A – Clear copper color with a one-finger, off-white head of foam, left lacing on the glass.
S – Floral with a malty/bready backbone.
T – Kinda spicy with some sweet bread and caramel.
M – It was crisp, sharp and smooth. A light to medium bodied ale with a dry, clean finish.
O – Great steam style beer, highly recommend
Some photos taken last night at the marina around dusk.
Sun setting over the boathouses.
Derelict boat lift
Ready to hit the crabbing grounds in the morning
Convergence of lines.
Scraps left from the seagulls
The party on the guest dock on Saturday night.
Water like glass
Hat island in the distance
Reflection over Inn at Port Gardner
Before the Farmers market on Sunday morning
Something about it that draws you in
Appearance: A Hazy light-golden yellow with a strong fizz and a thin layer of white foam. Both of the MOA beers I tried seemed over carbed.
Smell: Sweet, floral, fruity aroma with a hint of tartness. Cherry flavor is there, candy like.
Taste: Slight malt backbone with a sweet, aspartame-like flavor. Cherry flavor present. Unfortunately, there’s quite a bit of artificial-ness here, not a good thing here.
Mouthfeel: Medium-light body with a huge carbonation.
Overall: Interesting beer with some qualities I don’t like. As with most flavored beers, not a winner.
SAUCE
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole milk
7 ounces Flagship cheese, grated (about 1 3/4 cups)
1 ounce Just Jack cheese, grated (1/4 cup)
½ teaspoon coarse salt
¼ to ½ teaspoon chipotle chili powder
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
PASTA
6 ounces penne pasta (about 3 ¼ cups)
1 ounce (1/4 cup) Flagship cheese, grated
1 ounce (1/4 cup) Just Jack cheese, grated
¼ to ½ teaspoon chipotle chili powder Instructions
To prepare sauce, melt butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat and whisk in the flour. Continue whisking and cook for 2 minutes. Slowly add milk, whisking constantly. Cook until sauce thickens, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Add cheeses, salt, chili powder and garlic powder. Stir until cheese is melted and all ingredients are incorporated, about 3 minutes. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 350F. Butter or oil an 8-inch baking dish. Cook penne 2 minutes less than package directions. (It will finish cooking in the oven.) Rinse pasta in cold water and drain well.
Combine pasta and sauce in a medium bowl; mix carefully but thoroughly. Scrape the pasta into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle top with cheeses and then the chili powder.
Bake, uncovered, 20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Its been a while so I guess its time to get back on the hog, I have quite a queue of beers to go. Onward…
A -A bright hazy straw yellow with a 1/2 inch of fizzy white head.
S – Smells of subdued spices and some cardamom, light bittering hops, and some wheat.
T – Not a traditional saison but pretty damn good. Needs more wild characteristics and maybe some brett flavor.
M – Light and bubbly, went down quicker than a Saison should.
Will definitely pick this one up again.
Victoria 2013, a set on Flickr.
Olympic Peninsula 2013, a set on Flickr.
Backpacking trip to the Peninsula. Unedited and unselected so the good with the bad.
A: Pours a hazy golden orange color with a small white head, rather foamy that reduces to a nice cap on top with some pretty nice lacing all around the glass.
S: Some light tropical fruit on the aroma, mostly passion fruit with a bit of lemon/lime citrus and some bready malt.
T: Not as fruity as the aroma, definitely a bit breadier. There is again a bit of passion fruit/papaya, but the citrus isn’t really there. A heavy dose of fresh bread comes through in the middle.
M: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Pretty clean.
O: Pretty good beer, a little fruitier on the flavor profile would have done it for me. was expecting something great here…
A: Pours pale golden/orange color with a bit of haze. A two finger white head forms with good retention. Plenty of lace is left behind.
S: Definitely crystal malts. A cereal grain aroma with a light sweetness. A light bitterness that fades to a grassy/floral aroma. Finishes with a dry yeast character. Some light peppery phenols.
T: Pretty much follows the nose. Some cereal, bread and biscuit. Even some dry cracker flavors up front. A light sweetness after that. Grassy and floral hops. Then phenolic and peppery yeast in the finish.
M/D: A medium body and good carbonation. This finishes dry and crisp. Smooth at the same time. Easy to drink.
The Road Worth Traveling 