beernesday

at this week's edition of beernesday i enjoyed the following brews:

chuckanut brewing kolsch - 5%  gentle, slightly fruity, complex undertones of malt, refreshing
yes, definitely fruity.  i don't much love a kolsch, and am not sure why i keep trying them, but this one was quite nice!

skagit brewing english best bitter - 7.5%  a real bitter with malts that are relatively restrained in favor of wide, flat bittering.  a clean, working man's ale.  not prolific, but a smart choice
i tried this one because i wanted to know if it was skagit brewing i'm not fond of or just their ipa.  definitely just their ipa.  this bitter was definitely a smart choice!

skagit brewing helmet pale ale - 5.5%  brewed extremely pale and distinctly hoppy.  crisp and refreshing this light ale is a classic 'northwestern style' pale ale.  unfiltered and dry-hopped for extra flavor
i tried this one because it got me at northwestern style and dry-hopped, and i was not disappointed - i really, really enjoyed it!

howe sound brewing gathering storm cda - 7%  cdas are also known as black ipas.  this version adds deep roasted malts to alter the hue and slightly smooth the edges
i do love me a cda (even if i don't love the name).  this one is not destined to be my favourite, but it is definitely enjoyable.  i think i need more hops to adequately feed my addiction...

then i had to go with a pint of the two beers evolutionary ipa
because i needed an ipa
yes, needed!