(SpoCOOL) A Spokane Blog

Deschutes's name for its Stoic follow-up is an odd one. Not the Stoic? Is this an evolution of the previous Stoic, or is it part of «clever» marketing? Frankly, after having tried a pint at the Bend brewpub, I'm still uncertain. 

The main technical difference, from what I can see at Deschutes's website, is that the barrel aging used to be done in 16.5% pinot and whiskey barrells. Now, it's down to 15%. The ABV has also increased with 1%.

(I'm sure there is more to it, but that's what I could find during my three minute research.)

I haven't had the Stoic in a while, but I do recall it being good, though not awesome, when released. After a few years it aged very well, but, from what I have been told, it went downhill mere months later.

Who knows if that'll be the case with Not the Stoic, but here, in the present, it once again is good. Just not awesome.

It pours a very deep amber, with about a finger worth of head, looking very much like the quad it is. Sniff, and the expected fruitiness of a wine barrel aged beer hits you hard. Pomegranate molasses was also used during brewing, so yeah… It comes off pretty dang sweet, with just a bit of a booziness to hold it all in check.

Flavorwise, the balance remains. Fruity, sweet, yet with a bit of a kick to it. It's not super exciting, though certainly a good quad. A good quad, but also undoubtedly a quad.

Going by memory, it does seem a bit more barrel-y than the original Stoic. The wine seems a bit more present. And is it possibly somewhat smoother?

In that sense, I have great expectations as far as aging it will go.

I mean, really, buy bottles as soon as you see them. A taste of Not the Stoic today, and further ones over the years that come, is something you should treat yourself to. Just don't expect greatness at first sip.

Saranac's #Spiceawar Burger will forever be one of my personal favorite burgers. Not only because it was named after our illustrious spicy food contest, but man, the flavor punch it packed. Awesome.

Now, the regular Saranac burger is nothing to scoff at either: Esteemed panelist Patrick O'Halloran (you know him from the aforementioned #Spicewar) described it as an upscale backyard barbecue burger, and I think that's appropriate. There is nothing insanely fancy here, and we are just fine with that. Cheddar, bacon, mayo, and greens? Nice and simple.

The bacon in particular added a good kick to the palate. Not only was it flavorful; it also had that proper bite to it. Not too chewy, not too crispy.

Tillamook Cheddar is always a good choice, and here they used just the proper amount of it. Some places go too heavy on the cheese, but Saranac made it the supporting character actor it was born to play.

The lettuce might have been a bit wilted, but not in a slimy manner. We didn't need to pull it off, so it passed by an inch.

One point of debate for the panel was the patties themselves. They were perfectly cooked to order -- two medium-rares, one medium -- but were they flavorful enough? Our photographer found his patty lacking proper seasoning, something I cannot entirely agree with. Maybe he's just too sensitive of an artist? Either way, try and judge for yourself.

Finally, the bun stood the Franz's Comparison Test, no problem. Both flavorful and holdable (hey, that's important!), it clocked in at a higher standard than most we've seen in this great chase.

In the end, I think we're seeing sort of a divide in our little informal chart of the burgers…

1. Manito Tap House
2. Wisconsinburger
3. Saranac
4. Waddell’s
5. Churchill’s
6. Post St Ale House

… with the top three standing a good step above the rest. Technically Saranac's burger is in the middle of the list, but as the burgers keep coming in, it will be hard to knock it down much further. It's a great burger.

Photo courtesy of the Great Burger Chase’s official photography studio, Erick Doxey Photography.

So, here we have one that a lot of people have been waiting for. The Growler Guys is (as some would say) finally opening a Spokane location! The address will be 9329 N Newport, and we can only assume they will try to mooch off Total Wine's traffic. (Hey, it only makes sense.)

For those not familiar with the Growler Guys, they do pretty much what you'd expect: fill growlers. They tend to have a lot of taps -- as many as 40+ -- often of high quality. Check out their Richland location for examples.

Somewhat related: If you're interested in a beer club that's not really a beer club, we recommend Tavour.

The way it work is simple: there is no fee involved, simply sign up, and you will receive daily emails with beer-offers. Should you want to buy the wares, you add them to a cart of sort, and your combined order will be shipped at the end of the month. Shipping fee is flat.

It all works pretty smoothly, so give it a shot. It's not like it'll cost you anything.

I can only imagine that somewhere in Taco John's offices, a committee was formed to one up Taco Bell's latest onslaught of spicy offerings. The Bell might have started the war with Fiery Doritos® Loco Tacos, but Taco John's isn't one to back down. This is about to go thermonuclear.

Taco John's weapon of choice? The Flamin' Hot® Cheetos® Burrito. 

This is everything you'd hope it would be. I mean, «hope» is a relative term here, but you know… It's what you'd expect it to be: A standard Taco John's burrito (or so I assume, as I have never had one) topped with Flamin' Hot® Cheetos®. They even threw a bunch of jalapeños into the mix, just for that extra flamin' hotness(®).

And a beauty it is, just like advertised…

… sort of… Anyway!

So, what does the burrito have going for it? Preciously little, really. On one hand, the Flamin' Hot® Cheetos® did maintain their crunchiness. That's something. And when paired with the jalapeños, you do end up with a spicy end product.

That's not to say there's anything outside of heat happening here, though. A spicy crunch is well and good, but that's all there is. Surprising, isn't it?

Should the Flamin' Hot® Cheetos® Burrito exist? Hell yes! Not for any of us to eat, but for the entertainment value. Seeing the Bell and Taco John's duking it out with crazier and crazier concoctions is magical. 

Taco Time: your move.