Under the leadership of Brewmaster Mark Ruedrich, the brewery has developed a strong reputation for quality having won more than 70 awards in national and international competitions.

In addition to Red Seal Ale, Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout, Scrimshaw Pilsner, and other fine North Coast brands, the brewery has resurrected the old Acme label with a heritage dating back to the San Francisco of the 1860’s.

These exceptional beers are available in 47 states now and also are exported to Europe and the Pacific Rim.

Their Pranqster Beer is touted as a Belgian Style Golden Ale and I have to say that it certainly doesn’t miss the mark!

North Coast Brewing’

s Pranqster is brewed with “antique” yeast to impart a delightful flavor that tastes just as good as a young Trappiste.

This Belgian-style ale is a dark straw color and pours with a very attractive white head and minimal lacing. In the mug, this beer has floral aroma with a pleasant hint of cloves. First mouthful is light and citrus with little bubbles that dance across the tongue in a most delightful way.

Eath mouthful of this beer is progressively more pleasant and I certainly enjoy the subtle hopping; making it an intersting blend of Belgian spiciness with a pleasant nod towards the IPA category. Yeastiness is certainly Belgian with a bready note when you breath in after a drink – not entirely unpleasant at all. The 7.6% ABV is subtle and contributes a nice body to the drink with pleasant mouth-feel and aftertaste. After a bottle or two, I noticed a slightly metallic aftertaste, but it passed when opening the next bottle, so one has to assume that it is an irregularity.

I finished 10 of these tonight (Just to be sure that I liked it) and I DO like it.

North Coast brewing company produces very fine beers, this one will be part of my regular rotation.

The Bridgeport Ale House at 3632 SE Hawthorne Boulevard in  Portland is a fine little establishment offering decent pub fare and an excellent selection of specialty brews.

From their promotional literature:

“The specialty beer movement in the Pacific Northwest began in 1984 when Richard and Nancy Ponzi teamed up with Karl Ockert, graduate of the University of California at Davis’ Malting and Brewing Sciences program, to establish the 600-barrel Columbia River Brewery. Setting up shop in a three-story, century-old former rope factory in Portland’s industrial Northwest neighborhood, they founded what is better known today as BridgePort Brewing Company, Oregon’s Oldest Craft Brewery™, and a pioneer of the state’s craft brewing revolution.

Today, BridgePort Brewing Company is one of the top specialty brewers in the state of Oregon. As BridgePort Brewing grew in popularity, it also grew in its brewing capacity from its 600-barrel beginnings to over 100,000 barrels per year. Distribution has grown from Portland to 18 states, and the brewery’s emphasis on producing quality, innovative ales has provided it with an international following and numerous awards.”

We walked into the Bridgeport Ale House expecting yet another tired faux-restaurant serving greasy food as an accompaniment to their selection of beers. Thankfully, we were wrong.

I chose their Cottage Pie and enjoyed an American slant on traditional pub lunch. Good beef, creamy potato and delicate seasonings. My traveling companies shared a “Steel Pizza Pie” which they described as perfectly crusted with a good balance of cheese and sausage. – I’m not a pizza pie man.

I wasn’t there to eat though…..I was there to drink!

I started with their bottled Kingpin – A red-ale that is very hoppy and easily drinkable. This “Double Red” is characterized by higher alcohol content and citrusy hoppy overtones – just the way I like it.

Next up was the Summer Squeeze – a seasonal varietal that is apparently enhanced with lemongrass and yuzu – an “exotic fruit. This missed the mark completely for me and tasted like a blend of heffeweizen and lemonade – I barely mad it through even half a glass.

I gave BridgePort the opportunity vindicate themselves with their famous Blue Heron Pale Ale – It did not disappoint. Typical of “Northwestern” Pale Ales, it is crisp and eminently drinkable.

Moving on to the Cafe Negro Porter, I tasted something pleasantly unique. This porter is a fusion of malt an coffe that created a delightully layored coffe/beer flavor. The porter deliver its own espresso-esque flavor, but the coffee infusion rounds it to make for a delightful drink. A predict a growler of this escaping into the wild…

I ended my excursion with “Hop Czar”, their Imperial IPA. This IPA definitely boasts 7.5% ABV and delivers a hoppy, malty mouth-feel  reminiscent of Belgian beers. This beer made my day.

As with many American establishments, they are not tobacco-friendly, but the good bears vindicated them.

I decided to smoke this little beauty today while on holidays in Alaska; I brought my trusty herf-a-dor and new colibri lighter along for the ride.

The Edge Lite is very nicely built; it feels solid and even. The Approx 5.5 – 6″ long 52 ring torpedo is like a long robusto, which makes for my ideal smoke lately, with my taste leaning towards the longer Churchills when time permits.

Prelight aroma is alfalfa and ammonia. Lighting thit vitola brought pleasant gray smoke. The Edge Lite is an easy smoke with an effortless draw the at time felt airy but not to the point of being irritating.I had to relight once due to high wind conditions, there was no bitterness at all. Ash was tight and dark gray.

Flavor is similar to a CAO Gold, just slightly stronger…Cream, coffee, and a mild peppery finish to remind you that this is indeed  a good cigar.

I ordered a box last night from the boys at CI.

Asahi Super Dry

The hype: “SUPER DRY went on sale in Japan on March 17, 1987. As soon as the product hit the store shelves, it became an instant bestseller. Sales expanded rapidly from major cosmopolitan areas to nationwide. While we were all convinced that we had achieved our goal of realizing the taste that the customer wanted, the actual production of SUPER DRY fell short of the growing demand. Once again, we had to　take an unprecedented action: placing an apology in the newspapers for not producing SUPER DRY fast enough to meet the demand. The taste that the customer waited for Soaring sales and the popularity of SUPER DRY shook the beer industry in Japan. Other breweries also introduced dry beer in the following year, and so-called Dry Beer War broke out. Nonetheless, ASAHI SUPER DRY has continued to grow its sales, consistently being chosen for its original taste.  In response to an expanding demand for SUPER DRY, we pushed ahead with a large-scale capital investment in order to bolster our production. By 1990 all our production facilities were updated with most advanced technology and equipment. The revamping of production helped us supply more SUPER DRY, and its sales passed the milestone of 100 million cases* only 3 years after its introduction. *One case is equivalent to 20 large beer bottles, approximately 12.66 liters.  Since the launch of SUPER DRY, we have hitherto continued to improve on its production technology and quality management, and we have conducted various activities to bring the fresh and crisp taste of SUPER DRY to customers around the world. Our challenge and our search for innovation will go on to ensure that SUPER DRY tastes as good as ever.

The review: This pale lager pours very well and looks like any European lager. Aroma is hoppy with hints of pine and grass. This is pleasant and mild, the girlfriend liked it. Carbonation is medium-high, but not unpleasant. This is my favorite “Japanese” beer  so far. Nothing massively exciting, just like a Stella. This is one time where rice didn’t ruin a beer. I like this one for “light” drinking, but still prefer Stella.

Kirin Special Premium Reserve

The hype: “With his gold label and Special Premium Reserve appellation, Ichiban outclasses and outperforms. In 1990, Ichiban’s debut made a splash in the world of super premium beers. The luxurious single wort (or first press) process yields a unique, complex flavor. With his gold label and “Special Premium Reserve” appellation, Ichiban outclasses and outperforms. But don’t be fooled by a snooty attitude — this is a great beer that goes with anything. What makes Ichiban great – Prominent wort. Finest barley malt, premium hops, smooth finish, no bitter aftertaste.”

The review: This is beautiful to look at, it is a straw yellow, develops a nice head of foam and looks great in a Pilsner, the iconic “glass of beer”. Aroma is mild, almost grassy, but not unpleasant. First sip reminds me of Stella Artois; crisp and clean. Aftertaste is slightly metallic, but not unpleasant. Carbonation is heavy and makes the mouth-feel pleasantly sharp.

Sapporo Imported

The hype: “With lush use of aroma hops, Sapporo Premium has an amazingly crisp taste, refreshing flavor, and refined bitterness to leave a clean finish.  Whether in our iconic \”Silver Can\” that is long loved by our American fans, in bottles, or on tap, Sapporo Premium can be enjoyed on any occasion.
*Sapporo Premium is not a gluten-free product.”

The review: Yes, you guessed it, straw-colored, white head, carbonated, crisp mild drinkable beer. This is not imported from Japan, it is made in California by Anheiser Busch.

I suppose growing up in IOM and the UK has conditioned my taste-buds; I prefer stronger ales and stouts, I find these Japanese beers too light for my general consumption. The Asahi is my favorite of the three, but none of them will find a place  in my home bar. The flavor profile of all three lends themselves well to consumption with fish, since they are very light and fizzy. I suppose that’s why they are served with Sushi. These beers are certainly better than many of the Mexican brews, but are just too light for me.

I’ve left this box languising in my large gumidor for at least a year and today is the day to try one…

Packaging and presentation is classy and elegant, the cigars are all uniformly smooth with very little veinage. The ecuadorian connecticut wrapper is beautiful.

Prelight aroma is grassy with a hint of ammonia, like a milder cousin of the CAO gold. The stick is firm in hand and punches easily.

Toasting the foot liberates a pleasant and comforting blue smoke that immediately hints of the flavor profile; creamy and spicy.

First draw is quite effortless, smooth flavor fills my mouth and the cigar begins to yield a medium volume of white smoke as I continue to draw on it.

1st and 2nd third are identical, almost boringly so.

Final third of this cigar begins to concentrate flavor with a peppery infusion; leather and spice permeate with a hint of woodsmoke.

Overall smoking time is approximately 1 hour to the nub.

This is a nice mild cigar, it is probably too mild for some, but Isee this as a pleasant change of pace.

The review: When I’m in Salt Lake City, I enjoy visiting Squatters Brewpub and having a beer with friends or even visiting over diet Pepsi with my teetotalling Mormon friends. I enjoy most of the Squatters brews, especially their rauchbier and heffeweizen. I noticed and bought one of these at a little store in Phoenix today. I presume this has now been moved from the Squatters brand to Wasatch with their little merger/alliance that they’re doing. Bottle is pretty and packaging is inviting. Opening this produced an aroma of fresh bread dough with a hint of sourness. Pour was heady and dark amber. First sip was akin to burnt coffee with an oily aftertaste. Continuing to drink was an exercise in futility as it seemed to get worse with each sip.  I finally resigned this gastronomic assault after consuming half a glass. What a disappointment indeed.

This unfiltered beer pours well with a beautiful white head that certainly looks inviting. I refuse to garnish with citrus like most, so that I can truly appreciate the flavors of the brew…

This beer smells like yeast and bananas; taste is less striking than I had hoped for. This a pleasant beer that is best served chilled. It is refreshing and enjoyable.

Opening the bottle unleashes a yeasty cocoa aroma with hints of coffee. The beer pours well with a deep dark color and medium foam. The first sip is yeasty without being overpowering…slightly fruity, but restrained. The mouthfeel of this beer isn’t as cloying as some other dark beers, it is much more refreshing, and crisper than you would expect.

I like this beer, in fact, I almost love it…Guinness still remains my favorite; but this is certainly a close second.

The review: I love my Guinness, so whenever I get a chance to compare dark ales, I fall back to Guinness as a frame of reference. Turbodog hails from Louisiana and is one of many brews from the Abita beer company. I drank Turbodog from the bottle at a quaint little restaurant in Houston this week. The aroma from this beer is very intriguing; bready and sweet, but with a hint of coffee. The brew is dark and suds are creamy like the Irish stuff.  This is a 5.6% ABV brew so the alcohol isn’t obviously noticeable. First mouthful is hearty and slightly bitter, but quickly mellows into a chocolatey goodness. Mouth feel is pleasant; it is smooth and coats the tongue with yeasty flavors…it tastes a little like a chocolate babkawith a hint of espresso. Easy to drink and savor, but not a lightweight in the flavor department. I drank 6 of these over dinner with friends, so I suppose that says it all. Very nice beer.

Swirling it around, there is a deep ruby body with minor tawny yellowing at the top. First mouthful is tannic and sweet without being cloying. Holding a mouthful draws in the cheeks without being completely astringent. The alcohol is there, but nicely balanced by the fruit and adds to the exciting mouthfeel.

Nosing this port further after a few mouthfuls and allowing it to warm in the snifter, it begins to exhibit a strawberry odor with a hint of banana and pears.

Continuing to drink I find even more fruitiness with a currant undertone; even hints of tobacco and leather…this would go very well with a CAO Brazilia anaconda. – Delicious!