NAOBF 2011 ~ Another Great Year!

I can not get over the fact that another Organic Beer Fest is over....I need to start a countdown on my calendar for next year. It is, by far, my favorite fest of the year!!

This year brought out many old favorite beers and a few new ones...some of my favorites were Upright Brewing's 'Reggae Junkie Gruit', Fort George's 'Spruce Budd Ale', Alameda's 'El Torero IPA' and an old favorite from Laurelwood with its
'Green Elephant Organic IPA' which showed up when another keg blew...which made me smile....

The fest also had some great music this year...my favorite band from the three days was, hands down, a Portland group called 'Fruition'. They blew the stage away with their own brand of hippie inspired blue grass...it was fantastic!

Alameda Brewing: Yellow Wolf Imperial IPA

For some reason I have been on an Imperial IPA kick....I have always loved them...but, there are some fine beers floating around the markets this year!

Alameda Brewing's "Yellow Wolf Imperial IPA" is a fantastic creation.
It is balanced all the way around with a more subtle hop flavor then I usually seek out....yet, it leaves the hops in your mouth finishing in a fantastic way. The malt is also balanced and allows the hops to pop - full flavour yet not over powering.
This brew has a complex citrus and tropical flavour. It brings to mind a fresh tangerine and almost faint mango. I only realized the tropical mango aspect after having my son smell the IPA and give me his first impression...and he was right on.
The carbonation is light and crisp and it has an ABV of 8.2%.  As of this posting I have been unable to locate the IBU information...But, I will update the blog when I can get hold of that. I guess I need to make a call!
Overall this brew is a huge FIVE STARS! - Seek it out and give it a try if you haven't done so already!