Big Sky Powder Hound ....

Tonight I will try a Powder Hound Winter Ale from Big Sky Brewing Company.  It is a seasonal available October through March.  7.2% ABV is listed on the twelve ounce bottle.  The Big Sky web site shows 60 IBUs.

This beer poured with a small to medium, light beige colored head.  Beer color is a slightly darker amber.  The aroma has some citrus and a floral/herbal quality.  Also a little sweet malt.  The taste is more of the same - citrus/pine/floral/herbal hops, some sweet malt for balance.  Some bitterness builds, but it seems to stay in the background.  Medium or a little fuller in flavor.  Effervescent mouth feel.  Somewhat dry finish that leaves your mouth dry and a little bitter, but not much more aftertaste.  Tasty!          

Big Sky Brewing Company

Missoula, Montana

www.bigskybrew.com

Great Divide Fresh Hop Pale Ale ....

Tonight's beer is Fresh Hop Pale Ale from Great Divide Brewing Company.  The 1 pint, 6 ounce bottle shows 6.1% ABV and 55 IBUs.

This beer poured with a thin, bone colored head.  Beer color is amber, with maybe a touch of orange.  The aroma is fairly mild with citrus, and maybe a hint of pine.  The citrus is in the taste as well, but the pine comes through a lot stronger than in the aroma.  There is a kind of green, grassy, freshness to the taste.  Vegetal.  Some malt to balance things out.  The aftertaste leaves you with a little grass and bitterness.  I really enjoyed this one - the fresh hop-forward taste was very interesting.

 

Great Divide Brewing Company

Denver, Colorado

www.greatdivide.com

Rogue OREgasmic Ale ....

Chatoe Rogue First Growth OREgasmic Ale from Rogue Ales.  This is brewed using hops and barley from their own crops.  The 1 pint, 6 ounce bottle shows 40 IBUs.

This beer poured with a small, light beige head.  Beer color is a very hazy, very orange-ish amber.  The aroma is sweet, with fruit and mild citrus - very appealing.  The taste hits you with some real hops; more pine than citrus.  There is also some malt, fruit and sweetness, but not as much as was hinted at by the aroma.  Finishes with some bitter and a little dry, and the aftertaste leaves you with that as well.

Rogue Ales

Newport, Oregon

www.rogue.com

Santa Fe Nut Brown Ale ....

Today I am trying a Nut Brown Ale from Santa Fe Brewing Company.  Twelve ounce bottle.  The web site shows 5.2% ABV.

This beer poured with a small, beige head.  Beer color is medium brown.  The aroma is malty, roasty, with maybe just a little caramel or brown sugar.  Earthy.  The taste is more of the same, and medium in strength.  Roasted malt, bready, nutty.  Nice mouth feel.  Lightly grassy, metallic finish and aftertaste.  Nothing really stands out in this beer, but it isn't a slouch either.    
 

Santa Fe Brewing Company

Santa Fe, New Mexico

www.santafebrewing.com

Leinenkugel Oktoberfest ....

Tonight I will try another Oktoberfest, this one from Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company.  It is a seasonal. Twelve ounce bottle.

This beer poured with a small to medium, light beige head.  Beer color is amber leaning towards copper.  The aroma has caramel, malt - maybe a little dark fruit?  The taste is milder.  There is malt, caramel, nut, grass, a little spice.  Seems a bit thin on the finish.  The aftertaste is a little grassy and metallic.  

Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company

Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin

www.leinie.com

Lagunitas Brown Shugga' ....

Tonight's beer is Brown Shugga' Ale from Lagunitas Brewing Company.  It is brewed with pure brown sugar, and is a seasonal released in October.  The twelve ounce bottle shows 9.9% ABV and 51.1 IBUs.

Brown Shugga' poured with a medium to thicker, light beige head.  Beer color is a bright copper.  The aroma is citrus and pine hoppy, like most Lagunitas, with some caramel sweetness.  The taste has grapefruit and piney hops, medium bitterness, caramel, brown sugar, fruit, spice and a higher-alcohol boozey bite.  The aftertaste leaves you with some bitterness, sweet and booze.  LOTS of flavor - thumbs up.

Lagunitas Brewing Company

Petaluma, California

www.lagunitas.com

Kona Pipeline ....

Today I will have a Pipeline Porter, with 100% Hawaiian Kona Coffee, from Kona Brewing Company.  5.3% ABV is listed on the twelve ounce bottle.  The web site shows 23 IBUs.

This beer poured with a thin, rich colored head that was a little darker than tan.  Beer color is a very dark reddish brown.  A very small amount of light can be seen around the edges of the glass when it is held up to the light.  The aroma has primarily coffee and cocoa notes.  The taste has coffee, toasted malt, cocoa, and some nut.  The coffee blends in well and is not overpowering.  Just a small amount of bitterness.  Dry finish.  A little thin, seems like it could use a little more carbonation for mouth feel.  The aftertaste leaves you with a little bitter, coffee and cocoa.

Kona Brewing Company

Kailu a Kona, Hawaii

www.konabrewingco.com