Midnight Sun, Anchorage, Alaska
Second Hand Smoke Stout
An 8.4% stout with 56 IBUs. Big, rich and chocolaty, this gem starts with enough hops to give an herbal backdrop to its big rich roast. The smoke is remarkably subtle, it’s used the way a master chef can use garlic without anyone knowing it’s there. A hint of very black licorice as it drinks adds to the complexity.
Midnight Sun, Anchorage, Alaska
Brew-Tally Espresso Black Beer
A 9.7% black lager with only 17IBUs. A huge, rich, creamy black lager with a cup of coffee and a bucket of chocolate, this is dangerously easy to drink. Pours with a weak head, but leaves beautiful rings of brown lace as it drinks. A sweetness that wanders in and out recalls some penny candy, but by the end the very dark roast achieves some balance even with the minimal hopping.
Post 0019. March 15, 2016. In 1977 we visited Dusseldorf for the first time and were stunned by a business we had never seen before – a restaurant that made its own beer! It would be another five years before Yakima Brewing and Malting brought the concept to the United States, but had already had places we would call brew pubs for nearly a thousand years.
The range of beers was narrow – nearly all were some form of Alt, but that was fine with us. The best Alts are chewy and nutty with just a hint of chocolate caramel in the malt. Hopping varies, but always cleanses; a delicate fruitiness testifies that it’s an ale, but nothing overwhelms.
We talked about the difficulty of making a good Koelsch in an earlier post. Ditto for the Alt style, and no surprise since it’s essentially a cousin of the truly pale ale up the river in Cologne. We’ve talked to brewers who swear the only significant difference is the darkness of the malt, but we think it’s more complex.
Dusseldorf can be a good beer drinking destination on its own, or an easy day trip from Cologne. The journey from the Hilton in Cologne to the brewing areas of Dusseldorf is almost as quick as the streetcar trip from the Hilton Dusseldorf—and you’ll be sleeping in the shadow of Cologne’s magnificent cathedral. 
Much of Dusseldorf is very modern and a bit boring, but the old town has genuine charm. We could only fit one lone wooden barrel from Dusseldorf into our book. Here are some further views of a beautiful town with beautifully drinkable beer.
Sorry for the posts we missed when we were trying to rework some things on the site. I think we’re back on track now and there should be a new US-centered post by the end of the week.
Rock Art, Morrisville, Vt.
The Vermonster Barley Wine aged in Bourbon Barrels
A monster indeed at 10%abv and 100 IBUs. Yesterday we posted one of our relatively few feuds; today we agree. In an epic battle between massive hops and woody bourbon, the bourbon wins in a split decision. Actually, but the end the bourbon smoothes the edges enough to make it a good choice for sipping by the fire in a Vermont winter.
Anchor, San Francisco
Go West! IPA
A 6.7% dry hopped IPA. Since Ellie morphed into a hop head in the 1990s, the Tuppers have rarely disagreed strongly over IPAs, but this is the exception that proves the rule. Bob loved the huge array of hops flavors that pour over a clean malt and soft chalky yeast. Anchor uses a blend of four American hops that Bob thought worked beautifully together. Ellie found it over the top and cheesy. It gets the top rating because, well, Bob’s the one who enters these. Truth in advertising: Bob:***** Ellie ***
