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).

Oskar Blues Gubna Imperial IPA

Oskar Blues Gubna Imperial IPA, probably the first beer I tried from Oskar Blues several years ago when they first hit Southern Oregon, poured the cloudy hue of green tea, with loads of carbonation trailing to a big, loose white head.  The nose was led by pineapple, mango, and apple with an underlying bitterness.


Oskar Blues Gubna IPA opened with a juicy apple and pineapple start that was too quickly kicked into gear by a strong alcohol heat.  An otherwise sweet malt backbone was somewhat undermined by a rising bitterness in the fade.  


All in all, Oskar Blues Gubna Imperial IPA is a delicious, if somewhat rough and uneven, IPA that comes closer to Russian River's Pliny the Elder than it does the typical "bigger and more of the same" Imperial IPAs offered by most brewers.  The high price of admission is a bit of a turn off, but by the second can, you'll forget to care.

Oskar Blue Ten Fidy Imperial Stout

Oskar Blues Ten Fidy Imperial Stout, the biggest and darkest offering from Oskar Blues,  poured an impenetrable black into the glass, with a huge, orange-tinged latte head.  The nose consisted of black licorice, herbs, mild coffee, and light campfire smoke.  


Oskar Blues Ten Fidy Imperial Stout opened with a creamy mouthfeel that was surprisingly bright and fruity.  The fruits quickly darkened and licorice came through, followed almost immediately by a coffee and burnt grains flavor alongside a sugary sweetness and lingering burnt sugar note.  All the flavors were bold and aggressive, but the stout never betrayed the 10.5% abv.


Oskar Blues Ten Fidy Imperial Stout is not for the weak of heart or palette, and is without a doubt the most nuanced and complex beer I've ever tried out of a can.  Then Fidy is one of the biggest, richest Imperial Stouts you will likely put to your mouth, and it behooves  everyone to give it a shot.

Oskar Blues Mama's Little Yella Pils

Mama's Little Yella Pils, a canned pilsner offering from Oskar Blues, poured a transparent gold into the glass with light carbonation an a small, bright white head.  The nose was fairly standard for a pilsner, with maybe a bit more peppery noble hops and apple detectable than is style-typical.


Oskar Blues Mama's Little Yella Pils opened with notes of crisp apple and a soft rind bitterness.  The center was very dry and malty, and there were hints of corn in the background.  The pilsner ended on an extended dry fade with a bit of the bitterness coming back through.  


Although the pilsner style isn't something I go to often, Oskar Blues Mama's Little Yella Pils is the one I go to when I need to scratch the itch.  It's fresh tasting, light, and always cold.

Caldera Brewing Hopportunity Knocks Ale

Now that the boutique "beer-in-a-can" movement has some traction, it's not uncommon to see good beer in an aluminum pop-top (Big Sky Brewing, Oskar Blues, and even Fat Tire from New Belgium Brewing), but Caldera Brewing Co in Ashland, OR has been selling their quality brews in cans for 13 years now.  Their reason?  It's easier (and lighter) to pack out after an outdoor activity and cans are allowed in venues glass isn't.  I've always been a fan of their IPA, which perfectly balances strong, hoppy pine with thirst-quenching drinkability, so after a flight at the Caldera Brewing Tap House I grabbed a bottle of Hopportunity Knocks, part of their seasonal, 22oz. only beers to get my hop on.

Hopportunity Knocks poured a slightly cloudy orange into the glass, with copious small carbonation streams and a medium-sized, white head.  The ale was mostly sweet lime with light pine in the nose, and fairly subdued.

Hopportunity Knocks had a bright and crisp start, successfully bringing plenty of hop flavor without the aggressive bitterness.  There were hints of lime and tropical fruit that came through, and it ended on an earthy note of dried nectarines, plum, and tobacco.  

Hopportunity Knocks is probably one of  the most delicate big-flavor beers I've tried this year.  As such, it's a pleasure getting through the first bottle, but a night full of Hopportunity would be fatiguing.  It's occasionally nice to have a big-flavored beer without a double-digit ABV.