Deschutes Brewery Hop in the Dark Review: Dark and Hoppy

Hop in the Dark
Deschutes Brewery, Bend, OR
http://www.deschutesbrewery.com/

Deschutes Brewery Hop in the Dark at a Glance
Style: Cascadian Dark Ale
Appearance: Darth Vader Black
Aroma: Pacific Northwest hops and lots of them
Taste: Big roasted malts
Verdict: A worthy example of a challenging new style

Everything about my initial experience confused me. Hop in the Dark looks like a porter. It is black-coffee dark in color with a lovely tan head. Hop in the Dark also smells like a port...wait, no it doesn't. It smells like a big American Double IPA. What the hell is going on?

Tasting the beer cleared nothing up. My tongue was as confused as my nose. The first sip presented big, complex flavors that went from hops to bitter roasted malts to hops again, the bitterness of the hops lasting longer than the bitterness of the roasted malts.The tongue twister that Hop in the Dark put my mouth through gave me the respite I needed to admire the look of the beer again: the head lingered nicely and left ample lacing on the sides of the glass.

Almost no one will like Hop in the Dark. It is definitely not a beginner's beer. You would have to be a fan of both porters and double IPAs to even have a shot with this dark alchemy. Furthermore, you would have to enjoy them mixed together. I opened this beer after drinking a Stone Arrogant Bastard and it still kicked my ass. For the adventurous though, I highly recommend a dance with Hop in the Dark. Your bravery will be rewarded with big, unexpected flavors.

-Ryan

Style: Cascadian Dark Ale/Black IPA
ABV: 6.5%
IBU: 70
Availability: Western US and Northern America (BC). I got my sample from Total Wine & Spirits

Snark Double Team, Part II: Karl Strauss Amber Lager Review

Amber Lager
Karl Strauss Brewing Company, San Diego, CA
http://www.karlstrauss.com/

Karl Strauss Amber Lager at a Glance:
Style: Amber Lager
Appearance: Clear, deep copper
Aroma: Caramel malts
Taste: Toasted malts
Verdict: Boring but very drinkable

When we left off after part I of the Snark Double team, Brian was busy hating his Sam Adams Summer Ale and was eager to try something else. I offered him Old English and Mickey's, but he picked Karl Strauss Amber Lager instead. Yuppie.

I cracked open two bottles and poured one for Brian and one for myself. The color of the beer was exactly what you'd hope for from an amber lager. I'll leave it up to your imagination. The head was cream colored and the bubbles were tightly packed, which retreated to form a lasting ring around the glass.

The aroma was caramel malt and only the tiniest hint of hops.

"It tastes like toasty," Brian announced after enjoying his first sip. "It reminds me of Fat Tire."
The flavor was toasted malt up front with a lingering, mild  bitterness after the swallow. It reminded me of Fat Tire Ale too, a bit, but a worse Fat Tire. The mouth feel was thin and watery, but not inappropriate for a lager.

Karl Strauss Amber Lager

The final word? Karl Strauss Amber lager is a boring but completely drinkable beer. It is a good candidate for those seeking to expand their horizons beyond piss yellow macro lagers, but a beer aficionado will find little here to excite him or her. Brian announced, "I don't need a super exciting beer." When you are Brian a boring beer will do you just fine. My life isn't that exciting; I need my beer to be.

-Ryan

Style: Amber Lager
ABV: 4.2%
Availability: Southern California

Other beers that may interest you:
Trader Joe's Bohemian Lager
Harp Premium Lager