drink. It just lacks the hop character you'd expect for a real Pilsener.
Avery Brewing Co.: Avery IPA -- typical IPA brewed in the American style. Nothing remarkable, but still quaffable; a standard anyone can brew.
Big Horn Brewing: Summer Honey -- typical Blond Ale but with a mild honey flavor and aroma. Nothing remarkable, but still a decent brew. Big Sky IPA -- Another typical American style IPA; some diacetyl makes for a little complexity, but once again, typical for the style IMHO.
Blue Moon Brewery: Belgian White -- crisp clean white ale with some very mild orange and spice notes (coriander or nutmeg?), good mouthfeel with a refreshing tartness that reminds me of Celis White. Good stuff that
Bridgeport Brewing: Supris -- pronounced sue-preece' is a saison/farm house ale in the Belgian tradition. Gentle aroma of fresh mown hay and grain blends in nicely with a minty spiciness. Smooth and lightly malty with a dry tart finish, it's alcohol is not apparent untill you're on the second one (which you'll want) which compares weirdly with their flagship brew. Bridgeport IPA: Hoppy, malty, grainy, hoppy, fruity, and hoppy. Did I mention that this was the hoppiest beer in aroma, flavor, and character?
Cascade Lakes Brewing Co.: 20" Brown -- looks like a brown ale, tastes like a brown ale, except for the lower than expected hop bill it was still a nice departure from most American Brown Ales.
AB: Bareknuckle Stout -- reminiscent of Miller's Velvet Reserve Stout; technically perfect, but lacking in character that defines the style.
Deschutes Brewery: Inversion IPA -- more of an ESB than an IPA, still a nice beer, but sadly lacking in the hop character found in Bridgeport's IPA. Black Butte Porter -- THE definitive brew in the robust porter category, it only continues to be the standard by which all other (unsmoked) robust porter's will be judged.
Dogfish Head: Aprihop -- lightly fruity and clean malt/hop balanced brew that has a gentle cooked fruit flavor that blends well with the beer. 60 Min. IPA -- tastes like it took 60 minutes to mash/boil; would have benefitted by either a longer mash or boil time as the hop character needs to be raised to more west coast levels. Still a nice brew, I recommend it.
Fish Brewing Co.: Fish Blonde Ale -- typical bland erm I mean blond ale in that it would offend noone, just won't excite anyone either.
Full Sail Brewing Co.: Full Sail Amber -- still the benchmark for the American Amber style, 'nuff said? Session Premium Lager -- another typical bland beer, most likely made to make the Amber look even better.
Green Valley Brewing: Wild Hop Lager -- nothing real special here, trying to be a Wollaver's clone maybe, but a touch too grassy in the hop profile.
Hazel Dell Brewpub: Steinbock -- more like a hoppier Maibock, it certainly isn't in the vein of a stone beer (that would require a smoky resiny burnt caramel character) but still very drinkable, just not to style IMHO. Black Cannon Porter: standard robust porter without any real noticable flaws or character either.
Jack Russell Brewery: London Porter -- more like a robust than a typical london style brown porter, its at least a smooth drinking beer with nice malt profile that's supported by decent hop character. Blueberry Ale -- another fruit ale that has a faint cooked fruit aroma and flavor without a whole lot of character in and of itself.
Karlsson Brewery Co.: Scotch Ale -- billed as a "99 Shilling" ale, it's more like a 80 Shilling ale in character, body, aroma, and flavor. Still a respectable effort in a difficult style. Rye -- not a bad effort either; a touch too dry and spicy for my palate, but finishes very well.
Kona Brewing Co.: Longboard Lager -- another standard lager much like all the rest; a little too thin as compared to others, but drinkable. Fire Rock pale Ale -- tastes like it was brewed with fiery rocks (brimstone?) with hints of sulfur and dryness almost to the point of astringency.
Laurelwood Public House and Brewery: Organic Free Range Red -- another Wolaver's clone, this one is blander. Too bad the organic idea can't seem to stand out more like Wolaver's does. Bunny Hop -- it's either a Blond Ale that has more hop character, or a Pale Ale that has less hop character. I just dunno what to make of this one (unique I guess).
Lost Coast Brewery: Great White -- good American Pale Ale with a douche of white wheat to make a hoppy version of a wit. Herbally and dry, it finishes clean. Indica IPA -- Don't quite know what they put in here for that herbal flavor and aroma, but it at least had some character over all the other IPA's (except for Bridgeport) at the Spring Porter and IPA Fest.
New Old Lompoc: Lompoc Strong Draft -- More like a Northern English Brown Ale than a Brown Porter (which the brewer claims), it's a smooth malt and hop balanced brew with a clean malty finish. 1060 EZ Taxation Ale -- typical session ale, interesting in flavor, but not too alcoholically challenging.
Pelican Pub and Brewery: Nestucca ESB -- this one will give Redhook a run for their money, reminds me of the Fuller's ESB, but with a Northwest penchant for "C" hops. Kiwanda Cream Ale -- standard blond ale with low hop and malt character makes for a thirst quenching session beer.
Pike Brewery: Naughty Nellie's -- another session beer with no remarkable character to speak of. Nice beer, just not memorable.
Portland Brewery: MacTarnahan's: Nicely done American version of a Scottish Ale. The only competition here would be from Yakima Brewing.
Pyramid Brewing: Hefeweizen -- standard typical American Hefeweizen it's representative of the wave of bland unnotable beers that are careening out of the USA atm.
Redhook Ale Brewery: Redhook ESB -- the standard upon which all other beers in the American Pale Ale category are based. Reminds me of an American interpretation of Fuller's ESB. Redhook Copperhook -- typical American Pale Ale with the prototypical "C" hop character. Not as noteworthy as its ESB, but still a decent APA, just not memorable IMHO.
Rogue Ales: Mocha Porter -- the only other memorable porter at the Spring Beer Fest (other than Alaskan), this mocha reminds me to get another Starbuck's gift card. Try this one with some Stilton or Havarti cheese and Ritz crackers. Junipeer Pale Ale -- love/hate relationship here. Either you love juniper, or you hate it. IMHO they took a perfectly quaffable Pale Ale, and ruined it with Gin, but YMMV.
Roots Brewing Co.: Excaliber Stout -- another Foreign Extra Stout aka West Coast Style Stout. Good effort at another Wolaver's clone of Organic brewing. I just don't see the difference here with this beer. Good stout, just not great like Wolaver's Oatmeal Stout. Red Ale -- another typical American Amber Ale called a Red Ale which means there's more hop character than in Amber beers, just not noteworthy.
Salmon Creek: ESB -- a good effort at the classic British style with American influences (more "C" hops). Not a Redhook by any stretch, but still drinkable. Belgium Dubbel -- more like a Southern English Brown Ale than a true Belgian Dubbel, this is still a nice beer that is very drinkable. Reminds me of the LSD that New Old Lompoc brews.
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.: Pale Ale -- This is the benchmark of the style known as American Pale Ale (can you say "C" hops?). This is what you need to beat if you're making a true to style American Pale Ale. Brown Ale -- Texas/American style brown ale typical of the style. While not as noteworthy as the APA, it's still a good beer.
Sleeman's: Cream Ale -- another bland, uh, I mean Blond Ale. I guess I just don't get this trend towards insipid beers when beers of character CAN be brewed that are light in flavor/body; just look at the British Session beers if you really want to see beers of low gravity that have an interesting flavor. Porter -- oh, yes, ANOTHER porter done like every other porter. Why can't people make Porter's of character like Deschutes or Alaskan I just dunno.
Stone Brewing Co.: Arrogant Bastard -- I must've gotten a bad barrel or something, but the flavor was muddled as was the aroma. Strong, but just not something flavorful, more like a kitchen sink beer. Maybe it just doesn't travel well, but it doesn't measure up to its moniker IMHO. Imperial Russian Stout - good impression of a RIS, nice balance of malt, hops and yeast profile, very memorable beer altogether. Better than AB IMHO.
Victory Brewing Co.: Hop Devil IPA -- what was once a very individuated and remarkable beer has now become flabby and bland over previous versions. I just wasn't as impressed with the current version as with past years, maybe a victim of early success. Prima Pils -- another bland lager that tries to paas itself off as a pils. It's gotmalt, hops, water and yeast, just not what I expect from a traditional Pils by any stretch.
Walking Man Brewing: Street Walker Malt Liquor -- it's got liquor alright, but street walker's might try it instead of OE 800; even Miller's Magnum tastes better than this one IMHO. Big Phat Homo -- falls on its big phat face. All the hype, but delivers a muddy beer with some kind of undescernible hop character. Very dissapointing from the word of mouth; guess some people will drink anything (where's Pliny???).
Widmer Bros. Brewing Co.: W'06 NW Red -- more like W'04, and far better than '05, this one is the prototypical American Red Ale (think hoppy Amber Ale). Broken Halo IPA -- yes, ANOTHER IPA; this one is just a typical IPA without any distinguishing characteristics like Bridgeport's exemplar.
All impressions and evaluations are mine and belong to me alone, YMMV.
Cheers, Slainte, Prost, Salud, and Skol!
Michel
