North Coast Brewing Co. offerings

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Mr. Blues
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North Coast Brewing Co. offerings

#1 Post by Mr. Blues » Sat Sep 01, 2007 3:04 pm

In the past few weeks we've been able to get various styles from the North Coast Brewing Co. out of Fort Bragg California.

I've bought them all at Cork N Barrel in Lawrence but they should be available elsewhere.

I'll try & combine everything into one post, reminding you all that my tastes run to hoppy, Guinnessy, big-alcoholic-content-knock-you-on-your-assessy type brews.

Here goes:

The only one available I haven't tried was their wheat beer (6 packs).

All other offerings were good to very good for the styles they were shooting for although the red seal (sea lion) ale I'm not sure was meant to be a 'standard' english ale or what?

The pilsner (blue sail? 6 pack) was ok but a tad overpriced.

The red seal ale (6 pack) was ok, maybe a little overpriced but there's better, REAL (like from England, man) ales out there if that's what they aimed for.

The belgian (Pranquester, sp? 4 pack) was very good & I'd buy it again which says something coming from me as I don't normally like Belgians. Maybe it was the slightly higher than usual alcohol content, I don't know. I though it was appropriate for the $.

The Acme California pale ale (6 pack, still not sure why the use of the 'California' qualifier label) was a well balanced, not overly hoppy fare maybe a few cents overpriced but a good change of pale to recompare other microbreweries pales & Bass, etc.

The Acme California IPA (6 pack, again with the puzzling, CA. moniker), was very good, a little less overpoweringly hoppy as a Flying Dog IPA but enough oomph & lip smacking bitter to make this one my next in line to buy if I can't get any Flying Dog. Good version of an american style-overhopped IPA, worth the $.

Old #38 stout (6 pack) is an excellent very roastey-chocolatey-thick & rich & chocolatish-creamy-with enough body & mouth feel to stand up for itself offering. Well worth the $. If you don't like extreme malt, run from this one.

Old Stock Ale (4 pack, 11.7% alcohol) I'm almost willing to bet is North Coasts answer to something like a Coopers Vintage ale. Seems to be a little better balanced, less harsh than Coopers but after a bottle, how can you really remember? A tad pricey but less than Coopers & still worth it for a 4 pack but if you have a second one you're probably out cold which is great if you're having a bout with insomnia.

Old Rasputin Imperial Stout (4 pack 9% alcohol) I can't believe I'm about to write this but here goes..................

I hold the Samuel Smiths brewery as my standard bearer of what any style should taste like. Pretty much anything Sammy Smiths produces I've ended up declaring, "Excelsior!". Still think their Imperial Stout is the golden standard BUT.............

The Old Rasputin has an even MORE roasted, malty kinda flavor kinda just different enough that I'm having a hard time convincing myself I may like somebody elses style more than Sammy Smiths (naaahhh, can't be)! Well worth, no, HELL worth the price & if you can find it in stores that's only because I haven't got there yet!

I still think the boast of 'One of the ten best breweries in the world' is farther than fetched but to hit on almost every offering in the style you claim, well, maybe in the top 50 in the world........................

So you tell me? I still think Free State hits on everything they shoot for & if North Coast is in the top 50 then Free State is as well, I'm just sayin' that North Coast seems to give us a nice comparison in many styles & if you've forgotten your growler exchange or ain't in the neghborhood of Free State on the way home, stopping by a store & picking up your flavor of North Coast ain't that bad.

Definitely on my revised list of microbreweries to visit before I kick the bucket!

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