Given the close proximity of the
Harmon Brewery to my humble abode, I rarely find myself there these days. A well timed email invitation and a willing beerfriend to accompany, I made plans to visit my first Harmon Brewmaster's Dinner. Five courses with five new-to-me beers promised to be an intriguing event. Familiar faces and friendly conversation only sweetened the deal.
Course #1: St. Helens Anniversary IPA
While my "go to" Harmon beer has been their Pt. Defiance IPA, it isn't necessarily my favorite. I tend to check out their seasonal and cask offerings. I have to be honest, I was a bit leery to try this first sip. Pleasantly surprised by this moderately malty yet adequately bitter IPA, I enjoyed sip after sip of the Citra and Simcoe notes in this hidden 7.5% ABV. It was gone before I knew it, and little did I realize, that would become the theme of the night.
Course #2: Oatmeal Pale Ale
An Autumn favorite I tend to lean towards when the days get shorter is an Oatmeal Stout. The creaminess of the oatmeal paired with the roastiness of the grain is a winning combination. This Oatmeal Pale threw me off a bit. The same creaminess was there, yet the roastiness wasn't. While that was expected, my taste buds wanted a crisp pale at the sight of this straw colored pint, not a smooth creamy one. But don't worry, a plan was made to try this OPA once again in order to fully assess its palate worthiness.
Course #3: North Cascades IPA
The impression that the St. Helens IPA left had me intrigued to see if those Harmon brewers could impress this hophead once again. A Pro Am selection created by a home brewer, this IPA seemed a bit too malty for my taste. You see, I like IPAs that just kind of slap me upside the head with a big old helping of lupulin. The rest of the table enjoyed this beer while I eyed the upcoming promise of an Imperial Red.
Course #4: Fall Ball Red
Wow. Even a day later, I can't get this beer out of my head. Like a first date gone absolutely right, I find myself wondering when I will see this Imperial Red again. It is hard to focus. I can't think straight. I find myself checking taplists around town to see where I might run into it. The depth and complexity was beyond compare. A hint of cinnamon and harvest pumpkin amongst the perfectly malted red provided an incredible seasonally perfect ale. Before I knew it, my glass was empty. I scanned the table and helped myself to others. Who would have thought that those components would make such a great brew? I'm running out of adjectives. Bottom line: get some.
Course #5: Pumpkin Spice Blonde
Seated at a table of Harmon dinner regulars, the buzz was about where the hop ice cream went. Apparently in years past, the final course was a hop vanilla ice cream paired with a worthy beer. This year, a sessionable Pumpkin Spice Blonde was paired with praline vanilla ice cream. When the snifter of my final beer came out, I took a quick whiff and a sip and well, I wasn't that blown away. After coming off of that Imperial Red high (did I mention I finished off others' samples too?), I was hoping for more. Then, the ice cream came out. Silence fell over our table as everyone took a bite of ice cream and followed it with a sip of this blonde. Reactions were unanimous. This pairing was the best of the night. Creamy praline with delicate pumpkin was, without a doubt, perfect. Again, I finished my beer before everyone else. The ice cream was long gone too. And let's not forget, I don't really like sweets.
Rediscovering an old standby can yield surprising results. Harmon Brewery, you are once again on my radar. Well done.
