In pursuit of 100-Boise

Due to the suggestion of a good friend I am now going to document my findings while pursuing my quest to reach 100 breweries by the age of 40.  This entry will be on number 28 with 29 and 30 to follow in the next day or two, sorry to Justin for my miscalculation earlier.  I am posting this for all of us brewheads that like good beer and hope everyone would post in kind with their findings to either save a trip or begin one for the rest of us.  This last week the wife and I traveled to Boise to stay with our good friends Aaron and Lindsey, who so graciously carted our butts around to these three breweries, one such venture the day after St. Patty's.

# 28-Sockeye Grill and Brewery
http://www.sockeyebrew.com/index.htm

This brewery was set up very well and had a good pub feel to it.  Unfortunately the beer was not quite up to par in comparison to the other two breweries.   During this venture we partook in the Purple Haze Espresso Stout, Powerhouse Porter, Wooly Bugger Wheat, and sampled the Dagger Falls IPA.

 The Purple Haze, in my humble opinion, did not produce.  In terms of a stout it was decent, in terms of an espresso stout it lacked.  Good malty flavor, lacking the roasted notes that you would expect to find, and finished dry.  Although I could have downed a pint or two on a good night the longevity was not there that I expected.

The Powerhouse Porter by far was the strongest beer that we sampled.  Its color was a rich dark brown that was crowned by a tan head, that mirrored more of an American style stout than a porter.  Malt sweetness was present but was balanced with a hop aroma and a chocolate finish.  Aaron and I both agreed that this was a beer to drink throughout a good night and would not get old.

The Woolybugger Wheat was by far my least favorite, not due to the beer lacking in any respect, but more it did not push the envelope.  This is expected with a lighter grained beer that is sparingly hopped and produced with the mindset of  being a "thirst quencher."  My wife and Lindsey tried it, let it be said that neither are beer "drinkers", and Lindsey described the flavor as "dirty water", which could easily explain its lack-luster flavor.  Would I drink this....no, but I know many like this light wheat ale style.

Lastly we have the Dagger Falls IPA that boasts a silver medal in the North American Brewers Festival in 2003 and 2008.  This beer totally produced as an IPA and I found that quite enjoyed the flavor.  The hops used produced both floral and citrus undertones that were not overpowered by an overly sweet malt flavor.  Very well balanced .


Overall it was a decent enough brewery that I could have gone to and been reasonably happy with my night.  The menu was chocked full of options and the service was quite good.  Unfortunately the beer, although good, was not stupendous enough to lend to a Friday night growler run.

X  3  out of 5