Now I wish someone would tell the breweries that we don’t need so many types of IPAs, and that maybe, just maybe, they could bring an interesting specialty beer or two instead of the same stuff they bring every year. If I can buy it in a bottle at New Seasons, do you really need to have that as your OBF entry? I think not.

History of Beer

Check out this great timeline showing the history of beer, with entertaining illustrations and commentary. Maybe the facts aren’t all 100% true, but then again, what about history ever is?

It’s an ambitious project, since there are other beer review sites out there, but this one is geared more toward the “average Joe” reviewer. Some people have complained about having to fill out too much information for reviews, but I’d argue that in order for a review to be helpful there need to be some basic standards for information. Users are prompted to select the beer source, serving type, and even free-form some attributes to help with tagging. Don’t know what “mouthfeel” means? No worries! You can post your review anyway.

I’ve added a few reviews to the site, including some for beers not cataloged in their database, but I just can’t get in to the habit of using the site. The reviews are almost too subjective and “average” as to have no meaning. One person may love every beer made by Leinenkugel, but I know I think they’re all mediocre. The quality of the reviews seems to have a direct correlation to the type of beer. For example, the more rare, Belgian, stout, or exotic a beer is, the better the review might be. More experienced beer drinkers seek out these beers, and the reviews are more detailed. Other times, a relative newbie to craft or specialty beers might post a review that just describes the beer as “pretty good” with no details on why they thought this.

While it’s nice to get a list of all currently reviewed beers sorted by style or brewery, it doesn’t match up to the experience of going to a bottle shop and scanning the shelves for that rare find or favorite malty friend. In a town like Portland with so many fantastic pubs that carry all kinds of specialty beer, I’m more likely to follow a pub on Twitter and read about their latest tap list, or mosey over to a favorite brewpub and try something new. I know others aren’t this lucky, so I’d be curious to see if 97 Bottles has more value or interest for people who don’t live in Beervana.

And I think that is why I forget to use the site; it doesn’t match the experience I want to have when I’m seeking out new beers. I don’t really care what other people may think of it, the joy is in the hunt for something new and trying it without knowing what you might be about to drink. If I want to write about a beer, I do it here. If I want to tell more people about that beer, I’ll do it in person or on Twitter.

If you’re curious to find out about 97 Bottles for yourself, let me know. I’ve got a few private beta invites left and would be happy to share them. I know the team at BlueFlavor is looking for feedback on the site!

It’s nice to see more people moving beyond the idea that beer is for boys, especially when it comes to brewing. Brew on, ladies!

Finally, my hops is putting on some flowers! I already had to slay a bunch of the vines because the darn thing was taking over the garden. So far there aren’t a TON of cones coming, but it’s not bad. It looks like the hops season will be 2-4 weeks behind usual on account of the weird weather we’ve had this spring and summer. It didn’t stop plant growth, but certainly inhibited flowering. My guess is that I can harvest the cones in mid-September, at which point I may try making a green-hopped beer.

Have hops but don’t know what kind? Check out this photo-list from the Oregon Hop Commission! Yep, I’ve got Willamette even though the friend that gave them to me thought they were Cascade. I love that we have our own hops commission in Oregon. What a perfect place to live!

I really wonder how the “heartland” will respond to the biggest beer company in the US being owned by a foreign country most people probably couldn’t find on a world map. Will there be a “buy American” backlash? Will Coors and Miller see significant sales increases?

Or, will Pabst rise from the ashes to once agan reign supreme amongst American beers? A girl can dream!

Oh yeah, and have a beer while you’re there!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8OxuUEBN9c

Kudos to Victoria Bitter and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra for a great concept! Beer really is the most versatile drink in the world.

I’m just excited to see worthwhile, stripper-free, quality beer-oriented establishments move in on SE Powell.

On opening the bottle, a lovely malty aroma wafted out and nearly fooled my nose into thinking I was going to have a regular beer. The Quest pours nicely, with finer carbonation and a decent (but not truly Belgian Tripel-quality) head — not nearly as airy and, well, huge as what I’m used to seeing. In under a minute it went from a 1″ head to a .25″ head, as you can see in my photo. But the color is a nice honey gold/red and very clear, though probably not what I’d describe as a “blonde.”

As with the Endeavour dubbel, this beer needs to warm a bit to taste good. My first sip was tart and a bit off-tasting. Not tart and weirdly fruity/grapey, more tart like a dry cider but without the apple taste. Not even lambic or geuze tart, which still has a fruitiness to it. Gone, though, is the up front acrid sorghum bitterness and metallic flavor in my mouth.

Once Quest warms up, it tastes moderately like a traditional tripel — definite spicey aroma, warm feeling in the mouth, honey tones to the sweetness. But there’s a slight bitterness to the finish, just a little bite that’s not quite right.

So far, this is the most convincing “Belgian” style gluten-free beer I’ve tried. I don’t think it’s an every day drinker like the New Grist ale could be, but for the price it’s worth the occasional splurge. And again, if I hadn’t had regular beer within fairly recent memory, this would probably be sweet ambrosia on my lips!