Saturday May 12, 2012 was the first annual Sip & Slurp: Beer & Oyster Pairing Competition. Wine World (blog sponsor) and Taylor Shellfish teamed with breweries to offer this tasty and fun event for Seattle Beer Week.

Local beers compete

The classic beer pairing with oysters is a stout or porter. On our advice, Wine World sought out a diverse assortment of beers with an emphasis on Washington beers. 17 beers were entered into the competition ranging from light to dark, local to international, nano brewery to larger craft brewery and even a sour beer.

The Beer

Beer Decisions

Every guest received 8 free beer taste tickets. The hardest part of the evening seemed to be deciding which 8 beers to try with their tickets!

• Boulevard Brewing Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale
  
• Boulevard Brewing  Dark Truth Stout
  
• Brasserie DuPont Saison DuPont
• Diamond Knot Brown Ale
• Diamond Knot India Pale Ale
• Elysian Split Shot Espresso Stout
• Epic Ales Desert Ale
• Epic Ales The Fuj
• Firestone Walker’s Reserve Porter
• Flyers Pacemaker Porter
• Fremont Brewing Summer Ale
• New Belgium Trip Series Farmhouse
• New Belgium Trip Series Pink Peppercorn IPA
• Odin Freya’s Gold
• Pike Brewing Post Alley Porter
• Pike Brewing XXXXX Extra Stout
• Port Brewing Old Viscosity

The Oysters

Freshly shucked Taylor Shellfish oysters

Taylor Shellfish was shucking fresh Kumamoto and  Shigoko oysters for $1/each. Tender and scintillating  fresh, the oysters were a taste sensation in the mouth. Delicious alone, the oysters were even better when paired with beer!

The Winners

Guests voted with star stickers for the best beer to pair with the oysters. Although many suspected a stout or porter would take the top honors, it was Boulevard Brewing’s Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale that came in first followed by New Belgium/Elysian Trip Series Pink Peppercorn IPA.  The New Belgium Trip Series is a collabeeration project with Elysian Brewing. I wouldn’t have guessed that an IPA would be a favorite to pair with oysters, but this IPA boasts a great balance. The bitterness of the hops doesn’t overwhelm the oyster and the pink pepper corns add just the right amount of punch.

Sip & Slurp 2012 voting

I am thinking that those Elysian brewers must spend some time eating oysters because they scored with their other beer submission as well. The Elysian Slip Shot Espresso Stout was the third favorite beer to pair with those Taylor Shellfish oysters. The first time I tasted the Elysian Slip Shot Espresso Stout I thought it would be a shoe in to win this oyster and beer pairing.  The Slip Shot is a milk stout and that bit of sweetness element, balanced with the coffee bitterness, was a nice contrast to the texture and taste of the oyster.

Other popular Washington beers to pair with the oysters were the Epic Ales Fuj, Fremont Brewing Summer Ale, Flyers Pacemaker Porter and Pike Brewing’s Post Alley Porter and XXXXX Extra Stout.

Related posts:

1. Elysian and New Belgium collaBEERation: Featured Brewery 3/10
2. Pairing Chocolate with Beer
3. Seattle Beer Week Royalty – Elysian Split Shot

Everything can fade in comparison to the annual Back in Black Stout fest, but there were plenty of opportunities for the non-stout lover to get your fix of beer and fun on Friday in Seattle. Seattle Beer Week boasted 21 different events for Friday. Go ahead and call me a wuss because I only made it to two of them.

Peche Mode Peach Sour Ale

Noble Fir

Noble Fir possessed two things that I really wanted on Friday: a ladies cut Seattle Beer Week t-shirt and the Double Mountain PÊCHE MODE Peach Sour Ale. Noble Fir was featuring two Hood River breweries on Friday: Double Mountain and Terminal Gravity. Noble Fir was packed; every seat was taken and all spare standing space was occupied by beer lovers. In spite of the crowd, the staff impressed with their eagle eye to serve customers in need of a beer and their acrobatic skill in navigating the crowd to serve those beers.  I will admit that I almost turned away when I saw the crowd but memories of the PÊCHE MODE Peach Sour Ale inspired me to dive in. This sour beer knows how to show restraint with the degree of sourness and the level of peach fruitiness. At 8% this beer should be sipped and savored but it won’t take over your palate in such a way that you can’t enjoy more than one. Only one peach beer for me that night as I had friends waiting for me at Back in Black Stout fest.

Back in Black Stout Fest

The line to get into Back in Black snaked out the door and up the side walk. At 6:30, I was waiting a little over 30 minutes to get into Brouwer’s Cafe but the wait was worth it.  Inside it was a celebration of all things stout! Almost every tap in the place was boasting a stout beer from near and far. When I first bellied up to the bar, Jonathan and Ed were drinking a delicious stout from Denmark and someone other than me was getting the last drops of Silver City barrel aged stout. The bar tenders were tipping the firkin to get those precious last drops of Silver City beer. That firkin blew in about 20 minutes I was told. the atmosphere was festive and friendly as strangers met over snifters of stout. The best way to enjoy these beer fests is to sample and share with friends. Being the friendly sort, I sampled stouts as I wove my way through the crowd before I had to head back to help prepare for Sip and Slurp.

Related posts:

1. Black Velvet Champagne and Stout Cocktail – Mother’s Day Brunch
2. Brouwer’s Back in Black Stout Fest
3. Hales Ales Bucephalus Blended Sour (spring version?)

Slip Shot Espresso Stout

The 4th annual Seattle Beer Week started off with a bang and FOUR kick off parties!

Ed and I started our night out at the Elysian for the Mayor’s proclamation and the tapping of the official 2012 Seattle Beer Week beer, the Elysian Slip Shot Espresso Stout.  We had are unofficial start to Seattle Beer Week with a bottle of Slip Shot with our lunch earlier that day, but I am a sucker for a fresh brew and this Washington stout didn’t disappoint on tap.

Pyramid Brewery

The second kick off party took place at Pyramid Brewery. Brewers, beer lovers and beer industry folks gathered around the bar for snacks and brew. I hadn’t been to Pyramid in years, after a bad experience at a WABL event but this visit was a success. I had forgotten how good the Apricot Ale is on draft. The big surprise was a firkin of barrel aged barley wine. Great balance between caramel malt sweetness and palate pleasing bitter hop finish.

Finkels at Seattle Beer Week Kick Off

Naked City Brewery and Tap House was home of kick off party #3. The Split Shot Espresso Stout is a solid, well made stout but I have to say that Ed and I fell in love with the Naked City HGSP Opacity Barrel Aged Imperial Stout. For us and Brewdad, the Opacity was the best beer of the night. Hanging out at a table with Rose Ann and Charles Finkel, Pike Brewing, Rose Ann encouraged me to try Don Web’s Sudden Impact Coffee IPA. Don worked with Dillano Coffee Roasters and Janelle Pritchard to create this perfectly balanced beer. This beer looks like an IPA, tastes like an IPA and smells between a cross of coffee and IPA. Neither coffee nor hops overwhelm the palate on this IPA.

The Pine Box

The final Seattle Beer Week kick off party convened at the new Pine Box on Capitol Hill. The Pine Box is a cozy bar, with an edge. I was pacing my beer consumption so I passed on the beer at our final stop. I let Ed take over the beer consumption as we dove into a pulled pork and jalapeno pizza. Spicy, this pizza was a great change of pace for our beer soaked palates. I will be back to the Pine Box soon for my beer fix.

With four kick off parties, you would think that Ed and I had hit all of the Seattle Beer Week events that night. Not even close! We missed out on the 14 other events on the opening day of Seattle Beer Week. Every day of Seattle Beer Week is PACKED with fun and tasty beer events.

Related posts:

1. Black Velvet Champagne and Stout Cocktail – Mother’s Day Brunch
2. Seattle Beer Week 2011: Ales, Lagers, Parties, Oh My!
3. SBW Day 2: Sour and Stout

The official brew for Seattle Beer Week 2012 . . . Split Shot Espresso Milk Stout brewed by Elysian Brewing Co.

Elysian Split Shot - The chosen one for Seattle Beer Week

What?  A stout – a beer style that is more malty than hoppy.   Has hell frozen over here in the state of Washington?  Up to now the official Seattle Beer Week beers have focused on hops, not malt, reflecting what  seems to be the overwhelming preference for hoppy beers in this part of the country.   I say “thank you!”.

Despite the fact that I live in the Pacific Northwest, my palate does not enjoy the beers I refer to as “hopped-to-hell”.  Oh, the glares I receive when I say that out loud.  Friends who do enjoy hops and don’t want to ostracize me because of my dislike have found a way to declare that it is not my fault.  That my dislike is beyond my control.  They believe that I carry the “bitter” gene making my palate extra sensitive to that particular flavor, and, therefore, can not be held responsible for spitting out hoppy beers.  We remain friends.

Elysian has created a very enjoyable beverage.  When poured, the glass fills with a dark liquid that is not too thin, nor too thick.  The head of the beer is a gorgeous tan with decent longevity.  The aromatics jump out of the glass.  The first is coffee followed by cocoa, a touch of cream and familiar roast notes of a stout.  Wow!   After several minutes of just enjoying the wafting aromatics, I took a sip.  On the palate the texture is just right, not overwhelming and the notes of coffee and cocoa are there but in a more even balance.  The familiar stout flavors step up to become an equal partner with coffee and cocoa.

Word is that the coffee was cold-infused.

Speaking with a beer afficionado who does not care for espresso stouts, I discovered that he enjoyed this one because on the palate the espresso is less dominant, receding into a balanced, tasty, well-made stout.

The coffee flavor kept haunting me.  While I may not enjoy hops, I do enjoy another Pacific Northwest obsession - coffee and I am a bit of a coffee aficionado.  The coffee flavor was perfect – balanced, complex and slightly sweet just like a fabulous espresso shot using perfectly roasted Arabica beans pulled ristretto (short).  Lighthouse Roasters provided the coffee for this Washington beer.  Coming from Lighthouse, I would expect nothing less than perfection.  Nice choice, Elysian!

If you enjoy espresso stouts do not miss the Elysian Split Shot Espresso Stout!  If you are hesitant, try this great espresso stout anyway you might be surprised!

Related posts:

1. 1,2,3,4 SBW Kick off parties!
2. Black Velvet Champagne and Stout Cocktail – Mother’s Day Brunch
3. Seattle Beer Week 2012

Beer lovers from around the country are descending upon Seattle to celebrate the best beer week. Today marks the beginning of the 4^th annual Seattle Beer Week. From now until May 20, 2012 you can find all sorts of events celebrating beer. These beer events range from brewer nights to classes to Mother’s Day brunches to competitions to crazy parties. Beer is definitely the star of the week but has a great line up of co-stars like cheese, cider, BBQ, oysters, whiskey and wine!

It doesn’t matter what type of beer you like or don’t like, there is a beer event for you. If you are a sour beer lover, like me, will be lining up for the Sour Beer Fest at Brouwers  5/15 BIG, BOLD and BLACK more your style? Don’t miss the Back in Black Stout Fest this Friday. Like your beer with a little age on it? Check out the number of vertical and cellar tastings. Maritime Pacific is offering vertical tastings of both their Jolly Roger and Decompression Strong Ale. Are you one of the lucky ones that got a ticket to Bottleworks Cellar tasting? If not, you may want to check out the Dray because they are bringing things out from the cellar every day of Seattle Beer Week.

Sports and beer are a classic pairing and it is just as true during Seattle Beer Week. From hockey to golf to pool to bicycling, there are sports to participate in while you are enjoying your favorite brew. The Tour de Pints is a wildly popular event that pairs beer and bikes. The second big bike and beer event is the Haul Ash Tour de Brew is during the second weekend of Seattle Beer Week.

Sports is not the only thing to pair with your beer. You can sample all of the classic beer pairings like BBQ,  burgers and chili during Seattle Beer Week. Maybe they are inspired by the official Seattle Beer Week beer, Elysian Split Shot Espresso Stout, but I am seeing more beer breakfasts and brunches than ever before. Events like Kegs and Eggs offer you plenty of opportunity for your breakfast beer.

Many people may think of wine when it comes to pairing cheese or oysters but beer is king. Find out for yourself at Sip and Slurp: Oyster and Beer Pairing Competition or at any one of the great beer and cheese pairings scheduled this week.

Seattle Beer Week is about having a great time while enjoying great beer. Being Seattle, some of those beer events are downright wacky! Let your freak flag fly at the 12 Pack at the Troll or the  Pine Box beer can race derby.  Enjoy the funky and wild beers crafted specifically for Seattle Beer Week.

Eat, drink and be merry this Seattle Beer Week but drink responsibly. Keep the name and number of your favorite taxi cab service handy or take turns with friends being the designated driver. Drink lots of water along with your beer and you can survive a fun and busy week!

Related posts:

1. Seattle Beer Week: Print vs Online Guides
2. Seattle Beer Week 2011: Ales, Lagers, Parties, Oh My!
3. Seattle Beer Week: Featured Brewery 5/10

If you think you’re too sexy for purple teeth, then read no further because today we’re reviewing the 2012 Sexy Syrah event that took place at Salty’s last week where purple teeth reigned supreme.

Although this has long been a favorite event of the Wine and Beer of Washington crew, I somehow hadn’t made it to the event until now. Clearly I’ve been missing out, particularly since Syrah is one of our favorite wines to drink at home and pair with food. Here’s a rundown on what I enjoyed about the experience:

1. The event is a fundraiser for FareStart, a fantastic training program for the food industry.
2. There is an abundance of substantial food. By that I mean food beyond the cheese plate and dreaded pickled asparagus platter that is the enemy of my palate at so many wine events.
3. The wine being served is available for sale during the event. You pick it up right then and there. That’s a win/win/win for the consumer, the winery, and the charity.
4. The space. Salty’s on Alki has a fantastic carpeted event space with a view that is spacious without being humongous. That makes it easy on the feet (I know that probably matters more to those of us inclined to wear heels, but it is Sexy Syrah after all), easy on the eyes, and easy to navigate my way around the room.

Chocolate and bacon treats prepared by Salty's Pasty Chef James Gibson

As with most Seattle Uncorked events, a group of wine professionals were working hard at judging the 58 Washington Syrahs and Syrah blends being poured. For more details check out Bean’s post on the Sexy Syrah Winners and the post by judge Jameson Fink.

Tasting Notes

Although I didn’t make it through all 58 wines, I did my best. Pricing reflects the sale price the night of the event.

Bunnell Family Cellars ’07 Vif was one of the winning wines of the evening in the blend category, and a favorite of the hubby’s and mine. This is a nice juicy wine with some chocolate notes. $34

Bunnell Family Cellars ’07 Boushey-McPherson Syrah was a standout for me with its bramble fruit. A very well balanced wine. $44

Lantz Cellars ’07 Rattlesnake Hills Syrah caught my attention with its gunpowder nose and smoky notes mingling with espresso on the finish. $27

Tapteil Vineyard ’08 Syrah was a standout for the hubby with its fruit forward character and notes of vanilla. $27

Trust Cellars ’08 Columbia Valley Syrah came across as brighter and less weighty than many other Syrahs with nice raspberry and blackberry notes. This is a great one to pair with food that won’t be overpowering. $28

Purple Star ’09 Syrah is a wine that over delivers on quality for the price and is always one of our favorites. A true teeth stainer, and so good it’s hard to believe it’s only $16!

Forgeron Cellars ’09 Blacksmith Syrah made in the “country French” style delivers tar mingling with fruit, finishing with vanilla.

Forgeron Cellars ’08 Syrah asks the question, “Is bigger better?” If you think so, then the blackberry and chocolate flavors here will likely win you over.

Smasne Cellars ’08 Block #3 Syrah is cofermented with 6% Viognier. This is a big, grippy wine looking for Mr. Goodburger.

Kestrel Vintners Falcon Series Syrah was one of the hubby’s favorites, so you know it’s gotta be fruity! $20

Patterson Cellars ’08 Syrah Sirah is a nice rich blend of Syrah and Petite Sirah with cranberry and vanilla notes. $25

Wineries to Watch

A few wineries that I hadn’t encountered before were at the event. We look forward to seeing how their wines evolve.

Pandora Cellars ’10 Petite Sirah Syrah captivated me with its nice pepper notes and left me wanting more. $21

Redmond Ridge Winery ’09 Syrah is a unique wine made in the South African style .2% sweeter than a dry syrah for the wine drinker who wants to avoid tannic fatigue. $24

Cedar River Cellars ’10 Bella Bella Syrah features a pop of raspberry and blueberry with some toast on the backend. Kudos to winery owner Micah for luring me over to his table via Twitter. $25

Sure, tasting all that wine requires a little tooth whitening treatment afterwards, but it’s well worth it! If you haven’t tasted Washington Syrah lately, now is a great time to revisit this regally purple variety.

Related posts:

1. Sexy Syrah winners Announced
2. Who was the best at Sexy Syrah 2011?
3. Sexy Syrah at Saltys

In 2011, Woodinville Wine Country experimented with a six week passport. The first weekend was the BIG weekend, but passport holders could use their passport to visit participating wineries until June 2011. In 2012, Woodinville Wine Passport reverts back to one blockbuster weekend. This Saturday and Sunday, April 21-22 visit up to 32 participating wineries for wine, food, music and FUN!

Shaun serving mimosas at Apex

Each winery has something special planned for Woodinville Passport Weekend.  One winery may offer barrel tasting while another offers chef prepared tasty tidbits. You may find a photo booth at one winery and live music at another. Everywhere you will find Washington wines to try.

Tickets are $75 to attend both Saturday and Sunday or you can purchase a Sunday only pass for only $65. Leave the driving between wineries to Shuttle Express for only $10 more. Tickets to Woodinville Wine Passport are available online.

Woodinville Passport 2012 Participating Wineries

Related posts:

1. 5 Tips to Enjoying Woodinville Passport Weekend
2. New and Revised Woodinville Passport
3. ’tis the Season for St Nick’s Woodinville Wine Open House Weekend

With over 700 wineries to choose from in Washington, how does any one winery compete in an increasingly competitive market?For me the answer lies in producing a diverse range of quality wine with an attention to pairing to excellent food. To this, add great service and attention to marketing the winery’s unique history and experience. I look for a winery that offers not just a beverage in a glass but an experience. Vin du Lac Winery delivered on all fronts on a recent trip to Lake Chelan.

Lunch at Vin du Lac

My sister Dawn and I decided to do a “quick” tasting at Vin du Lac on our way back home to Seattle. Kathleen Rodman, the wine club and direct sales manager, warmly greeted us at the tasting bar. She showed us the free tasting lineup of Vin du Lac wines as well as the premium tasting available for a reasonable fee. We decided just to do the basic tasting but we were interested in a few wine varieties in their portfolio that Vin du Lac was not pouring that day. Once Kathleen realized we were not out for an afternoon buzz and were really interested in evaluating the wines, she generously poured us a few tastings of these varieties. As amazing aromas enticed us from the kitchen, Kathleen asked us if we were up to lunch and mentioned that the chef, Frank St. Dennis, had created a new soup for the menu and there were just a few servings left. How could we resist?

Dawn and I agreed to share our lunch so we can mix and match our wine flights with the fare.  We ordered an open-faced turkey sandwich with melted cheese, caramelized onions, cilantro and jalapenos.  A cup of the new Spring Onion and Potato Soup, a cup of the french onion soup and a wonderful dish of the saffron chantrelle mushroom risotto also made up the feast.  Dawn ordered the white flight.  She promised to write this up so she has the info but it did include the Vin du Lac ’06 dry Riesling that I really enjoyed.  I ordered the red flight that included their ’07 Barrel Select Cab Franc, the ’07 Barrel Select Cabernet Sauvignon, and the ’08 Barrel Select Syrah.  Each of my wines were wonderful to drink alone but our delight was exponential when our lunch finally came.  We actually came to a 100% consensus (which is rare between brother and sister!) and here is what our favorite pairings were:

Vin du lac turkey sandwich

1) We enjoyed the sandwich best with Dawn’s ‘06 Riesling.  I need to point out in our frenetic feeding we did not realize that Frank had forgotten to put the caramelized onions under the turkey.  The Riesling was also our favorite wine with the French onion soup.  The Vin du Lac Riesling and their Gewurztraminer have great potential for pairing.

2) Our favorite pairing with the risotto was the Vin du Lac ’08 Syrah.  The saffron chantrelle mushroom risotto was a hearty dish that blended well on the palate with this fruit-forward wine.

Potato Soup revelation!

3)  My ultimate pairing was the potato onion soup with the Vin du Lac Cabernet Sauvignon.  I must confess that I think of potato soup as a sort of “poverty chowder;” missing some key ingredient like oysters, clams, corn or even some little smokies.  I was not expecting this rich “umami-laden” cup of lusciousness.  Spoon of soup + sip of cab = PURE BLISS.  It required an additional full pour of the Cabernet to truly appreciate this amazing pairing.

Chef Frank St. Dennis came out to check on our lunch and he was pleased to hear that his new soup was a success.   He describes it as “roasted spring onion with russet potatoes and garnished with the green of the onion and fried spring onion bulbs.”  He then abashedly confessed that he had omitted the caramelized onions on our sandwich and another was on the way.  The magic of bridging was revealed.  The new sandwich, with the caramelized onions now paired best with my Vin du Lac Cab Franc.

Our ten minute tasting turned into an amazing, unforgettable two hour lunch.  Not only am I now a total enthusiast for Vin du Lac but…gasp…potato soup has attained a whole new meaning.

Related posts:

1. Winter Weekend in Washington Wine Country

Who had the sexiest and most seductive Syrah at 2012 Sexy Syrah?

Here is the list of Sexy Syrah Judges’ Picks:

Syrah

1st – Bunnell Family Cellars 2007 Boushey-McPherson Syrah
2nd – Smasne Cellars 2009 Reserve Syrah
3rd (tie) – Forgeron Cellars 2009 Blacksmith Syrah, Nota Bene Cellars 2009 Ciel du Chevel Syrah, Tapteil Winery 2008 Syrah

Syrah Blends

1st - Gooseridge Winery  2008 Vireo
2nd – Bunnell Family Cellars 2007  VIF Rhone Blend
3rd (tie) - 509 Wines Coq au Vin, Animale 2009 Mourvedre, Wilridge Winery  2009 Estate Syrah/Mourvedre

People’s Choice Winners for Favorite Winery at Sexy Syrah:

1st: The Bunnell Family Cellar, Tapteil Winery, and Martedi Winery
2nd: Silver Bell Winery
3rd: Lantz Cellars and Redmond Ridge Winery

A special congratulations to Bunnel Family Cellars who won in all three categories! Look for Nancy’s review of Sexy Syrah soon.

Related posts:

1. Sexy Syrah 2012 Review
2. Sexy Syrah at Saltys
3. Who was the best at Sexy Syrah 2011?

While visiting the Foundry Vineyards tasting room in Walla Walla last weekend, a special opportunity was brought to my attention. An Introductory Olfaction Seminar with expert Alexandre Schmitt of Wine & Flavors is being offered for the first time in Washington. Schmitt is a professor at the University of Bordeaux and consultant to some of the world’s most renowned wine brands.

If you’ve ever sniffed a wine and thought, “There’s a familiar aroma there, but I can’t quite put my finger on it,” this is the seminar for you. Sensory exercises help build your muscle memory, and learning from an expert in the field is a rare treat.

The target of the olfaction seminar is to structure and to develop our smelling universe. It is an olfactory education helping us to print in our mind lots of aromatic references enough distinct, precise and remarkable in order to organize this structuring. There are two main levels: the aromatic wine descriptors and the aromatic chemicals so far identified in the wine.

The Level 1 is focused on the “Wine descriptors and the aromatic categories of wines”: woods, coniferous, balsamic notes, animal character, leather, smokiness, burnt character, tobacco, butter ton, mints, anise, very fresh notes, ether and medicinal notes, vegetal character, earthiness, mushroom, acetic notes, sulfurs,
hay family, citrus notes, fruitiness, floral character, fresh flowers, white flowers, etc.

Event Details

Introductory Olfaction Seminar Level I: “The Aromatic Descriptors of Wine”

Thanks to Ali Mayfield, the seminar will be held at Foundry Vineyards.
Address:  North 13th Avenue Walla Walla, WA 99362
(509) 529-0736

Date/Time:  April, 27th. 8:30am-12:30am/2.00pm-4.00pm (full day 6 hour seminar)
The cost is: $375

Attendance is limited to 25 participants

Deadline to register: April, 15th 2012

Related posts:

1. Walla Walla Fall Release Weekend
2. Northstar Merlot 2003 Walla Walla Valley
3. Fly your Wine Bloggers Conference (WBC) Freak Flag!