Winter Beers: Final

Wow, the holiday season sure has a way of making you very busy.  I have a backlog of stuff I wanted to talk about, but I've just not really been on top of writing about it.  Sort of feel like I have seen most of what I want to know about beer.

On the plus side I have more to talk about about things other than drinking beer and rating it.  Like making it!  So after a little thought I have decided that I should push to write things specifically about Northwestern beers if I am rating a beer.  There are after all several rating sites and lots of blogs all over the place that cover this in depth.  I think talking about breweries and beers of specifically the Northwest will be more productive (occasionally will talk about special releases from California and maybe Colorado or something similar).

Thought that I would at least finish up the Winter Beers:

in no particular order, I'd say the top 5 winter beers we've had this year are:


Deschutes Jubelale


This beer has a very warming feel to it; has a lot of the malty and carmel flavors similar to what you'd find in a Scotch Ale.  I had it in bottle, on cask, and on tap.  Cask was great, but they were all good.  Nice dark ruby color and a little thicker feeling than I thought it would be.

This beer is so very perfect for what I want in a winter beer
Jubleale

Boundary Bay Cabin Fever


This has a very similar taste and profile to Jubelale, but it is much stronger feeling.  Definitely a little bit of alcohol taste in there, this WILL warm you up.  I prefer the Jubelale, but Sam prefers this one.
Boundary Bay's site

Alaskan Brewing Co. Winter 


I had already discussed this one in an earlier post, but the reason I like this is the Spruce tips and the overall mellow factor this beer has.

Winter Ale

Hopworks Abominable 


Another one I already mentioned; the label on this one is very cool though.  Not to be confused with Fremont Brewery's Abominable, which I actually don't think I have tried.  More on the aggressive side.
Hopworks

Three Skulls Poison 


Just thought I'd throw this is there, it was totally a random event that led us to ordering this.  I think they were out of Arrogant Bastard.  Had it on tap at the Pillagers' Pub in Seattle (Greenwood) on New Years.  It was pretty awesome, very strong in ABV, yet had a nice, not overpowering flavor.
Three Skulls

Ninkasi Sleigh'r


Yeah, okay this is actually number 6, it's an honorable mention I suppose...  but I really liked this one.  Definitely check it out, because it is very different.


List of all the other winter ales we tried:

Laughing Dog Coldnose - like I said, would not recommend
Red Hook Winter Hook - inot bad, but I liked the others more
New Belgium 2 Below - similar to Winter Hook
Elysian Bifröst - while I found it quite good, it's actually more like a winter IPA; so if you want a really hoppy winter beer then for sure grab this
Rogue Mogul Madness - this one is good, but I don't see why they charge so much for it.  Not worth the extra cash in my opinion.

Bham state of mind

Sam here.
Recently, I had the privilege of returning to Bellingham, WA with some awesome friends to reminisce and gain closure to a traumatic flight from there. While there, I picked up a Boundary Bay Scotch Ale by request of Nathan. Let me tell, you first off: Boundary Bay is part of what introduced me to beer and I am happy that it was craft beer that got me into beer. Presented in this predicament is a bit of a bias towards Boundary Bay beers.

As an aside: I know it's a sentiment that is kind of counteractive to the spirit of a beer review blog, but I like to be picky about beer. I love to know almost everything about what I put into my body (and by almost everything, I mean I don't want to see the poor animal's face before it gets slaughtered). It makes me consider what quality and what quantity that I want to consume and more is not always better. For example: when you learn the balance of consumption and budget and taste- I feel like craft, even though more expensive, comes out on top and eventually bar a disorder such as addiction- moderation wins out. Plus, I feel in a true craft culture, it's not cool to chug and chug and drink like a frat boy just out of mom and dad's. Unless you've got money coming out your ears that you don't have a better place to put (your retirement, supporting the community around you) the price deters you from buying cases and consuming the cases like said frat boy.

Back to the point: Boundary Bay Scotch Ale is a smooth, and in my humble opinion mellow beer that, when you smell it, exudes Railroad Ave in Bellingham. I know it's weird to say, but I could smell Mallards (amazing ice cream shop), the rain, the bay, and a couple of the other places nearby. It definitely captures the essence of Bellingham and is, according to Nathan, truly, "nostalgia in a bottle." It does not include the bite that you get at the end of scotch ale like Old Chub or the syrupy finish Pike's Kilt Lifter. The subtle caramel and malt flavors are a nice touch as well. I would have it again if given the chance. Distance and money definitely affect access as it's not very accessible outside of the north Puget Sound or Western Washington area. If you get a chance to have it, I definitely reccomend it, especially if you're a malt snob. Hop lovers may not enjoy this beer as hops are subtle if not undetectable to my oh so informed tongue (sarcasm).
You can find the beer profile here: http://www.bbaybrewery.com/ontap.php?k=10

Edit:
The post title's namesake
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMiBZ6s4SjY