It's IPApril At Beveridge Place Pub

UPDATED 4/23/2012

It's April - and that means IPApril at Beveridge Place Pub in West Seattle!  All month long, BPP will have 12 taps devoted to IPAs of all varieties.  No spcific tap list has been posted, but you can usually get a good idea of what Beveridge Place has on tap over at Taplister, which currently lists all 12 IPA's things kicked off with on April 1st. 

Me With Don Webb (Naked City) and Gary Sink (Beveridge Place Pub)

A bit more than halfway through the month, April 17th, is Beveridge Place Pub's anniversary, and to celebrate they'll have a clear (as in see-through) keg of Georgetown Brewing's Lucile IPA (BPP's current 'house' IPA, based on voting last year), so you can watch the beer in the keg as it drains. 

There will also be a 'blind' taste challenge on April 19th, with double IPAs being featured.  The idea here is the same as the 4 daily blind taps over at Cooper's Alehouse for their 10th Annual IPA Fest.  Can you pick our your favorite double IPA without knowing it?  Test your taste buds and find out. 

UPDATE 4/20:

I wasn't able to make it down to Beveridge Place for their Anniversary on the 17th, but I did make it there yesterday for their Double IPA Blind Tasting as part of IPApril.  The challenge?  8 different Double IPAs, in 3oz pours, and we were asked to vote for our favorite 3. 

I got my taster tray, settled in and took some sparse notes as I tasted each offering.  Here are my rankings 1-8, for each beer on the taster tray.  They were labeled on the tray with the letters only:

1 - E - Citrusy - Grapefruit - More hops than malt - My kinda IPA
2 - F - Great Balance of hops/malt - Nice aroma
3 - C - Citrusy - A bit more cloudy than the rest
4 - B - Slight passion fruit quality
5 - H - Caty - but still good (Simcoe hops(?))
6 - D - Some sediment (Yeast? Wood? Didn't taste like it - not sure)
7 - A - Too malty for a double IPA
8 - G - Toffeish - and way too malty (almost cloying considering what I was expecting)

When the beer names are revealed, I'll update this post again and find out how my rankings look.  Cheers!

UPDATE 4/23:

Sorry I wasn't more on the ball on Friday, but here are the winners:

The Taps were:
A-Avery Maharaja
B-Russian River Pliney the Elder
C-Port Hop-15
D-Leavenworth Double Hodgsons
E-Black Raven Wisdom Seeker
F-Sierra Nevada Hoptimum
G-Port Townsend Dead Sea
H-Sound Humulo Nimbus

And the winners are:
1st: Black Raven Wisdom Seeker (E) - This was my first choice.
2nd: Russian River Pliny The Elder (B) - This was my fourth choice.
3rd: Avery Maharaja (A) - This was my 7th choice!  Very surprising.  I didn't realize it was so malty. 

Congratulations to Black Raven Brewing in Redmond for their well-deserved win!

So, what were your choices?  Did you pick out any favorites even while blind?  I found it interesting that I picked out Hoptimum as my 2nd favorite.  It was also my 2nd favorite during the 'California Dreaming' Double IPA blind tasting at Cooper's Alehouse.  That means, it would seem, that Firestone Walker Double Jack, Black Raven Wisdom Seeker and Sierra Nevada Hoptimum are my three favorite double IPAs.  That's good to know for the next time I head to the bottle shops! 

Cheers!


Drink responsibly and stay safe out there.

International Stout Day & IPA Cask-O-Rama - UPDATED!

Today I attended the 6th Annual IPA Cask-O-Rama at Beveridge Place Pub, but not until after I celebrated International Stout Day at Brouwer's Cafe. 

My Schooner of Old Rasputin Stout on Nitro

I kicked things off at Brouwer's Cafe with a North Coast Brewing Old Rasputin Stout on Nitro.  Yum, yum!  I followed that up with a Left Coast Brewing Voodoo American Stout, which was also quite good.  I had lunch at Brouwer's too, but didn't have much else to drink there, since I knew I'd be heading for the Cask-O-Rama in a few hours. 

The casks all lined up on the bar

I arrived at Beveridge Place Pub rather early, since I know how crowded the place can get during this event.  I was glad I arrived early too.  By 5:00, a full hour before the Cask-O-Rama kick off, Bev. Place was getting pretty full.

The choices for this year's Cask-O-Rama

Everyone was looking over the selections, which had been placed out along with the taster trays for everyone to mark their selections for the servers.  And speaking of that, I'd like to give the servers at Beveridge Place a big thank you.  The place was, literally, packed; and with everyone ordering taster trays of 6 beers at a time, the servers were kept extremely busy, but they kept up and did a great job.  Thanks guys! 

My Cask-O-Rama taster tray

My taster tray consisted of the following choices:

• Airways Steel Drum IPA
• Elliott Bay Lake City Way IPA
• Iron Horse Imperial IPA
• North Sound Hop Chop IPA
• Port Townsend Hop Diggity IPA
• Sound Humulo Nimbus IPA

They all had their particular charms, but my favorite of the choices on my tray was the Humulo Nimbus IPA by Sound Brewery.  It's the lower-right glass (#19) on the photo above of my taster tray.  It had a prominent hop nose and pleasantly assertive hop flavor with just enough malt and carbonation to back it up.  My #2 was the Iron Horse Imperial IPA and #3 was the Port Townsend Hop Diggity. 

Cask beers are generally served warmer and less-carbonated than usual.  In fact the Humulo Nimbus was fairly low on carbonation, as you can see by it's lack of head in the above photo.  But it had just enough carbonation to carry the aromas and flavors.  Unfortunately, there was one selection on my tray where the carbonation level was just too low.  The Lake City Way IPA from Elliott Bay might have been a good IPA, but its almost total lack of any carbonation provided no effervescence to carry the hop flavors or aromas well.  I usually like most Elliott Bay beers and I believe I know the brewer who created this batch, so I'm hoping it was just a packaging issue or a problem with this particular cask. 

Tonight was also the night that Beveridge Place announced the results of their 'Hoptoberfest' competition.  The winning beer will become their house IPA for the next year.  And the winning beer this year was....... (Drum roll, please!): Lucille IPA by Georgetown Brewing Company.  Congratulations to Georgetown Brewing! 

It was nice to start the day off rather quietly with a couple of stouts at Brouwer's for International Stout Day, where they hadn't gotten crowded at all yet, and then to finish things off at Beveridge Place, which was absolutely packed by the time I was getting ready to head home. 

I had a great day and I'm already looking forward to my next event, which will mostly likely be the arrival of Firestone Walker's XVth Anniversary Ale on November 14th.  It will be on tap at Brouwer's Cafe (which is rare - I'm really looking forward to it), and it should be available in bottle shops around the puget sound also starting on November 14th. 

 (Original post is below.)

Beveridge Place Pub's 6th Annual IPA Cask-O-Rama Is Almost Here

Do you like hops?  Do you Love hops?  Are you a true 'hop head'?  Then this is definitely an event for you!

Starting this Thursday, November 3rd (and running until Saturday, November 5th), is Beveridge Place Pub's 6th Annual IPA Cask-O-Rama.  During this hop-filled event, the bartop at Beveridge Place is covered with casks of various hoppy beers from around Washington State. 

Last year's list included:
Anacortes IPA
Black Raven Trickster
Big Al IPA
Big Time Bhagwans
Boundary Bay IPA
Diamond Knot IPA
Dicks IPA
Elysian The Immortal
Fish Organic IPA
Flyers Afterburner
Fremont Interurban IPA
Hale’s Mongoose
Harmon Pt. Defiance IPA
Iron Horse IPA
Leavenworth Hodgsons
Northern Lights IPA
Pike IPA
Rock Bottom Hop Bottom
Schooner Exact 3-Grid
Scuttlebutt IPA
Skagit River Scullers
Snipes Mt.
Snoqualmie Wildcat IPA
Two Beers Echo

Quite a list!  And this year's lineup should be at least as impressive if not more so.  Things kick off Thursday at 6:00PM at Beveridge Place Pub. 

Of course, you might want to head down to Beveridge Place tonight or tomorrow too, so you can vote on their annual Hoptoberfest IPA competition - which Beveridge Place uses each year to select their House IPA for the coming year.  To cast your vote (From BPP's Website):

• Come to BPP and order a liter of IPA (OK, a pint is acceptable, too)
• Get a ballot (one vote per person per day)
• Repeat as necessary
• From Oct. 4 – 14, you can nominate any Washington-brewed IPA, even if it’s not currently on tap (no “Imperials”)
• From Oct 15 – 24, BPP will provide a primary ballot with the top eight nominees
• From Oct 25 – Nov 1, BPP will provide a general election ballot with the top three from the primary

The results of this year's Hoptoberfest competition will be announced at 8:00PM on Thursday, November 3rd, during the IPA Cask-O-Rama.  I'm gonna do my best to be there on Thursday; how about you? 

Drink responsibly and stay safe out there.

Classes, Competitions, Elections & Oktoberfest

BJCP Certification Classes:

Over the past few weeks, I've been busy cramming my head with craft beer knowledge.  The Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) is about more than just tasting beer.  It also requires that you have a strong understanding of the entire brewing process for all major styles of beer, from malting grains all the way to the glass.

I've had four classes so far, covering various topics from malting and kilning grains to the mashing process, what enzymes and reactions take place at what different temperature ranges, how different water chemistry and other factors can have a major influence on the finished beer, etc. etc.  As I've been saying all along, it's a lot to learn. 

Next week we have no class due to a schedule conflict, so I'll be using it as a self-study week.  We were given a partial practice test to work on to help prepare for the real exam coming up in October, so I'll be going over that in detail next week.  Also, luckily, there have been enough cancellations that I have made it from the waiting list into the October exam.  So no matter what happens, I'll be taking my first crack at the BJCP exam this October.  I'm hoping for a score of at least 70 for my 'Certified' ranking, though I'll take a 60 if that's all I can get ('Recognized' rank).  The first few mini practice tests I've taken in class tell me that I still have a lot of studying to do.

My Fly-PA Entry Is In:

Last night, I finally dropped off my 'Summer Snob' Imperial IPA entry for the Flying Bike Cooperative Brewery 'Fly-PA' competition at Larry's Brewing Supply in Kent.  I'm pretty happy with my entry.  Since bottling it for competition a couple of week back, I've been drinking it myself and sharing some with friends.  I've gotten lots of positive feedback and accolades, so I'm hoping I'll do well in the competition.  It would be great if, somehow, I managed to win & my Imperial IPA became Flying Bike's very first beer. 

At this point, I have no idea how many other entrants I'm up against, but Flying Bike has announced that the judging will be taking place this coming weekend.  So, hopefully, we won't have to wait too long for the results.  Wish me luck.

There are also a few other homebrew competitions coming up soon in the area, so I may enter my IPA into more than one contest.  I bottled a few extra bottles just in case I needed more for other competition entries.  I may even bottle some of my Oktoberfest soon for a 'Novembeerfest' competition coming up in November. 

Flying Bike Board Member Elections:

Also coming up soon will be the Flying Bike Cooperative Brewery Board Member elections.  I've been campaigning for a position on the Flying Bike Board of Directors, and all the candidate profiles are up for viewing on the Flying Bike website.  We're still waiting for the current Board to announce the date(s) for the election, but I'm hopeful that I will soon be a member of the Flying Bike Board of Directors.  You can also see my video appeal for your vote HERE.  Wish me luck. 

Oktoberfest Is Almost Here:

The first official day of Oktoberfest this year is September 17th.  In 1994, the schedule for Oktoberfest was modified in response to German reunification so that if the first Sunday in October falls on the 1st or 2nd (which is the case this year), then the festival would go on until October 3 (German Unity Day). 

My regular readers know that I've had my Oktoberfest lager (the first lager beer I've ever made) conditioning in a keg in my beer fridge since June of this year.  I brewed it in early May and wanted at least a 3-month long lagering period before serving the beer.  I haven't tasted it since moving it to the conditioning keg back in June but, at that time, it tasted great and should only get better over time.

This year, I plan to do things up right by making a full, traditional German meal on September 17th.  Right now, my menu consists of Jägerschnitzel, Käsespaetzle and Red Cabbage.  I'm also considering making some German pretzels for appetizers.  To do those right, I'll have to pick up some lye.  True German pretzels are dipped in a lye solution just before baking.  It's what give them that distinctive texture and flavor that says you're enjoying a real German pretzel. 

Until then, I'll keep studying my BJCP materials, enjoying my Summer Snob Imperial IPA, and hoping for the best in both the Flying Bike Fly-PA competition and the Flying Bike Board Member elections. 

Also, don't forget, the annual Hopfest at Brouwer's Cafe starts THIS Friday, 9/9.  Don't miss it! 

Drink responsibly and stay safe out there.

Patience Is A Virtue

Back in April of this year in a post titled, "Patience & Planning Ahead", I posted about the necessity of patience in the brewing and fermentation process.  I think, with my latest batch of IPA, I have finally realized the true benefits of patience and planning. 

Back in late June, I brewed an IPA for a competition.  The competiton is the Fly-PA IPA competition being put on by the Flying Bike Cooperative Brewery.  It's a cooperative members-only competiton to find Flying Bike's 'flagship' IPA beer.  The winner will have their beer scaled up and contract-brewed by Three Skulls Ales here in Seattle.  It's a rare opportunity for a homebrewer, like myself, to not only have their beer featured at a local pub, but to create what will be the first ever production beer created for the Flying Bike Cooperative Brewery; an important milestone for any brewery - or brewer.  I brewed a nice and hoppy Imperial IPA, with a final acohol level somewhere in range of 7-8 percent (7.75% ABV). 

A Beautiful Imperial IPA

The Imperial IPA I brewed stayed nestled in it's primary fermenter at 68 degrees for a full three weeks before I moved it from the fermenter to a 5-gallon keg for conditioning.  I had intended to let the beer condition for just a week or two before dry-hopping it, but I got so busy and sidetracked that I didn't get around to dry-hopping it until about a week ago (August 17th); which means the beer was allowed to condition for about 4 1/2 weeks before being dry-hopped.  This was not a bad thing. 

The beer was not carbonated during conditioning.  I only placed a gentle blanket of CO2 at 10PSI into the keg just after filling it, and then disconnected the CO2 line.  Two days after adding the hops (in a 'hop sock') to the keg, I began carbonation. 

Last night, I got the first true taste of the finished beer - dry hopped an all.  I was very pleased.  I can honestly say that this may very well be the best IPA I have ever brewed.  It was also the first batch where my wife, Lynn, was my assistant brewer.  So it was a great milestone for her as well. 

The aroma, appearance and flavor of my IIPA were all right where I wanted them to be.  I had to stop myself from going back for more.  I want to let the beer sit a few days longer, and then I'll bottle some this weekend for the competition.  After that, I can begin enjoying the rest for myself and bring some to a few friends for them to enjoy as well. 

I used a brand new recipe, concocted from scratch by myself, for this batch.  It is definitely a recipe I'll have to try again.  I had originally planned to use Simcoe hops for this batch, but I was unable to find any, so I used a combination of different hops as a 'substitute'.  Now, I have my hands on some Simcoe from this year's crop, so I'll have to try the Simcoe version as well and see how it compares to what I've got now. 

So wish my luck!  If I'm fortunate enough to win the Fly-PA competition, it won't be long before you'll be able to taste my beer on tap right here in Seattle.  If I don't manage to win, perhaps you'll be able to taste some anyway... but you'll have to find me!  ;) 

Drink responsibly and stay safe out there! 

Brewing An IPA For A Competition

Brewing is an art, and all art has critics. Beer is no exception. Of course, just like art, the way a beer is perceived can vary from person to person. Our taste buds are unique; we don't all experience flavors in exactly the same way. So, when brewing an IPA that must appeal to the masses, what type of malt and hop profile do I shoot for? Do I want more Earthy/Piney hop character or would a more grapefruit/citrusy hop aroma and flavor win over more people? Shuld the hops fully dominate, or do I want a more balanced IPA with a slightly sweet malt character to compliment the hops?

These are the types of things I must consider when crafting my latest IPA recipe; since this beer will be for a competition. However, this will be a non AHA/BJCP-Sanctioned competition. That makes a difference. Why?

BJCP Certified judges must adhere to a strict set of rules when judging in an AHA/BJCP-Sanctioned competition. A beer cannot be judged on personal taste or simply how well you 'like' it over another entry. Each beer in an AHA/BJCP-Sanctioned competition is judged on its own merit by a specific set of criteria and how close the entry comes to meeting the definitions of the particular style category the beer was entered into for each of those criteria.

Also, in an AHA/BJCP-Sanctioned competition, there can be no style variations. For example, you could not enter, for example, an Imperial IPA or a Lavender IPA into the IPA category as defined by BJCP. Imperial has its own separate category and using Lavender would place any entry in the 'Specialty Beer' category, since it would not meet the 'classic' definition of an IPA.

In the competition I'll be entering, there are no such restrictions. Want to make a Cotton-Candy IPA? Go for it. How about an Oaked Honey IPA? That'd work too. So I also need to decide if I'll make a more traditional IPA for this competition, or if I'll get a bit more creative and add one or more special or unusual ingredients.

I'm planning to brew the IPA sometime this weekend, however, so I need to make my decisions and finalize my recipe soon. If I manage to win the competition, my IPA will likely become one of the very first beers to be brewed by the Flying Bike Cooperative Brewery, which is pretty exciting. So wish me luck!

Drink responsibly and stay safe out there.

Beer, Beer Everywhere, But Only Some To Drink

Seattle Beer Week 2011 is a wrap; and boy did it wear me out.  I started the week strong, hitting several events per day the first 4-5 days, but faded a bit in the end, only hitting one event per day for the last few days.  Then, far too soon, I had to be back to work. 

This is what happens when you give Mrs. Beer Monger too much beer.

Back to the Brew:
Beer-wise, however, it was time to get back to focusing on my homebrew.  Luckily I managed to arrange things where I didn't have any brewing, bottling or kegging planned during Seattle Beer Week.  I had a batch of IPA that went into the primary fermenter on May 1st and batch of Oktoberfest lager that went into its primary fermenter on May 8th.  Both were good to go until at least May 28-29. 

Unfortunately, I didn't quite get to them on the 28th or 29th, but did manage to get everything taken care of yesterday (June 1st).  I moved my IPA from its primary fermenter to a keg and force carbonated it.  I wanted this beer to be ready for my annual crawfish boil this month.  I took a hydrometer reading to verify the beer had fermented out all the way and then gave the sample a taste.  It was flat and warm, of course, but otherwise pretty darn good.  Nice and hoppy, which I Love.  I may even dry-hop this batch in the keg to give it even more hop aroma. 

Time to get kegging.

Next, it was time to keg my Oktoberfest Lager and let it start its 3-month lagering period prior to carbonation.  As with the IPA, I tasted the hydrometer sample.  Wow!  Being the first lager I'd ever made, I wasn't sure what to expect, taste-wise, as this point in the process.  It tasted great; comparable to other commercial Oktoberfest beers I've had.  This is extremely encouraging, since I still plan to let this beer lager (age & improve) for three full months before serving it. 

I also still had a keg of Chamomile Ale in my fridge.  I bottled the other keg a few weeks ago for my last homebrew club meeting.  Now that the Chamomile Ale has had some time to mature a bit, however, it's gotten pretty good too.  The carbonation level is right and the Chamomile flavor comes through nicely. 

Ready to Drink?:
So, I now have three full kegs of beer in my beer fridge: the Chamomile Ale, the IPA and the Oktoberfest Lager.  At the moment, however, the only one of them that's 'ready to drink' is the Chamomile Ale.  I did 'quick carbonate' the IPA when I kegged it last night so it would technically be drinkable by tonight, but I plan to wait on drinking it until at least this weekend if not a full week. 

I have to wait until September to enjoy what these ladies are enjoying.

The Oktoberfest Lager, while it did taste great when I kegged it, still needs to lager.  I really don't want to rush things with this one.  A one-month lagering period would probably be sufficient, but I really want to let it go the whole three months and not start serving it until September 17th, the first official day of Oktoberfest in Germany this year.  Perhaps I'll have to do it up right and make a full, authentic German meal to go with it on that day.  Jäegerschnitzel anyone? 

What's Next:
Now I'm ready to brew again.  I can't do another lager yet, because I just don't have the extra fridge space for the fermenter.  I have been rather experimental with a lot of my brews so far this year (Chamomile Ale, my first ever Lager, trying the 'batch sparge' method, etc.), and I'd like to continue that trend. 

In all my years of brewing, I have never made a Barleywine.  A lot of patience is required for a good Barleywine.  It's not something that can be rushed, and I want to make sure I do it right.  So, I think my next batch will be my first ever Barleywine style Ale. 

I have a lot of things to consider, recipe-wise, but I have a feeling I'll want to shoot for a darker, maltier Barleywine.  I'd also like to try oak aging it.  I don't want to spend the money for an oak barrel right now, however, so I'll just use Oak chips (soaked in bourbon, of course).  I don't have a brew date yet, as I'd like to soak the oak chips in the bourbon for, at minimum, 2 weeks and, as I said, I'm still formulating the recipe.  I'll keep you posted on my progress.

Drink responsibly and stay safe out there. 

IPA Spring Is In The Air

Spring is here (at least on the calendar that is; you wouldn't know it around here by looking or going outside!)  And Spring means IPAs.  I'm a huge IPA fan, so I always love a good IPA, and right now they're in abundance around Seattle.  Here are threee local happenings that highlight IPAs and the northwests Love of them.

Cooper's Alehouse 9th Annual IPA Fest: - April 8 - 29 (8065 Lake City Way NE, Seattle)
If you're a regular reader, then you already know about Cooper's IPA Fest.  64 IPAs will be rotating on Cooper's taps from the start of the event back on April 8th, through April 29th.  For a few reviews and the full list of all the IPAs that either have been on, are on now or will be on during the fest, look HERE. 

Beer Valley Brewing IPAs featured at Brouwer's Cafe: (Brouwer's: 400 N 35th St, Seattle - Beer Valley: - 937 SE 12th Ave, Ontario, OR)
Today only, April 13th, Beer Valley Brewing's head brewer, Pete Ricks, will be on hand to enjoy with you three IPAs from Beer Valley: Rosebud IPA, Leafer Madness Double IPA and Black Madness Double Black IPA.  At only $4 each, you can easily afford to come on down and try 'em all.

Brouwer's also, of course, has plenty of other great beers on tap, including these other IPAs:
-Avery Majaraja Double IPA
-Skagit River Gospel IPA

And the following barleywines currently on tap, if you're still in a barleywine mood:
-Stone Old Guardian '08
-Stone Old Guardian '10
-Hood Canal Breidablik '10
-Mad River Wheatwine '08
-Mad River john Barley Corn '07
-Hales Rudyard's Rare '07
-Elliott Bay Barleywine '10
-Diamond Knot Icebreaker '09
-Stone Belgo Barleywine '10
-Moylan's Old Blarney '10
-Laurelwood Old Reliable '10
-Marin Old Dispsea '10
-Sierra Nevada Bigfoot '08
-Big Sky Old Blue Hair '10
-Lagunitas Gnarleywine '10
-Big Time Bill's Bearded Wonderfulness '10
-Full Sail Old Board Head '08

IPA Throwdown at Full Throttle Bottles: (5909 Airport Way S, Seattle)
Take 8 different IPAs from Washington, Oregon and California and pit them against each other in a no holds barred throwdown to see which one comes out on top.  That's what's going on tonight at Full Throttle Bottles from 5-7PM. 

To quote from Full Throttle Bottles:
"Now we won't be comparing Imperial or Double IPAs, but regular straight up IPAs. It's not about who has the highest IBUS or can make the most extreme beer, but who has the best tasting IPA. These were chosen at random so don't think there aren't hundreds of other top notch IPAs out there!"

This is a free event, pouring 2oz samples.  That means WA state beer & wine sampling laws apply.  You'll only be able to try 4 out of the following 8 IPAs available, so you'll have to chose carefully.  If you find one you like or you'd like to try the others you can, of course, always grab a bottle (or a few!) to take home with you.  You can vote for your favorite and the winner will be 10% off at FTB for the whole month of May. 

The 8 beers in tonights tasting, of which you can chose 4:
-Boundary Bay IPA
-Diamond Knot IPA
-Schooner Exact 3-Grid IPA
-Snoqualmie Wildcat IPA
-Laurelwood Workhorse IPA
-Hopworks Urban Brewery Organic IPA
-Firestone Walker Union Jack IPA
-Bear Republic Racer 5 IPA

For a full description of these beers to help you select the 4 you'd like to taste head HERE.  See you there.

Drink responsibly and stay safe out there.

Cooper's Alehouse IPA Fest is Happening Now

If you're an IPA fan, you need to get down to Cooper's Alehouse.  Going right now is their 9th Annual IPA Fest, with over 66 different IPAs being rotated on their taps through April 29th.  You can simply order pints or, a better deal is 4 8oz tastes for $8 and change. 

Things kicked off on Friday, April 8th, and I managed to make it down for a few 8oz samplers:

Anderson Valley Hop Ottin IPA - Anderson Valley Brewing Company (Boonville, CA).
Aroma - A nice floral, citrusy (grapefruit) and piney type hop aroma.  Subdued carmel malt aroma in the background.

Appearance - Clear (not cloudy), with a brilliant copper/orange hue.  Foamy head with medium head retention and good lacing throughout. 

Flavor - A citrusy/piney hop flavor dominates, and the hop bitterness sticks around to the aftertaste.  This is balanced well with a touch caramel sweetness of malt, but the hops clearly dominate here. 

Mouthfeel - A light to medium body with light carbonation (still acceptable for the style). There is no astringency and the beer finishes clean with a slightly creamy feel. 

Overall Impression - A well balanced IPA with an emphasis on floral/citrusy/piney hop aromas and flavors.  This is one of my personal favorite IPA's. 

Avery Dugana Double IPA - Avery Brewing Company (Boulder, CO).
Aroma - Citrus hop aroma is the first thing noticed, with slight/subdued peach/apricot-like aromas.  Very pleasant.

Appearance - Clear with a very light copperish color.  Poured with a good head, but the head faded quickly and left only some lacing (low head retention). 

Flavor - Very prominent piney hop bite followed closely by Earthy malt undertones.  The piney and slighly fruity hop flavor lindegers through to the aftertaste with a slight bite. Little to no sweetness aparent. 

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied with some slight alcohol warming and definite hop aggressiveness.  Good/appropriate level of carbonation with a hop bite that sticks around. 

Overall Impression - I had never heard of Dugana before this IPA Fest.  Like most others, I had heard of Avery's Maharaja (which is antoher very good IPA), but not Dugana.  It is a solid double IPA, but lacks enough malty sweetness to fully balance out the aggressiveness of the hops.  Regardless, this was my second favorite IPA of the day. 

Black Raven Wisdom Seeker - Black Raven Brewing Company (Redmond, WA).
Aroma - Grapefruit, orange and some pine notes dominate the nose with a slight carmel malt sweetness in the background. 

Appearance - Light golden hue with good/appropriate level of carbonation.  Poured with a good head that stuck around fairly well and left good lacing (Good head retention). 

Flavor - Piney and citrusy (grapefruit/orange), very well balanced with a moderately prominent carmel malt sweetness.  Finishes clean with just a slight citrus hop aftertaste (still balanced with the malty sweetness). 

Mouthfeel - Medium body with slight alcohol warming.  Complex with the fruity/piney/carmel flavors balancing well. 

Overall Impression - Probably the best balanced IPA I had today.  Appropriately hoppy in the nose and on the front end taste, but so well balanced with the malt sweetness - while not diminishing the hop character.  My favorite of the day. 

Boundary Bay Cask IPA - Boundary Bay Brewing Company (Bellingham, WA).
Aroma - Fruity/citrusy hop nose is present, but is subdued by too much yeast aroma and some minor carmel malt sweetness. 

Appearance - Light brown mud.  Clearly the cask was either agitated and/or had too much trub left over.  Even my glass had a VERY noticeable (1/8" or more) layer of trub on the bottom of my glass.  Far too much yeast still in suspension.  This adversely affected head retentiton as well, which was poor. 

Flavor - Some citrus and very slight pine hop flavors are present, but again subdued by the presence of too much yeast still in suspention. 

Mouthfeel - Thick.  Unpleasant.  Poor carbonation level.  Needed lots of water to cleanse my palate of yeast before continuing. 

Overall Impression - Unfortunate.  I've had this beer before in better conditions.  I think this may have been a bad cask or poorly handled (over-agitated).  Not reccommended for this IPA Fest. 

Bridgeport Hop Czar - Bridgeport Brewing Company (Portland, OR). 
Aroma - Slighthtly sour and musty.  Not appropriate at all.  Suspect an issue.  Clearly apparent vinegar in the aroma as the beer warmed up. 

Appearance - Almost cider-like.  Extremely cloudy with a color similar to dark brown apple cider.  Poor head retention. 

Flavor - Sour/spoiled.  Subsequent sips revealed a slight vinegar taste. 

Mouthfeel - Astringent.  Thick.  Not inviting. 

Overall Impression - This was clearly a 'bad' keg.  I had one of the staff at Coopers taste it as well - and it was immediately pulled from the taps.  I beleive they may have had another keg to put on later - but I never got a chance to try it.  They 'replaced' this beer for me - and my selection was Hop Ottin IPA (Above). 

As you can see, I had a few unfortunate pours in my tasting flight.  Between Hop Ottin, Dugana & Wisdom Seeker, however, I was still a very happy IPA drinker.  I wasn't able to make it back to Cooper's on Saturday, but I did make it back for a few more on Sunday.  I'll be writing up my tasting notes for the other beers I had that day in a later post (later today or tomorrow). 

For now, here is the complete list of all IPAs that either have been on tap, are on tap now or will be on tap during Cooper's IPA Fest:

First Class IPA - Airways Brewing Company (Kent, WA)
Sky Hag IPA - Airways Brewing Company (Kent, WA)
Anacortes IPA - Anacortes Brewing Company (Anacortes, WA)
Hop Ottin IPA - Anderson Valley Brewing Company (Boonville, CA)
Dugana Double IPA - Avery Brewing Company (Boulder, CO)
Maharaja Imperial IPA - Avery Brewing Company (Boulder, CO)
Racer 5 IPA - Bear Republic Brewing Company (Healdsburg, CA)
Big Al's IPA - Big Al Brewing Company (Seattle, WA)
Bridgeport IPA - Bridgeport Brewing Company (Portland, OR)
Bridgeport Hop Czar - Bridgeport Brewing Company (Portland, OR)
Single Wide IPA - Boulevard Brewing Company (Kansas City, MO)
Boundary Bay CASK IPA - Boundary Bay Brewing Company (Bellingham, WA)
Boundary Bay IPA - Boundary Bay Brewing Company (Bellingham, WA)
Trickster IPA - Black Raven Brewing Company (Redmond, WA)
Wisdom Seeker - Black Raven Brewing Company (Redmond, WA)
Iversion IPA - Deschutes Brewing Company (Bend, OR)
Hop Henge 'Experimental' IPA - Deschutes Brewing Company (Bend, OR)
Hop Lava - Double Mountain Brewing Company (Hood River, OR)
Hop Lava CASK - Double Mountain Brewing Company (Hood River, OR)
Diamond Knot IPA - Diamond Knot Brewing Company (Mukilteo, WA)
Diamond Knot XIPA - Diamond Knot Brewing Company (Mukilteo, WA)
Diamond Knot Industrial IPA - Diamond Knot Brewing Company (Mukilteo, WA)
Shipwreck - Diamond Knot Brewing Company (Mukilteo, WA)
Dick's IPA - Dick's Brewing Company (Centralia, WA)
Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA - Dogfish Head Brewing Company (Milton, DE)
Earth Thirst - Eel River Brewing Company (Scotia, CA)
The Immortal IPA - Elysian Brewing Company (Seattle, WA)
Double Jack - Firestone Walker Brewing Company (Paso Robles, CA)
Interurban IPA - Fremont Brewing Company (Seattle, WA)
Lucille IPA - Georgetown IPA (Seattle, WA)
Glacier Brewhouse IPA - Glacier Brewing Company (Anchorage, AK)
Hercules Double IPA - Great Divide Brewing Company (Denver, CO)
Titan IPA - Great Divide Brewing Company (Denver, CO)
Green Flash West Coast IPA - Green Flash Brewing Company (Vista, CA)
Green Flash Imperial IPA - Green Flash Brewing Company (Vista, CA)
Supergoose IPA - Hale's Brewing Company (Seattle, WA)
Point Defiance IPA - Harmon Brewing Company (Tacoma, WA)
Iron Horse IPA - Iron Horse Brewing Company (Ellensburg, WA)
Lagunitas IPA - Lagunitas Brewing Company (Petaluma, CA)
Lagunitas Maximus Imperial IPA - Lagunitas Brewing Company (Petaluma, CA)
Hopworks Organic IPA - Hopworks Urban Brewery (Portland, OR)
Lompoc Centennial IPA - Lompoc Brewing Company (Portland, OR)
Hop Monkey IPA - Laurelwood Brewing Company (Portland, OR)
Workhorse IPA - Laurelwood Brewing Company (Portland, OR)
Lazy Boy IPA - Lazy Boy Brewing Company (Everett, WA)
Alpha Dog IPA - Laughing Dog Brewing Company (Ponderay, ID)
Devil Dog Imperial IPA - Laghing Dog Brewing Company (Ponderay, ID)
Maritime Pacific Imperial IPA - Maritime Pacific Brewing Company (Seattle, WA)
Nectar IPA - (Contract brew from Firestone Walker - Paso Robles, CA)
Ranger IPA - New Belgium Brewing Company (Fort Collins, CO)
Tricerahops - Ninkasi Brewing Company (Eugene, OR)
Total Domination IPA - Ninkasi Brewing Company (Eugene, OR)
Pike Double IPA - Pike Brewing Company (Seattle, WA)
Wipeout IPA - Port Brewing Company/Lost Abbey (San Marcos, CA)
Rogue XS Imperial IPA - Rogue Brewing Company (Newport, OR)
Pliny The Elder - Russian River Brewing Company (Santa Rosa, CA)
3 Grid IPA - Schooner Exact Brewing Company (Seattle, WA)
Sierra Nevada Hoptimum - Sierra Nevada Brewing Company (Chico, CA)
Southern Tier XIPA - Southern Tier Brewing Company (Lakewood, NY)
Wildcat IPA - Snoqualmie Brewing Company (Snoqualmie, WA)
Indianola Pale Ale - Sliver City Brewing Company (Silverdale, WA)
Whoop Pass Double IPA - Silver City Brewing Company (Silverdale, WA)
The Gospel IPA - Skagit River Brewing Company (Bellingham, WA)
Ruination IPA - Stone Brewing Company (Escondido, CA)
Evolution IPA - Two Beers Brewing Company (Seattle, WA)
Hop Wallop - Victory Brewing Company (Downington, PA)

Drink responsibly and stay safe out there. 

IPA Brewing Video - Part 2 - Racking & Dry Hopping

It has now been 8 days since I brewed my batch of IPA on March 20th.

Today, I have a video for you, showing the process of racking (siphoning/moving) my beer from the primary to the secondary fermententation tanks. After racking the beer to the secondary fermenters, I will also show you the process of dry hopping the beer. You can view the video HERE.

I'll be back 6 days from now with a new video, showing the process of moving the beer from the secondary fermentation tanks to the kegs and starting the carbonation process. I hope you enjoy the video, and please 'Like' us HERE on Facebook.com.

Drink responsibly and stay safe out there.

Video of My IPA Brewing Session on March 20, 2011

My Brewing System

The video is now up for the batch of IPA I brewed this past Sunday. You can view it HERE.

The video covers the whole brewing process - all the way from grains to the beer in the fermentation tanks. For a detailed explanation of each brewing term used in the video (Mash, Wort, Sparge, etc.) please read my previous post, which detailed the process for this brew.

I hope you enjoy the video.

Drink responsibly and stay safe out there.