New Moon Niceties: Better Know Your Brews!
beers we tasted in Portland are not available outside of the brewpubs or Portland. Instead of spotlighting one of these beers, I will be examining two Oregonian brews you can likely find in your corner liquor stores in the United States. For this month’s publication, I will be focusing on two of the flagship beers from two of Oregon’s largest breweries: Full Sail’s Amber Ale and BridgePort’s ESB. I did consider rating these beers in the style of the notorious Jocelyn Riehl, a former love interest of multiple Festung Europa contributors. In this rating system, all beers are rated in a manner similar to dressage (horse training). Your editor, Chris Meyer, once tried his hand at this rating system with the following quote: “The bite on this bitter is as sharp as the pecker on an Arabian stallion.” Let’s skip that bullshit, rate in a more professional sense (ala the late Michael Jackson, though not of the 'Beat It' variety), and start with a beer that famous connoisseur, Justin Nielsen, considers one of America’s five finest beers.
-Aaron Nielsen
Full Sail Amber Ale (Amber Ale)
Full Sail (Hood River, Oregon)
Full Sail’s main brewery resides in Hood River, Oregon just off the Columbia River, about 60 miles east of Portland. There’s a nice brewpub for testing a number of Full Sail’s beers: the main three beers (Amber, IPA, Pale Ale), the Session beers (Schwarzbier and Pale Lager), and numerous seasonal beers. Seasonal beers such as Vesuvius and Keelhauler are highly recommended, but you’ll have to look for them in larger liquor stores during the appropriate season. You can also take a great tour of the brewery while sampling Full Sail’s lineup, which I very much enjoyed on a previous trip to Oregon. Full Sail Amber has historically been the best selling beer for Full Sail up until a couple of years ago when the Session Lager was introduced. You can find both of these beers without too much trouble for about $6.99 a six-pack in most liquor stores. I have even found Full Sail Amber in twelve packs for $9.99, which is nothing less than a steal. Full Sail Amber is the best example of an American Amber Ale and should be tasted by anyone and everyone. At 5.5% ABV, its alcohol content is typical of a microbrew and is one reason why this beer is incredibly easy to throw back. A pint glass is the perfect vessel for this beer if you elect to not drink it straight out of the bottle.
Full Sail Amber pours with a medium amount of a tan-orange head. The body is rusty-orange in color, yet somewhat clear. Your first smell of the beer will be a sweet caramel and malty aroma. The malty overtones mean that you won’t be smelling the hops too greatly. Your first drink will be highly carbonated and caramel in flavor. There’s definitely a nutty flavor mixed in there, somewhat like hazelnuts. If you swish this beer around your mouth a little bit, you will continue to taste that distinct caramel flavor but the sweetness will be in the forefront. With the finish, you can taste the hops (including Mt. Hood Hops) more fully and overall, is very smooth. What I love most about this beer is that it is sweet, but not overlyso and not at all fruity. It is a darker ale, but not thick. People who normally shy away from darker beers should not be intimidated by this brew. Finally, it is hard to finder a smoother drinking beer full of flavor. This is the best selling Amber Ale in the Pacific Northwest and among the best selling Amber Ales in the entire United States. If you’re looking to kick back a smooth beer while tailgating prior a concert or a game or are simply looking for a tasty beer that you can chug (and enjoy) with the boys, then Full Sail Amber is the beer for you. I agree with the bottle’s label that states Full Sail Amber is “ridiculously tasty.” Pick up a six or twelve pack of this today!
Aroma: 7/12 | Appearance: 3/3 | Flavor: 17/20 | Mouthfeel: 4/5 | Overall Impression: 8/10
Total: 39/50 (Excellent)
Aaron’s rating: 9.0/10
BridgePort ESB (Extra Special Bitter)
BridgePort is located in Portland and their brewpub resembles more of a large café with their beer lineup. At most larger beer stores, BridgePort beers are fairly easy to find, so it shouldn’t be too hard to find this beer. A six-pack will run about $7.99 and this beer should be served in an ordinary pint glass. BridgePort ESB was the first ESB that I ever enjoyed, one of the reasons that I am presenting it today. ESB or Extra Special Bitter is a hoppy, bitter ale. While many bitter ales are lower in alcohol, this ESB has about 6% ABV.
BridgePort ESB has semi-translucent orange body with a medium, tan head. The aroma exhibits a highly floral, hoppy smell in which you can also smell the pale malts. Your first taste will be hoppy but not as much so as an IPA or a Pale Ale. Despite the hoppiness, it is also quite reminiscent of a traditional English ale. In your mouth you can feel a greater carbonation while swishing this beer around your mouth will really open up the floral palette. The finish is a little dry but masked by the carbonation. At 6.1% ABV, this beer packs a little extra punch, but you'll hardly notice it. This brew is also a good for drinking a six or twelve-pack when you are looking for something with a bit more flavor than Bud Light.
Aroma: 10/12 | Appearance: 3/3 | Flavor: 14/20 | Mouthfeel: 3/5 | Overall Impression: 8/10
Total: 38/50 (Very Good)
Aaron’s rating: 8.5/10
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