Winter can be warm, with a good seasonal spiced Ale

Nothing beats beer sometimes. What has always surprised me the most about beer is how like cocktails, beer styles have just the perfect and right seasons. There are beers you should have in the Summer, beers in the Spring, beers in the Fall (Hello OKTOBERFEST!) and then a concept that was completely foreign to me... beers tailor made for a winter snug. Just like summer and winter cocktail drinks!!

There is a style of beer, spiced ales, which are known as Winter Warmers. These beers are spiced to some degree and have slightly high ABV, and are considered seasonal winter beers to have during that time. They are a great addition to curl up in front of the fire place, as your nose hits some possible malt, and tasty Christmas like spices.

Once winter disappears, these beers will be hard to find.

So how are they? Well I tried two of them. Fireside chat is from 21st Amendment Brewery in San Fransisco. Full Sail's Wassail is from Hood River Oregon.

Both are enjoyable, but I definitely have a preference for one over the other.

I don't know if it is winter yet where you are already, but I am getting a head start on the action! To find out watch the video review below of these two Winter Warmer beers.

On the road to Bridgeport and Tugboat. The imbibing trail in Portland never ends.

Leaving Rogue, my next stop was Bridgeport Brew Pub. I entered a really nice warehouse designed space, with hues of dark brown, friendly chatter, well dressed clientele, and a few families with kids. It was a very different atmosphere than the usual beer places I was at before, trying to emphasize perhaps some sophistication. Other places were more focused on beer, while here maybe you could get more?

Staff was gracious, and the place seemed more like a good restaurant than a place focused on making great beer. I can't comment on all the food but the mussels are fantastic.

Anyway, I sat down near the bar to look up and see a listing of the eight beers that were offered. The picture pretty much explains it all, here were all their beers on tap including a seasonal that was listed on the far right.

I decided to bite the bullet and try all eight beers. Considering that this was the fourth place I went out drinking I knew I had to watch myself. I did realize that I was probably not going to finish everything that was offered to me, but that's ok. The important thing was to get the taste of the beer and see how it measured up.

The imbibing results are as follows. Haymaker an Extra Pale Ale had a sour nose, very light bodied in taste and mouthfeel, with some bread on the end. It was average if I could say, the sourness threw me off. Blue Heron, a Pale Ale had a light copper color but no nose, and a small lemon taste to it. Ropewalker was a very closed bouquet virtually no nose on it of even hops or anything I could get. For me it was unfortunately not very memorable in taste. The IPA however was starting to make things a bit better. Orange smell, grapefruit finish similar to the Deschutes Inverson but not as strong. There were was no bitterness and little hops. I like to have just a little bitter but not too much in my IPA. The ESB however was fairly good, with a nice thick head, mellow taste and mouthfeel, actually a little creamy. That says a bit considering I am not an ESB fan, it wasn't bitter however. The porter is quite good, tobacco nose with some smoke. A roasty aroma in taste in the mouth with a decent finish. Hop Czar is an Imperial IPA, consisting of a good nose, hops, lemon, citrus. Taste continues those notes from hops to lemon to grapefruit in that order, and a slightly bitter finish. Quite a good one, the head though did not stick around. Last but not least was the seasonal Hop Harvest Ale, another fresh hop 1 hour beer. The nose on this was not very obvious, but it was similar in taste to the other IPA with grapefruit and lemon but hardly bitter at all.

In conclusion while there was some beer worth drinking here, I found most of the beers disappointing compared to other places I had been. "Ok we're done right?" I said to my colleague. "Naw man we got to go to Tugboat! You gonna finish that!?" he said pointing to my collection of hardly empty plastic cups. "Naw..." I admitted.. "Go ahead..."

As much as I was happy to get through the tasting, it was a good thing it took us some time to get to our next venue. I arrived at Tugboat having a hard time finding the place.

I was pretty happy though we found it, it is quite cozy inside, it resembles more of a coffee house with bookshelves and clientele looking like they should be having a latte instead of a pint.

Unfortunately, I was greeted nicely but with disappointing news. They only had one of their beers available, a stout. Well I figured I might as well have it. In the end it had a little molasses on the front nose, not much body or flavor in the mouth. There wasn't much of a head on it, it looked a little weak and perhaps past its prime. However at 14% ABV it wasn't too strong tasting, and had tastes of cocoa slightly, but also a surprising berry fruit finish. Too bad there wasn't a lot to to try here, but the female bartender was quite perky and enjoyable to be around.

Stealing spirits away from the brewery, acting like a Rogue in Portland

Rogue brewery and distillery is probably one of the most well know beer places in Portland. In my time spent in DC I would see Rogue's beers all over on the shelves. I discovered they make spirits as well, and bought a light rum of theirs which I did in a blind tasting. In that tasting I picked up a tasty rum that had a nutty almost almond component to it. It was very good. When I discovered they made gin and whiskey I knew what I wanted to sink my imbibing teeth in to if I ever visited.

I arrived at the bar, and was greeted immediately with a drink. "Here ya go", said the friendly guy behind the bar, "This is our Chateau Wet Hop." he finished placing a glass right in front me waiting for me to consume. So how about that, you walk in to the place.. and they give you free beer. The Wet Hop Ale was very grassy on the nose, but was fairly easy drinking, nothing too excited to get crazy about.

Now of course I was not going to take advantage of this and just leave oh no... There was much work to be done. Rogue I find is kind of overwhelming cause they make so much stuff it seems. Their beer list is extensive, and it's charmingly displayed with a muscle made man in various forms of dress, and always with a prominent red star displayed. Many times I can never remember which unique bottle contains what. However, I remembered that I was really intent on having the spirits here. When I glanced up at the board looking at a good spirit listing, I saw gin, rum and whiskey calling out to me.


"I'll have the Dead Guy Whiskey", I remarked, highly anticipating having more goodness. I sort of caught the bartender heading for the beer taps and then pouring. No no.. I mentioned... Whiskey... Ah he said, and grabbed me a shot. The Dead Guy Ale just so you know felt like it had a blueberry nose on it a bit with that same profile on the finish. The bartender already poured it. So what was the whiskey like?

Buttery. A very good front nose, buttery in smell and taste, and finish. It's all I could remember from it, like eating a stick of butter with some sweetness. Very tasty!

I was with someone during this time, and he ordered us oyster shooters while pounding back our bounty. He his stouts, me my whiskey, when I suddenly realized that whiskey and oysters is NOT a good food pairing by any stretch of the imagination.

Luckily when you are at the source, you can always count on help. I quickly asked the bartender for a beer that was something local, something that you probably couldn't find on the East coast (where I live). He remarked, "Try the Northwestern Ale."

AH! Perfect. He poured a great red headed copper color beer, which I quickly plunged my snout into.

Cinnamon, which was a real surprise, with a wet hoppy-ness taste and some citrus flavor. Perfect for my oyster. This was a very pleasant beer and quite surprising. I don't think I've ever had a beer that had such a distinct cinnamon nose on it.

Still I had to focus. SPIRITS man... SPIRITS... you're here for the SPIRITS... oh yeah right. I realized though that I had to pace myself. I got my colleague to order the Spruce Gin. Smooth with a piney front nose and a lemon finish, not harsh, a great tasting gin.

By this time after Clear Creek, Deschutes, and now Rogue, I was getting my fill. "Hey!" my colleague mentioned, "I need to eat" so we headed off to Bridgeport for of course... more beer and imbibing. I glanced at my watch. It was only 1:30. oh man... the day is just getting started.

AW SHOOT, why I need to come to Deschutes more often.

After having a morning breakfast of spirits (see previous blog posting), my next stop was to get some tasting and lunch.

When I first arrived in Portland I happened upon Deschutes by accident. I arrived early and had time to wait for my scheduled pickup, so I sat a nearby bar in PDX and ordered one of my favorite beer styles an IPA. It was the Inversion IPA from this brewery, and I had it on tap. It was a great beer and an explosion of grapefruit, and tasty hops. Woah! Welcome to Portland I'll say! Who are these guys? I certainly didn't hear or think of looking them up before I came.

Still the place lingered in the back of my head. I was sort of confused still about how to say their name. It didn't seem to role off the tongue easily, but the beer sure was memorable. After leaving Barista one morning I just happened to walk by their brewery just by luck in the Pearl district. Is this a sign? It was as if karma was telling me that I had to keep this place in mind. I glanced upon a perfectly hung neon sign jutting out at a perfect angle from the corner of a real nice brick building. Oh yeah, that's that place that made that tasty IPA I said to myself. Perhaps... I should... go here some time.... I made a mental note.... and walked away...

After my visit to Clear Creek I needed lunch and I wanted beer. When talking to someone the previous day, they mentioned they were at Deschutes and then started raving. DUDE they take hops from the field, in an HOUR and they are at the brewery and the make the beer right then and there man! There needed to be no more persuasion, the die had been cast. I was going to Deschutes.

I settled in and saw a great row of taps, and a beer menu that looked incredibly enticing. A sampler of six was available, and in many way I though about just getting three at a time so my beers wouldn't sit so long. But that's okay, the lunch time crowd was coming in, it was a little dark inside, somewhat noisy, there was no need to get super serious about this. I could enjoy the beer just so.

First was the Gluten Free ESB. I am not usually a fan of ESBs and the fact that this was a "Gluten-Free" ale had me confused. There were slight hops but a weak body and finish. I figured to try this one just out for curiosity of this "Gluten Free" concept, but in the end I have to say I actually didn't like this beer. In fact this was the only beer in Deschutes I had that I didn't want to drink. As I mentioned ESBs are not my thing (I did have a slightly better ESB at Bridgeport). That's okay I figured there were more. Next I had the Fresh Hop Mirror Pond, described from the menu as a staff favorite. This was pretty amazing. An apple like fruit nose with chewy hops, tasting of a squash body (much like Hair of the Dogs "Greg") nutty and a sweet finish. Finally things started getting good. Next was King Cone... oh man a nice wonderful slight smoke on the nose, transforming into pine (that was mentioned in the description and I agree with it). Citrus in finish but also has some resin and a lingering great hop taste. This was really impressive beer and much fun to be imbibing.

I was set on tasting the rest when suddenly someone approached me. "Excuse me?" I glanced up to see a young woman staring at me. "Oh hi!" I said... not sure what to say next, did this person work here? The young woman asked if I was a beer reviewer since she saw me across the room dunking my nose and writing notes. I told her about the blog and my writings, and she was from Napa and worked for a winery. We both loved the beer here and she felt the Mirror Pond also tasted like Schnapps. We shared great conversation about Napa and the Pinot Noirs here and had a nice chat. Hopefully if she is reading this she can send me her contact info of where she works. It was a nice chat.

Shortly after our conversation ended I sat to work on the next three beers. Summer's Gone Saison had a bitter nose, peppery as described and fruity. Is this a HefeWeizen? There was one on the menu and this sure looked and smelled like one. Tasting the beer it was lemony and also tasted like one. It was good it did feel like more alcohol perhaps than the Hefe so I guess this is it, but it sure felt like at first I was served the wrong thing.

Jubelale was next, dark and tasty agreed with the description provided, thrusting my pencil underlining hop bitterness on the menu, and detecting a faint anise in the aftertaste.

And with all that I finished with the Hop trip, perfectly as described with a fruit nose (couldn't pick that fruit out), and a chewy wet mouthfeel.

I settled back and took stock of great fresh hop beer much satisfied. I was set to leave when I just decided to take in the menu again looking up at the board above. Something jumped up at me that I had missed. "Cask IPA".

Shit... I was all set and packed away and ready to go (someone had called and I was meeting them shortly) when I realized I needed to try a sample. I quickly asked for it and then set to trying it out. Oh my god... a nose and taste loaded with hops, fruit, grapefruit, a buttery taste even some caramel. This had to be the only cask beer I have had that reminded of Bourbon characteristics, Butter, caramel, some oak... dear god it was good. I wanted a pint, a big friggin glass of this right then and there. Unfortunately I couldn't stay, and that was torture defined... right there. I have returned home since this write up, and I still think of that little glass sitting on the edge of the bar between me and the door, how I wish I could go back and fill it up right now. I still think about this place, I am thinking about it RIGHT NOW... and it's killing me. I want that cask IPA so bad. Somehow I will return for it and I will not ignore Deschutes any longer. Forgive me for not noticing you earlier for I have sinned, and I will come back to the chapel and repay in kind for not noticing you earlier.

Up the creek in Portland's Alphabet neighborhood. Water of life no paddle needed

While I was at House Spirits I was asked if I was going to make my way to Clear Creek. Clear Creek? I said, I hadn't heard of it. Turns out Clear Creek was one of the earliest distilleries in the Portland area, producing Eau Di Vies and the occasional Single Malt McCarthy's whiskey. Whiskey? They make Whiskey??? I was sold and had to visit. I needed no more excuses and set out for an early visit.

Opening at 9 it was to be my first stop. A bike was out of the question cause that would be a bit of a ride from downtown, so I hopped on a #15 bus and enjoyed a simple easy drive through Portland's beautiful Alphabet district. Arriving at a strong locked metal warehouse door, only available to enter if I hit a buzzer, I thought I should have been a delivery person rather than dropping by for a tasting. Nevertheless, I was greeted with much warmth and enthusiasm by the staff.

Clear Creek makes several Eau de Vies (translation water of life). You can think of these as after dinner drinks or commonly known as digestifs. They make brandys (pear, apple, plum) but there is also a Kirschwasser, a Framboise, and a spirit I'll get to reviewing shortly an Eau de Vie of Douglas Fir which takes pine needless from the forest and pear fruit. The company also makes, grappa, a signature pot still brandy, and a very well known single malt whiskey which when I was visiting was just being tested and going through a process of adding more barrels to get more peat smell out of it. More on that later also....

There were lots of products to taste so I couldn't figure out at first how this could be achieved. There was no way I could taste all of this properly. Turns out there was a way, the establishment by law is only allowed to let people try 5 things, so they give you a passport with all their products and you are to select 5 products for tasting. The whiskey unfortunately wasn't available... GRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!! First off it isn't ready yet, and secondly chances are when it gets released at the store it will be gone FAST and there wont be much chance to just have some of it so come November you better come fast.

I settled in on their signature product the Pear Brandy, and decided on three grappas (Muscat, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Noir), and then finishing up with the Douglas Fir Eau Die Vie. The pear brandy is quite fascinating, it is a clear liquid brandy that they recommend serving ice cold from the freezer. There isn't anything else you can really detect but bountiful pears and a great finish, but the reality is the pear taste and smell is so ingeniously fruity that while you are consuming this brandy you feel as the skin is physically in your mouth. It's a pear bonanza, and doesn't taste fake or artificial at all, it's the real deal!

I decided on trying three grappas next. I normally don't drink grappa, but I wanted to compare three different kinds to see if there was any real difference between the grape varieties. There were some slight differences. The Muscat seemed a little piney-resiny maybe floral, the Noir had a better finish with perhaps some type of nut on the end, the Gewurztraminer had a softer palate than the other three, some sort of faint fruit on the end I couldn't discern. Nevertheless, the reality is they were all very similar and tasted well... like grappa.

I was very excited to try the next product when suddenly the owner/distiller Steve McCarthy came out with a large snifter. He was talking with the staff and just pulling barrels to check, and using other barrels to blend because he felt the whiskey needed more peat. His intention as was told to me by his staffer, was to add other barrels to it to improve the peat strength. He went up to the host who was running the tasting, "what do you think?", nearly ramming and shoving the snifter enthusiastically. I stood there like a deer in the headlights looking at what was to be the future, as the staff congregated around him swapping ideas of the whiskey. I figured there was no harm in doing what I was about to do next. I figured I wouldn't be overstepping my boundaries if I asked what I was about to say. The snifter and its owner were slowly making its way to the back of the warehouse, heading to the back where all the barrels and steel columns and all the magic happened... never to be seen again by my eyes. It was NOW or never....

I asked two things. One, if I could smell the bouquet, and two if I could take a photo. Luckily they said yes. Keep in mind this whiskey is not ready.

The smell had an incredible intense campfire smoke to it, it also had somewhat a bacon like aroma. The fascinating thing, and I am not sure after tasting a bunch of grappa that this helped me judge the quality of it, I smelled sweet grapes coming off the bouquet. I figured that couldn't be coming from the whiskey but from my own palate of the grappas I had consumed. It was really wonderful!!! Alas the grape smell of pure true grapes threw me in the end, I am not sure I'll ever know, but it was a fantastic sensation.

So after the brief whiskey sneak peek, it was on to tackle the Douglas Fir Eau de Vie. The appearance of the liquer is quite impressive. It has a very pale gorgeous emerald green color to it similar to absinthe except it looks much nicer. I was concerned that this would taste VERY resiny and extremely strong, since that is how evergreen and dried pines kind of smell and taste. It was anything but, it has a slight fruit taste which comes from pear that is made with it, and does have the faint whisper of pine and evergreen. It's a real neat product, I am not sure it is for everyone, but I already have an idea for a cocktail with this product which I can't wait to try out sometime soon.

After imbibing such good stuff, I couldn't leave empty handed. This was a real unexpected find and one I am glad I found at the last minute. Too bad the whiskey will have to wait (even if it is a Scotch) :)

In Portland it's always good to go bite the dog that bit ya!

I had rented a bicycle for the day to get around easily in Portland. As much as Portland is a bike friendly town, renting a rickety cheap cruiser, and then wandering around the warehouse industrial area of SE Portland aimlessly was not exactly what I had in mind. Much of the city seems to be constantly under road repair, and while I was trying to kill about 20 minutes before my next imbibing conquest was to happen, I seemed to be just annoying road crews by going up and down the streets with no sense of purpose. One place name Roots Organic I could not find. I approached another cyclist saying HEY! Where is Roots Organic around here? (I knew according to my map it was near). Oh you're close, I thought I heard him say. OH I am close okay... where? No no no he stammered back at me... they are CLOSED.. They went out of business 2 weeks ago. But for my luck Hair of the Dog was still around! Luckily for me, arriving right at the opening of Hair of The Dog brewery and tasting room was well worth the wait. I luckily found this much earlier in the day getting VERY confused trying to locate it on Google Maps, and postings from the website saying that the directions provided online are incorrect. Somehow things weren't jiving, and I am not one to get lost easily, but I figured getting on the other side of the river I would find it. As soon as I crossed over the bridge on my bike, it showed up right in front of my face. It is a brown building on the corner of SE Yamhill St. and SE Water Avenue, just as you come riding over the Morrison Bridge. It's as if the beer gods were giving me good karma. The good thing about arriving as soon as they were opened was that there was nobody there. This actually I found out later was a rare occurrence, most of the time as soon as they would open the place, they would be busy as the staff told me later. The first thing I noticed was the roof was being repaired. The building is an old warehouse from 1907-08 that has needed roof work for sometime. There were a few loud blasts from upstairs but most of the time I sat in a large totally empty tasting room with just the proprietor, the bartender and myself to take in the day. I had no other places to really go for a few hours, there was no rush, this was the perfect beer tasting possibility ever given to me. It was empty, and dead quiet with NOTHING to distract me. It took me some time with help from the bartender to figure out the menu and what to taste and I quickly figured out to sample the 6 made beers. The beers go by straightforward names, given by the brewmaster who I also learned from the bartender serving me, is also a trained chef. I usually grab in order of higher alcohol but just went down the list for tasting as listed on the menu. The first beer I tried "Greg" a beer made without hops and winter squash, has a fairly closed nose on it. The mouthfeel though was a bit wet, but it was full of interesting tastes. There was a little sweetness, a slight nutyness on the aftertaste, somewhat even buttery but a crisp finish. In fact it had a very summery feel much like a crisp white wine. Quite impressive. The second beer "Blue Dot" a Double IPA, was also very good. Oregon just seems to make great IPAs and this is no exception. Nice not overbearing hoppy nose, not too bitter on the finish, some fruit in taste, but the aftertaste gives way to a lingering "berry-type" of fruit I couldn't put my finger on. "Fred" beer, with it's cloudy opaqueness was also another treat. A very fruit nose that smelled specifically of tropical fruit mango. Excellent body and mouthfeel with a very sweet honey taste, even at 10% ABV the beer doesn't feel too heavy.

Finally it was time to taste the next three. "Adam" is the flagship beer of the brewery. It has more of a nose of molasses, with a faint chocolate smell. The taste was leathery with a very faint tobacco finish. The Doggie Claws '09 Barley wine, consists of a reddish copper color, and has a nose of Christmas spices. It really smelled like Christmas, nutmeg, sweetness, cinnamon almost. In contrast I was thinking it would be really sweet but it wasn't really (which is good) finishing off with a taste of honey, and having the hops come through in the aftertaste.

Last was the "Little Dog" was last which had a nearly ashy smoke bouquet, and possibly a faint apricot nose to it. The other notable thing about this beer was that it had still to some extent a crispness like the "Greg" beer. I was very impressed by the beers, they really gave the impression of a brewmaster who was in his craft, and making something unique, without getting too crazy. There are more Portland adventures to write about so stick around!

Enter the house that Portland is building. Sprits begin to dominate the Oregon landscape

While on the imbibing conquest in Portland there were many things to be aware of. Portland is full of microbreweries, it is home to a great Pinot Noir wine growing region. The thing though that many people may not be aware of is that it is home to some great spirit makers as well.

I set out to hit House Spirits, a distillery in Portland that makes primarily Aviaton Gin. This was actually a surprise to me, since in the DC area I would see that gin occasionally on shelves, and even in bars. It's a very good tasting gin by the way, but I must admit I never tried it until I came here. It has a solid but not overpowering lemon nose to me, and has some distinct anise on the finish, smooth, not overbearing. A good tasting gin, also one that seems would handle cocktails very readily as well.
However, my first pursuit was the whiskey that they make. I was invited to a tasting by two young men, Matt and Colin, who have all the enthusiasm and youth and vigor that is needed to be successful entrepreneurs. Both of them were polite, and willing to answer any questions about their product, and were proud of the work they have done. I inquired about the tasting of the whiskey being very excited to be there, but they began to mention a few things first. First, they only had a white dog available for tasting, 100% malted barley spirit pot distilled, and had just started to bottle their Slab Town whiskey of 40% malted spirits and 60% grain spirits. They also offer Vodka and Aquavit for tasting and Shochu as well. I was very tempted to taste the Shochu, but it would have been a bit much for everything going on today. So my apologies for not discussing it, but more importantly I've never had Shochu yet! (sake and soju and dongdong ju yes), and it would truly be a beginners tasting for me as well so I figured this wasn't the time for it. But there was much to indulge in.
While I have had only a few white dog whiskeys (two to be precise), there's was quite unique, it had the profile of a white whiskey, heat, some sugar taste, but it had a nose that reminded me more of Grappa, than the traditional corn whiskey I've had in the Virginia region. This was quite a surprise and I really enjoyed it. However, their slab town whiskey was even a bigger surprise. As it was described to me at 80 proof it would be light bodied, but also creamy. What? I thought to myself.. no whiskey isn't "creamy", milk is creamy, creme brûlée is creamy, cream ales are "creamy". Creamsicles are kind of "creamy" not whiskey right?? Well this my friends... is a great finishing CREAMY whiskey. It has hints of brown sugar on the nose and while being light bodied at 80 proof is full of flavor. This was a moment of pure enjoyment and made a trip on rickety bicycle all worth it. I started feeling excited for this product and I soon realized talking with the guys over a bigger caramel nose print of uncut whiskey that they might be on to something. Think of.. as described to me by my wonderful host, the concept of a North-West Whiskey. Whiskey is synonymous with a few regions in the US when we might think of whiskey such as Jack Daniels, Makers Mark, etc.. that people are known to want. What if suddenly people wanted North West Whiskey? What if it was different? What if you made a distinct product that put a stamp on the region you lived in? Wouldn't that be exciting to be on the cusp of something that great?
I am not sure where this is going, all I do know is that this was a very enjoyable product to have and if you like whiskey PERIOD you should seek it out. The bottles are designed to mimic the old school apothecary period, where medicinal remedies would sit on shelves to ail all your cures. To me those old bottles looked like serious poison in the wrong hands, something of importance, even the standard Government Warning Label on these bottles sits prominently as to note the "seriousness" of the contents coming forth. For me though, they make a bigger statement than pointing out possible "poison" as old medicine bottles were able to do. As the one bottle sits across from me as I type this it simply states, Warning... hands off... this is mine. Slab Town Whiskey is being released at House of Spirits this Saturday October 9th 2010. Get some before it's gone.

Espresso time again? What? How Portland has mocked me so...

The mantra still rings true. As my wife had said, it's easier to get an espresso in Oregon than it is a gallon of gas. I awoke to start on a very busy day all set to hit the imbibing trail. Maps and scribbles were in tow, the location of the bike rental was set, geometric internal compass was calibrated, all that was needed was.. a morning fix. I wrote earlier about another great coffee place earlier called Barista. Well I figured I would be done with nice coffee places and figured things would be more low key today as I asked the front desk at my hotel where I could go close by to get a good cup of coffee and perhaps a snack.

"Oh you should head to Public Domain, just go this way on Broadway and turn right and you'll see it." mentioned the hotel staffer. I arrived and figured out... well... why didn't I come here first (simply cause it was closer to where I was staying). I approached the front and saw a similar sign. Here are the "espressos" available. Oh god please no... I can't do this again... This time there were 4, and I had no time to try them all.

I jokingly mentioned to the staff that I would try all four if I had the time. "Oh well...", she said. "Actually if you come later today on Thursdays we have espresso happy hour between 4 and 6. It's half off."

Now this was beginning to sting. It was as if Portland was beginning to punish and mock me.

I did notice the weather had changed also. It was no longer a sunny day, clouds roared in hinting of a large rain pour to come, and there was a chill in the air. Perhaps this was a sign that things were too good to be true, and that dourness could come at any time in imbibing. I quickly saw lemon zest as an item and asked for the Peru San Ignacio. And there it was just like the last lemony espresso I had, only bolder. Good lord how is this possible??? It was an espresso lovers dream to be in these places. I glanced at the machine saying to the barrista, "yeah I can't quite make this at home I guess huh!" He smiled and replied, "well a machine like this one costs about several thousand so don't expect to", he cloyingly mentioned in playful terms. He did say the model name which escaped me. The name however did sound more like an Italian high end sports car, than anything that should be making espresso. Which probably explains why the name of my machine at home sounds more like a lawnmower. Public Domain is located at 603 SW Broadway in downtown Portland.

For grace go with I and my date with Owen. Oregon's Pinot Noirs dominate Willamette valley as treasure to behold.

I love wine. God I love wine. There is so much to discern and enjoy when drinking wine that for me it is very easy to get overwhelmed. When visiting Oregon and the Willamette valley (to pronounce that correctly think of saying DAMIT! then WIL-AM-ETT!) which is known for it's Pinot Noirs, it's an experience of sensory greatness you don't mind. My other imbibing conquest while visiting the Portland area had to be wine. Pinot Noirs from this area are very well known and respected. The area is also getting known for it's other wines such as the Pinot Gris, Pinot Blancs and occasional Rieslings as well. This is without surprise because they are exceptional. Now I am not a huge Pinot Noir fan but I can see why this varietal here is so enjoyed. I could write about this for ages but I'll just have to keep it brief as I can, my note scribbles after 5 winery visits are chaotic, and it's just difficult sometimes to remember everything after tasting so much. I will try to get to the highlights as best I can describing my adventure. I will put up pictures of my notes along with the wineries which you can read which I hope will help, keep in mind that everyone has different palates, and you may not be able to make sense out of my scribbles. In a strange way to me though they do make sense. Well lets just get to the point. First if I could be blunt. NOTHING sucked, and secondly just about everything we had was an exceptional product. Yes I know that is probably not a good and intelligent way of describing and espousing the wonders that we enjoyed so let me continue further. The first place I went to was Four Graces with four wines to try (they were out of the Pinot Blanc it had been going fast!). The 2008 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir personally was my favorite at this place. It was very much as described by the write up given, but it even felt like it had slight faint hints of sweet tobacco and tea. It may have been my favorite of all the Pinot Noirs I tried because nothing was overbearing. However, there was more to visit, and while going up and down 99W everything was just a hop skip and a jump to go to the next winery. We arrived at Four Graces early (right when it opened) and many people were arriving just as we were leaving. It was getting VERY busy so it was a good time to go, but I certainly had to talk to a guy who was wearing a Four Roses hat to ask him about his trip to that Bourbon distillery. In short he said it was great, plus in a real beautiful place. Sometimes on the wine road you run in to other great tips!!!
My next stop was Dobbes Family Estate, which involved quite a selection. At this winery we tasted the most wines out of all the ones we visited.
Wines that stuck out in my memory and my notes were a simple 2009 Wine by Joe Pinot Blanc that had slight grass notes, tropical fruit, and a slight whiff of cane sugar. A 2008 Skipper's Cuvee Pinot Noir subtle bouquet with a great mouthfeel, soft, and with a finish and taste of chamomile or some other type of herbal tea. "How are things?" the woman behind the counter asked. After only 2 visits and several wines so far there was nothing to complain about whatsoever, and I instantly got jealous. This is because the closest wine region near me is Virginia, which while has its moments is just not on par with this region.
I closed the tasting at Dobbes with their "Mirror Image". It is essentially a Ruby Port, but they are not allowed to write or use the term PORT on their wine bottle. It has a huge strawberry type fruit nose on it to me, but it's not as sweet in taste as most ruby ports I've had, it even had a slight caramel finish. This was a ruby port I really enjoyed (I normally prefer Tawny's cause they are usually to me not as sweet and have more caramel toffee finishes that I enjoy).
Where was I heading next? Oh yeah... there were several to choose from, a place named Daedalus Cellars grabbed my attention. Problem was our basic wine region map was seriously lacking in details about where to find certain places. "Where is this place it should be right THERE" I said driving up an down back and forth, only to realize that one of their signs was really camouflaged on the side of the road, in a very small corner. Daedalus was hard to find, being in a really small location that could easily be missed, but it certainly is worth going to. For one thing you get to meet Marmadukes brother.
Upon entering the premises we were greeted by a giant great Dane who was very curious about us. And yes he was huge. However, as enjoyable and as much as I love dogs, and I never get to see dogs this big if ever, there was much wine hunting to do. There was a 2007 Maresh Vineyard Pinot Noir that had no fruit on it's bouquet to me but had this perfect smell of pipe tobacco. It reminded me of the old pipe ashtray stand my dad kept in the living room as a young kid before he broke that habit. However, there was a standout dessert wine made from Riesling grapes that was quite unique. Their 2008 Sweet (Dessert) Riesling is huge on apricots in the nose, not just apricot but DRIED to the rind apricot. It's as if the rind has been just getting baked in the sun and it burst with intensity. In the taste were peach notes and it didn't feel too high in sugars. It was a nice surprise to also find this wine offered at a local lunch establishment later.
By now it was close to our scheduled appointment. This for me wasn't just any appointment, it was something I had been hoping and planning for several months. So far the three places we visited were all open to the public with no appointments necessary. The next winery we were going to was by appointment only. About two years ago, I was at a wine tasting and had this incredible wine from a place called Owen Roe. Now off the top of my head I can honestly not remember what that wine was or its vintage, but it was one of the most favorite wines I ever had. I always felt if I had an opportunity to be in Oregon and the Portland area I HAD to visit. I made arrangements and spent weeks anticipating this. Problem was I thought I'd never find it. We drove and drove and we were getting late... oh dear god no PUHHLLLEAZE let me find this place! I called to make sure they knew we were still coming. I felt like I was ruining a date with a beautiful woman. We did find it, and they were not disappointed by our lateness whatsoever. In turn I tasted fantastic wine such as their 2008 Yakima Valley having hints of black tea, dirt/earth, and then giving way to a bouquet of a giant cigar box. AHhh... I was in my element.... But wait there was more. Our host brought out grapes for us which she described and allowed us to eat. This was the first time this ever happened when I visited a winery and it was a real pleasant surprise. She described that the proprietor picks these when they are really dimpled and the seed are big and have a nice crunch to them. And those seeds crunch! The grapes were just delicious unlike anything I've ever had a chance to sink my teeth into. Long story short, I bought a lot of wine here. After enjoying the grounds though I had to realize that I couldn't stay here all day in this cool sun Oregon day. DOESN'T IT RAIN IN PORTLAND?!?!? I keep asking myself.. Isn't it suppose to cold wet and miserable all the time??? This hardly felt like it at all. After devouring a fantastic lunch at Farm To Fork in Dundee we had one more place to go. We set out for Eyrie vineyards tasting room further on down the road one of the first and oldest vineyards in the Oregon area. I soon began to realize we never seemed to leave this highway.
We arrived very late and were the last people to arrive before closing. We were greeted by an older Frenchman I guessed from his accent who was more than happy to indulge us. It was more of the same great goodness as always. Here though the bouquets were very unique. I was asked my opinion of the first wine we tasted in comparison between two years. It was I "think" a Pinot Gris off pictured to the left in my photo (90 points), comparing 2007 and 2008. I mentioned that the first was more fruit forward, but the second bottle's nose was dramatically different and masked by some type of smoke characteristic. He looked at me in a way of amazing fascination. "Please hold on", he said. I figured oh oh what's going on? The man grabbed a handle from nearby to pour himself a quick glass from a machine that essential resembled a soda fountain for adults. He was testing both wines. "Please sir" I said, "nothing is wrong with them" in just a quick remark, figuring that he thought maybe I was complaining (this is something I would never try to do). He replied back to me, expunging into a boston shaker, "you're comments are really interesting to me." Really??? Suddenly I was engaged in a real serious discussion and he was engaging me in every wine we tried. Some of the things he talked about involved me picking out fruit more prominent compared to barrels, or vintage, but I have to admit he was getting into some real specifics that get into the nitty gritty of making wine that I just couldn't keep up with and went over my head. He used a term that at first threw me in contrasting the two vintages. He said this one is much "rounder". Ironically as soon as he said this the first thing that popped into my head was the word.. no joke... "beachball". what? Wines don't have beachballs what's going on here? I had to sit and think about what he was saying and he was right, it was a bigger profile I guess, although it didn't explain this faint smoke almost ashen air I got off this one glass. We moved on to the NV La Luz which I thought had this tart rotten fruit smell almost like a rotten crabapple hinting at a buried brown sugar sweetness (that's not a bad thing). The gentlemen once again grabbed a taste to compare and talk with me again, we were in some real good discussion about comparisons. By the time we got to the Daphne, and other Pinot Noirs, the bouquets on these were really unique from the other cherry, berry, plum, fruit, spice notes of the other Pinot Noirs we tasted previously from other makers which were still stamping their mark as Oregon Pinots. When I mentioned two of the Pinots had a sweet red vermouth quality to them, one of them on the nose literally smelled like Campari without the bitterness, he was grabbing at the soda fountain quickly. I figured I was going to drive this guy insane, but he was actually just having a good time as we talked at length about what was in front of us. We bought a bottle 2005 Pinot Noir Reserve, made from a clone (Pommard), to me it had hints of rosehip tea very faint though not overpowering. The gentlemen pointed to pictures of regions where we were tasting our wine from, asking us our personal favorites, sometimes excitedly pointing as if he could tell which branch of that vine it was coming from. Something really struck me about this even though we were the last people there and they had closed. I got the most pleasant vibe that this person just didn't want us to leave. With that we settled back only to be reminded of what a good wine region and its people can offer. A place like Oregon and the people who inhabit it make this all incredibly worthy and memorable.

Starting out in a Portland morning the right way. Breakfast espresso hits the spot

One thing about imbibing, not everything is limited to spirits, beer and wine. For when I want to start my morning off right I want an espresso, and I want a good one.

This for me is very hard. Try as I might I can't duplicate the technique much to make the perfect espresso yet. It probably has more to do with my machine which is ok, but it is a little limited in making quality espresso that you can find in most coffee shops. I got my grind, tamps, all that but something else needs to better. Or maybe it's just me...

However, I figured that if I am in Portland before hitting the wine trail, I should definitely be able to find good coffee, and luckily I did. Nevertheless, my wife didn't doubt I'd have any problem with this hunt. She had arrived to the area earlier, traveling around a bit and succinctly told me, "In Oregon it's easier to find an espresso, than a gallon of gas!"

I walked through downtown Portland, a most easily walkable city to go to Barista. Not only was there espresso ... there were choices. I approached the counter surrounded by young urban hipsters, yoga mats, manicured framed glasses and tattoos everywhere. "What will you have?" a young man asked me across the counter. Pretty much all the baristas behind the counter were all decked out in tattoos along with their patrons. The vibe was infectious, enjoyable, cheery, full of warmth.

"I'll have a double espresso" which is what I always ask for, only to cheerily be greeted with,

"What kind?"

In all my espresso hunts this has NEVER happened to me. What kind? I get a CHOICE? Suddenly my mind clicked back to a board posted in the area I saw earlier. I had arrived early enough, the lines kept growing behind me, I needed to make a decision, this was not a time to be dilly dallying with locals behind me desperate no doubt for their caffeine fix and not ready to be patient for this "outsider" to make up his mind. :) In the end there was only one way to do this.

"Pick one for me!" I said with enthusiasm and jumping for joy. With that the barrista behind the counter felt enthralled to be putting his personal spin and opinion in front of me.

I was given the Hairbender, described as having toffee and citrus notes. It was presented with one big brown dark piece of crema that I don't think I've ever seen on an espresso. It was pretty intense and I realized that searching for the notes of aroma and flavors was fun, but it was just better to consume it and just take in the Pearl District with the sun blaring in my face. Never in my life have I had a great cup of coffee while wearing Ray Bans indoors but there are firsts for everything. Isn't is suppose to RAIN in Portland all the time? It became apparent that I was presented with an opportunity. I had the ability to try all of these which in a short morning span I would normally never do. But heck... I figured I'll try the other one. I ordered the "black cat" searching for peanut butter, only to find similar notes as the first one but not as enjoyable a taste. However, this was fun and I think I just had more enjoyment going up to the counter just as an excuse to talk to the baristas who seemed genuinely pleased to see me back.

"You again?" one quipped. "Yeah I guess I am back, now I guess I'll have to try all three!" It seemed I was overdoing it but these things happen when on vacation. The black cat seemed to lack more of the complex aromas the board described, but everything was just excellent so far. My eyes glanced to the far side of the counter where the bags of coffee were all for sale, except for the first one I tried. It made me feel like I wanted that first espresso more. By this time though there was no turning back. I returned asking for the Helsar. "Here" the barista replied, "This one's on the house". So there you have it free coffee!
More importantly it was the best one. While it had the similar profile as the other 2, it had to me a distinct fruit finish specifically of bitter lemon. This was pretty amazing since many times when having espresso you are served a slice of lemon rind. I am never sure what to do with those, but I always love chewing on them after I finish my coffee to freshen up my mouth. I've heard all sorts of theories as to what you're supposed to do with them, or where the came from, but chewing on them afterwords just seemed to make the most sense. Perhaps if I am wrong, I probably don't care cause now I am so use to it. While imbibing this espresso though, it was as if the lemon rind was being tasted after the coffee's lingering finish. Wow pretty dang impressive!
Now espresso is not for everyone I think, and I don't think many people were ordering it just straight as I was. But there were plenty of nice looking latte foam art to be had. One person was kind enough to let me take a pic of his coffee. OH DUDE shoot I spilled part of it I am so sorry man! Apologizing to me for your coffee? oh heck no need man. Before I knew it, he was suggesting I should come around when the owner was in, or talk to so and so (I forget to be exact). I soon began to realize that in Portland people really actually like to have conversation.

Problem was I couldn't stick around because a) I had to hit the wineries and pick up the rental car b) I had 3 shots of extreme coffee and was wired beyond believe that if I had more I would probably never shut up talking to this guy.

The reality is there are only so many espressos you can have in a day. No I take that back, there are only so many espressos you can savor... IN A HALF HOUR. The good news, is if you're lucky maybe you can find a place that makes a real good one, or just try to grab a bag and see if you can do it better yourself at home. I think I know already that answer, but I'll let you know how it goes... and I always add a bit of sugar, cause I am not that hardcore... ya know ;)