(SpoCOOL) A Spokane Blog

There are certain breweries you don't often see around these parts. San Diego based AleSmith is one of them, though I'm fairly certain JB's has carried their wares in the past. Maybe others have too, I don't know, but from my perspective, the Speedway Stout alone is worth the trip to San Diego.

The beer has, apparently, been named "the best beer in the world(!!!)" by RateBeer, and I can see why. I mean, it's hard to make those kind of claims, but Speedway Stout truly is a stellar imperial stout, right up there with Deschutes's Abyss. Which one is better? It's hard to say, and I think some proper aging of the Speedway would be the only way to judge it properly.

How does it do on its individual merits, then?

It pours a jet black, with a couple of fingers worth of a dark head. Retention is there in good form.

Give it a whiff and you don't want to stop smelling it. I mean, I suppose you do want to drink it too, but just sitting around like a glue addict is kind of tempting.

Shake the feeling off to take a drink, you'll find a dominating chocolate, flanked by the friendly inviting molasses. Following close behind is a smooth scent of coffee -- not the roasted to 700 degrees stuff, we're talking quality coffee -- and a very gentle backbone of anise. 

Sip, and the coffee comes through a little more than on the nose. It's not harsh tasting -- as often is the case with these kind of beers -- and the chocolate compliments it perfectly. There's a bit of vanilla sweetness toward the middle, all served up in a velvet like texture. Keep sipping, and you'll pick up other subtle flavors; fruits and the aforementioned anise make themselves known sooner rather than later.

Weighing in at 12% ABV, it's definitely a heavy hitter, but the flavors mask the alcohol well.

So, is the Speedway Stout the best beer in the world? Is it better than the Abyss? I really don't know, nor do I care. It's a stellar ale, and you probably should travel the 1,000+ miles to try it. (Although I'm fairly sure a trip to Belmont Station in Portland would suffice.) Do try it if you have the chance, and you'll feel very, very good about yourself.

Sometimes -- once a year, actually -- something so important occurs that you just have to get out there and partake. I would add some humorous suggestions right here, but screw it, this goes beyond comparison. What I am talking about, of course, is May 17th, also known as Norway's Constitution Day!

Last year we took care of the celebration for you... Parades, traditional food, games, we had it all, and you enjoyed-ish it.

This year we feel like you're grown up enough to make your own party. But as we are all about being your kind guides, we'll give you some pointers you'll probably want to take note of:

• Eat: Amateurs will go with the lefse, but pros know you should make a cream cake. Cooks.com has a good recipe, just make sure to substitute the pineapple with strawberries. Now, if you want to go really hardcore, you can try making a kransekake, but that's... Not so simple.
• Drink: May 17th is, frankly, more of a drinking holiday. You can find akevitt in most liquor stores, as you should -- this fennel based spirit makes for a great celebration. Pair the shots -- traditionally you do three at the time -- with a dark lager if you'd like, though some say that'll ruin the flavor of the akevitt. (And more will claim that as a good thing.)
• Play: Our game of choice is the potato race. Multiple contestants put one potato each in their individual spoons, then they race. It's that simple. Of course, they'll have to pick the potato up if they loose it, which is what makes this challenging.
• Parade: This one is simple: Play the Norwegian national anthem, march down the street, and wave the Norwegian flag. The more people, the better!

We'll be sorely disappointed if you don't post pictures of yourself doing any of this to our Twitter account, @spocool.

Let's talk chocolate for a while, because why not? Everybody loves chocolate, many love espresso, and therefore it only makes sense to have a look at Firebird's Espresso Dark Chocolate Bar.

What makes this bar a little bit more interesting than your average espresso-based chocolate, is Firebird also being a coffee roaster. In that sense you not only get a chocolate maker which knows its bean, you can also pair the bar with Firebird's coffees quite easily. Or not; you might just decide that to be a form of horrible, horrible up-sell.

Either way, the bar itself is very good. Even at 70% it feels surprisingly creamy, almost like a dark milk chocolate, with the espresso giving just that little kick you want in a bar like this.

Really, the latter is important. Too often there is little balance in espresso bars, where you can either not really taste the coffee, or the coffee overpowers the chocolate. Firebird has the balance down well. We, shockingly enough, like that.

It might be a buck or two more expensive than your average chocolate bar -- at least at Huckleberry's -- but it's worth the price of admission. And if you have issues with the coffee pairing, go with a port instead. Chocolate, espresso, and port. It's a wonderful combination.

Is it just me, or is Deschutes's calendar somewhat off? I mean, Jubelale is typically released in September and available through February, when, apparently, spring starts with Red Chair. Come May, and summer hits with Twilight which, fair enough, does seem appropriate. Maybe Deschutes should introduce an autumn beer just to get back in line with the rest of us?

Anyway.

These seasonal ales tend to be very similar every year, with just minor flavor profile adjustments. I didn't particularly care for the '11 edition, and though the '12 edition fared better, it was still a bit dull and forgettable.

This year you won't see anything super exciting either. Granted, a summer blonde isn't supposed to be too exciting, I guess, and fair is far: the '13 is somewhat superior to the previous years. There really is nothing downright wrong with it, and it's a refreshing beer. 

A slightly hazy golden color greets you, while a crisp white head laces the glass well. The citric nose is backed by a subtle malty backbone, with a hint of hops thrown in for good measure.

Flavorwise? It's fine. Traces of orange dominates a noticeable yeastiness. The malts are there alongside the hops, and it's all good and dandy. I still don't really love the mouthfeel. It's a bit thin and almost overshadowed by a fairly extreme carbonation. And...

Look, I get it. It's a summer blonde. It's not designed to knock your socks off. It's probably my problem wanting the beer to be something it isn't. 

I can't help to wonder if blondes in general are a bit too far on the light side, even for summer ales. So far I'd much prefer sipping No-Li's Mosaic or Elysian's Superfuzz; both pales and both better than Twilight.