Golden Valley Brewing

Brothers and Sisters,

I returned from the Golden Valley with good news of froth and foam, in a word: beer. Walking into their brewery, I acquired a "ten tap stave sampler."

Brought forth on a bow of wood, I sipped and savored each ounce of the liquid goodness. I did not dislike one beer. I did not love any of the beers. Golden Valley makes a solid, quality brew. Each is carefully crafted. None are extreme. They are all good. None taste like another.

3rd Street Wheat: The brewery calls it an "approachable American Style wheat beer light in color with a crisp clean, slightly lemony flavor." The description makes the beer sound boring. It's not. It's the sparkling wine of wheat beers. It is a pale lemon in color with little aroma. The carbonation makes the brew crisp, yet clean with a faint citrus hint. It is very drinkable: a beer to conquer heat and humidity.

OG 1.039

IBU 18

ABV 3.9

Perrydale Pale: "Gold Valley's session style pale ale. Straw gold in color, and lightly hopped for a crisp and smooth flavor."

You all maybe shocked, but this pale was my favorite beer of the bunch. It was clean, light, and smooth, yet very tasty with a sweet touch.

OG 1.033

IBU 10

ABV 3.2

French Prairie Blanche: An "unfiltered Belgian Style Blond Ale spice with Orange Peel and Coriander."

The Belgian is a seasonal offering available in May and June. I found it to be pale yellow in color. It was clean, mild, and subtle.

OG 1.030

IBU 10

ABV 3.8

American Pale Ale: The brewery calls this beer their "Northwest style pale ale with a light malt profile and a citrus hop aroma."

Golden Valley's pale has a mild, malty body with a slight aroma of hops and citrus notes on back.

OG 1.048

IBU 35

ABV 4.6

Chehalem Mountain IPA: "A Northweststyle IPA with rich balanced malt profile with Centennial and Cascade bittering hops backed by a whole Kent Flower and Cascade dry hops."

This is not a NW style IPA. NW IPA tend to the extreme. This is a drinkable IPA: a friendly IPA, an IPA for those who don't like the bitterness of a NW IPA. Chehalem IPA is a lighter IPA. It's dry with subtle bitter tones on the back end. It's a good beer, a complex beer, a beer worth tasting.

OG 1.060

IBU 50

ABV 6.1

Red Thistle Ale: "The heavy use of imported malts creates a complex flavor that is balanced and enhanced by the use of mild noble hops."

Red Thistle is Golden Valley's flagship beer first brewed in 1993. On first sip, it was my least favorite beer in the sampler. It seemed a little watery on the front with mild hops on the back end. The more I drank, the more I liked it. I could taste the complex flavor. It's a good burger and fries beer.

OG 1.054

IBU 40

ABV 5.5

Geist Bock: "A traditional Mai bock lager with a full bodied malt character."

Tasty! Another seasonal. Sweet on the front end with mild bitterness on the end. I could tast the carbonation. After drinking this beer, I want to try more Geist Bocks!

OG 1.065

IBU 10

ABV 6.0

Bald Peak IPA: "Golden pale in color with a zesty bitterness and full aromatics in the finish. Brewed using Simcoe hops that have a floral citrus pear character and a zesty bitterness."

The Bald Peak IPA was my second favorite beer. It's a bold IPA. The zesty flavor is a testament to the extreme hops. It differs from most extreme IPAs by being is sparkly and sweet on the front with a very bold finish.

OG 1.060

IBU 50

ABV 6.1

Dundee Porter: "This robust porter has a luscious roasted malt complex with hints Chocolate malt and a slighty dry finish."

The Dundee Porter has a rich aroma. It's a properly dark beer. You can't see through it. It's not red in color at the base. The porter has faint hints of chocolate. You can taste the roasted malts. It's not a beer to drink with a meal. It's a meal beer: a dessert beer, a beer for the dark of winter.

OG 1.061

IBU 26

ABV 6.1

Muddy Valley Oatmeal Stout: "This Stout is brewed using roasted, black barley and chocolate malts in a mildly astringent with burnt malt tones. A higher finishing gravity promotes a full-bodied stout. Served on a nitrogen faucet."

This oatmeal stout is thick and creamy with the faintest hints of chocolate. It's smooth and slightly sweet. You can tell it is poured on from nitro. If you are a stout fan, you'll like this beer.

OG 1.078

IBU 30

ABV 6.8