Remember the Abyss? Of course you do, and apparently it's on tap at Waddell's, and Hill's, the Elk and the Two Seven should have it soon. So that's kind of awesome.
Other than that we're taking a break until the new year. If you think you'll miss our edifying musing, you can always come back and relive your favorite posts every day though! Plus we'll launch two new projects in January, so stay tuned.
This is, of course, it. The ale we wait for all year. Christmas Day might be December 25th, but the highlight of the holidays for a true alehound is the day Deschutes' Abyss hits the store. This insanely rich and complex imperial stout, rich on malts, molasses, anise and bourbon-y goodness; it might come in at $11 a bomber, but oh is it worth it.
Keep in mind that this was tasted about a year before the "best after" date, meaning that come November it will be even better. I don't know how, but it will.
It pours black, deep and foreboding, with a creamy, light brown head. In a sense it stares you in the eye, daring you to sample it. Seriously abyss-like.
The nose hits you with bourbon and molasses first, giving hints that the 11% ABV is waiting for you. Keep sniffing, and there are subtle hints of chocolate and anise. Coffee. Oaks. It does not stop; there is about a million things going on here, joining together in a crescendo of harmony unlike anything I can remember.
The taste hits the tongue like a whip. Molasses first, which explodes into a potpourri of aforementioned flavors. They lace the tongue and the mouth, almost caressing the tastebuds with a tickle. The body is full and disappears down the throat smoothly, with a finish lingering in the mouth. Slowly you feel it wane, comfortably, almost warmly, inviting the next mouthful to come.
This is a sipping ale. Of course it is. Treat it with respect, and the 11% won't floor you. It hits surprisingly lightly; downright comfortably. While not a winter warmer per se, this certainly warms you through the winter.
So. The Abyss, in case you haven't figured it out by now, is good. Very very good. Even at this stage I'd say it's better than last year's vintage, something I would have thought would be impossible. This is what a great beer should taste like, and it's no wonder the Abyss often is named in the top 5 best ales in the world.
Finding bottles at this stage is difficult, though we've heard Huckleberry's might be seeing some more today. We found a good stash of bottles at Rocket Market last night, but they were going fast, and the cashier said he expected to see them all gone by the end of the evening.
World Class Beverages' Beer Spy will, if nothing else, tell you who carries it, though obviously they don't have access to the stores' current stock.
The important part here is to go find the bottles. Anyone who don't love this year's Abyss don't love beer, and in all likelihood don't love life either.
Word has it Hill's will have it on tap at some point. Fingers crossed we will see that soon.
Restaurants – Spokane –
We have sort of a love-hate-indifference relationship to Bennidito's'. Sure, there are plenty of things to like about the place. The pizzas, as long as you skip delivery, are pretty awesome. Not Flying Goat/South Perry/Veraci-awesome, but probably the best in the region as far as thick crust pizza goes. Craving some crazy cheesy toppings, always fresh tasting, with an odd but fun pesto sauce? Bennidito's is your place. There are all kinds of combinations to choose from, many original, and pretty much all good.
Also worth trying are the bread sticks and the beer buddies, all coming in at less than $4. That's one hell of a deal for a lot of food.
Not all is so rose-y, however. What kind of attitude you'll get from the waiter seems to be sort of a Russian roulette type situation. Don't get me wrong; it's great to have pride in working at a fun, happening spot, but that doesn't really give you the right to have a superiority complex because of it. That's not to say everybody working there have that attitude, but enough do to make it annoying.
Also, don't order delivery. Remember those Domino's commercials (or Pizza Hut... one of those) with the cheesy lid? Yeah, that's pretty much what you'll get, and we're talking cold cheese at that.
So no. Go and fight the crowd -- annoying, but it's a good thing it's a popular spot -- and bank on getting one of the nice staffers. Order a beer from their highly decent selection, and grub down on good fluffy pies and excellent bread sticks. As far as a comfort-pizzeria goes, Bennidito's is pretty awesome.
Here at Team SpoCOOL we like the spicy things in life, and as far as hot sauces go, it's hard to beat Blair's. They even give you a little skull keychain with their bottles.
Blair's world domination of all things spicy has spilled over into the snack aisle, with their "Death Rain" series of spicy chips. We recently sampled the Buffalo Wing variety, and our impressions are highly favorable. Their motto is "Feel Alive!" and even at only medium heat, these things could probably wake the dead. It's not too hot, but a handful should heat up your mouth considerably.
The chips are thick cut and have a good crunch to them too. In other words, they have a higher quality feel than your typical grocery store Lay's or whatever.
Many have tried to make buffalo wing chips, but for the most part they fall on their faces. Blair's, I think, nailed it. This actually tastes buffalo sauce like -- if not like chicken, but that's probably not a bad thing -- and gives you a good burn while eating. I'd recommend some blue cheese dressing for dipping.
Definitely a recommended bag of chips. Look for it at Huckleberry's and other fine purveyor of unhealthy snacks.
