Gordon Biersch WinterBock

The final left-over beer from Gordon Biersch, the last couple of days of winter seasonals... Gordon Biersch WinterBock.

Gordon Biersch WinterBock poured with nearly no head but a sticky, yellow-aged paper foam over a crimson-highlighted auburn body.  The nose was sugar, burnt molasses, and smoke.

Gordon Biersch met my mouth with an underwhelming flatness, but quickly kicked into a smokey and dried-fig-sweet experience.  WinterBock maintained some dryness until the fade, where the sweetness significantly increased and the lager became chewier and thicker.

All in all, Bordon Biersch WinterBock hits the most important aspects of a winter seasonal (richer, earthier flavors, some spice, a little extra alcohol warmth), but it could have been much better with a bit more carbonation to liven the body and bitterness to cut the sweet finish.

Gordon Biersch Marzen Lager

When I first set the goal to taste a beer a day, I went out and stocked up for the first month or so.  Among the acquisitions was a variety pack of Gordon Biersch, a brewery I had heard about but never tried.  Their assortment (mostly German style beers) didn't appeal to me, but I picked it up to challenge myself to try beer varietals I have a prejudice to.  Of the four varietals included (such as Czech Style Pilsner, Blonde Bock, and Winter Bock), the Marzen seemed like the one I would least enjoy, so I chose that one to get out of the way.

Right out of the bottle, Gordon Biersch was a surprise, pouring a gorgeous auburn with ruby red accents with a sudsy head.  The scent in the bottle was a yeasty dough with  hints of coriander.

Drank, Gordon Biersch Marzen was bright and crisp up front with little carbonation and faded to a savory, whole wheat bread taste with no lingering bitterness.  The beer was incredibly well balanced and seemed ideally suited to a pairing with pizza.  None of the coriander I detected in the nose made an appearance in the actual taste.

Beers like the Gordon Biersch Marzen are a big part of the motivation to the year of beer... finding examples of varietals I typically pass over that provide insight as to why people who love a given variety do.  While I won't be replacing my favorite beer types for a Marzen-style beer, I can say I would heartily recommend this beer to anyone looking for a drinkable, non-hoppy beer with some dimension.

Gordon Biersch Blonde Bock

Being not too familiar with the golden/blonde bock style, I 'm doing a head-to head tonight with Sierra Nevada Glissade Golden Bock and Gordon Biersch Blonde Bock.

Gordon Biersch Blonde Bock poured a brown-tinged orange into the glass, with little carbonation or head to report.  The nose had a strong corn tortilla nose with some underlying sugar.

Gordon Biersch Blonde Bock drank surprisingly carbonated, but still thick, with a semi-sweet masa body that thickened up and becamse very toasty as the beer faded.

Gordon Biersch Blonde Bock comes across as bigger and more committed to the golden/blonde bock style than Sierra Nevada Glissade Blonde Bock, but that same virtue makes it a touch less refreshing and heavier and therefore somewhat less desirable as a session beer on a hot day.  Both beers are well made and enjoyable.

Sierra Nevada Glissade Goden Bock

Being not too familiar with the golden/blonde bock style, I 'm doing a head-to head tonight with Sierra Nevada Glissade Golden Bock and Gordon Biersch Blonde Bock.

Sierra Nevada Glissade Golden Bock, true to it's name, poured a golden, honey-yellow into the glass with light carbonation trails and a slight white head lining the edge of the glass.  The nose was a bit crisper than the Gordon Biersch Blonde Bock, with a lime and roasted corn nose.

Although Sierra Nevada Glissade is a bit subdued for a Sierra Nevada brew, it had much more hop up front and a slightly cleaner start.  Soft citrus turned to a core of sweet cornbread (much less pronounced than in the Blonde Bock) and faded to a slightly astringent linger.

I don't know that I could tell you where I landed on this head to head.  Sierra Nevada Glissade is a crisper, more refreshing brew than Gordon Biersch Blonde Bock, but seemed slightly less committed to staying true to the variety.

Oskar Blues G’Knight Imperial Red Double IPA (Gordon)

Oskar Blues has made quite a wave in Oregon and Washington over the last couple of years, brining their premium beers via aluminum cans (link worth reading) and tap.  Part of their indomitable line, originally named Oskar Blues Gordon Ale in commemoration of a firefighter who died fighting a Colorado wildfire, recently underwent a name change after being served a cease and desist from Gordon Biersch Brewing.  I made my way to Howiee’s on Front Street  for a pint of the renamed (well, not yet on the tap handle) Oskar Blues G’Knight Imperial Red Double IPA.

Oskar Blues G’Knight Imperial Red was poured from the tap and served to me a reddish-orange with light carbonation and a thin, sticky off-white head.  The nose was full of sweet citrus and subtle eariness, like a candied orange or orange liqueur..

Oskar Blues G’Knight Imperial Red followed through with the nose by bringing big, sweet orange and butterscotch flavors.  The somewhat thick mouth feel of the al was cut somewhat by a little alcohol heat and bitterness on the fade.  Smooth is a good word to describe the drinking experience.

Oskar Blues G’Knight Imperial Red joins the ranks of dangerously drinkable, high abv beers (at 8.7%, it sneaks up on you and then slams you in the back of the head by the end of the second pint).  This ale is a great and refreshing drink throughout, if maybe a bit two dimensional (I’m not sure if this is a complaint or not).

Dick's Brewing Co. Golden Ale

Today marks what I believe to be a first for me... my first time opening what must have been one thoroughly skunked beer.  I planned to revisit Gordon Biersch Brewing, this time with their Czech Style Pilsner, and immediately noticed something slightly off in the nose.  It tasted acceptable for the first second, but an aspirin-like medicinal bitterness and metallic funkiness quickly dominated... truly horrible tasting.  As the beer was bottled mid-December of last year and has been well stored since I bought it, I checked the beer in the bottle to make sure it wasn't residue in the glass... it wasn't.  Given the pleasant surprise that was their Marzen, I have to assume this wasn't the way it was meant to be tasted.  The thought of choking down the glass wasn't bearable, so I (wisely) opened a different beer.

Back to Dick's Brewing Co., the Washington brewery that wisely sells true mixed-variety 12-packs for those looking to try a little bit of everything.

Dick's Golden Ale poured surprisingly flat, with a bronze-apple juice like color and the smallest head I've ever poured in an ale.  The nose was a sour malt... mostly yeasty.

The hops made up for the lack of effervescence in the front by bringing a crisp, mineral tingle.  The initial flavors dissolved into a body of honey-wheat somewhat floral with hints of floral notes that left a pleasant toasted flavor in my mouth.  The flavors of the beer had enough depth to engage, but had strangely worn out their welcome by the end of the glass.

For someone who isn't enthusiastic about golden ales, Dick's Golden Ale came across as very middle-of-the-road.  While I criticized one of their more adventurous attempts at pushing traditional styles, this beer seems like missed potential, and offered a pleasing-enough, but pedestrian, drinking experience. 

For the sake of posterity, here's the one that really missed the mark.