Beer of the Week: Logsdon Farmhouse Ales Kili Wit

By Iron Chef Leftovers

Logsdon Organic Farmhouse Ales is a small brewery located in the hills above Hood River, Oregon and they are dedicated to producing farmhouse ales using traditional methods and organic ingredients and they donate some of their profits to social programs.

Their Kili Wit (Kili referring to Mt. Kilimanjaro), is a white beer coming in at 5.5% ABV. From the Logsdon website:

Our Kili Wit is a traditionally brewed white beer with refreshing flavors and creamy smoothness. This is a 100% certified organic beer brewed with local organic barley malt, wheat and oats along with whole cone Oregon hops and African spice. This beer is made with a portion of the proceeds going to the K2 Adventures Foundation that provides community service, medical and educational enrichment for African children.

The beer has recently become available in Seattle, and can be found in 750ml bottles for around $10 at both Bottleworks and Chucks Hop Shop.

The beer pours very cloudy and yellow. There is lots of yeast and grain on the nose with slight notes of orange, spice and coriander with the subtlest notes of hops. When the beer is first poured at around 45 degrees, lemon and yeast dominate the palate hints of very mild spice and coriander, leading to a short, but intense finish. As the beer warms, it becomes drier with notes of banana chips, orange, citrus peel, lemon and coriander. Not the most complex Wit I have ever had, but it would be more than satisfying on a warm day lounging under a tree.

Overall, Kili Wit is an enjoyable experience, just one that you probably can’t afford on a regular basis because of the price. I really like this beer, but at $10 for a 750ml bottle, it is more of a special occasion beer than a regular drinking one, slightly more frequently if you like their social mission.

Kili Wit explodes on the scene with a respectable 3 stratovolcanoes out of 5.

Beer of the Week: Driftwood Brewery White Bark Ale

By Iron Chef Leftovers

Driftwood Brewery is a small brewery out of Victoria BC, founded in 2008. A couple of years ago, they started bottling their beers and they were showing up in the Seattle area. Always looking to try something new and local, I picked up a 22 oz. bottle of the Driftwood White Bark Ale at Chuck’s for $7.50. The Driftwood website is a little vague in its description of White Bark:

This traditional Belgian-style wheat ale is brewed with the addition of freshly ground coriander and curacao orange peel. Hops are outshone by the wonderful floral aromas that dominate the nose of this dry and quaffable beer.

White Bark comes in at 5% ABV and is light straw in color. The beer hits the olfactory senses with lots of spice, coriander and orange peel; a very classic Belgian white nose and reminded me of one of my all-time favorite wits – Celis White. White Bark is very light on the palate with some spice that slowly builds, an increasing background of orange peel and notes of coriander and yeast at the very end of a long finish. I did not find much hop character, but it really was not necessary. A very solid and easily drinkable either on its own or with food, becoming ever so slightly sweet as it warms, enhancing the orange flavor without becoming overly bitter. I pared this with a pesto risotto and halibut cheeks and the beer stood out even with the food.

I really liked this beer and the price point, while a little high, is certainly affordable for something that drinks so well. Considering that it reminded me of the long departed Celis White, I will certainly be heading back for another few White Bark Ales.

Driftwood Brewery White Bark Ale gets 4 Betula papyrifera out of 5.

Beer of the Week: Lakefront Brewery Bridge Burner

By Iron Chef Leftovers

Lakefront Brewery is a brewery out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin that has been around since 1987, but their beers are just starting to show up in Seattle. The Lakefront website describes Bridge Burner as:

The assertive aroma is dominated by dry, earthy American hops: citrus, floral and pine tree notes all make a showing. The hops dominate, lending a hefty bitterness to the palate, but are backed up by the caramel malts, which lend a substantial body without any extra sweetness. A warm alcohol burn finishes it off with a nod to its considerable 8.0% ABV. 2009 Los Angeles County Fair gold medal barley wine winner.

This brew needs a big, rich, flavorful meal to stand up to its intensity. Try it with the traditional German fare our Milwaukee ancestors would have loved, or serve it with BBQ or hamburgers.

Let me be honest about this beer, I am pretty sure what the good folks in Milwaukee consider dominating hops, barely registered to the group of beer drinkers in Seattle I tasted this beer with. I really found this beer to be thin, flaccid and not even close to anything resembling a barley wine.

The beer poured dark amber, like an iced tea. Lots of malt with a hint of hops on the nose, but a bit flat on the initial sip. There is a big malt hit on the palate with some sweetness, followed by a small amount of hoppiness which faded quickly – there was no real note of citrus, floral or resin in this beer. After a few sips, there is a bit of lingering hoppiness at the end, but it is barely noticeable and not something I would describe as a pleasant finish of hops. The hops begin to disappear as the beer warms and it is just a single note of sweet malt with no other dimensions – it made me think this is what scotch ale might taste like if the brewer did not know what they were doing. On the bright side, there was no excessive alcohol on either the nose or the palate despite the beer’s 8% ABV.

Overall it was a forgettable drinking experience, easily one of the less memorable beers that I have had in a long time.

Lakefront Brewery’s Bridge Burner garners a rickety 1 foot bridge out of 5.