Guest Post from Nimbus

Over the Thanksgiving holiday we had a couple close family friends visit us. You know, those family friends that date so far back and were so close that you call them family? Yeah, that kind. So, when Cousin Mike came to visit he asked what beer he could bring us from California (hell yeah), and if we had some spare time if we could take him to a Portland brewery or two (double hell yeah). Lucky for you, several posts are in the works on the cooler full of beer he brought us!!! And in that day in Portland we managed to introduce him to Lompoc, Hair of the Dog, Laurelwood, Belmont Station, and the Horse Brass, making sure that cooler of his was refilled before his return trip to California. Everyone had a great time. Cousin Mike seemed to lament not having a place like the Horse Brass at home. I told him no one does. There really is only one and he’d just have to come visit us in Portland more often. I’m pretty sure I convinced him, not that it took much arm twisting. Anyway, he recently sent me a text from a brewery in Tucson, so I invited him to guest post on our beer blog, since we love travel and love to highlight breweries from afar. Give Cousin Mike a warm welcome to taphandle, and if you have been to Nimbus share your thoughts on their other brews.

As with most Tucson buildings, Nimbus Brewing is low to the ground with desert pastels coloring the walls, and it has a rustic feel to it. The Old Monkeyshine Ale is the most popular pour at Nimbus. It’s dark, malty, and serious, with an 8.2% ABV. There is a good chocolate mouth feel at the beginning. Then I watched the creamy lace slide down the side of the pint glass. The finish is subtle fading off into the distance, and so it paired fairly well with the burger I was enjoying for lunch. A good beer, with a little kick at the front and pedestrian at the end…but drink a lot and you’d need to crawl home.

Looks like you fit right in Cousin Mike!

Today is Sunday and there are many different football games scattered about. Occassionally, there are yells and shouts from fans rooting for their teams. Sitting around for hours watching football, those men would probably want a lighter brew for their standard. So, it seemed fitting I try the Pale Ale. It is lighter than most I’ve had, more like a Blonde. The hops are there but it is not very full in flavor. Not big, more medium. Still good, and recflective of the area with its hot summers.

I would highly recommend visiting if in the area. Grab some chow and enjoy the fire pit outside or the boisterous enthusiasm inside.

Reader’s Choice 5: Brown Shugga

Our cheeks are nice and rosy and comfy-cozy…It’s lovely weather for a craft beer together with you…

Yes, I am still in the spirit as I hope you are. How about some Brown Shugga from Lagunitas? Brown Shugga is one of my favorite winter seasonal beers, and as some of you may recall, I lamented its absence last year (the one, and only, good thing about that was it introduced me to Terminal Gravity’s Festivale). So you can imagine I was excited for it to hit the shelves this year and that your votes made it a blog post! Last night I mentioned those sea salt and pink peppercorn caramels that were calling my name…yeah, that’s happening tonight. They’re also made with brown sugar so it should be good (oh, and for the record, I can’t tell you what else in those caramels or I may have to kill you). 

Reader’s Choice 4: Jubelale

Is there some not-so-secret plot by the reader’s of this blog to get me drunk? Yet again, there is a tie in the votes for my Reader’s Choice series. The theme for Reader’s Choice #4 was: Holiday Ale. So many good ones to choose from, I know. So, here we are, at least this time it’s a two-way, not a three-way. Tee hee hee. Sorry, I went there, I know you did too. Anyway, tonight’s review is on Deschutes’ Jubelale. Tomorrow, you should see a post on the other winner of your votes, Lagunitas’ Brown Shugga.

Winter’s Wonder

Sprucy

Well I was preparing for a long winters nap before Christmas dinner but Brian had other ideas.  There is beer to drink.  I was immediately handed a pint of spruce beer, Alaskan’s Winter.  Spruce beer  is an all-American style of beer, but it is not for everyone.  However, I am always up for at least one pint.  I have said this before, but Siletz’s (now Calapooia) made the best spruce beer and the standard to which I compare all others to.  Siletz’s beer had a clear spruce flavor while still being a beer.

On to the Alaskan Winter…this beer is interesting.  The berry notes from this beer are unmistakable: boysenberries, very clearly  boysenberry.  I guess this is from the spruce tip.  Overall,  the beer is slightly sweet, medium-light body with this berry flavor carrying form start to finish.  This is a one note beer, simple but I still found it enjoyable.

How does it compare to the Siletz spruce ale?  It doesn’t, there just isn’t that spruce flavor to directly offset the sweetness of the malt.  I don’t want this to deter anyone from trying this beer because it is not bad but if you have had a spruce beer in the past and really enjoyed it, this is not your spruce beer.

Well, I hope you had a wonderful holiday, with plenty of cheer….family, friends and of course beer.

Christmas morning

I did pretty well for myself this year

How does a grown-ass man get so much stuff for Christmas?  Not that I don’t appreciate it, but it feels a tad overwhelming…where am I going to put all this shit?

I will say that I really loved the hand-made knife my brother got me.  Sweet gift, bro!  I sat back and surveyed the loot with a Flat Tail Tailgater Kolsch.  Solid, solid beer.  Light, crisp, and super tasty with all those grassy/biscuit notes you want this style.

I was singing while drinking this

After getting the Red Chile Pork on for dinner, I decided to kick back with some NBA (Heat/Thunder…go Thunder) and a Fa La La La La from Double Mountain.  Typical Double Mountain beer, too.  Beautiful gold/orange in color with a knockout malt profile that is balanced perfectly with the hops.  I love their beers.

Hope everyone got what they wanted from Santa.  I got my wife and kids, so it all worked out perfectly for me (cheesy, I know…but that’s what Christmas does to me, people!).  Be on the lookout for a post from Mike tonight…I am going to make him do one from my house after dinner.  If I don’t, it’ll never happen.