So I’m hanging out in the Gate E wing of PDX or Portland, OR airport for non-natives and I find out there is a Laurelwood Public House & Brewery on this section of the airport.
Suck it Dan.
I’m a huge fan… to say the least. And it’s still inexpensive prices compared to airport prices.
Over the last hour or so I’ve enjoyed a few Mother Lode Golden Ales. Not gonna lie. Delicious. You need to run out and get one of these delicious bastards.
A nice video review of BrewDog Paradox Macallan from VideoBeerReviews of BikeBeerBBQ.com.
Photo Credit: BrewDog
Brewed by:
Rogue Ales Brewery / Brewer’s on the Bay
Oregon, United States
Style | ABV
American Barleywine | 11.50% ABV
Old Crustacean - Rogue Ales Brewery
Presentation: 2008 vintage in 750ml ceramic. Straight out of the ceramic.
Appearance: Reddish tone. No head (since I drank right out of the ceramic).
Aroma: Very hoppy. Citrus flavors with a bittersweet maltiness.
Taste: Unfiltered , intense with a bittersweet kick at the finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied… almost on the edge of full body, but is a refreshing sipper.
Drinkability: Very drinkable, despite it’s high ABV.
Conclusion: Even after two years, well-hopped barleywine that has held its flavors.
Serving type: Draft, 750ml Ceramic
Food Pairing: Pork, Desserts
Notes from the maker’s website:
8 Ingredients:
Malts: Great Western Harrington, Klages, Munich and Hugh Baird Carastan.
Hops: Centennial and Chinook.
Yeast & Water: Rogue’s Pacman Yeast & Free Range Coastal Water.
For those reading from the midwest, you probably know. Bell’s Brewery from Comstock, MI has had an interesting history, to say the least. For everyone else, here’s a primer on their distribution efforts from a notable Michigan news source.
Sometimes in pop culture, “forks in the wall” are meant to stand for something larger. That’s how we learn. But, for Larry Bell, standing up to giants became his mantra. Better yet, he just makes giant beer.
Happy Hops enjoys the Two Hearted Ale, a 7.0% ABV IPA with bold flavors that is not of the overdone sweet hop character that eventually defines IPA’s of too strong a hop density. If you’re ever in the Midwest, or get a chance to visit the brewery, we think you’ll definitely enjoy. Now that baseball is again upon us, this is a very quaffable declaration for a baseball beer relatively available in the area.
They distribute to Florida, Iowa, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and of course, Wisconsin. So how did a Chicago dude get his hands on some? Well, luckily, a new distributor was found that would go to Chicago. So there.
And, as for standing up for what you believe in, I think we can learn something from this story.
CHEERS.
At HappyHops.net, we pride ourselves on bringing you the best info on the best brews. Or at least we try as we don’t really take ourselves very serious. In fact, to show our non-sophisticated / non-serious self… we’re introducing our first beer t-shirt… take a look below at this majestic shirt…. oooh, awwww…
I invented this tee whilst drinking (I mean reviewing a nice micro brew) at... you guessed it... Noon O'Clock!
The Organic Free Range Red from Laurelwood Brewing Co.
I recently stopped in at Beaches Restaurant & Bar in Vancouver, WA for happy hour. Not only was it feeling like spring, the restaurant is on the Columbia River, which made for a nice relaxing spot with great views. To add to the already great day, they always have a great selection of brews from around the area and some very tasty appetizers that are usually half off from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
I tried out their new lamb shank with some sort of delicious sauce (very, very good), which paired will with the Organic Free Range Red Crystal (my server) suggested I taste.
The brew was very fresh and had a sweetness to it as well making for a nice/smooth finish. Definitely made it easy to order another… especially since it was the happy hour special.
Beer: Organic Free Range Red
Brewer: Laurelwood Brewing Co.
Rating: Yes, I would order another one.
Dan trying the Sledgehammer from The Rock Woodfired Pizza in Vancouver, Wash.
Greg and I decided to form this blog so we can cover two very important beer regions in the United States – the Midwest and the Pacific Northwest. Since I live in Chicago, I will primarily cover the Midwest and Greg will primarily cover the Pacific Northwest.
At the end of my visit out there, we ate pizza at The Rock Woodfired Pizza in Vancouver, Wash., just outside of Portland, Ore. The IPA I tried – called the Sledge Hammer – had a good bite to its hop flavor countered with a crisp, clean finish.
It is not our intention to throw out a ton of verbs and descriptions of the beers we try, we’ll just post places we think are worth checking out if you’re in the area, and this one certainly fits the bill.
We hope you enjoy and please check out this link for a brief video.
Greg and I had a chance to enjoy the Cascade Ale and Inversion IPA at the Deschutes Brewery in Portland, OR this weekend.
The Cascade Ale and Inversion IPA from Deschutes Brewery in Portland, OR. Photo: Greg Dawson
Here’s a quick overview of the two selections:
Cascade Ale
Light, crisp and refreshing with generous herbal hops and just a hint of caramel malt.
IBU’s 28 | Alcohol by Vol. 4.5%
Inversion IPA
Like its name suggests, Inversion IPA defies the ordinary, with layers of soft caramel notes and generous amounts of our favorite Northwest hops, for a bright, sunny citrus finish.
IBU’s 80 | Alcohol by Vol. 6.8%