Full Sail Brewing '25' Pale Doppelbock Lager. 9% abv. 70 IBU. Hazy orange color. Half-finger of tan head. Excellent retention and lace. Nose of malt, sweet citrus. Front taste of bittersweet malt, light fruit, round citrus. Aftertaste of sweet orange, mild bitter fruity hops, bitter earthy sustain. Medium body. Mouthfeel is warm, small-bead carb, tangy back end.

This is a fine beer that crosses category lines. "Pale" and "Doppelbock" seem contradictory, but it works here, with flavors of sweet mellow citrus over a solid malt backbone. Wonderful. Highly recommended.

From the brewery:

"Brewed to celebrate our 25th Anniversary, '25' is a complex, luxurious beer brewed with Vienna Malt and Saaz hops, extended lagering produces full bodied flavors of caramel and honey with a hoppy backbone of white pepper and lemon spice. A beer made for celebration, Full Sail 25 is an elegant Northwest Style Pale Doppelbock."

[source: fullsailbrewing.com]

"So here we are 25 years later. Very humbled, grateful, and amazed that we got here in one piece. Still a mix of beer geeks and boardheads. Still independent. Still trying to find that perfect balance between art and commerce, work and play, inspiration and perspiration. Thanks for supporting us for all these years. And next time you’re in Hood River, stop by for a beer."

[source: bottle]

Full Sail Brewing 'ESB' Extra Special Bitter Ale. 6.5% abv. 35 IBU. Deep copper color. Thin tan bubbly head. Good retention, excellent lacing. Nose of caramel, malt, herbal. Front taste of caramel, ample earthy hops, biscuit. Aftertaste of bitter herbal hops, bitter fruit, light malt sustain. Medium body. Mouthfeel is warm, sharp, dry.

This is a good ESB brew. The hops are present throughout, joined by light caramel malty flavors. Faint fruit notes and a dry finish round out this pleasant beer. Compared to other ESB's, this beer is merely adequate. On its own, outside of category, it's a nice hoppy, somewhat malty beer worth your time. Recommended.

This beer is quite limited, offered for only 90 days each year. If you're a fan of ESB's, grab one while you can.

From the brewery:

"A medium bodied ale with caramel complexity and a crisp finish. Available for 90 days only - April to June. The telltale signs of Spring arrive in the Gorge as mountain bikers begin to replace snowboarders and the snow melt feeds the rivers as white water rafters and kayakers anticipate the first runs of the year. Flowers cover the mountain meadows and blooms fill the orchards in the valley. Our pub staff knows that our ESB will be just the right beer to welcome Spring in the Gorge. This three time gold medal winner is a traditional ale brewed with attention to balance, highlighting both malt and hops. A combination of crystal malts give this beer its orange hue, and caramel complexities. UK and US Challenger hops were used exclusively throughout. Aromas of dry caramel and herbs are followed by a malty, medium bodied palate finishing with caramel flavors and a crisp bitterness."

[source: fullsailbrewing.com]

Full Circle Brewing 'High Speed Rail' Red Ale. 6.8% abv. Deep ruby color. Thin white head that falls to a collar. Moderate retention and lace. Nose of sweet fruity malt. Front taste of amber malt, citrus pulp, notes of tangy orange. Aftertaste of bittersweet fruit candy, faint herbal hops on the back. Medium body. Mouthfeel is warm, thick, flat carb.

This beer has a nice flavor, but has its flaws. It came from a growler, unopened for two days, which may or may not have affected its unfortunate "young" taste and flat mouthfeel. It tastes like wort in progress, as if it's not quite finished. Another week in the fermenter might make a world of difference. Or not. Either way, I can't recommend this beer as it is. Pass on this one.

From the brewery:

"Lots of caramel and roasted malt gives this beer a big malty sweet body, moderately hopped at 5.3% Alcohol By Volume."

[source: fullcirclebrewing.com]

Full Circle Brewing 'DD' Doppelbock. 8.4% abv. Amber-ruby color. Thin ivory head. Low retention, no lace. Nose of sweet malt, honey, faint cloves on the back end. Front taste of sweet malt, orange rind, bittersweet light fruit. Aftertaste of bitter citrus, brown sugar, light fruit. Medium body. Mouthfeel is hot, thick, sticky, alcoholic.

This is a fine Doppelbock. The taste is malty-fruity with notes of citrus from nose to bottom. The body is balanced well, with the astringent flavor rising to the edge. I would like more head presence but that is nitpicking for a high gravity brew like this. Very good stuff. Well recommended.

From the brewery:

"Our version of a doppelbock that is red in color with a sweet apricot front end and a smokey finish. big and hearty (he-he). Award winning, second place 'Sudz In The City' 2012."
[source: pub menu]

Low head retention and zero lace are the only flaws in this otherwise excellent doppelbock.

Session Premium Lager. 5.1% abv. 18 IBU. Straw-gold color. Finger of white bubbly head that falls to a sustaining collar. Fair retention. Moderate lace. Nose of grain, grassy, veggie. Front taste of light malt, corn, herbal. Aftertaste is corn, cooked greens, faint herbal hops on the back. Thin body. Mouthfeel is warm, astringent, crisp.

This is a decent lawnmower beer. Full Sail Brewing markets this separately from its other offerings, touting it as a bridge between macro and micro beers, which is another way of saying it tastes like a macro but is made by a micro. Imagine a car that drives like a Ford Fiesta but is made by Ferrari. Is that the car for you?

The appearance, body, taste, and marketing strategy all remind me of Firestone Walker's '805' of which I gave a less-than-glowing review. Their similarity is not necessarily a bad thing, particularly since Session tastes slightly better and is significantly cheaper than 805. Stacked against all beers, I'd pass on this one. Stacked against macros and other micro-macros crossovers, this beer is not the worst. Recommended, if you are going to a barbecue or mowing the lawn.

From the brewery:

"It's all about Session-ability! Session’s not a micro, a macro or an import. It’s a little bit of each. Yet none of the above. Which makes Session a true original. Just about everybody who likes beer likes Session... This is the Session that started it all, with that retro-cool red label and rock-paper-scissors under the caps. The original Session is a classic, all-malt lager that’s crisp, smooth, and refreshing. Winner of multiple gold medals at the top national and international competitions, Session Premium Lager is a beer that truly crosses boundaries, from blue collar to white, red state to blue, cocktail bar to bar-be-que. Session Premium lager is an extremely tasty import-style lager, like the kind of beer made back in the pre-Prohibition days— plenty of flavor that goes down clean and smooth, we like to call it "Session-ability." American and European hops offer a wonderful noble hop aroma, and the two-row barley malt and a touch of wheat malt give a pleasant, refreshing finish. Why have a beer when you could have a Session!"

[source: fullsailbrewing.com]

Full Sail Brewing 'Double Bock' Lager. 7% abv. 34 IBU. Dark brown color. Finger of cream colored head that falls quickly to a brief collar. Poor retention. No lace. Nose of rich caramel malt, chocolate notes. Front taste of dark roasty malt, chocolate, black coffee on the back. Aftertaste of bittersweet chocolate, raisins, espresso. Thin-medium body. Mouthfeel is warm, flat.

This is a good malty beer with a few flaws that you may or may not overlook. The tall flavors of caramel and chocolate are coupled well with notes of coffee and dark fruit but are underminded by low-to-no carb almost immediately off the pour. The rich aroma is an excellent first impression but the flat mouthfeel and thin body are an unfortunate last impression. All that being said, try this brew if you love rich malty flavors with touches of fruit and coffee. This beer's strengths may just outweigh its weaknesses. Mildly recommended.

From the brewery:

"A rich, full-bodied lager with hints of caramel, coffee and chocolate. LIMITED EDITION LAGER - AVAILABLE FOR 90 DAYS ONLY. JANUARY-MARCH. After a long day on the mountain carving turns in deep powder, snowboarders and skiers make their way down the mountain to warm up and relive all those great runs in our pub. Our Double Bock helps fuel the stories of deep powder and epic yard sales. Double Bock is lush and full-bodied with hints of caramel, coffee and chocolate in the aroma followed by flavors of caramel and dried figs with a long creamy smooth finish. Brewed with 2 row Pale, Munich, Caramel, and Chocolate Malts and hopped with Santiam and Perle hops, this gold medal winner will be available in six packs on draft."

[source: fullsailbrewing.com]

Retention was very low. This pic was taken three minutes after the pour.

Tap It Brewing 'Full Blown' Stout. 5.5% abv. 31 IBU. Dark brown in color. One finger of tan head off the tap. Good retention and lacing. Nose of roasted grain, notes of chocolate. Front taste is roasted malt, dark chocolate, background vanilla. Aftertaste is mild sweet malt, some bitter hops, faint notes of raisins. Low-medium body. Mouthfeel is thin with some creamy carb. This is a fair example of its category. It’s a bit thin in body for a stout, and the aroma promises more than the taste delivers, but is otherwise a decent beer worthy of trying, particularly if you like stouts, porters, and chocolate brews. 

From the brewery:

"Tap It Brewing’s Full Blown Stout is an Oatmeal style stout that’s built like a fine tuned motor, designed for high RPM and a Smooth Ride. This beer is hand-crafted using the finest selection of Roasted Barley, Oats, Specialty Malts, and Hops, all blended together to create a dark, rich full flavored yet smooth and palatable stout. Our Full Blown Stout gives off a robust aroma of Roasted Barley, accompanied by a touch of dark brown sugar, and just a hint of smoke. The texture of this stout is velvety and well-rounded, with just the slightest acidity which introduces the rich flavor of the roasted malt and caramel characters that show off the compilation of roasted barley, chocolate malt, and crystal malts along with its dark black color; Magnum and Willamette hops have been added for slight perceivable hop bitterness. The finish is a Full Blown complexity of the malts, along with a hint of lingering smokiness that ties all the flavors together."

Nice silky lace on this stout.

I enjoyed this beer on tap at Popolo's Pizza. They don't have a bar, but they offer a rotating selection of craft beers, displaying the taps on a shelf by the door.

Full Sail 'Wassail' Winter Ale. 7.2% abv. 56 IBU. Dark brown in color, nearly black. A finger of thick head slowly falls to half. Good retention, outstanding lacing. Nose is malty, sweet, spicy, alcohol. Front taste is roasted malt, caramel, chocolate, dark fruit. Aftertaste has a nice long sustain with strong alcohol, ample piercing hops, caramel, vanilla, dark chocolate. Dry finish, a contrast to its sticky mouthfeel. Medium-full body. Mouthfeel is thick, sticky, creamy, warm-hot. This is an excellent winter warmer. Fans of winter/xmas beers should seek out this limited edition brew. Highly recommend.

From the brewery:

"This holiday treat is deep mahogany in color, has a full malty body and a pleasantly hoppy finish. LIMITED EDITION ALE - AVAILABLE FOR 90 DAYS ONLY. OCTOBER-DECEMBER. A few unmistakable signs tell us when winter has arrived here in Hood River. The waterfalls in the Gorge start kicking out the jams. The snow report for the backcountry regains its hold over us. And the Wassail starts flowing once again. We’ve brewed Wassail every holiday season since 1988, and it’s now as much a part of the festivities as sharing a roaring fire with our closest family and friends. It's no wonder this multi-medal winning Winter Warmer is one of our favorite beers to brew. Choosing our ingredients for Wassail is like taking time to choose the perfect gift. Each year we carefully select the best hops and malts to brew this special beer. This year’s Wassail is brewed with a range of caramel malts and dark chocolate malts giving it a deep mahogany color and a full malty body. We used a blend of Pacific Northwest hops for a pleasant hoppy aroma and finish creating a deliciously balanced beer that appeals to both hop and malt lovers alike. In other words, a Christmas miracle."

Head retention was good, but the lacing was magnificent, all the way down.

Full Circle Brewing 1850 London Porter. 5.5% abv. Black in color. A sliver of head off the tap that quicklly fell to zero head. Aroma of plum and raisins. Front taste of raisins and stone fruit. Aftertaste is lingering version of the same. Raisins, plums, some grapefruit rind. Medium body. Mediciney astringent mouthfeel.

I've had this local porter many times, and it's inconsistent. There are times when it's excellent and times when it's not. Today is a "not" day.

From the brewery:

"Made in the style of the Victorian Age. This 'Extra Stout Porter' is made with dark caramel & black malt delivering a delightfully smooth and rich flavor without a husky harsh finish at 5.5% Alcohol By Volume."