Don't Call It a Comeback!

Caldera IPA / Caldera Brewing Company, Ashland, OR
Previously from this brewery: Lawnmower Lager

...and on the 367th day, instead of resting I wrote another blog post.  In our new plan to continue posting on alternating days, I drew the first watch.  I've also been tallying the final votes, and starting with my post on Thursday I'll be running down the best and worst of the past year.  Yes, I'm handing out 'Worst Of' awards, because I didn't grow up in the generation where every kid got a trophy just for showing up.  Back in the day, you got a trophy for winning.  Don't worry, losing builds character, so I'm actually helping the 'Worst Of' candidates, when you think about it.  I'm good like that!

First beer up in the new era is the Caldera IPA from Caldera Brewing Company.  Despite what my acid trip-esque photo shows below, this beer has a clear dark copper color, with a lingering white head.  There is a pleasant grapefruit aroma, and the taste is light, with pine and lemon, and a moderate bitterness that builds and increases in the finish.  Really nice IPA, and well worth your effort.

In a year of posting, this might be the
worst camera phone picture yet

Caldera started up their operations in 1996, with their first beers going on sale in 1997.  They have also been canning their beers since 2005, because who doesn't like it in the can?

Thing to Think About Today:
Back in the saddle as Blog Named Brew marches into Year Two.  The first year was a big party, and there's no reason to think the next one (or more) won't be a giant celebration as well.  Therefore, to keep the party rolling and highlight Year Two, I'm letting MC Rob Base and DJ EZ Rock kick off the next phase of our journey with the classic It Takes Two.  Thanks for sticking with us!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42b_XZ03bL4

Beer 198: Time Machine to Portland Day #2

Day 2 in Portland took us to many places, but most importantly to Dan & Louis Oyster Bar where many, many oysters were consumed.

While there I definitely made a run at giving myself mercury poisoning. I also had a Lawnmower Lager from Caldera Brewing. Caldera is out of Ashland, Oregon and has a pretty varied selection of beers. I figured the lager would go nicely with the oysters.

This is definitely a beer to drink while mowing the lawn. The ABV is 3.9 percent. It actually looks like a pilsner...very light in color.


It smells like grains and beer. The taste is light and a bit on the sweet grain side. While it wasn't at all what I was expecting, I definitely saw its value on a hot day with lots of yard work. The brewer thought so too...the label stated something along the lines of great to drink to rinse the dust and grass out of your mouth after mowing the lawn.

Caldera isn't making a challenging beer with this one. But I say they are making a great beer to drink on my oyster bender!

Cheers!

Around the World and Home Again

Beer # 196 Lawnmower Lager / Caldera Brewing Company, Ashland, OR

We're wrapping up vacation today with some morning time in Seattle before heading to the airport to fly home.  Tonight, I sleep in my own bed, which makes me greatly excited.  It's been a wonderful trip - we've seen some awesome sights, met some interesting people, ate some amazing meals, and best of all, managed to drink phenomenal beers from some unique breweries which we don't (yet) see on the East Coast.  We stocked up on this trip, so you'll be seeing West Coast beers on this blog for a few more weeks.

Today's beer is the Lawnmower Lager from Caldera Brewing.  This beer proclaims itself as being a light, easy beer best consumed after a hard day of working in the yard.  I personally hate yard work with a passion, but I can appreciate a light, easy drinking beer on a hot summer day.  This beer pours a clear, effervescent gold with a thin white head.  It gives off aromas and flavors of grain and bread, and at 3.9% ABV, you can drink this all afternoon.

Looks like summer. Because it is.

This beer is labeled as a lager, but definitely lacks the complexity you see in other lagers.  Just so you know.

Thing to Think About Today:
We're homeward bound, so we'll sign off on this trip with Simon and Garfunkel's Homeward Bound.  Hope to  revisit the West Coast again soon, but not too soon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YRdWlZ0S1Q

"I'm sittin' in the railway station / Got a ticket for my destination"