Beer of the Week: Sound Brewery Ursus Americanus

By Iron Chef Leftovers

If you order an Ursus and get this, you might be in trouble.

Out in tiny Poulsbo, Washington, there is an unlikely large grouping of breweries. One of them is Sound Brewery, a brewery that is probably best known around these parts for their use of Belgian strains of yeast. You may not realize it, but they also do a pretty fantastic job with other styles of beer. Ursus Americanus, better know as the American Black Bear, is an American stout. As described on the Sound website:

Ursus Americanus American Stout – 6.5% ABV
Dark, strong, smooth American stout bursting with coffee and dark chocolate aroma and smooth velvety texture.
Availability: Draft only

The beer, as expected, pours jet black with a creamy brown head. There are strong notes of chocolate and roasted malt dominating the nose. The first sip is surprisingly slightly sweet with a healthy dose of chocolate slowly fading into nicely pleasant roasted malt; almost reminding me of a malt ball candy. The beer isn’t done; fading back into a long and lingering chocolate finish. I was surprised by this beer – it smells like it would be heavy and roast dominant, but there is very little in the way of bitterness or heavy roast flavors; they are still there, but they are moderate – this is still by no means a light beer. The beer is extremely well balanced and easy to drink despite its higher alcohol content and dark and malty nature.

What you really should get is something that looks like this.

This is one that I really wish Sound would put into bottles – I would drink this a lot more often if they did.

Sound Brewery’s Ursus Americanus saunters into your camp and steals your food with a sneaky 4 cute cubs out of 5.

Beer of the Week: Stone Collaboration The Perfect Crime

By Iron Chef Leftovers

Next up in the Stone Collaboration Series is The Perfect Crime; a Black Smoked Saison brewed with the help of Evil Twin and Stillwater. The beer, as with all of the others I had in this series came from a 12oz. bottle and ran about $5.99. There are still a few bottles of this available at Chuck’s Hop Shop if you want to try it.

From the Stone website:

Evil Twin / Stillwater / Stone “The Perfect Crime” Black Smoked Saison. In a masterfully orchestrated collaboration of the minds, Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø of Denmark’s Evil Twin Brewing, Brian Strumke from Baltimore’s Stillwater Artisanal Ales, and Stone brewmaster Mitch Steele crafted a beer that cleverly exploits the definition of a saison.

Stats: 6.8% abv, 60 IBUs
Hops bill: East Kent Goldings, Chinook, and Cluster

This beer is jet black in color with a cream colored head. The nose has hints of smoke with tree bark, grains and hints of hops. The beer starts out on the palate with small amounts of smoke yielding to a bit of tartness (the farmhouse funk) and citrus – the grains of paradise and hops are definitely noticeable and balance nicely with the smoke giving a sweet/sour/smoky combination. The finish is slightly sweet with hints of sugar and mild hop resin. The beer is slightly hoppy but not dominating in a surprisingly long finish.

They really pushed the definition of saison on this beer and they nailed it. It has enough of the farmhouse funk and grains of paradise notes that you know there is a saison there somewhere, but it is far and away the most hoppy saison I have ever tried, The smoke surprisingly marries well with the other flavors and the brewers did a fantastic job keeping all of the individual components distinctive enough that you can still taste them without being overpowered by each other. A regular saison drinker would probably hate what they did to this beer, but if you are looking for something interesting, you should pick one up.

The Perfect Crime from Stone/Evil Twin/Stillwater gets away with stealing 4 Scott frees out of 5.

AFK Tavern

by A.J. Coltrane

It was time for some food and beverages in Everett. Many options were considered. Then Annie S. found this place using her phone.

Yes, a gaming tavern!

A place gamers and geeks feel at home? AFK Tavern is that place.

Video games, RPGs, card games, board games, and miniatures, every gamer can play at AFK Tavern.

Our signature gamer themed cocktails will tickle your funny bone while tantalizing your taste buds. The local produce and free range beef on our menu will keep you fortified for any occasion. See if you’re up to the challenge rating of our Dragon Burger, or savor our soups we make fresh daily.

AFK Tavern was made by gamers and geeks for gamers and geeks to game and geek out. Come out and show your colors at our events like Pirate Night, costume contests, release day parties and tournaments of every variety.

Get your game on at AFK Tavern.

The food was solid. The beer selection was good. The service was pleasant. The menu itself featured silly titles for the food, and had “powerup” themed add-ons available. It’s all very tongue-in-cheek, in a good way.

We’re told they have a room full of board games that you can check out. They also have multiple video game systems that you can play on, provided you get some grub.

Recent events at the Tavern have included a Star Wars night, Cthulu night, and a Zelda night.

We’ll be back.

Definitely recommended.

Beer of the Week: Reuben's Brews Belgian Imperial Rye IPA

By Iron Chef Leftovers

I have said it before in this space, Reuben’s Brews really knows what they are doing with rye beer. Back at the beginning of the year, they debuted a Belgian version of their Imperial Rye IPA; it has since made a couple of appearances in the tap room, most recently at the Rye Fest they hosted for Seattle Beer Week.

The beer pours hazy orange in color with very little head. There are tons of citrus on the nose with some green hops and hits of sugar and rye. The first sip is a huge hit of hopes that lingers for a long time before moving into a long rye finish that is intertwined with the classic flavors associated with a Belgian beer – banana and cloves. The hop character is slightly more subdued and the rye finish is shorter and less intense that its regular Rye brother, but the Belgian yeast makes for an interesting and complex flavor and finish, making this beer a fine product in its own right. The bold flavors also go a long way in hiding the 8.4% ABV on this monster. It is a heavy beer in terms of flavor, texture and alcohol, but it is well balanced and smooth and you can easily forget how big this beer really is.

Next time the Belgian Rye IPA makes an appearance, get yourself down to Reuben’s and try one of the more interesting beers out on the market – even if you are not a fan of Belgian style beers.

Reuben’s Brews Belgian Rye IPA rings in with a clear 4 calls to prayer out of 5.

Beer of the Week: Reuben’s Brews Belgian Imperial Rye IPA

By Iron Chef Leftovers

Next time the Belgian Rye IPA makes an appearance, get yourself down to Reuben’s and try one of the more interesting beers out on the market – even if you are not a fan of Belgian style beers.

Reuben’s Brews Belgian Rye IPA rings in with a clear 4 calls to prayer out of 5.

Beer of the Week: Speakeasy Prohibition Amber Ale

By Iron Chef Leftovers

Speakeasy is a long time San Francisco Brewery that recently started distributing their beer in Washington. I have been to the brewery in SF, so I was excited when Annie S. invited me over to do a tasting of Speakeasy beers. Their amber is one of the first beers that Speakeasy brewed when they started and is available on tap, six packs and in 22 oz. bottles, which run around $4. This review is for the 22 oz. bottles.

From the Speakeasy website:

Prohibition Ale is the first beer we bootlegged back in the early days of the brewery. Anything but traditional, Prohibition pours a deep reddish amber hue, with a fluffy tan head that leaves a beautiful lacing on the glass. A lush, complex aroma teases the senses with juicy grapefruit, citrus, pine, spice and candied caramel malts. Mouthfeel is creamy, with a silky, medium body and modest carbonation.
Style: American-Style Amber Ale
ABV: 6.1%
IBU: 45
Color: 15L – Copper, Dark Amber, Red
Barley: Two Row Pale, CaraMunich, Chilean Caramel
Hops: Chinook, Cascade, Centennial
Yeast: California Ale

The beer pours ruby in color with a cream head. The nose has a light malt profile with decent amounts of floral hops. The beer has a slightly sweet, upfront character which transitions into a lightly floral and bitter lingering finish. The sweetness is much more pronounced as the beer warms, which was a bit off-putting for me, but I know people who like that style of beer. If you like more hop character from the beer, serve it around 40-45 degrees. If you like more malty sweetness, serve the beer at 50-55 degrees.

Speakeasy Prohibition Amber Ale is an easy drinking beer that, considering the price point, is one you should have in your fridge when you are looking for something nice to drink but don’t want to break out the really good stuff.

Speakeasy Prohibition Amber Ale sneaks up to the hidden door and gets in with 3 secret passwords out of 5.

Beer of the Week: Oakshire Big Black Jack

By Iron Chef Leftovers

Almost everyone is doing a pumpkin beer these days and that is not a bad thing since I love them. My issue is that most of them are a liquid pumpkin pie – lots of spices with a small amount of pumpkin flavor. Because there tends to be so much of that on the market, I tend to gravitate towards the styles of pumpkin beers that are different. Big Black Jack is an Imperial chocolate pumpkin porter. Chocolate? Pumpkin? Porter? They had me at hello. The beer is available seasonally in 22 oz. bottles and on tap. This review is for the bottle which ran about $7.50.

The description from the Oakshire website:

This malt-forward ale is a medium-bodied beer with flavors & spices that evoke fall. Pair Big Black Jack’s rich character with the seasonally favorite foods keeping you warm as the temperature drops: spicy Indian and Mexican dishes, molé, smoked goose, buttery aged cheddar, Irish cheeses, Gouda cheese, chocolate and peanut butter cookies, toasted coconut, pumpkin tarts and chocolate soufflés.

Part of our Single-Batch Beer Series, Big Black Jack became a fall favorite when we first released it in 2011. The Imperial Porter also won the 2012 North American Brewing Awards Gold Medal for Hybrid Beers. It is a warming autumn delight at 7.5% ABV.

The beer pours jet black with a creamy tan head. The beer has heavy overtones of pumpkin and roasted pumpkin seeds on the nose with notes of chocolate, nutmeg and cinnamon. The initial taste yields a slightly bitter chocolate hit with a quick transition into pumpkin seeds and roasted pumpkin. The pumpkin lingers for a bit before transitioning in into a spice finish with notes of nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon with a hide-and-seek pumpkin flavor. When the beer warms the pumpkin flavor becomes much more pronounced with subtle notes of oak and spice. A really complex and interesting pumpkin beer, which does a great job balancing the roasted flavors with the pumpkin ones. If you are in the mood for something with more depth than the run of the mill pumpkin beers, pick up a bottle of Oakshire Big Black Jack.

Oakshire Big Black Jack Imperial Chocolate Pumpkin Porter doubles down its bet with 4 split aces out of 5.

Beer of the Week: Populuxe Pale Ale

By Iron Chef Leftovers

Every once in a while, you come across a beer that will please multiple segments of the drinking population; Populuxe Pale Ale is one of them. The latest new beer in the ever growing Populuxe lineup. Lighter than you would expect, this beer clocks in at 4.8% ABV and is a nice summer addition to their lineup. As with all of their beers, it is only available on tap in their tap room.

The beer pours golden straw in color. Grain and hops dominate the nose with hints of malt. The beer starts out very mild – much lighter than you would expect based on the way it smells and then you get hit with the wall of flavor – light sweetness gives way to a significant hop profile without being bitter. You know there are hops in this beer but they don’t overpower everything else. The hops linger for a bit before giving way to a really nice long grain finish, sort of reminiscent of a hoppy pilsner. The beer is probably a little hoppier than a light beer drinker would enjoy, but it has a restrained enough hop profile that a good number of beer drinkers would enjoy. The added bonus is that the beer has enough character and complexity that a hop head like me would not hesitate to order one (or two or three) as the beer goes down easily. I could see this being my go-to beer for a warm, sunny day out on the back deck when I want hops but don’t want to be drinking a hop monster IPA.

Run down to the Populuxe brewery and try their pale. You won’t be disappointed.

Populuxe Pale Ale sings in with a beautiful 4 Whiter Shades out of 5.

Beer of the Week: Elysian Brewing Hansel & Gretel Pumpkin Pilsner

By Iron Chef Leftovers

I love pumpkin beers and there are a ton of them out on the market these days. Fall also brings us the annual pumpkin beer festival at Elysian Brewing, who seem to roll out somewhere around a dozen pumpkin beers themselves, with just a few making it into bottles. Hansel & Gretel is one that made it this year into the bottle. From the Elysian press release:

Brewed with organic pale, Weyermann Munich and Cara-Hell malts, with pumpkin added in the mash, kettle and fermenter. Spiced with fresh ginger and hopped with lots of Czech Saaz hops 4.5% ABV

This beer is unmistakably a pilsner – golden yellow in color with a fizzy white head. Initially you get a good amount of grain on the nose, but as you get closer, there are strong notes of ginger with a pumpkin background. The is initial sip is a strong hit of spicy ginger, like biting into a ginger snap cooking without the sugar, but it is so strong that your taste buds never fully recover from it. The ginger gives way to a distinct pumpkin flavor and it finishes just a bit sweet with a touch of spicy heat from the ginger. Any grain notes are completely overwhelmed by the ginger and there are no discernible hops on the nose or the palate. The spiciness is more pronounced as the beer warms and really overpowers everything else. There aren’t many pumpkin pilsners on the market so this beer has the potential to be a good one with more balance so you get more than a one note beer (and make pumpkin the star, not the ginger), but it is not quite there yet.

This was not my favorite pumpkin beer of the patch; so as a result, Hansel & Gretel skips into the gingerbread house with a score of 2 children out of 5.

Beer of the Week – NW Peaks Stuart Stout

By Iron Chef Leftovers

One of the things I love about the mountain beer program at NW peaks is that if you sign up for 2 growlers and invite some friends over, you can compare and contrast both styles that they put out each month. A few months ago, it was stouts, and considering the way the weather had been, a stout tasting was very much in order. The beer is still available in growlers from NW Peaks if you are so inclined (or was as of this writing – check with the brewery).

The description from the brewery website:

Since Mt Stuart is one of the most noticeable, bold, non-volcanic peaks in WA we tried to make the beer bearing its name similar. We based this beer on last year’s recipe but reduced the munich malt and changed hop varietals (but the hops have the same characteristics). This resulted in a slightly smoother, lower-bodied beer while retaining the dark roastiness making Stuart Stout a rich, full bodied, deeply roasty interpretation of the style. A fine beer to drink anytime, but best enjoyed in front of a fire on a cold rainy winter evening.

Malts: 2 row, roast, chocolate, crystal 40, wheat, and a smattering of oats. Hops: Apollo, Goldings. ABV: ~4.75%

The beer pours jet black with a fizzy tan head. Lots of roasted malt notes on the nose with hints of chocolate and coffee. The initial taste yields a pleasant, slightly burnt roasted flavor (think dark roasted coffee) yielding to mild chocolate flavors with some sweetness and hints of oatmeal. The beer finishes long with a pleasant roast notes. As the beer warms, hints of cocoa powder show up and the finishes seems to go on forever.

Stuart Stout is a great beer to sip next to warm fire on a cold day to feed the soul.

NW Peaks Stuart Stout hikes into base camp with a tasty 4 s’mores out of 5.