FORT GEORGE 2020 3-WAY HAZY IPA

FORT GEORGE 3-WAY IPA '20 (IPA: HAZY)

Three years ago, I would never have thought that "Hazy" beers would have continued to make an impact in the beer market. I thought it was going to be another trend and go away slowly over the course of the following couple of years. Well...it hasn't! Not only has it not gone away, but it's redefining what IPAs are capable of doing. It's attracting non-IPA drinkers and mesmerizing regular hop-heads with either yays or nays. One thing it's done, is expand the beer market for everyone. 



In March of 2017, my wife and I took a long weekend trip to Cannon Beach on the coast of Oregon. Our weekend was full of geocaching, sight-seeing and romantic dinners. As we returned home that Sunday, we stopped in Astoria for a tour of the Column, a 125 foot column with 164 steps to ascend to the top. On regular days you can see for miles. Even out to the ocean and across the Columbia River to the Washington side. This day was different. We were socked in! I mean thick fog. You couldn't see more than a few hundred feet. So we chose to find the two geocaches near the column ( GC1901 / GC6BEQZ ). 

Now that that was done, we checked our smart devices to figure out if there was a good burger joint that was open on sundays. None! But the local brewery was! We drove down the hill into the center of town and found the Fort George Brewery in an old manufacturing building. We sat at the bar and ordered a flight! This flight had something called the 2017 Beta IPA in it. Another Hazy being prepped for summer, I thought! No! This was "One" of the beta versions of a 3-way collaboration that Fort George draws together every year. This one was being produced by Fort George Brewing, Great Notion Brewing and Seattle's own Reuben's Brews in Ballard. It was spectacular!! Absolutely stunning! Full of life bouncing from one side of my mouth to the other and up and down and with a massive tropical fruit finish. HOLY SHIT, was that a good beer!! 

Unfortunately for FG, the 2018 made by FG, Holy Mountain from Seattle and Modern Times Brewing, wasn't anywhere as interesting as the '17, still close and tasty beer. The 2019 was terrible. Unlike it's predecessors, it was almost 2-sided, meaning it didn't have really much to it, and most of the beer fans around me weren't impressed with it either. Not much lost! However...the 2020...WOW!! I still don't think it's as good as the 2017, but man does it put FG back on that "So looking forward to the 3-Way next year" map once again. The 2020 is a Collab. with Level Brewing and Structures Brewing. Using Chinook, Azacca, Citra and crazy amounts of Simcoe hops these three well-established brewers went to work producing a monster of a beer full of tropical fruit with hints of melon, pineapple and an orange-peel finish!! Such a great beer! I mean that..."GREAT BEER". For me, it ranks in my Top 3 for 2020 and Top 5 for the year. Easy. This beer is NOT found easily, but I've got a really good relationship with my beer guy! So, every time I see him, I always ask him politely if he would sell me a 4-pack. He usually says yes. 

The Fort George 3-Way IPA is usually released in early to mid-June and gone by end of July. Some places can get kegs of it well into August and September, but seldom to you see it beyond that. You won't find it east of Idaho either...too bad for them!! More beer for me. 😜

FORT GEORGE SKIES OF WONDER IMPERIAL IPA (2019)

9/16/2019
AP RATING: 98 PTS

Not often that I get blown away by a beer, let alone a beer in a can. I'm one to believe that beer on tap or in a growler is always best. It's freshest...and that's probably correct, but man did this beer stop me dead in my tracks. 

I get tons of new beers every year, every week from reps who want to sell me on the next best thing. I usually let Leif Erickson run through them either before me or after me or at the same time. One way or another, we're both plowing through them. This time, we didn't even get these cans as supplier samples. One of our reps came in, simply told us to get a case and when it came in, he went straight for it. Didn't even take an order!! Straight to the case, grabbed a 4 pack, ran to the registers, paid for it and came back to the beer department. Split-off 2 cans and handed Leif and I one and said, "You gotta try this!". 

Leif tried his immediately that night at home, came back in the next day and asked me if I had tried it. I told him I had so many others to try that I hadn't even put it in fridge. That day, Leif bought a 4-pack...a $22 four-pack. $22!!!!! Leif, doesn't spend that much on his girlfriend, let alone beer. That got my attention, but not enough to try it immediately that night. 

 Fort George Brewing Company makes some amazing beers. I first discovered them in March of 2017 when my wife and I took a long weekend to Cannon Beach in Oregon. As we were driving back home to Seattle, we stopped at the Brewery in Astoria, Oregon. That was the weekend they had an open-house and the release of the much anticipated 2017 3-Way IPA. That beer was good too!! Actually, I personally think it was the best 3-way yet. Anyway, Fort George Vortex IPA is definitely in my TOP 5 "GO-TO" IPA's of all time. Maybe I'll blog about those later, but for now...Skies of Wonder.

Last night, I told my wife that I was having a beer. I told her I'd be having a full 16 oz. Imperial. She was immediately intrigued as I don't usually have a whole beer. I usually take a few sips, micro-blog on Untappd, take a few photos and then dump the rest in the sink. Too many beers!! I cracked this beautifully designed 16 oz. can and started pouring it in my new "Mac & Jack" Pint glass. I immediately recognized the solid-looking froth creating this unmistaken head in the glass. It wasn't expanding beyond control, it wasn't inconsistent in tiny bubbles, it was really really well balanced and just perfect. The beer itself was golden with a tinge of lime green color and thick almost as if it wasn't filtered. I knew I was in for a meal. I immediately let out a "Woah!!" Nikki (Mrs. Winos) looked up from the football game on TV and asked if she could see. I walked it over to her, left hand with the glass, right hand with the can. I handed her the can knowing she couldn't have a drink cuz of work early in the morning. 😏😏. She looked at me and looked at the glass, handed me the can and took the glass. Looked at it and took a tiny sip...won't kill anyone. I believe that too. Her face lit up and she shook it, "Wow! That's good!". My turn...Sat down, beer in hand, Eagles in the 4th had just scored a 2-point conversion, I was good, I was ready to try it, but I was still looking at how perfect this head in the glass was. 


Screw the head...the smell was over-whelming of pineapple, citrusy sweet grapefruit, almost like lemon/orange sherbet or orange cream-sicle. The taste, was thick with citrus flavors, a full on blast of medium-bodied hops, "HOLY SHIT!!" I said, "Goddamn, that's a good beer!" It had this amazingly long finish that didn't stop, I could taste the fucker 45 seconds to a full minute later. Who cares if in the span of time it took me to drink it the Eagles had managed to lose the game to the Falcons! This beer had my attention! I picked up the phone and called Leif. "Dude, that fucking beer is a 5", I told him. He had no clue what I was talking about. Then, I told him what I had just tasted. He said, "Finally!" and "I fully agree!". I told him to get more. He said, that's all they had and that it was gone. I told him to get a keg...we'll see if that happens today (9/16/2019) That'll be an expensive pour, but shit, this beer's that good. 

Best beer this year for sure. I UntappD it at 5.0 Stars. I've never done that before. I'm SO looking forward to finding more from Fort George. First 3-Way, although the 2019 3-Way wasn't the best I've had, and now Skies of Wonder. What's next?!?