Let's face it, the Beer Rapture might just hit one of these days, and when it does, you better make sure you picked the right side. Will you, for example, stand by Deschutes? Or possibly Lagunitas, Dogfish Head or Nøgne Ø? It can boggle the mind, and I'm starting to think I might just stand in Stone's corner when it all hits; I assume that will safely transport me away from a PBR existence, left behind with Kirk Cameron.
The Escondidian makes me think Stone is a safe bet. An imperial black IPA -- which, of course, means it's a kick in the teeth at almost 11% ABV -- this is about as tasty as an IPA can be.
It pours pitch black with a tan head, and all in all it looks like a porter or stout. It laces the glass thickly, with decent retention. Sniff it, and a strong scent of caramel sneaks up front alongside grapefruit and hints of the hopiness that'll inevitably hit.
And it is hoppy -- if you're not a hop fan this probably should be avoided. For those who do enjoy a bit of a bomb, this is pretty damn good. It's certainly both hoppy and dry, but the sweetness hits the top of the mouth quite nicely. There's a lot of depth here, and the maltiness of the ale lingers nicely alongside the more citric notes.
Escondidian is a medium bodied ale, and a sipper at that. A bomber should have you covered pretty well.
So I feel secure in my choice here. Go with Stone, and odds of being left behind are slim.
Special equipment: 8x8 square baking dish or equivalent
Preheat the oven to 400F degrees.
In a small bowl pour the sugar over the fruit, toss gently, add the beer and rose- or orange blossom-water (optional), toss again, and transfer the fruit to an 8-inch square baking dish.
To make the topping combine the oats, flour, sugar, and cinnamon together in a medium bowl. Stir in the butter, and then the beer and mix until everything comes together in a dough-like texture.
Sprinkle the crumble evenly over the fruit mixture.Place the baking dish in the oven, middle rack, and bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until the topping is golden.
It's kind of a rare occassion we step inside gas stations, but when for whatever reason we've had to, we've noticed F'Real. This might be the worst name anybody has ever come up with for anything ever, particularly for what is a glorified milkshake machine.
And by glorified I mean awesome! Almost like a fair ride awesome.
The concept is easy: You pick a container with your favorite flavor -- there are tons -- peel the lid open, and put it in the machine. From here you pick your thickness on the huge high resolution screen and watch the cup get sucked up to amusing animations on screen.
I mean, really, it made me feel all giddy -- this is the future Back to the Future 2 promised us!
Oh, the milkshake might not be particulalry awesome. But come on, high resolution screens and all! This is the final step before we eat our food in pill-form!
Some may remember the glorious fusion of DOMA coffee and Missoula-based Kettle House ale. The Olde Bongwater Hemp Porter was fantastic, and to make things as unbearable for us as possible, Kettle House did not distribute its products to Spokane.
It still doesn't, and thus we try to pick up a four-pack or two from them when in Montana. You should too, as they're easy to find (gas stations in Superior carry them for heaven's sake) and the beer is more often than not quite good.
Their Scotch ale certainly hits the spot, and it's a good hit at that. The color is dark copper, almost brown, with a good finger worth of head. Malts come through very nicely on the nose, and there's a vague sweetness to it, almost berry like.
Taste it, and it's obviously all about the malts. It's drinkable, in a session sort of way (despite weighing in at 6.5% ABV), and you'll be very happy here if you're into malty beers, though probably a bit miffed if IPAs are more your game. There are some hints of caramel toward the end, but they're barely noticeable.
So, this is a Scotch ale through and through. You'll be a fan of Cold Smoke if you're a fan of that specific style of beer. For the rest of us, it might be a bit thin, mouthfeel wise, and just a bit more hopiness would have improved the overall picture for me.
But heavens, this is a good beer. Not worth the trip to Montana by itself, but worth picking up if you have room for it in your car and in your heart.
