Belmont Station Beer Forum

New Arrivals, Special Releases, and Lots of Events

2009-06-30T16:01:00.000-07:00

After a big lull in new arrivals we've been deluged with stuff in the last couple of days. Some are seasonal things we've been expecting for a while, some are hotly anticipated special releases, and one is so limited that we've been forced to put a bottle limit on it.

We also have a bunch of fun events lined up for Oregon Craft Beer Month, so keep reading all the way to the end.

New American Craft Beers:

Full Sail Brewing - Black Session (or is it "Session Black?") - A little bolder, a little stronger, and a little darker, but still easy drinking enough that you can have several of them over the course of a session without burning out your palate or filling your gut.

Victory - Hop Wallop 22oz: The same great imperial IPA that you all know and love, now available in bombers so you can get walloped with friends. (why does that sound dirty?)

Laurelwood - Wry Pale Ale: The latest seasonal 22oz bottle from Chad Kennedy and crew is a bright, crisp pale ale accented with rye malt for a little earthy, spicy kick. This one's on deck for after work, so I'll update this post if it's particularly noteworthy.

Red Branch - Honey Red: The latest brew from this innovative Meadery/brewery is an Irish-style red ale with 25% honey to lend a little sweetness to the body.

Anderson Valley - Summer Solstice and Poleeko Gold in cans!: The same great Booneville beer, now in a more outdoor-friendly package so you can have Bahl Hornin! on the beach, river, or top of Mt. Hood.

Sierra Nevada - Kellerweis: If you pay any attention to the big beer geek websites you've probably aware of all the people practically freaking out over this seemingly simple, unpretentious brew. There's a good reason for it; underneath the "I want extreme" exterior, most beer geeks crave something easy drinking and flavorful on occasion, and there are few styles more delicious and refreshing than a well-crafted Hefe. Sierra Nevada's version is about as authentic as you can get without heading to Bavaria, and since it's brewed here in the States (instead of being shipped over from Germany) it's got a 6-8 week head start in the freshness department. This should be a staple in everyone's fridge (along with Black Session) for at least the duration of the summer.

Flying Dog - Woody Creek White: I haven't had this one yet, but one of our regular, wit-loving customers has given it his thumbs up. According to him there's a great spice presence without being over-done or soapy.

New Old Lompoc - Heaven's Helles: Lompoc's first foray into limited seasonal runs is their light, summery lager. It's got a heck of a lot more flavor than it's 4.5% abv would lead you to believe, but it's light-bodied enough that you can easily polish of a 22oz bottle and still have room for dinner.

21st Amendment - Brew Free or Die IPA and Hell or High Watermelon in cans!: These great additions to the canned craft cooler (which is growing rapidly), provide two more options for your outdoor or backyard adventures. As you may or may not know, the Hell or High Watermelon (formerly known as 21st Amendment Watermelon Wheat) has been the number one selling beer (by volume) at the OBF for several years in a row. This might have something to do with the blazing weather the last few years, or the dearth of lighter options in the trailers full of IPAs, or maybe people just really, really like watermelon. Whatever the case, you can rest easy knowing that when they run out at the festival you can pop in and grab a six pack.

Laughing Dog - Huckleberry Cream: The name pretty much sums it up. "Hucky Cream" is light, smooth, and full of dark, semi-sweet berry character.

Lagunitas - Lucky 13: Imperial Red? American Strong Ale? Whatever it is, it's good. Available for a limited time only.

Bison Brewing - Honey Basil: This pale golden brew is light, a little sweet, and has an interesting earthy/herbal basil note that springs up as the brew warms. Judging by the buzz on the blogosphere this was well received at the NAOBF last weekend, and the bottles have been flying out of the cooler ever since. I'm pretty sure this is a limited, seasonal brew, although it does have a different UPC code* than all the other Bison brews, so it could be a year-round offering. *One of these days I'll get around to writing a giant rant on why I despise overlapping UPC codes (I'm looking squarely at you, Rogue), but today is not that day.

We finally have a brewery from Missouri in our coolers that doesn't have AnhueserBusch (or InBev) on the label. I posted a sneak preview picture a month or two ago after I tried them at a distributor open house, so it's no real surprise that they're here, but I thought I'd mention it because lots of people have been waiting for them.

Boulevard - Sixth Glass Quadrupel: Big, dark, strong, and mysterious. Click here for an explanation of the name.

Boulevard - Long Strange Tripel: A little on the sweet side of the tripel spectrum, which should work to it's benefit if you plan on aging it, but it's plenty delicious right now.

Boulevard - Saison: A golden, effervescent Saison made with Amarillo hops, two-row pale malt, wheat, and a pinch of corn.

Boulevard - Double Wide IPA: A big ol' palate wrecker of an IPA, perfect for sipping while you wait out the tornados in your life...

BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE! (apologies to the late Billy Mays...)

New Imports:

Rodenbach and Rodenbach Grand Cru return! After an almost two year absence from our shelves, the classic Flemish sours are back. I was really, really hoping that the distributor would pull through and get a keg to us in time for Puckerfest, but bottles are better than nothing I suppose.

Steenbrugge - Blonde, Witbier, Dubbel, Tripel: I haven't had any of these since they were available in 11.2oz bottles a few years ago, but if memory serves they're all well-crafted, clean versions of their respective styles. Not quite as complex or challenging as the Chimay's and Rochefort's of the world, but they're quite a bit less expensive so I guess you get what you pay for.

Casa Beer (Morocco): Casa (aka Cascablanca) is a typical "tropical lager" brewed for places with hot weather pretty much all year. There's not a lot going on, but if you're having a Moroccan/North African dinner party it'll make a great accompaniment.

Redstone Meadery - Nectar of the Hops: I haven't had a chance to try this yet, but if you can't wait until July 6th (when the founder of Redstone will be here) you can stop in and grab a bottle of this dry-hopped mead.

Special/Limited Releases:

North Coast - Barrel-aged Old Rasputin XXII: Tastes like you squeezed an evil dictator into a barrel and left him to stew for a few months. Or not. Limited to 2 bottles perperson due to extremely limited supply.

Stone - 13th Anniversary Ale: Supposedly their hoppiest beer to date, the 13th Anniversary brew pours a rich coppery color, throws hop aroma in your face like a walk through the Yakima Valley, and carries more bitterness than a Chicago Cubs fan...

Oregon Trail Bourbon Porter (batch 5): They didn't make very much of the OT Bourbon Porter this year, and I'm not sure how long it'll last, so grab it while you can.

Deschutes Black Butte XXI: Deschutes' 21st birthday present to us takes everything you know and love about Black Butte and cranks it up like only a rebellious 21 year old could. Partially aged in bourbon barrels to give it an added layer of complexity. Side note: I drank a bottle of BBXX a few nights ago and it's tasting delicious, so consider breaking out a bottle from last year and putting it side by side with this one for comparison.

Bridgeport - Stumptown Tart: I haven't had a chance to try this year's version yet, but I'm curious to see how it compares to last year's marionberry version. At 8+%abv it'll definitely be a night capper. Stop in on Thursday from 6-8pm and you can try a free sample for yourself along with the rest of their bottled line-up.

Events and Tastings

THURSDAY JULY 2 6-8PM. BRIDGEPORT TASTING & MEET THE BREWER. Sample the just released Stumptown Tart and the entire lineup from this 25 years running Portland craft brewer. One of the brewers will be on hand to guide you. This year's Stumptown Tart is a blend of wheat ale with 50% aged in wood and 50% ale infused with Oregon Sour Pie cherries.

TUESDAY JULY 7 6-8PM CANNED CRAFT BEER TASTING. In many ways the can is a better storage medium for beer than a bottle. The can doesn't leak at the cap, it completely blocks light, it's lightweight, etc. At long last when you choose cans you don't have to drink industrial generibrew. Now we have Caldera Amber, Pale Ale, & IPA, Oskar Blues Dales Pale Ale, Old Chub Scottish Ale, & Gordon Imperial Red Ale, Big Sky Moose Drool & Troutslayer, 21st Amendment Brew Free or Die IPA & Hell or High Watermelon, and New Belgium Fat Tire. Sample them all fresh from the can tonight!

WEDNESDAY JULY 8 6-8PM Redstone Mead Tasting. Restone Meadery Founder, David Myers, will be here offering samples of several varieties of his award winning mead, including the new Nectar of the Hops. We will also have Nectar of the Hops on draft in the Biercafe, I mean Meadcafe (well, briefly!)

JULY 10 - 16: 3RD ANNUAL PUCKERFEST--A celebration of Sour Beers. July 10-16 in the Belmont Station Biercafe. Featuring very special kegs from Cantillon, Russian River, The Bruery, Double Mountain, Cascade Brewing, New Belgium, Ommegang, Roots, Deschutes, and more!

FRIDAY JULY 10 6PM Puckerfest Opening night with Double Mountain. Brewer Matt Swihart. Matt will bring kegs of Devils Kriek (Sour beer with Bing Cherries) and Rainier Kriek (guess what cherries are in this one) and some of the cherries used in both so you can taste the cherries alongside the beer. BTW Matt also grew the cherries in his own orchards!

MONDAY JULY 13 6-8PM Cascade Brewing Night. Brewer Curtis Bain will offer some free tastes of several of Cascade's Northwest Sour Beers. Nightfall Blackberry Ale and "Barrel 323" (an un-blended Northwest Sour barrel aged for 14 months) will be on draft.

TUESDAY JULY 21 6-8PM. HEATER ALLEN TASTING & MEET THE BREWER.
Owner/brewer Rick Allen of this McMinnville, OR craft brewer will offer tastes of his wide range of German style beers. Plus we'll have Coastal Common, Pils, and a special surprise on draft.

FRIDAY JULY 24 (OBF Weekend) 3PM. Rogue Brewmaster John Maier will tap a keg of John John: Dead Guy Ale aged in a Rogue Dead Guy Whisky Barrel. We'll also have the superb Rogue Charlie on draft.

That's all for now! Enjoy the weather while it lasts, and don't forget to bring a 6pk of craft-brewed cans with you as you venture outside.

Recent Arrivals and Returning Favorites

2009-05-30T11:48:00.000-07:00

The weather is beautiful and the new beers keep flowing in. We've gotten a couple of incredible sour beer in over the last couple days which are perfect warm weather sippers. A handful of summer seasonals are also in stock so check the list below for the full run down of new brew.

The cafe draught list is also tipping towards the easy drinking side of things as the weather heats up. A couple of highlights on today's list include Heater Allen Isarweizen, Deschutes Red Chair IPA, and New Belgium La Folie. Never fear though, we've still got a wide range of styles, including a couple heavy hitters like Stone Imperial Russian Stout and Hopworks Bourbon-aged Noggin Floggin Barleywine for those who are gluttons for punishment.

New American Craft Beers:

Leinenkugels - Classic Amber: A 100 percent malted lager, “Leinie’s Classic” features Leinenkugel’s own unique blend of two-row and six-row malts and four varieties of hops. A blend of Pale, Caramel, and Munich malts offer a complex flavor, with four different hops (Cluster, Cascade, Mt. Hood, and Hallertau) to balance the malts.
Cascade Lakes - Paulina Lake Pilsner: Sweet, bready malt character meets crisp noble hops in this classic style. Toss a couple of bombers in the cooler and take some fishing.
New Belgium - La Folie: Say what you will about Fat Tire, La Folie proves that New Belgium can brew, blend, and barrel age with the best of them. Former Rodenbach brewmaster Peter Bouckaert and crew keep watch over a multidude of foeders (huge oak barrels) filled with several vintages of La Folie. When the time comes to bottle they blend various batches together to create a harmonious, complex whole that's sure to put a pucker on your face. We only received a few cases, so please try and limit yourself to 3 bottles.
New Belgium - Biere de Mars: The other new arrival from NBB this week is their delicious Biere de Mars, a New World take on the classic spring beers from the French/Belgian border region. New Belgium's version includes lemon verbena and "unidentified flying yeasts" to create a earthy, citrusy, brew with "crusty bread" malt character and a dry finish.
Fish Tale - Organic Blonde: Fish's summer release is an easy drinking blonde ale brewed with a touch of rye for a delicate spiciness and just enough hops to give it a crisp, very refreshing finish.
Sierra Nevada - Southern Hemisphere Harvest: This twist on the "fresh hop" craze features fresh hops from New Zealand that are dried, flown from NZ to Chico, and thrown into the kettle in less than a week. It's a major undertaking to be sure, but the reward is an off-season fresh hop beer bursting with grassy and floral hop aromas. Look for the fat 24oz bottle with the bright blue label.
Elysian - Avatar Jasmine IPA: This delectable northwest IPA has a healthy dose of dried jasmine flowers to give it a unique floral nose and dry finish.
Flying Dog - Canis Major 8 Pack: This great little package includes four of Flying Dog's big beers - Gonzo Imperial Porter, Double Dog Double Pale, Horn Dog Barleywine, and Kerberos Tripel - in 7oz nip bottles. They're perfect for when you want some strong, flavorful brew but don't want to commit to a 22oz bottle of something that's 10% or higher. Which begs the question, why do so many breweries put their monstrous beers in big bottles?

New Imports:

Schneider - Hopfen-Weisse: This collaboration between Brooklyn Brewing and Schneider is a hopped-up take on the classic Schneider Weisse. Smooth and creamy bodied with a defined herbal, grassy hop character, this is one easy drinking summer brew.
Belhaven - Scottish Stout: (commercial description) This deluxe stout is brewed for a full roasted chocolate flavour with a hop character that complements a blend of three different malts. Drink, savour, and enjoy!
Whistler - Classic Pale Ale: Visitors to Whistler/Blackcomb (or Vancouver, BC in general) will surely recognize the distinctive labels. I haven't had a chance to try either of the Whistler brews yet, but you can click the links and see what other folks think.
Whistler - Black Tusk: (commercial description) Obsidian black with a creamy, tan coloured head. Aroma: Subtle, malty aroma Palate: A dark, bold English-style mild ale. Expect a mild bitterness with notes of chocolate and a roasted coffee finish. Finish: Delightfully subtle with a refreshing, lingering finish.

Returning Favorites:

Russian River - Consecration: We got another small load of this incredible strong sour ale yesterday. I don't recall which batch we received last time, but for those who are keeping track this is batch 002X3. We've also got a fair amount of Pliny the Elder and Blind Pig IPA in stock at the moment.

That's all for now. Don't forget to drink plenty of water while you're out enjoying the sun. It's going to be really toasty this weekend, and your body will need all the hydration it can get.

North Amberican Organic Beer Fest List

2009-05-15T09:13:00.000-07:00

The NAOBF website has been updated with this year's beer list, and while many of the attendees are bring the same things as last year, there's some interesting new entries.

Assuming the weather holds out and I get to attend both days I'm sure I'll try just about everything, but here's the stuff I'm most looking forward to (in no particular order):

Elliot Bay Hop van Boorian - Belgian-style IPA: I've had several examples of this new hybrid style (how many commercial examples do you need to create a new category?), and while they've been hit or miss I appreciate the effort that goes into trying to create a harmonious whole out of two disparate elements.

Lakefront Organic Fuel Cafe Stout - We've had the Fuel Cafe in bottles for a while now, but I just received word from their distributor that they've teamed up with a local organic coffee roaster and reformulated the beer to make it organic, so I'm excited to try the new version.

Upright Brewing Reggae Junkie Gruit and Seven (aka #7) - I don't know if Alex and Gerritt want me to say anything about the gruit and ruin any potential surprises, so I'll just say that I'm really looking forward to this one. I'm also happy to see the #7 on the list; the first batch should be ready soon and popping up around town at the usual suspects, but for folks attending the fest from out of town this is likely to be their first taste of Upright. If the weather gets toasty Alex may regret bringing this instead of the ridiculously quaffable #4, but I'm sure it'll be a popular beer regardless.

Laurelwood is bringing the Green Mammoth, on of my all-time favorite local IIPAs, but I got a chuckle out of their second entry, simply labeled "something delicious." I'm sure that's just a fun way of saying TBD, but it would actually make a great name for a beer.

Lucky Lab Recession Session Lager - First of all, great name. Secondly, this looks like the pick of the fest when you need to tone it down for a while or simply quench your thirst and let your palate recover from all the hop bombs on the list.

Those are my picks so far; what's calling your name?

Fresh Off the Bottling Line!

2009-05-13T11:58:00.000-07:00

I have in my hands two icy cold bottles of Hopworks Organic Beer that were bottled this morning. The Cross Town Pale and Seven Grain Survival Stout are now in the house and ready for sale, and the IPA and Deluxe Old Ale (aka DOA) should be in tomorrow or Friday.

Daily Notes and a Little Tease

2009-05-12T16:10:00.000-07:00

We've only had a handful of new beers trickle in over the last few days, but there's some other exciting news to report as well, so join us as we stroll through virtual coolers...

New Arrivals:

Black Diamond - A long time Sacramento favorite, Black Diamond is now available in Oregon. The initial line up consists of their Belgian-style Blonde, Amber, and IPA. They've also sent a few kegs of their new Saison into town, so look for it to pop up around town at the usual suspect places.

Mateveza - The original Mateveza (brewed at Butte Creek) is no longer being produced. Jim Woods, creator/founder of Mateveza, has contracted with Mendocino produce two brand new beers featuring yerba mate. Mateveza Gold is a 5%abv Golden ale with the equivalent of 1/3 of a cup of coffee per 12oz serving. Mateveza IPA is a west coast style IPA replete with Simcoe, Centennial, and Cascade hop character capped by a long dry finish from the mate. The IPA has slightly more yerba mate in it; roughly equal to 1/2 of a cup of coffee per serving.

If you catch this post in the next couple of hours I'd encourage you to stop by the store to meet Jim Woods and try some free samples of his newest creations.

Heater Allen Returns! After a catastrophic equipment failure destroyed all of Rick's beer we were left wondering how long it would take him to recover, and I loaded up on all the H/A beer we could squeeze into the walk-in. If the word hadn't gotten out I think we would have had an uninterrupted supply, but unfortunately people started hoarding it when they heard it was in short supply and we ran out of just about everything last week.

Luckily for us (and all you lager lovers), Rick was quick on the mash paddle and this morning he replenished our coolers with fresh batches of Pils, Dunkel, and Schwarz. He also brought us the first few cases of Isarweizen, his Bavarian-style Hefe. I haven't had this batch yet, but Rick said he lowered the fermentation temperature a little this time to help mute the banana/clove flavor a bit, and he feels it's a whole lot better than last year's version.

Great Divide - A fresh load of Great Divide is here, and they sent a few fun new beers along for the ride. Belgica IPA is another entry in the blossoming "Belgian IPA" category. Leaning more towards the Belgian yeast character and less towards the hops makes for a fairly easy drinking brew with a complex fruity/yeasty/citrusy twang to it. The Dunkel Weiss is a dark, German-style wheat beer brewed with wheat, dark German malts, and a proprietary yeast strain. As the folks at GD say, "If you like wheat beers, come to the Dunkel side." Lastly, we got a limited number of their Saison, a classic Belgian-style farmhouse ale brewed with barley, wheat, rice (huh...), and 4 different yeast strains to give it that farmhouse character and a bone dry finish.

Fianlly, a little tease:

With any luck we should be seeing Boulevard Brewing Co. on our shelves within the next two months. They were present at a very packed distributor tasting last night, and everyone I spoke to seemed eager to have them. Of course nothing is certain until the beer actually arrives, but this is deliciously exciting news...

Last but not least, join us tomorrow night as we welcome Shawn Kelso from Barley Brown's brewpub. Barley Brown's is way, way out in eastern Oregon, and his incredibly well crafted beers are almost never seen on this side of the cascades, so don't miss this opportunity to try several of his latest brews including WFOIPA and 18 month old Whiskey Malt Rye beer. Yummy!

New Arrivals and Event Notices

2009-04-30T16:24:00.000-07:00

There's been a slow, steady trickle of new beers over the last few days, and a couple of exciting special releases, so I figured it was time for a new beer round-up. We've also added a couple fun events to the calendar; details on those follow the list of new beers.

New American Craft Brews:

Deschutes Mirror Mirror Barleywine - Arguably one of Deschutes' first (and some would say best) forays into "extreme beer", the first batch of Mirror Mirror was released back in the spring of 2006. Clocking it at 11.5%abv (up from 10% last time) and aged in a variety of barrels, it has been an elusive, sought-after beast ever since it first hit the market, causing almost hyperbolic raves on the local BeerAdvocate and Ratebeer forums. Supplies are limited, so we've instituted a 6 bottle per person limit through Saturday. If there's any left on Sunday it'll be fair game. They state on their website that it will be "best after April 2010", so try and save a bottle or two and see how it evolves...
Deschutes Red Chair IPA - The newest release in the 22oz Bond St. series is big on hop flavor and aroma, but low on the bitterness. It's perfect for those times when you want to satiate a hop craving without totally blowing out your palate for the rest of the day.
Widmer 84/09 Double Alt - This imperialized version of the Brothers' original brew is big, bold, and yet still refined. They didn't make much, and it won't last long, so grab it while you can.
Lagunitas 2009 Correction Ale - A pale hoppy beer from Lagunitas? Who'da thunk? Seriously though, this is a great little (big) beer. Pale, clean, and with a nice fruity hop note. Call it Hop Stoopid Light, call it a tweaked version of Kill Ugly Radio, but whatever you do, don't call it an Imperial IPA.
Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy - This is Leinie's take on the beer/lemonade concoction known as a radler or shandy. In Germany this blend is especially favored by bikers (radler is German for Bicyclist) and other outdoor enthusiasts because if it's light refreshing character and lower alcohol content. The Leinenkugel's version is a 4.2% lightly filtered hefeweizen flavored with lemonade and "natural flavors." While not a true 50/50 blend of beer and lemonade it hits the mark pretty well and will make a nice light yard work beer.
Boulder Sweaty Betty - Boulder summer offering is a pleasant, unfiltered wheat beer with a slight citrusy character and a smooth finish.
Lost Coast Tangerine Wheat - This was one of Lost Coast's offerings at the 2009 Spring Beer and Wine Fest, so some of you may have had it on tap. I haven't had a chance to try it yet, but ratebeerian GodOfThunder describes it thusly, "The aroma is light and full of sweet tangerine fruitiness. The flavors are the same. Thin mouthfeel, light, refreshing, fruity and actually comforting. Reminds me of a tangerine mimosa. I like this a lot, and I am surprised. This would be great for a day at the beach. Nothing bad about it." Sounds good to me...
Bison Single IPA (Willamette) - I can truly appreciate what Bison is trying to do with this series from an educational standpoint, but this is probably my least favorite of the single hop series thus far. Willamette hops have a very grassy, earthy, herbal aroma which usually works pretty well in understated British-style IPAs, but in this case I think the excessively grassy character is poorly suited to the Werst Coast-style base beer they've created. That said, I would still recommend that anyone with a passing interest in brewing try a bottle of this, if only to gain insight into the nuances of this classic American hop variety.
Widmer Hefeweizen 5 Liter Minikegs - The same classic hefe that started the "American Wheat Beer" trend, now in a 5 liter "minikeg" that's perfect for barbeques, beach parties, or a long day of home brewing in the sunshine...

New Imports:

Kostritzer Schwarzbier - This classic Schwarzbier dropped off of the distribution lists for a couple of years, but it's beack and just as delicious as always. If you've never ahd a Schwarz, this is a great into to the style. It's also a fun beer to hand someone when they give you the old "I don't drink those dark beers because they're too heavy" screed. Light on the palate, with just a hint of hops and roasty malt.
Guinness 250th Anniversary - Speaking of schwarzbiers, Guinness has unveiled a new beer to commemorate the 250th Anniversary of the signing of the lease on their flagship brewery in St. James Gate. It's supposedly a "stout", but it's actually more of a brown ale/schwarzbier hybrid with a transparent brown hue and only the slightest hints of roasty malt character.
Saison 1900 - This is a pretty nice little saison. A little "bubblegummy" yeast character sets it apart from some of the others in the style, but it's pretty light and easy drinking. At roughly 5%abv it's a bit easier on the liver than some of the stronger saisons as well.
Three Horses Lager - Canned beer from Madagascar. Again, it's probably a typical tropical yellow beer, but how often do you see beer from Madagascar?
Saigon Lager - I haven't had this one yet, but I assume it's a typical hot weather lager. It does add one more country to the list, and we've already had a few customers snatch some up to fit their Vietnamese dinner plans.
Rialto Lager -Tropical lager from El Salvador. It's got a cool looking silk-screened bottle with Incan ruins on it, but there's not much going on inside.
Sam Smiths Organic Fruit Ales - We received three new "organic hand-crafted fruit ales" from the venerable British brewer today: Strawberry, Raspberry, and Cherry. I haven't had a chance to try any of them yet, but Sam Smiths is known for high quality brew, and I wouldn't expect them to put these out unless they were solid.

Events and Stuff:

Monday May 4th 6-9pm: Trade Route Tasting/Meet The Brewer: Join Chris Castillo as he offers samples of Dragon King Lager, Mango Wiezen, Ginger Pale Ale, Panden Brown Ale, and the Brand new Infidel Kaffir Lime IPA. Choice Trade Route Draft in the Biercafe.

Wednesday May 13th 6-9pm: Barley Browns Tasting/Meet the Brewer. If you've ever been out to Baker City you know how great their beer is. Brewer Shawn Kelso will bring us some very special drafts for this big night in the Biercafe: WFOIPA, Tank Slapper Double IPA, 18 Month Aged Double Whiskey Malt Ale, and Armstrong Double Golden. Barley Browns beer on special in the Biercafe all day.

Off Site Events:

May 1 and 2: Portland Cheers to Belgian Beers at the West Side Lucky Lab. Full beer list and details are available at the Oregon Brewers Guild site.

Saturday May 9th 2-6pm: Fredfest 2009 takes place at the Hair of the Dog brewery. Join 250 of Portland's beer community in celebrating Fred Eckhardt's birthday. Details and tickets available at the Fred Fest site.

That's all for now. Have a safe and happy weekend!

Sunshine

2009-04-17T17:27:00.000-07:00

Just a quick reminder that we have several tables out front just begging to have happy beer drinkers occupying them. If the weather holds up to the predictions it should be a good weekend to drink beer in the sun.

Beer That Will Last Until 2030?

2009-04-16T12:08:00.000-07:00

I generally don't write "personal posts" on this blog unless they're beer-related (which this is, at least tangentially), but it's not every day that your only sibling has their first child.

Congratulations to Lisa and Anthony DeMalia on the birth of Anthony Michael-John DeMalia, Jr.!

Now on to the beer. I will be visiting Lisa and Anthony at some point in the near future, and I want to present them with a gift for their son that they can all enjoy on his 21st birthday in 2030. Do I go with a lambic? Take a chance on a bottle of Full Sail Black Gold or Deschutes Abyss holding up that long?

Ideally I'd like to get something local in order to better reflect where I was in life on this joyous occasion, but I'm not opposed to something imported if anyone has any great ideas. The only caveat is that it should be something locally available whether it's an Oregon beer or an import because I probably won't have time to work out a trade before my visit.

Thoughts?

New Arrivals For Tuesday April 14th

2009-04-14T14:35:00.000-07:00

New Beers!

~Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale: Stone's 11th Anniversary beer (a black IPA) was so popular that they've brought it back as a year-round beer. Roasty, hoppy, and full bodied.

~Stone Imperial Russian Stout: This is the highest-rated beer in the Stone portfolio according to the users of Ratebeer.com, and with good reason. A complex wave of flavors and aromas washes over you with every sip; bitter chocolate, roasted coffee, anise, herbal hoppiness, even a little peppery spice. I haven't had one of the fresh bottles yet, but if it's anything like prior years it's probably a little boozy at the moment. Not that that's neccessarily a bad thing, but I'm guessing it would benefit from at least a couple months to meld like a good stew.

~Butte Creek Organic "Initial Attack" IPA: I'm getting mixed info on this one. My distributor rep informed me that it's a fresh hop beer made with New Zealand hops, but I can't find any references to it being a fresh hop beer either on the bottle or the web. Unfortunately the Butte Creek website is under construction, so I can't go to the source either. I'll take one for the team and report back as soon as possible.

Returning Favorites!

~Stone Cali-Belgique: A special version of their IPA brewed with a Belgian yeast strain. This one went quickly last time we got it in, so don't delay.

~Russian River: Fresh cases of Pliny the Elder IIPA (bottled on 04.07.09) are in the cooler and ready to go home with you. We were supposed to receive a few cases of Blind Pig IPA as well, but they didn't make it onto the delivery truck this morning so they'll hopefully come in on Friday.

Last minute tasting reminder:

We're hosting a Hot Lips Soda tasting this evening from 5-8pm.

HOTLIPS Soda is real fruit soda pop. Picked-ripe fruit is cooked in open kettles, bringing out the nuanced flavors. Seeds are filtered out, but not pulp, then water, pure cane sugar and organic lemon juice are added. Then it is carbonated, put into bottles and pasteurized. It’s simple. High percentages of real fruit. No shortcuts, supplements, artificial flavors, concentrates or trickery. And no corn syrup. Even the bottles are local, manufactured from 80% recycled glass right here in Portland.

As you can see, they take their soda as seriously as most of the breweries around here take their beer. Only the best ingredients and practices go into making them, and it shows in the flavors.

Tonight they're pouring samples of their Strawberry, Raspberry, Pear, Boysenberry, Blackberry, and Black Raspberry sodas. It really is great stuff, either on it's own or used as a mixer for delcious fruity cocktails.

That's all for now. Have a great week!

Blue Frog Beer Arrives in Oregon

2009-04-10T15:47:00.000-07:00

We got 5 new beers in this morning from Blue Frog Grog and Grill in Fairfield, CA. I haven't had a chance to taste any of them yet, but I'll try and squeeze them into the line up for this weekend.

We've got their Blonde Ale, Hefeweizen, Red Ale, IPA, and "The Big DIPA" imperial IPA.

In addition to the Blue Frog we saw a few seasonal favorites return to the shelves or coolers:

Moylan's Hopsickle Imperial Ale (very limited, so please don't hoard it)
Dogfish Head Midas Touch
Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron
Anderson Valley Summer Solstice
Lagunitas Undercover Investigation Shutdown Ale (now in 6pks!)
Hale's Kolsch
Pyramid Curveball Blonde Ale

I think that's it for today. Don't forget about the Spring Beer and Wine Fest this weekend!

Insanity

2009-04-08T10:05:00.000-07:00

I couldn't think of a better headline to describe this:

Two Golden Tickets For Dark Lord Day

Current bid: $14,999.44

A little background for the uninformed; Three Floyd Brewing in Munster, IN has been producing a highly rated imperial stout called Dark Lord for several years now. It's released once per year at the brewery on "Dark Lord Day", and the event has grown to become one of the most epic beer events in the country. This is partly due to the beer itself, but mainly because of the parking lot parties where people gather and share other rare beers while they wait in line for their allotment of DL. Last year, thousands of people lined up around the block for a chance to purchase DL; unfortunately for some, the line exceeded the supply of beer and a lot of folks went home upset and empty handed.

I thought the craziness had reached an apex last spring when bottles of the brew went for over $100 each on eBay within days of leaving the brewery, but apparently I was wrong.

Seriously though, this has got to be a shill account(s). I noticed that the of two users currently locked in the bidding war one has absolutely zero feedback, and the other has a whopping 4 auctions under his or her belt. Color me skeptical...

The auction still has 5 days to go, so we'll find out soon enough whether or not this is legit.

EDIT: As I suspected, the auction was closed and the tickets have been reposted for a more sensible price of $20.

New Beer, New Equipment, New Photos

2009-04-03T13:07:00.000-07:00

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so consider this my 3000 word treatise for the day.

New Beers!

From left to right: Bridgeport Hop Czar, Full Sail Keelhauler, Cascade The Vine, Laurelwood Hop Monkey IPA, and Lagunitas Gnarlywine.

Other new beers not pictured:

Alaskan - White Ale
Kona - Wailua Wheat
Bayern - Dragon's Breath Dunkelweizen
Bayern - Maibock
Buffalo Bill's - Orange Blossom
Lang Creek - Cherry Porter
Lang Creek - Huckleberry and Honey
Ommegang - Biere de Mars

New ciders, meads, and ciders:

Red Branch - Hard Lemonade
Red Branch - Apple and Honey Cider
Rabbit's Foot - Dry Mead
Rabbit's Foot - Sweet Mead
Rabbit's Foot - Apple Ceyser
Rabbit's Foot - Raspberry Mead
Rabbit's Foot - Diabhal Golden Ale
Rabbit's Foot - Biere de Miele Koelsch

New Equipment!

After much delay, we finally got our beer engine installed last week. A pint of well-kept cask-conditioned ale is one of life's most delicious pleasures, and we're happy to finally have the means to provide them. We've got Hopworks IPA on right now, and there's a keg of Beer Valley's Leafer Madness Imperial Pale lined up behind that. I can't give out any more info at the moment, but we may be tapping something very special in the next week, so keep your eye on the blog or twitter feed.

Last but not least, I had the pleasure of attending a tasting at Bailey's Taproom on Wednesday night. It was comprised of mainly Beeradvocate users, with a few industry folks like myself, Ezra (the Samurai Artist), and Geoff, the owner of Bailey's. Geoff was kind enough to allow us to bring in outside bottles; a very generous offer considering his only source of revenue is alcohol. I tried taking a few photos to test out my tiny new pocket camera (a nice little Sony Cybershot), but between the poor lighting and my unfamiliarity with the device my pictures turned out mediocre at best. I did end up with one photo that (after a bit of tweaking) does a fairly accurate job of summarizing how I felt after plowing through a table full of strong, rare beer:

Highlights included several vintage sour ales, a growler of Russian river Sanctification, Brooklyn Local #2, Upland Cherry Lambic, HOTD Cherry Adam From the Wood, and Cave Creek Chili Beer.

I think that's it for now. Be sure to stop by the Biercafe on Tuesday to help us raise money for Mercy Corps - 25% of all food and draught sales in the cafe will be going directly to the NFP for their "Dine for Darfur" program. Click here for more information on Mercy Corps and Dine For Darfur.

Maharaja Returns and Caldera Unveils New Cans

2009-03-20T15:56:00.001-07:00

One of the first posts I ever dropped on this blog was a short, glowing review of Avery's Maharaja Imperial IPA. It was accompanied by (at least in my opinion) one of the best photos I've ever taken. The original picture was lost at some point last year due to web hosting issues (I think), but thankfully I still have a copy on my work machine. I was simply going to repost it, but after seeing this wonderful shot on beeraroundtown I was inspired to tweak it a little bit. So, many thanks to Derek for the inspiration, and a hearty thank you to all the craft breweries out there who keep my taste buds, eyes, and nose inspired by producing beautiful beers like this:

In other exciting news, Caldera has released a third flavor in their canned line of killer craft beer. The Ashland Amber is now available in an eye-catching silver and purple can. Personally I was a little surprised they didn't got with the porter or pilsner as the next entry, but the Amber is great so I'm not complaining. I don't have my camera (or phone) handy, so no pics of the cans today, but I'll try and snap one later and edit the post.

Last but not least, some of you may be have noticed that we've started sending out twitter updates when new bottles arrive or when something new and exciting gets tapped in the cafe. Well, when I went to post today's tweet about the Maharaja I noticed that they now have little embeddable flash widgets that show your most recent updates. A few minutes (and a little code tweaking) later and suddenly we have our twitter feed on the right sidebar. Between our regular email newsletter, this blog, and now twitter, you've got no excuse for missing out on the latest brews or tastings.

Stout Patty's Day!

2009-03-17T15:27:00.001-07:00

As you may recall, last year we tapped an Abyss in honor of St. Patrick and it was one of the busiest days in cafe history prior to last week's Pliny the Younger night. This year we decided to roll with a bunch of caffeinated stouts instead, and even though none of them have the cache or fervent following of the Abyss I can assure you that they're all world-class tipples.

The initial line up was going to feature three coffee-infused stouts from Laurelwood, Fort George, and Great Divide, but then I got a pleasantly unexpected phone call from Barley Browns out in Baker City, OR. As luck would have it, Shawn Kelso (BB's brewer) was planning on driving into town today and had called to arrange a meeting with Carl (the owner) regarding some as-yet-unplanned future event. Instead, I persuaded him to bring us several kegs of their award winning beer along for the ride, which is why we've got an incredibly rare treat to add to the line-up tonight. I don't recall ever seeing a Barley Brown's beer on tap in PDX, and I've never had the opportunity to travel out to Baker City and try their offerings, so I'm psyched to be able to knock one more Oregon brewery off my "must try" list.

If you don't feel like fighting the crowds at all the "usual suspect" bars this evening I'd encourage you to stop in and enjoy some dark roasted brew. Alternatively, you could make us the first stop of the evening, enjoy a couple pints of caffeinated goodness, and use that energy to fuel the rest of your adventures tonight.

Whatever you choose to do tonight please do it safely, don't throw any chairs through the windows (ask the folks at the Brass about that one), and for the love of Hathor don't drink and drive.

Seasonal Creep

2009-03-13T17:25:00.000-07:00

This is one of those weird times of year in the beer world. Not many breweries make "spring seasonals", and those that do offer them seem to do it as an afterthought. This is evidenced by the fact that many of them only see about 1-2 months of shelf time before they get replaced with summer seasonals. For the chain stores it's an easy solution; they simply wait until one is gone before they bring in the new one. We don't have that luxury because people expect us to have new stuff right away, but they also expect us to carry the good seasonal offerings (like Celebration) long after they're out of season.

We've rearranged the store countless times in the two years we've been in the new location, and in that time we've devised a layout that allows us to carry roughly 1100-1200 beers. Generally there's an equal number of things going out of season (or limited stuff that simply sells out) as there are new things coming in, so it becomes a simple matter of "replace X with Y in the cooler", but when you're faced overlapping seasonals it presents a problem. The solution? Close outs. We currently have an entire rack filled with perfectly drinkable winter seasonals that got evicted from their homes by incoming spring/summer beers. If you're looking for one last 6pk of something like Laughing Dog Cold Nose then our loss is your gain.

Where am I going with this? I really don't know. I guess it's just something I've been pondering all day because we received a bunch of "summer seasonals" in the middle of March. That leads me to today's list of new arrivals...

New American Craft Beers:

Blue Moon - Honey Moon
Southern Oregon Brewing - Woodshed Red
Alaskan Brewing - Summer Ale
Capital Brewing - Blonde Doppelbock (Hooray, more Wisconsin beer!)
Lagunitas GnarlyWine
Deschutes Cinder Cone
Lagunitas Maximus (now in 12oz bottles and 6pks)
Cascade Lakes Blonde Bombshell

New Imports:

Monk's Cafe Flemish Sour
Wittekerke (returning after a lapse in distribution)
Ename Tripel
Kapittel Sampler 4 Pack

New Sake:

Kikusui Junmai Ginjo - The world's first certified organic sake!

That should do it, have a great weekend!

24 New Bottles Plus Pliny the Younger

2009-03-10T16:29:00.000-07:00

I love what's come to be known as "Shelton Brothers" days here at the shop. It invariably means that we'll receive at least a handful of exciting new bottles, the staff spends the day in a state of giddiness as they anticipate the end of the work day, and I get to tell people things like, "Yes, we finally got that Mikkeller beer with weasel poop coffee in it!" Occasionally the "handful of exciting bottles" becomes a pile of 2 dozen new beers sitting on my desk, which causes my wallet and liver to begin weeping (one weeps with joy, the other with sorrow).

The only drawback to all this beery goodness is that I end up spending more time than I'd care to think about sitting in front of the computer entering new things into the database and receiving the whole pile, which gets especially painful on days like this when customers keep wandering by with glasses of Pliny the Younger in their hands. I swear you can smell that brew from 6 feet away, and probably further if the wind is blowing the right direction.

Anyway, I can't possibly write a review for everything on today's list because I a) haven't had most of them, and b) the post wouldn't be done for a few days, and several of these are likely to be gone by then.

That said, here's the list of new arrivals and long lost favorites that have made their way back into our coolers. The bolded beers are things which are likely to be in high demand, and may sell out within the week, so don't delay if something strikes your fancy.

New US Craft Beers:

Mad River Serious Madness Black Ale
Stone/Mikkeller/Alesmith Collaborative Tripel
Sam Adams Double Bock
The Bruery Saison de Lente
Lagunitas Hop Stoopid

New Imports From:

Denmark:

Amager Sudby Stout
Amager Hr Frederiksen Imp. Stout
Amager Batch One Strong Ale
Mikkeller Warrior IPA
Mikkeller Simcoe IPA
Mikkeller It's Alright!
Mikkeller Beer Geek Brunch (weasel poop coffee edition)
De Molen Hel & Verdoemenis (Imperial Stout)

Finland:

Huvila ESB
Huvila Porter
Huvila Arctic Circle Barleywine

Norway:

Nogne O Toshi Dobbel IPA (collaborative brew between Nogne O and several Japanese brewers)

Belgium:

Kerkom Bink Tripel
Struise Black Albert Stout
Struise Pannepot Reserva

Italy:

Panil Bariquee Reserva 2008

Japan:

Baird Natsumikan Ale (pale ale made with Japanese citrus fruit)
Baird Dark Sky Stout

Ireland:

Curim Irish Wheat Ale (Ireland)

Returning Favorites:

Panil Bariquee (vintage 2007)
Urthel Hop-it
Achel Bruin
Achel Blonde
Olfabrikken Porter
Thiriez XXtra

If you have any specific questions about any of these feel free to leave a comment and we'll answer it as soon as possible. Otherwise, we'll try and drink this pile of deliciousness as fast as we can and write individual posts for the exceptional beers.

Oh yeah, in case you've missed it, we're celebrating imperial IPAs in the Biercafe this week. In addition to several other amazing hoppy brews, Pliny the Younger was tapped at 3pm and I'd be surprised if it lasts through tomorrow. In an effort to stave off some phone calls I feel compelled to mention that we will NOT be filling any growlers, jars, or boots with the Pliny. Sorry, but we want to spread it out to as many people as possible.

Now go forth and drink! (responsibly, of course)

Widmer Bros Celebrate 25 Years of Beer

2009-03-03T16:18:00.000-08:00

I just received a great email/press release from Widmer with a brief history of the company and a little tease regarding their special 25th Anniversary brew. (emphasis added by me)

WIDMER BROTHERS BREWING PROSTS 25 YEARS OF GREAT BEER

- Brothers’ quarter-life crisis venture hits its own quarter-life mark -

PORTLAND, Ore. – March 3, 2009 – On April 2, two ordinary brothers from Portland, Ore. who set out in 1984 to brew beers that people loved as much as they did will be celebrating the 25^th Anniversary of their dream – Widmer Brothers Brewing – which has become an established and revered name in the world of craft beer. The company’s humble founders, Kurt and Rob, have been instrumental in shaping the American craft brewing industry and earning Portland the well-deserved nickname “Beervana.” Here are just a few of the contributions they have made over the past quarter-century:

Widmer Hefeweizen: In 1986, Kurt and Rob took a risk and created the first unfiltered beer in the US, creating a new beer style – American Hefeweizen – and introducing what would become the company’s signature brew. Today, Widmer Hefeweizen remains one of the best selling wheat beers in the country and the standard by which all other American-style Hefeweizens are judged.

Seasonals: Widmer Brothers was the first US brewer to launch a seasonal offering when Festbier was introduced in the winter of 1985. Building upon its success, Widmer became the first US brewer to produce a year-round line up of seasonal beers, a practice which is now commonplace.

Oregon Brew Fest: In 1988 the Oregon Brewer’s Guild, of which Kurt and Rob were founding members, launched the Oregon Brewer’s Festival. Today, the event is the largest outdoor craft beer festival in the country, drawing more than 70,000 attendees.

After 25 years, Kurt and Rob Widmer continue to be hands-on in the creation of beers and the brewery’s day-to-day activities. In addition, the brothers have been supporting home brewers through the Collaborator Project for more than a decade. Each year they identify the best Oregon-made homebrew, then allow the creator to produce it at the Widmer brewery and sell it on tap at a number of Portland-area bars, including the Gasthaus.

To celebrate its milestone, Widmer Brothers will be releasing a commemorative 25^th Anniversary limited-edition brew, a double alt dubbed 84/09. Though inspired by the brothers’ very first offering, Widmer Alt, 84/09 will provide drinkers with a whole new beer experience at a whopping 9.8% ABV. The 25^th Anniversary 22 oz bottle will be available in 12 select West Coast markets* in May, with an SRP of $5.99.

About Widmer Brothers Brewing

What started as a dream for two ordinary brothers who just loved beer has now become a reality for two ordinary brothers who still just love beer. Kurt and Rob Widmer helped lead the Pacific Northwest craft beer movement in 1984 when, in their twenties, they dreamed of brewing American interpretations of authentic European style beers. In 1986, Widmer Brothers Brewing introduced the first American-style Hefeweizen; today, the unfiltered cloudy beer is the company’s signature brew and one of the best selling wheat beers in the country. Based in Portland, Ore., the brewery currently produces a variety of beers including Drop Top Amber Ale and Broken Halo IPA. For more information about Widmer Brothers Brewing, visit www.widmer.com.

Mmm...Double Alt. There's no info regarding a release date for the 84/09, but given that their official 25th Anniversary is on April 4th, I wouldn't be surprised to see it on the shelves at somepoint in the next 4-6 weeks.

My apologies if the formatting on this post is screwed up; it can be difficult to copy/paste press releases without dragging a bunch of funky html tags along for the ride. I'll fix it ASAP if it looks weird.

Whoa! More New Beer!

2009-02-10T17:22:00.000-08:00

One of these days I'll make it through a delivery day without having to spend half my afternoon entering new beers into our POS system, but today was not that day. The most recent deliveries brought us a few long-lost favorites, and handful of new beers, and some new packaging for pre-existing brews. There's too many things for me to try and write a description for all of it (otherwise the post wouldn't be out until Monday), but I've linkedto the Ratebeer review page for each one.

New Imports:

Reissdorf - Koelsch - Now available in 5 liter minikegs!
Hitachino - Commemorative Ale 2009 - Spiced Strong Ale
Hitachino - XH - Strong Ale aged in Sochu (distilled sake) casks
Harvey's - Elizabethan Ale - English Barleywine
J.W. Lee's - Harvest Ale 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2002 - English Barleywine
J.W. Lee's - Harvest Ale 2006 aged in Lagavulin casks Barrel-aged Barleywine
Vapeur - Saison de Pipaix - Belgian Saison/Farmhouse Ale
Wintercoat - Vildmoseol - Peat-smoked Brown Ale
Birrificio Ducato - Verdi Imperial Stout - Imperial Stout with chilis
Pripps - Carnegie Stark Porter - Strong Swedish Porter
Einbecker - Schwarzbier - Black Lager
Einbecker - Ur-Bock Dunkel - Dunkel Bock
Gale's - Prize Old Ale (1996) - English Old Ale
BFM - Abbaye St Bon Chien 2006 and 2007 - Funky Sour Hybrid Ale
Burton Bridge - Empire Ale - English Strong Ale/IPA

New Craft Brews:

Dixie - Lager - Premium Lager
Dixie - Blackened Voodoo - Black Lager
Grand Teton - Double Bitch Creek - American Strong Ale
Allagash - White - Belgian-style Witbier
Sierra Nevada - ESB - Early Spring Beer
Big Sky - Ivan the Terrible - Barrel-aged Imperial Stout
Rogue - OR 150 Sesquicentennial Ale - Golden Ale

New Meads:

Honey Sun - Iqhilika Dry Mead - Dry Mead
Honey Sun - Iqhilika Herbal Blossom Mead - Semi-sweet Mead

Don't forget about Zwickelmania this weekend; pretty much every brewery in the state is having some sort of event, tasting, or shindig. Oh yeah, I guess there's a holiday this weekend too...

New Arrivals and Upcoming Events

2009-02-06T18:01:00.000-08:00

As of 6pm (Friday 2/6) we still had a few bottles of Full Sail Black Gold left, but I doubt it'll be here tomorrow so don't delay if you're planning on coming in for some. The Black Gold may have garnered all the hype this week, but it's far from the only good beer to arrive in the last few days.

New Arrivals:

Lagunitas - Cruising With Ruben and the Jets: You may remember this beer from the Holiday Ale Fest. Then again, if you had more than a few samples of the potent libations present at the fest you might not remember much of anything. In any case, it's an imperial stout with cacao and white peppercorns. I had one yesterday and didn't get much chocolate other than the "bitter chocolate" malt character typical in most stouts, but the white pepper added a nice little zing to the finish. This is also the last beer in the Zappa series, so if you're collecting them all you won't want to miss the final entry in the collection.

Wolaver's - Pat Leavy's All American Ale: This well balanced pale is the first in a series of beers from Wolavers that seeks to focus attention on the farmers who provide them with raw materials. Pat Leavy is a hop grower from Aurora who's been working with Wolavers to produce organic hops that are otherwise unavailable or to costly to ship from over seas.

Heater Allen - Abzug: I haven't had a chance to drink this one yet, but Rick Allen describes it as "A low-alcohol (3.8%abv) Vienna lager packed with oodles of flavor." A good analogue would probably be the low abv "table beers" brewed for consumption by monks and farm workers in Belgium.

Aspall - Perronelle's Blush Cider: (commercial description) A twist on the classic Kir Royale – champagne and crème de cassis replaced by cider and a hint of blackberry juice. Named after Perronelle Chevallier‐Guild and her rosy red cheeks. Perronelle is the grandmother of Barry & Henry Chevallier‐Guild, the eighth generation family management of Aspall. Perronelle was a founding member of the UK Soil Association and was also known to pole‐vault across the moat that surrounds the family home. The color is deep blush suggestive of dark summer fruit, with a rich appearance. There is a subtle blackberry aroma with a hint of traditional cider apple. Deceptively smooth with a silky but refreshing palate, Blush offers a perfect blend of sweetness and acidity. It has a lovely mouth feel and a lingering aftertaste of berries.

Anchor - Bock: (commercial description) Bock beer, released in celebration of the arrival of spring, is an ancient and mysterious part of the brewing tradition. Over time, the term "bock" has come to mean a beer darker and stronger than the brewery's regular brew. This is the first time we have brewed a bock at Anchor Brewing Co., and we hope you will find it to be a rich and flavorful addition to our offerings. San Francisco's Anchor Bock Beer is virtually handmade by the brewers of Anchor Steam® Beer, in one of the most traditional small breweries in the world. It is brewed from a complex blend of the finest barley malts, wheat malts, and fresh whole hops.

New Belgium - Lips of Faith Dark Kriek: I think this one has potential, but it feels like it's not quite done yet. It's beautiful to behold; a dark garnet body, wispy head, and good lacing down the glass. It smells delicious too, but after that things start going south. It's too sweet for a kriek, at least compared to any traditional example, which lead one person who sampled from my bottle to refer to it as "unfermented cherry juice aged in a barrel." I'm not sure if it's bottle conditioned (there wasn't any visible yeast in the bottle) or whether a few months of age would help, but it certainly wouldn't hurt to try. It will most likely appeal to folks who love sweet, fruity drinks like the Lindeman's line of lambics, but people who want something tart, sour, and woody should look elsewhere.

New Belgium - Mighty Arrow Pale Ale:

Pyramid - Rollick: (commercial description) Smooth malty character balanced with a gracious quantity of hops make this copper-colored offering the perfect beer to celebrate your first rollicking spring adventure.

Erie Brewing - Drake's Crude Oatmeal Stout:

Buffalo Bill's - Blueberry Oatmeal Stout: I was skeptical, and I'm still not going to buy it regularly, but I've got to admit that this is a lot better than I expected it to be. The blueberry flavor tastes more natural than synthetic, and the 7.5% abv is well hidden in the roasty, fruity body

St Louis - Gueuze Fond Tradition:

Deschutes - Hop Henge Experimental IPA: I'm not sure what they're experimenting with, but it's tasty. A sweet "hop candy" body acts as a vessel for floral, earthy, citrusy goodness. The finish is sticky with resiny hops, but surprisingly it doesn't come across as cloying. One unsubstantiated claim I read on BeerAdvocate was that the beer was spiked with brettanomyces before bottling, but an IPA seems like an odd choice for such an experiment. You'd also expect Deschutes to mention something about that on the bottle in order to alert people to the fact that the beer will get funky and musty if left to age, otherwise they run the risk of angering and confusing people who pop one open and expect a hoppy delight.

Southern Oregon Brewing - Pale Ale: description coming soon...

Southern Oregon Brewing - Gold Ale: description coming soon...

Southern Oregon Brewing - Porter: description coming soon...

Sierra Nevada - Torpedo Extra IPA: At 7.2% it's slightly bigger than a regular IPA, but smaller than an imperial IPA, hence "extra" IPA. It's almost like a cross between their Pale Ale and Celebration; hugely floral and bitter, but light-bodied and easy drinking. It's been out-selling just about everything in the store since it came in, and shows no signs of slowing down. I'm curious to see where the sales will level out at, and whether or not they can keep up with demand.

Sierra Nevada - Bigfoot Barleywine: After 20+ years in production this beer needs no introduction, but I figured I'd mention it for the sake of those who haven't been in lately.

Panty Dropper Ale: You've probably seen tap handles for the Panty Dropper around town, or perhaps at the Spring Beer and Wine Fest. It's a solid pale ale, and now that there are bottles (with a provacative image) to accompany the name I'm sure you'll be hearing about it more often. I'm pretty sure we're the only place east of the river that has this in bottles, so stop on by and get some panty dropping goodness!

Laughing Dog - Alpha Dog: An imperial IPA with bite! This debuted at our Laughing Dog tasting last month, and when I tried it there it was enough to make my shiver. It's been a long time since I drank something that was so bitterly hoppy that it made the sides of my mouth pucker. At that point all I could say was, "Whoa!" I'll try a bottle this weekend and see if the experience translates to the bottled product.

Returning Favorites:

Mikkeller - Beer Geek Breakfast: Imperial oatmeal stout with coffee. Mmm...coffee and oatmeal. If someone could figure out a way to get bacon flavor into the mix it might be the perfect breakfast food.

Victory - Old Horizontal: Victory's barleywine is always a welcome addition to the line-up. It's a little hot now, but a few months in the cellar will cure that.

Victory - Hop Wallop: One of the hoppiest beers on the east coast finds it's way back to our side of the country. If I remember correctly it's kind of thin bodied, but delicious.

Fuller's - London Porter: Classic London porter, now in 16oz cans!

Upcoming events:

THURSDAY FEB. 12 6-8PM IMPORT TASTING. Acclaimed Importers Merchant Du Vin will offer up tastes of Samuel Smith's Winter Welcome Ale, Samuel Smith's Organic Cider, Lindemans Framboise, Lindemans Pomme Lambic, Pinkus Jubilate & Westmalle Trappist Tripel. Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock on draft.

TUESDAY FEB. 17 6-8PM FISH TALE ALES TASTING & Anniversary Ale Release. Your chance to score a few bottles of this year's very limited Fish Tale Anniversary Ale (also known as Ten Squared). Plus taste the full line of Fish Tale Ales: Fish Organic IPA, Organic Wild Salmon Pale Ale, Organic Amber, Detonator Doppelbock, & Old Woody. A rare keg of Ten Squared on Draft.

THURSDAY FEB 19 6-8PM, SIERRA NEVADA TASTING. Taste 2009 Bigfoot, Torpedo IPA, ESB, & Porter. Bigfoot and ESB on draft in the Biercafe.

WEDNESDAY FEB. 25 5-7pm FIRESTONE WALKER & NECTAR ALE TASTING. Taste the Union Jack IPA, Humboldt Hemp Ale, DBA, and Pale 31. Plus Nectar Ales IPA & Red Nectar. Hemp Ale on Draft.

I think that's all for now, so have a great weekend!

The Black Gold Flows...

2009-02-05T10:22:00.000-08:00

In case you didn't receive notice from us, Full Sail, or any of the other outlets in town, the Full Sail Bourbon Barrel-Aged Black Gold Imperial Stout is in house and ready for sale. There's a 2 bottle per person limit in effect through today, but if there's any left tomorrow morning we'll drop the limit and it'll be "open season" as the boss put it.

Tune in tomorrow for the new beer round-up and other event news!

Recent Arrivals and Random Notes

2009-01-16T13:28:00.000-08:00

We haven't had enough new arrivals on any given day to justify a full post, but I think we've received enough in the last 10 days to make it worth your time reading.

Many of you have been asking for the Laughing Buddha Beers, and it appears as though the brewery has been listening. We recently received our first shipment of beer from the Asian-inspired brewery, all of which are well-crafted and fairly unique. The initial line up contains 5 brews that run the gamut from light and crisp to dark and full-bodied:

Purple Yam Porter - This is probably my favorite of the bunch. There's a hint of hint of candied yam flavor, but the thing that sticks with you is the subtle vanilla notes that linger on the palate after each sip. All the folks that keep asking for beers with vanilla in them owe it to themselves to give the Purple Yam a try.
Ginger Pale Ale - A light-bodied, spicy pale ale with a ton of ginger zing. This beer is the perfect counterpoint to spicy dishes, or anything with wasabi in it.
Mango Weizen - The whole "American wheat beer with fruit" thing has almost become a cliche; it seems like every brewpub has some mediocre example on hand to appeal to the non-beer drinking crowd. Thankfully, the LB Mango Weizen is a heck of a lot better than the insipid versions you so often find. The mango character is noticeable without being overwhelming, and the underlying beer is solidly constructed. If they brought this to the OBF I could see it giving 21st Amendment's Watermelon Wheat a run for the money.
Dragon King Lager - This Asian-style lager is brewed with Saaz hops and crystal malts (no mention of rice) for that "Premium Lager" flavor. Added bonus: It's a heck of a lot fresher than the actual Asian stuff
Pandan Brown Ale - To the best my knowledge I've never had anything with Pandan leaves in it before, so I wasn't not sure what to look for in terms of flavor, but I'll go out on a limb and assume it was the slightly sweet/nutty character. Combined with the slightly roasty malt character it makes for a wonderfully drinkable brown ale.

Other Recent Arrivals:

Full Sail - Slipknot Imperial IPA
Alaskan Brewing - Barleywine
Nogne O - Dark Horizon (2nd Edition)
Oskar Blues - Dale's Pale Ale
Oskar Blues - Old Chub
Oskar Blues - Gordon
Cascade Brewing - Apricot

Coming (Very) Soon:

Sierra Nevada - Bigfoot Barleywine
Sierra Nevada - Torpedo Extra IPA
Cascade Lakes - IPA

Last but not least, Fuller's London Pride, Porter, ESB, and Vintage Ale are back after a long absence!

Upcoming Events:

Imperial Stout Week in the Biercafe!

Each afternoon we'll tap a new limited edition Imperial Stout (or two). (many of the descriptions that follow are based on commercial descriptions from the brewery).

MONDAY JAN 26:
STRUISSE BLACK ALBERT - Brewed and crafted in Belgium with 100% Belgian ingredients. Aroma of bitter-sweet chocolate, fresh torrified coffee beans, barley, candy sugar, complex fruits, and floral hops. The after-taste is well balanced and shows a panorama of extreme sensations like chocolate and coffee bitters, a plum cake richness that covers the palate, and a crisp impression of hop bitters that brings elegance and freshness into this massive brew. 13% ABV Rated 100 on Rate Beer!

LAURELWOOD MOOSE & SQUIRREL - Dark as night, thick and rich. Big roast and coffee flavors dominate this beer. 8% ABV 55 IBUs O.G. 20º Plato

TUESDAY JAN 27:
ELLEZELLOISE HERCULE STOUT - Belgian Stout lagered for ten days in German oak casks. Very malty, but dry, with a hint of sweetness in the finish, and balanced hopping. It has a very distinctive and intoxicating spicy aroma of fresh spruce. This unique house character probably derives from the strains of yeast used by the brewery – and possibly from the fermentation in oak. Named for legendary detective Hercule Poirot. 9%ABV. Rated 98 on Rate Beer.

LAUGHING DOG DOGFATHER - 7 different malts and 4 hops give this big stout a complex flavor profile. Over 11 months in the making with a portion barrel aged. 11% ABV 71 IBU. Rated 98 on Rate Beer

WEDNESDAY JAN 28:
DESCHUTES ABYSS - You already know all about this beer. You just want more. 11%ABV.

VICTORY STORM KING - With a huge, Pacific Northwest hop aroma & character upfront, Storm King subsides into massive, roast malt complexity. Rich, substantial & complex. 9%ABV

Last Minute Cascade Lakes Tasting and Release Party:

Be the first to taste & buy this fine IPA from Cascade Lakes Brewing in Redmond, OR. Owning Partner Rick Orazetti will be on hand to offer samples of the IPA & Monkey Face Porter and give you the lowdown on the brews. Plus Skookum Creek Strong Ale on draught!

That's all for now, but if you catch this post in the next hour we're having an Alaskan Brewing tasting until 8pm. We'll be pouring samples of their full bottle line-up as well as serving 2007 and 2008 Smoked Porter, Barleywine, and White Ale on draught in the Biercafe.

The Bruery Saison Rue

2009-01-06T09:47:00.000-08:00

Wow. I kind of regret having this after a particularly hoppy bottle of Alesmith X as I'm sure it affected my palate a bit, but this beer was still incredible.

As you can see from the pic, they nailed the carbonation perfectly (which has been an issue with some of their offerings), and that beautiful billowy head took forever to recede. I wish I would have taken another picture when I was done, because even after finishing the glass there was still a good 1/2" of foam left in the bottom.

The aromas rising out of the glass were even more entrancing than the impressive cap; herbal, peppery, spicy, earthy, leathery, and just a bit musty. If they could distill the essence of this brew into an incense stick, I'd burn it regularly. I probably spent a good 5 minutes just savoring the aroma before taking the first sip.

The flavor closely mirrored the initial aromas, added a bit of "horse blanket funk", and finished with a long, lingering trail of earthy spice and pepper in the throat. The dryness of the brew combined with the pepper leaves you with that "need another sip" feeling that keeps you coming back for more.

All in all, this is a fantastic saison that rivals the best Belgian offerings, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone who loves the style.

New Beers For The New Year

2009-01-02T12:27:00.000-08:00

Forgive the delay on some of these, I was busy spending Christmas in the frozen beer-wasteland of Minnesota. Strangely, it was warmer there than it was in PDX for the first couple days, and they had less snow...

It wasn't a total bust; our hotel ended up being less than a mile from Blue Max, one of Minnnesota's premier bottle shops. I managed to squirrel away a few bottles and cans (mmm, Surly) in my checked luggage to share with people here.

Like another unexpected load of snow (or hail?!?), the new year starts off strong with some incredible new beers from here and abroad.

Gouden Carolus Cuvee Van de Kaiser Rood (red label): (commercial description) - To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the "Cuvée van de Keizer Blauw", the brewery launched a blond-version : Cuvée van de Keizer Rood. This beer is similar to the previous Gouden Carolus Easter Beer. Blond rich beer that is brewed each year during the easter period. It contains several types of malt and during brewing 3 herbs are added. It's golden blond colour, it's high alcohol concentration of 10 %, it's full and balanced taste make this beer into a source of vitality and strength which will appeal to the demanding beer taster. For ideal tasting pour out gently in one pull to a temperature round 7-8° C. Served with pride it is drunken with respect. This pleasant golden blond beer is chosen for he who loves a richer, somewhat spicy and refreshing beer.

Gouden Carolus Hopsinjoor: This pale beauty encompasses all that is right in the world of Belgian beers; a radiant orange color, a massive white head that leaves a trail of lace down the glass, and a complexity of flavors that can only come from Belgian yeasts. If you enjoy Taras Boubla, Urthel Hop-It, or Houblon Chouffe you owe it to yourself to try the Hopsinjoor.

Malheur 10: (commercial description) - 10% abv – re-fermented and bottle-conditioned Full bodied, medium strong, gold coloured beer, with a rich honey-like texture, and a pleasant warming, slightly hoppy-dry lingering aftertaste

Malheur 12: (Commercial Description) - 12% vol.alc. – re-fermented and bottle-conditioned Rich, dark coloured beer, with a wonderful hoppy, floral nose and well-balanced flavours, making it easy to drink.

Deschutes Buzzsaw Brown: This is a pretty respectable, if somewhat boring brown ale. A translucent brown body capped in beige foam leads to biscuity malt character and a smooth, nutty finish. Good for those spring days when it's too cold for a pils and too warm for an imperial stout.

Bridgeport Beertown Brown: (commercial description) - Roasted chocolate and pale malts shake hands creating mild caramel flavors. Brown is your new reason to love beer. Hops are added to create the perfect balance of sweetness to hopiness. Brown is back... and it's beautiful. The only thing I can add is that the beer is much better than the silly name...

Bakalar Czech Lager: A crisp, slightly sweet Czech pilsner. Simple and effective.

Leinenkugel's 1888 Bock: (commercial description) - Leinenkugel 1888 Bock, a lucisous brew, originally created to serve lumberjacks, will be available for all who want to try its excellent boutique of Caramel, Pale and two-row Chocolate malts. Cluster hops add a touch of citrus character and when combined with Munich malts and a 20- to 25-day cold lagering process, you have a truly timeless beer.

Stone/Nogne O/Jolly Pumpkin Holiday Ale: Pours a deep amber/brown color with a white foamy head and nice lacing. Aroma of spice, spice, and more spice. The smooth caramel malt body supports the wide array of spices and hops. A nice full-bodied mouthfeel leads to a moderately hoppy finish that drags traces of nutmeg and carraway along for the ride.

Stone Cali-Belgique IPA: Stone IPA meets Belgian yeast. Fruity, hoppy, and oh so delicious...

Nonge O Dark Horizon (2nd Edition): The first edition of Dark Horizon was one of the most intensly beers I've ever had. Coffee, roast malt, smoke, mollasses, and alcohol collided in a hedonistic expression of the brewers art. The label for the second edition suggest waiting until fall of 2009 for it to properly meld and round out. Do you have the patience?

That's it for now, but a little birdie told me to expect cans from Oskar Blues next week, and a keg of Gordon was delivered to the (painfully smoke-free) Horse Brass today, so it may already be on tap by the time you read this.

Speaking of a smoke-free Brass, I'd like to leave you with this great photo by Anand Barnard, compliments of the Willamette Week flikr stream:

We are open!

2008-12-23T15:33:00.000-08:00

Just a quick note to let everyone know that we are open for business today until 10pm. We will be open tomorrow from 10-6pm.

Travel safely!

Widmer Drifter Coming Soon

2008-12-20T11:15:00.001-08:00

Last night one of our loyal customers was kind enough to drop by with a sample of the Brothers' latest creation, the new Drifter Pale Ale. It's hard to get excited about a simple pale ale, but I gotta say I thought the stuff was delicious. So good in fact that I forgot to take any notes while I was drinking and it was gone before I knew it. Oh well, I suppose we'll just have to wait until it comes out (in late January I'm told) and try it again.

In other news, we're open for business at the moment, but if you're planning on coming this evening I'd suggest calling us at 503.232.8538 before you head out.

Cheers!