9th Annual Bistro Double IPA Fest

By Mike Sober (AKA The HopHunter)

For the better part of the last decade The Bistro in Old Town Hayward California has been THE place for hop lovers to congregate on the first Saturday of every February. This years 9th Annual Double IPA Festival was the biggest and best ever and one can only imagine how next years version can hope to top it. But I'm getting ahead of myself......something very easy to do at an epic event of this scale.

The inaugural Double IPA fest in 2001 featured barely a dozen total entries and was held indoors in the Bistro's everyday bar area. This years extravaganza completely shut down the street South of the bar and included no less than 46 double IPA's.

As per tradition at this world class kickoff to San Francisco Beer Week all the beers are judged prior to the noon start and the winners announced half way through at 4:00pm or so.

When you sign up and pay for your taster glass and drink coupons you also get a double sided 8-1/2"x11" printout with every Brewery/Beer/Location/Brewer/ABV and IBU's listed in alphabetical order.

Every year I take notes, chart and evaluate all the beers I tried and in what order I drank them.....and every year I look back on it and marvel at how selective I had to be in my choices and how small a dent I put in the total.

This year I sampled 24 brews, a couple of them twice....which barely covers half of the field. These my friends are just some big ass beers.

I had my own favorites of course but ...... The official winners for 2009 were

GOLD - Pizza Port "Poormans IPA" - Carlsbad CA
SILVER - Triple Rock "IIMAXX Imperial IPA" - Berkeley CA
BRONZE - Bear Republic "Apex" - Healdsburg CA (A repeat medalist)
PEOPLES CHOICE - Russian River "Pliny the Younger" - Santa Rosa CA (For the second consecutive year)

My personal favorites included (in alphabetical order)
Auburn Ale House "Isotope PU240" - Auburn CA
Beach Chalet "The Baron" - San Francisco CA
Big Dogs "Hop Harvest Ale" - Las Vegas NV
Fifty/Fifty "Landslide" - Truckee, CA
Lagunitas "Hop Stoopid" - Petaluma CA
Pizza Port "Lou P Lin" - Solano Beach CA
Rogue "XSIPA" - Newport OR
Rubicon "REX IPA" - Sacramento CA
Seabright "Hopnoxious" - Santa Cruz CA
Sierra Nevada "Hop Secret 393" - Chico CA
Stone "Sublimely Self Righteous Ale" - Escondido CA

I suppose not mentioning Hopsickle, Hop 15, Torpedo,White Knuckle, Pliny the Elder,Double Daddy, Ruination, Double Trouble, Pure Hoppiness, Mach 10, 90 & 120 minute IPA, Denogginizer, Double Dog, Imperial IPA, Casey Jones Double, Quasar, Promised Land, Ale to the Chief,The Big DIPA, Steelhead Double, Moylander, Gordon, Hop Henge Experimental,Jersey Giant, Firkin Chico, and Bittersweet Lanny's RIPA would seem a bit of an oversight.....but nothing could be further from the truth........well maybe something could be further from the truth...like telling you I could drive home after all those beers. They tell me I had a good time and I know they're correct. I absolutely cannot wait for the first weekend of February in 2010.
Check out a few photos and judge for yourself......

Beer at Wine Styles?

Written by Jeff Barber

Last night, my wife Becky and I visited one of her favorite places in Roseville, Wine Styles. Located out of the way, in back of the parking lot near Cabo’s on Lonetree Boulevard, wine is clearly their focus. They seem to do a great job with wine knowledge, variety, and price. This being a beer web site however, I’ll focus on their efforts with beer.

Although they still have room to grow and don’t have any draft beer, Francis at Wine Styles is clearly interested in expanding their bottled offerings. What was a pretty basic set of 5 offerings previously, now has evolved to Racer 5, Sierra Nevada Celebration, Lost Coast Great White and Downtown Brown, Smithwick’s, and Peroni’s, all at $4 each. I have had several conversations about beer with Francis and he is very interested in continuing to improve his offerings, with Sierra Nevada's Bigfoot possibly next. He also is planning on hosting his first beer tasting in March.

So if you are like me and have a wife who prefers wine and want to avail yourself of a place that has a very comfortable atmosphere, including and outside patio, a very nice wine selection, and the opportunity to enjoy a few very good beers, give Wine Styles a try. Let Francis know you’d like to see him continue to expand his beers.

The Greenhouse in Roseville

Written by Jeff Barber

Recently my wife, Becky, and I visited the Greenhouse in Roseville, a still relatively new organic restaurant and brewery. Since Rick’s post about the Greenhouse was soon after it opened almost a year ago, I thought an update was due. Becky and I are always on the lookout for places that have outside seating and we were frequent customers of the Greenhouse, two generations ago as the still missed River Rock.

I have to say I was very impressed. Scaled down from its previous high-end existence as the Town Lounge, it still is a very comfortable place with a lot of dark wood, and the fore-mentioned out door patio.

The day we were there, they had eight beers on tap, all made on premises by Kevin Pratt, Brewmaster. The most impressive was their Belgian Golden Ale, a very tart, complex 8% ABV ale. I love Belgian strong ales and this was an excellent example. The alcohol is well hidden as well. Becky likes only very mild beers and she loved the Kolsch. Although a little too mild for me, it was very true to style. I also tasted their English Pale Ale, Summer Wheat (more like Belgian Wit), Bock, and Irish Red. All the beers were quite good with the Irish Red being the other standout (lots of bready and caramel malts with some good finishing hop bitterness).

The food also was excellent. Becky had the calamari and I had the shrimp tacos. The calamari was huge (enough for 3-4 people to share), crisp and delicious. The tacos were just a little on the spicy side with some very meaty shrimp.

Service also was good so if anyone is looking for a place to sit outside and sip a beer, or have a meal, in the most of the time beautiful Roseville weather, give The Greenhouse a try!

More Than Extreme Pizza

-written by Mike Sober (AKA The HopHunter)

This past Saturday I had the pleasure of sharing a pizza and a couple of beers with Extreme Pizza owner Fred Munday. As soon as I walked in the place I could immediately see the thing that makes his location (1140 Exposition Blvd in Sacramento) differ from other Extreme Pizza locations I've been to ...... namely the tap handles and 22oz bottles for take home.

There was eight taps in all with no AB, Miller or Coors products in sight. Fred and his wife Margot opened up the place in October of 2007 with the idea of serving top notch pizza along with fresh local craft brews.

The offerings, which Fred explained usually lasted about a week on average before they rotated out, were Rubicon Pilsner, Beermann's Oatmeal Stout, Sudwerks Marzen, Rubicon IPA, Speakeasy Big Daddy IPA, Maylan's Kiltlifter, Stone Arrogant Bastard and Fox Apple Cider.

According to Fred's beer rotation spreadsheet the next round of beers would include Lagunitas Pils, Sudwerks Hefeweisen, Rubicon Irish Red (a PBN favorite) and Lake Tahoe Brewing's Nut Brown.

Although the selection of beers is impressive and worth every effort one could make to visit the this particular Extreme Pizza site; it is Fred himself that impressed me the most about my visit. Born in England and brought up in the old family ways of life that revolved around the local neighborhood pub he possesses an appreciation and knowledge of beer that is most refreshing to behold.

He is meticulous about the beer line and pint glass cleanliness (no sanitizer or soap residue) and the constant rotation of fresh brews with an eye towards setting his customers up with just the right beer for them.

As I sipped on my Big Daddy IPA and enjoyed a slice of the excellent "Kickin Chicken" pizza Fred excused himself and attended to two lady's that had tentatively approached the ordering counter. They inquired about a pitcher of Marzen but seemed unsure if it was the same beer they had enjoyed a few days prior. After asking them about their usual beer preference he offered them several samples including the Marzen, the Rubicon Pilsner and IPA to help insure that they invested in exactly the pitcher of beer that they came in for. It was indeed the Marzen.

I kinda cheated and looked ahead on the beer rotation sheet and found a number of gems that I plan to be back for ... including Stone Smoked Porter, Eel River Triple Exultrations and Anchor Porter. I also see Rubicon's ever popular Monkey Knife Fight, Beermann's Rip Roaring Red and Weed Brewings Lemurian Lager listing in the coming months.

So ya, if you are in Sacramento hungry for a great pizza (they make their own fresh dough and toppings daily) and a fresh local craft brew to go with it I recommend checking out whatever Fred has on that week.

It really does my heart good to see people breaking away from the old tired and stale approach to commerce and truly invest themselves with passion into providing excellent local products at reasonable prices.

Extreme Pizza
1140 Exposition Blvd.
Sacramento, CA 95815
916-925-8859

BJ's Imported Winter Warmer beer dinner

- Written by Jeff Barber

On Tuesday, January 20th, BJ’s Brewery Restaurant in Roseville held their Imported Winter Warmer Beer Dinner. Not having attended a beer dinner previously (and always wanting to), I rounded up my friend and beer aficionado, Jose, and drove over to BJ’s for what promised to be a night of good beer and good food.

What I noticed first upon arrival was the beer lineup. It was outstanding but more on that later. The size of the event created some difficulties (100-125 people) with the main shortcoming being was that it was very difficult to hear the brewer’s description of the beers. A microphone would have been very helpful. Kudos for trying but I just couldn’t hear. Also although it was difficult to have good conversations because of the noise at least we had Nick Walker, GM of BJ’s Natomas and his girlfriend Tina at our table. They are friendly people that Jose and I enjoyed talking to and getting their opinions about the beer. The other negative was that the beers were kept in ice until served from the bottle (except BJ’s own excellent Grand Cru). As the night wore on, the later beers were colder than they should be for optimal tasting.

Negatives aside, there were some positives as well. The servers at the event did a great job in general, getting the food to the tables while hot and pouring the beers. Extra praise goes to one of our servers, Claire, who did a great job as well as putting a bottle of each beer away for me for the picture above. The food also was good. Although BJ’s food isn’t fancy, it is typically consistently good and tonight was no exception. The beers stole the show though and now on to the beers.

Our first “course” was the aperitif, Samuel Smith’s Winter Welcome. While not the type of drink you would expect as an aperitif, this beer was a good starter for the evening. Very malty with caramel and biscuity tastes, it had very little hop and not much spice noticeable. 6% ABV. Not bad but not great either.

The first beer/food pairing was BJ’s chicken pot stickers with Fuller’s Vintage Ale. While I’m not sure this pairing made the most sense, the pot stickers were excellent (although we each only got one) and the beer, superb. I had never had this beer previously and found it to be sweeter than the Winter Welcome, slightly smoky, with notes of fruit and a nutty finish. Jose noted some taste of oak or something similar that made him wonder what this beer was aged in. This beer, since it wasn’t in ice as long, was the perfect temperature for enjoying. At 8.5% ABV, the alcohol was well hidden. Very enjoyable,

Next up was another beer I hadn’t tried, Dupont Avec les Bons Voeux. It was paired a garden salad with a balsamic dressing and was a great match for this beer. Being a big fan of Belgian beers, I had high hopes for this beer and wasn’t disappointed. It had an aroma of clove and fruity esters, creamy head with lots of lacing, flavors of banana, clove, and spice, and high carbonation. At 9.5% ABV, the alcohol was noticeable but not overwhelming. Another excellent beer.

Following the salad, came the pizza. This was BJ’s Sweet Pig pizza with ham, pineapple, and tomatoes. The pizza was deep dish style and was paired with Affligem Noel, another Belgian holiday beer. Both were very good. The beer was very malty with low hops and notes of clove, dried fruits, and nutmeg. I’ve enjoyed this beer before and enjoyed it here but would rate it behind the Fuller’s and Dupont offerings.

Next in line was what turned out to be my favorite beer of the night. BJ’s own Grand Cru (just released) was paired a Balsamic Glazed Chicken with fried onions and mashed potatoes. Both were quite good and the tartness/spiciness of the Grand Cru went well with the balsamic glaze on the chicken. The Grand Cru is almost orange in color with notes of banana, spice, and orange, and very complex. This was a great beer that I look forward to having more of.

The final beer/food pairing was the BJ’s big chocolate chip cookie served warm with chocolate ice cream and Ghirardelli chocolate, and the Ayinger Dopplebock. Again this was a beer I had enjoyed before and was a perfect match with the chocolate in the food. A little lower in alcohol than most of the others at 6.7%, this dopplebock’s aroma is of caramel malt and some maple syrup. The taste is raisiny in the beginning with notes of cherry and chocolate, and some roastiness in the finish. A very good beer for the winter.

So what did we finish with? Nothing other than Samichlaus, the world’s highest alcohol lager at 14% ABV. Reddish orange in color, this beer is very sweet and sherry-like. The head quickly dissipated and the aroma was of dried fruity, brandy, and alcohol. Flavors were molasses and dark fruit but the alcohol was pretty well balanced. A great way to end the night but a beer that even in a 12 oz bottle is meant to be sipped and shared.

Thanks to BJ’s for a very enjoyable evening, to Claire for her great service, and to Nick and Tina for the conversation. Final voting at our table for best beer was a tie with two votes for the Affligem Noel and two votes for the BJ’s Grand Cru,

Let’s have more of these events!

The Beer Geek's 2008 Quaff Notes

- Written by Mark "The Beer Geek" Zahn

The past year really provided some fantastic brews. In the following few lines, I'd like to share with you some of the more interesting beers my palate enjoyed.

The Schneider-Brooklyner Hopfen Weisse is a superb brew. Basically, it's a light-colored Weissbock with some big-time strength - something like 8%. Awesome banana-clove aromas and nice 'n hoppy too, with plenty of noble hops. This beer is a collaboration between Schneider-Weisse of Germany and the Brooklyn Brewery (New York).

The Black Butte XX Twentieth Anniversary Porter from Deschutes (Oregon) was absolutely delicious. This beer is a jacked-up version of the Black Butte Porter with massive amounts of roasted coffee and chocolate malts - aged in whiskey barrels, if I remember correctly. Extremely smooth with very little alcoholic warmth for such a high-octane brew (over 10% ABV).

Next on my list is Ommegang's Hennepin Farmhouse Saison (New York). A very refreshing beer perfectly suited for the summer months. Light, spicy yet sweet, fruity, citrusy... and on and on. There's so much going on in this Saison, I recommend you try it for yourself.

The Hop Trip fresh-hopped pale ale from Deschutes (Oregon) was once again fabulous. This brew is packed with fresh whole flower hops - the bittering is piney, citrusy, yet soft. A very enjoyable sweetness in the malt backbone. Truly a nicely balanced beer that is low in alcohol. Nice and rich with a beautiful crown when poured properly.

The next beer that was thoroughly pleasing in every respect, is Sierra Nevada's Torpedo (California). We enjoyed this IPA on tap at the Owl Club in Roseville - wow - went down like cotton candy. This beer is very smooth with a quite delicate balance of wonderful aroma hops and mild malt sweetness. The whole hops they put in that Torpedo contraption also give this beer a fresh piney/citrusy floral aroma & flavor. Extremely smooth for a 7% IPA.

Finally, I'd like to recommend the Allagash Four (Maine). This bottle-conditioned Belgian Quad is brewed with four different malts and four types of hops. It's very rich and complex with lot's of dark fruit flavors, some sherry notes, and some brown sugar flavors as well. The hop bitterness is mild with the flavors definitely leaning towards the malts. Remarkably smooth body for such a big beer. At 10%, the alcoholic warmth is there, but not overpowering.

If you get a chance to try these beers, let us know what you think. Cheers!

Pacific Coast Brewing Company

- Written by Mike Sober (AKA The Hop Hunter)

During the Holiday season I spent a few days in the East Bay area and had the opportunity to finally visit Pacific Coast Brewing in downtown Oakland. As is somewhat evident in the photo, the Brewery is housed in a historic Oakland building dating from 1876 that is partially furnished with artifacts obtained from the Oakland Museum.

Despite the fact that we were drawn to the site strictly as a beer destination I found myself studying my surroundings for several minutes before I even looked for the beer menu. The Bar itself looks to be well over 100 years old and was reportedly an original piece from someplace called the Cox Saloon from Old Town Oakland. When I finally got to the beer menu I found it to be pretty impressive in it's own right. The PC brewery offered seven of their own beers as well as no less than sixteen guest taps, including Harviestoun Ola Dubh Special 30 Reserve from Scotland. A treat I would save until just prior to last call.

The house offerings included a Pale Ale, a couple of IPA's as well as a killer (Killer Whale they call it) Stout, Holiday Belgian Double and a Barleywine. Our group of seven ordered a couple of full samplers and found the beers to be solid with perhaps a slight bit of sameness to them that I suspected was a result of the pale malt extract that brewer Don Gortemiller uses as a base in all his beers. I particularly enjoyed the Blue Whale Ale which drinks like an Imperial IPA and according to the menu won a Silver Medal at the GABF way back in 1989. I have to assume that to have been in the strong Ale category. The Gray Whale Pale Ale seemed to be the most popular house beer at the table as I noticed several were being ordered after the sampler was dissected and turned back into mere glassware .

The Guest Menu was where I found a couple of gems that I just couldn't resist at all. Luckily since we rode BART to downtown Oakland ... resisting was just not something I was concerning myself with at that time. I obviously didn't try them all but I did my best to dent the list.....

Anchor Christmas Ale
Bear Republic Racer 5
Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA
Full Sail Wreck the Halls
Pizza Port Belgian Style Quadruppel
Pyramid Apricot Ale
Russian River Blind Pig
Schmaltz Jewbelation Twelve
Sierra Nevada Chico Estate Harvest
Sierra Nevada Ruthless Weiss
Stone 12th Anniversary Biter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout
Trumer Pils

The lineup also included Stella Artois, Lindeman's Framboise, Samichlaus Helles Bier 2007 and Houblon Chouffe.

At 14% alcohol the Samichlaus is reportedly the strongest Lager in the world and I would like to say I got around to trying some....but that would be stretching the truth a bit much.

However, it wouldn't be expanding the truth at all to say I'm putting PCBCo on my list of return destinations for 2009.

Perhaps I should mention that they also have a pool table, Internet access and a couple of dart boards for entertainment. Dart boards that were in little danger of being worn out by us late in the evening. I learned that one should never combine Belgian Style Quads and darts after midnight. Nope...don't recommend it at all.

What I do whole-heartedly recommend is making the effort to visit and hoist a few pints at Pacific Coast Brewing in Oakland.

Check out Mike's blog at www.thehophunter.blogspot.com