Almost Missed It

Although I enjoyed our vacation, Virginia is not a great place for beer aficionados -- at least the part where we were. They apparently drink a lot of that "Lite" beer there. I was therefore glad to be back in Bellingham to catch the tail end of the first annual Bellingham Beer Week, and especially glad to be able to enjoy the Cascade Brewing tap takeover at Elizabeth Station.

Cascade Brewing was the place Cynthia and I visited three times during our week-long pilgrimage to Portland in April. Tonight we each had a schooner of their Honey Ginger Lime Sour, then we shared a schooner of the 2012 Diesel. Both were excellent.

Honey Ginger Lime Sour:
This NW style sour honey rye ale was barrel aged for 8 months before aging additionally on ginger and lime zest. Aromas of sweet ginger and lime are the first to be noticed. A cool quenching lime note is followed by a slightly sweet ginger spice and heat that sparkles on the palate. A crisp bite of ginger and a lingering honey herbal note lead to a sweet lime and slight peppery finish.

Diesel #2 (2012):
The chocolate version of our Diesel Stout. This barrel aged stout was brewed with chocolate and roasted malts, black strap molasses and dark Belgian candi sugar, and then aged for 9 months in Heaven Hill rye whiskey barrels on Bourbon vanilla beans and dark fruit.