Full Sail Hop Pursuit Brewmaster Reserve 2011 Ale

Full Sail Hop Pursuit Brewmaster Reserve 2011, a limited offering from Full Sail Brewing, poured a cloudy, dull orange into the glass with no visible carbonation and was capped by a thin, soapy white head.  The nose carried a surprising amount of malt considering the name, but carried peppery hop aromas in equal measure.

Full Sail Hop Pursuit Brewmaster Reserve 2011 opened with a crisp, citrus start with a smaller spice profile than inferred from the nose before settling into a warm, biscuit body.  A light, lingering bitterness came in at the fade that brought the citrus a bit more forward but erased all traces of spice.

Full Sail Hop Pursuit Brewmaster Reserve 2011 is a good ale, and it would have been better served had I walked in with no expectations.  Whereas the current craft trend is to shoot for the moon in IBUs for anything with “hop” in the name, Full Sail has created something more akin to a pale ale with an admirable malt profile than a big, Northwest IPA.

Full Sail Brewing Wassail Seasonal Winter Ale

Hailing from Hood River, OR, Full Sail Brewing is likely the first craft brewer I was aware of, and they still proudly hold claim to being employee owned and operated.  In the spirit of moving towards the Spring, I'm saying goodbye to one of this year's best winter offerings (in my opinion), Full Sail Wassail.

Full Sail Wassail poured a thick, frothy yellow head on top of a mildly carbonated, almost transparent coffee colored body.  The nose was a powerhouse of citrus hops, dates, toasted malts, and smoky earth scents.

Full Sail Wassail drank big and bright, quickly leading into a smoked maple body.  The ale evolved with big, tobacco flavors making appearances and ending with a long linger of smoke and slightly-burnt bitterness. 

Full Sail Wassail manages to capture everything big and rich about a winter seasonal without getting too heavy or hard-to-drink. 

Full Sail Wreck the Halls Hoppy Holiday Ale

Full Sail Wreck the Halls Hoppy Holiday Ale, a seasonal offering from Full Sail Brewing, poured a honey color into the glass with iced tea darkness on the sides where the ale met the stick, medium white head.  The nose carried forward strong notes of pine and orange blossoms.  


Full Sail Wreck the Halls Ale opened with a slight bitterness that lingered in the background throughout the tasting experience, but a mellow orange juice flavor rode high for most of the drinking experience.  Some hints of tropical fruits came through as the ale warmed in the fade, but they were of little note in the long run.


Full Sail Wreck the Halls Holiday Ale works well because it keeps things simple.  Nothing ever jumps forward from the pack, and the whole, orange flavored experience is pleasant enough without feeling noteworthy.

Full Sail 2010 Old Boardhead Barleywine Reserve

Full Sail 2010 Old Boardhead Barleywine Reserve, a limited release from Full Sail Brewing, poured a deep honey hue with a small head, single line of lacing, and a single trail of carbonation running up on side of the glass.  The nose is led by maltballs and honey with slight tea and orange hop notes.

 Full Sail 2010 Old Boardhead Barleywine Reserve opened extremely hoppy, with dark citrus, grapefruit rind, and a carbonated prickle.  The ale never settles into malt, and stayed mostly hop-focused to the semi-bitter (pun intended) end. 

Full Sail 2010 Old Boardhead Barleywine Reserve drinks more like an Imperial IPA with an out of whack malt profile than it does a strongly hopped barley wine, which is both a weakness (from a style perspective) and a strength (from a taste and novelty standpoint).  The ale is a great introduction to the barley wine style ale for an IPA drinker, and just a fun, if iconoclastic, drink for a cold evening.