Fremont Brewing Co. - Bonfire ale (Washington state)

Today's review is one I should have done a while ago. This fine example of a winter ale comes straight from Seattle, WA, courtesy of my brother Daniel. He sent me some last year, and when I told him how much I liked it, he went out of his way to find more for me. Thanks, dude!

Fremont Brewing Co. makes some great stuff. I'm a huge fan of theirs and have enjoyed everything I've tried: Bonfire, Fremont Harvest, their tasty Summer, and others. The Bonfire ale is their 6.00% ABV fall / winter seasonal, and it's really exceptional.

The pour is swift, the color a pleasing deep caramel brown.

The nose is almost non-existent, with just vague hints of nuttiness and dark wheat detectable.

The taste is really where this beer shines. There's a smooth, straightforward ale taste tinted with rye and nuts. It lacks any bitter taste or burnt taste, but has a silkiness that is really pleasant. One of my major gripes about winter beers is the burnt chocolate / coffee tastes that a lot of them seem to have; some beers successfully avoid this trend. In this way, the Bonfire reminds me of Maui Brewing Company's Coconut Porter, which I reviewed about a year ago. The consistency is similar, and the delicateness of the taste is common to the two.

Also, nice little bit of sediment in the glass.

This post is a good time to talk about drinking. And not in the D.A.R.E. sort of way, either. There's an amorphous quality of beer called "sessionability" that relates to how well you can enjoy it over a sustained period of time. In other words, how well a beer "drinks." In the wine world, we call such a wine a "quaffing" wine. A good "session ale," as they're called, is one that's easy to drink, enjoyable, and one that's tasty enough to keep you interested. Usually, session ales don't have a high alcohol content or crazy tastes. Session ales are the ones you bring to parties - beers that can be enjoyed idly and with friends over conversation.

I feel that the Bonfire fits well under that category. The Bonfire is very tasty but also is straightforward enough that I could see myself enjoying a beer or two while watching a movie and not having to pause to appreciate the beer. This is not to say Bonfire isn't worth appreciating - far from it - but it's both delicious and sessionable, which makes for a winning combination.

Examples of non-sessionable ales are specialty brews like Rogue's Voodoo Doughnut, Stone's Old Guardian barleywine, and Dogfishead 120 minute IPA. Also, I find most IPAs (with the exclusion of Red Hook's Long Hammer) don't "session" well. Some are just too bitter, but beyond that the taste is so strong and up-front that it's hard to ignore. Non-session beers are ones you have to focus on, beers that have such strength, such powerful tastes and intense flavors that you can't ignore. A session beer is something that's delicious enough to enjoy and, if you so choose, not think about. And I think Bonfire fits in very well to that category.

Like many of the West Coast beers I review, I think Bonfire is only available in Seattle (and then, only during the fall/winter seasons.) But, if you happen to be out that way and see it on draft, do yourself a favor and have a pint. You won't regret it!