New Arrivals For Friday 12.28.07

I hope everyone had a good holiday, I know I did. As far as the store is concerned, we're still running in high gear in anticipation of a busy New Years Weekend. We still have 40+ kegs in stock that aren't spoken for, so give us a call if you need to grab something at the last minute. At this point we may not have the exact brand you're looking for, but we should be able to find something you'll enjoy drinking. Give us a call at 503.232.8538 and we'll let you know what's still available.

Chateau Napoleon Brut: This California "Champagne" is perfect for New Years Eve toasts. It's reasonably priced at under 10 dollars a bottle, it's pleasantly dry and effervescent, and did I mention it's under 10 dollars a bottle. I figure anyone who loves wine the way we love beer has probably already got something special for NYE, but if you need some inexpensive bubbly I highly recommend a bottle or two of this.

Deschutes - Green Lake Organic Ale: I haven't had a chance to try this yet, but here's what it says on the side of the bottle. "The idea for our Green Lakes Ale evolved quite organically. Made with five types of 100% ORGANIC malted barley and balanced with Crystal and Salmon-Safe Sterling hops, this auspicious amber ale is as easy to drink as it is on Mother Earth. So when you drink a Green Lakes Organic Ale, every day becomes Earth Day."

Boulder - Obovoid Empirical Stout: I had a small sample of this, and it this point I'm not quite sure what to make of it. In a way it seems like the brewers were trying to do too many things at once; there's some creamy mouthfeel from the oats, some astringency and "woodiness" from the oak chips, and an almost painfully dry finish. Kind of schizophrenic and confusing, but maybe I'll warm up to it once I've had a chance to enjoy a larger sample and see how it evolves once it's had a chance to breathe. It's gotten pretty positive reviews, so maybe my taste buds are just out of whack today.

I think that's it for today. Remember to party safely on NYE, we'd like to continue having all of you as customers in 2008. On that note, we have a wonderful non-alcoholic sparkler for all the Designated Drivers out there. Spruce Goose Sparkling Pinot Noir Juice tastes great, and makes a perfect alternative to that crappy "cold duck" stuff you'll find at the grocery store.

Last but not least, you may have noticed the widget on the right sidebar counting down to Abyss Day 2008. T-minus 18 days and counting...

Oaked Bastard (Finally) Arrived!

Just a quick post today to let you know that the long-overdue shipment of Stone Oaked Arrogant Bastard has finally arrived. I realize it's pretty last minute, but we'll be open until six if you need to do some last minute shopping.

Thanks for all your support, and have a safe and happy holiday season!

~Chris

New Arrivals For Friday 12.21.07

Another day, another new beer. Make that 3 new beers, 2 new flavors of Beer Chips, and a partridge in a pear tree. OK, the partridges were out of stock, but we'll get them soon...

NEW BREWERY! (sort of): After a long absence, the Mt. Shasta (aka Weed Ales) beers are once again available in Oregon. These guys certainly aren't shy about the ganja references; in fact they seem to have a chronic desire to reference "the herb" whenever the opportunity presents itself. I guess it shouldn't come as a surprise considering the brewery is located in Weed, California, and it should do well in places like SE Portland, but I have to wonder if the names and imagery are a hindrance in more conservative locations. Anyways, regardless of your position on cannabis the beers are pretty tasty, and well worth picking up.

Mt Shasta - Mountain High IPA: I haven't tried this one yet, but here's what the brewery has to say: A deep golden, mild and malty India Pale Ale. Late hop additions contribute a floral and piney aromas reminiscent of Mount Shasta. Note: If you need more info on any of these beers click the embedded links to view the ratebeer.com listing for each brew.

Mt Shasta - Weed Golden Ale: I haven't had a chance to drink this one either, but the brewers want you to know that's it's "A light, fruity, golden colored ale, tasting crisp and clean as the mountain air. A perfect introduction to craft brewing."

Mt Shasta - Shastafarian Porter: This is the most highly-regarded beer in their portfolio, and for good reason. Everything just works. The body is nice and full without being overwhelming, the chocolate and roast flavors are in perfect balance with the hops, and the slightly bitter finish leads you to take another sip.


Returning Favorites:

Redstone - Vanilla Bean and Cinnamon Mead: I've had this delicious holiday treat on several occasions, but Degarth sums it up better than I can. "Full aroma of honey and vanilla with only a suggestion of cinnamon. Still and headless with a shiny light golden color. Tastes AMAZING. Probably too sweet for beer and Red Wine drinkers, but I thought this was perfection and would gladly buy many bottles of it. The honey predominates, but the other flavors are present and complimentary. Would make a great holiday treat for guests. I doubt anyone could truly dislike this and most would love it."

Fullers - Vintage Ale 2006: This wonderful, bottle-conditioned ale is brewed with a different recipe every year, and it evolves over time, so it's hard to say how this vintage is doing right now. When I last had one (probably 9-10 months ago) it was still young and seemed like it needed time to mellow and mature, so tonight might be a good time to revisit it. Each bottle is individually numbered and comes in it's own box, so if you're looking for one last beer gift for that special someone I'd recommend stuffing one of these in their stocking.

Lagunitas - Kill Ugly Radio: The Lumpy Gravy should be here on Monday, but if you missed the last release in the Zappa tribute series you've got one last chance to snap a bottle or two.

That's it for the beers. Oh yeah, the new flavors of Beer Chips. Can't forget about them. In addition to the original beer flavor, they've added Hot Potatoes (spicy bloody mary flavor) and Chip Shots (margarita flavor) to the menu. I had a chance to sample them over the last couple days, and if I had to put them in order of tastiness I'd put the Margarita flavor at the bottom, the regular Beer Chips in the middle, and the spicy bloody mary flavor at the top of the heap. The bloody mary flavor really wasn't that spicy, but they have a nice tomato tang and a worcestershire/pepper zing to them. The margarita flavor was too sweet and "limey" for me to really get into, but if you like sweet and salty stuff they'd be right up your alley.

One more last minute update: The Roots Epic Release party is happening as I type this, so if you're reading this tonight I'd suggest popping down there and grabbing one of the magnums while they're still available. If there are any magnums left on Monday they should be bringing some of them here, so if you miss the release party give us a call.

New Arrivals For Tuesday 12.18.07

The Laughing Dog brews finally arrived, and we received a last minute addition to the mini-keg collection, but other than that there isn't much new to report today. We also got 15 more cases of Lagunitas Brown Shugga (the first 12 cases sold out in less than 24 hours) and this is likely to be all that we're alloted, so let me emphasize once more that if you want to have ANY hope of buying some Shugga this year you need to go out and find some today. Serious. That said, lets dig into todays' pile and see what we've got...


Laughing Dog - Cream Ale: (brewers' description) Our Cream Ale is a traditional Cream Ale fermented with both an ale and a lager yeast, which gives us the creamy smoothness of an ale with a nice dry crisp finish.

Laughing Dog - Pale Ale: (brewers' description) From out of the PAcific Northwest the Micro-brewers were born and with them came an ale that was unlike any other, the American Pale Ale. We brew our pale ale big, bold, and hoppy using five of the finiest hops from the fields in Yakima, WA. To balance the intense hop flavors, five different American grown malted barelys add malt flavor and smooth finish.

Laughing Dog - IPA: (brewers' description) A profound love of hops and big brews led to our IPA. A little over the top, it's a hophead's dream come true. An intense hop aroma and strong malt body are followed by a smooth clean finish.

Laughing Dog - Cold Nose Winter Ale: (brewers' description) After a romp in the snow on a cold winters day, this brew is just what's needed to warm you up. Dark and malty with a big hop presence, it is a great winter warmer

Full Sail - Slipknot Imperial IPA: Bracing. If I had to sum up Slipknot in one word, that would be the one. This is a serious IPA for serious hopheads. It's also a great way to get your Full Sail fix and tide yourself over until the Bourbon-aged Top Sail comes out in February...

Bayern - Dancing Trout: (Formerly known as Trout Slayer) I haven't had this beer in ages, but I seem to recall it nailing the style pretty well. If you're a fan of kristallweizen (aka filtered wheat beer) this one's definitely worth a try.

Monchshof - Weinachts Bier: What could be better for the holidays than a 5 liter mini-keg of tasty German beer? How about a 5 liter mini-keg with a picture of jolly old St. Nick on the side? A mini-keg of Bell's Two Hearted would top it, but I can't think of much else. Sorry if I got your hopes up (since Bell's isn't distributed in Oregon), but I just can't stop thinking about how nice it would be to have one of those mini-kegs in my fridge.

I think that's it for today. Remember, friends don't let friends drink crappy beer.

New Arrivals For Friday 12.14.07

As I mentioned in the previous post, the Laughing Dog beer didn't arrive, so there isn't much in the way of "new" beer to mention today, but we did see a few popular seasonals return to our shelves.

Lagunitas - Brown Shugga: This stuff was supposed to come out in early November, but due to distribution issues beyond our control it was delayed until today. Given the number of requests and questions we've had about it I really don't expect it to be here for long.

Midnight Sun - CoHoHo Imperial IPA: When the loveable hopheads at Humpy's Great Alaskan Alehouse requested a winter version of alehouse favorite Sockeye Red IPA, our brewers instinctively spawned CoHoHo Imperial IPA. CoHoHo begins with generous measures of pale two-row and specialty malts along with spirit-boosters like maple syrup, brown sugar and honey. Hefty doses of Cascade, Centennial and Simcoe hops beautifully balance that outrageous malt bill and heighten the festive character of this exuberant beer. Whatever the celebration, make merry with CoHoHo Imperial IPA.

Midnight Sun - Arctic Devil Barleywine: Aptly named after the ferocious wolverine of the north, Arctic Devil is an English-style (meaning malt-inclined) barley wine. Though the recipe and process for Arctic Devil have evolved over the years, it is typically brewed in January then aged in oak barrels for several months before the entire batch is blended, bottled and released on the Friday after Thanksgiving. In its youth, Arctic Devil gnarls and snarls its way across the palate. Containing this beast of a beer for long periods in oak barrels--some having previously aged port, wine or whiskey--tames the unleashed malt and fierce hop flavors, melding and mellowing this powerful liquid into an incredible elixir worthy of a brewer's table. Each annual batch of Arctic Devil Barley Wine represents the brewers' resolve to create an intriguing and sought-after barley wine by precisely brewing to well-designed specifications, carefully selecting the type and combination of barrels to use for aging, and meticulously checking the beer as it ages. Distinct nuance and complexity are contributed by the wood's previous tenants, resulting in unique flavor profiles in each batch that continue to change over time. We invite you to savor Arctic Devil Barley Wine upon its release then cellar some for future enjoyment.

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One more quick note: Many of the local seasonals (Jubel, Wassail, etc) are either gone for the year, or will run out soon. Those giant stacks you see at all the grocery stores around town are likley to be the last of it, so it would behoove you to stock up now if you need to. At this point we're out of Jubelale and Wassail; the Fish Tale Winterfish, Sierra Nevada Celebration, and Anchor "Our Special Ale" will probably run out before the new year. In other words, grab them now before it's too late.

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Random Notices

Last minute reminder; Shawn Loring from Lazy Boy Brewing will be here at 5pm today to answer questions and pour samples of his IPA and Mistletoe Bliss. We'll have special pricing on bottles of Lazy Boy beer during the event.

The Lagunitas Brown Shugga is FINALLY in stock. We've been getting barraged by requests, so tell all your friends to come and get it while it lasts. FYI, a little birdie informed me that there's only about 600 cases for the ENTIRE STATE, so don't hesitate to grab an extra six pack while you can.

The Laughing Dog beer failed to arrive on the delivery this morning, so we'll have to wait until Tuesday to give them a try.

We will be open on New Years Eve from 10-6. If you are planning on a hosting a party and need to order a keg, the deadline for special orders is Wednesday 12.26.07 by 3pm. We have a limited amount of space in the keg cooler, and if the number of special orders exceeds that I may have to stop accepting orders before next Wednesday, so please don't delay. Every major "drinking holiday" brings a string of last minute phone calls from folks who waited until the day of their party to line up a keg (and by that point the selection is pretty thin), so don't say I didn't warn you...

That's about it for now, but check back later this afternoon for a quick list of new arrivals.

Laughing Dog Arrives

Here's the sample bottles, the rest should be in tomorrow. We should be receiving the Cream Ale, Pale Ale, IPA, and Cold Nose Winter Ale. If I have a chance to drink some or all of them tonight I'll try and post an update, otherwise you can stop in tomorrow and try them for yourself.

Meet the Brewer Friday 12.14 @ 5pm

Join us at 5pm on Friday the 14th for a chance to meet Shawn Loring from Lazy Boy Brewing in Everett, WA. We'll be tapping the first keg of his delicious IPA to arrive in Oregon, and he may be bringing a small keg of the Mistletoe Bliss winter ale as well. The samples will be free, and as usual we'll have special pricing on to-go bottles during the event.

This event is free and open to everyone age 21 and up, so stop on by and meet the Lazy Boy himself.

Party with a Pig!

Klamath Basin has begun packaging their tasty beer in 2.25 gallon Party Pigs (equal to 24 12oz bottles), and Belmont Station is proud to be one of the first places in PDX to stock them. They're starting with their Crater Lake Golden Ale and 8 Second Ale, and they promised us they'd begin putting out the IPA and Stout as soon as they get label approval.

Some of you may remember the Oregon Trail pigs that we carried briefly last year. They were great, but they had the disadvantage of being treated like regular "returnable" kegs, complete with large deposits. The other big drawback was the lack of a local distributor for Oregon Trail, which meant long lead times on special orders and frequent "out of stock" issues.

Klamath Basin has solved those two sticking points by using a "non-returnable" style of pig and distributing them through a local distributor, so if we run out it should only be for a couple days.

How's it work? Simple. The brewery fills the recyclable PET container with beer and a small CO2 bladder that expands to fill the empty space and help push the beer. All you have to do is put it in the fridge, tear off the perforated spot at the bottom (so you can get a glass under it) and press the tap to dispense beer on demand. The box claims "Beer stays FRESH for one month after first use", but I can say from experience that these things hold up for at least 6-8 weeks.

The list of benefits is long; the beer stays fresh, you don't have to worry about returning a bunch of stinky bottles, you can pour as much or as little as you want (great for late at night when you want a little more), and it takes up less space in your fridge than the equivalent number of bottles.

It should be noted that even though they're "non-returnable" the brewers would like to encourage people to return them whenever possible. We'll be happy to take back the empties and send them home to be sanitized and refilled. Each one that gets returned will help keep costs down in the long run, and it'll save more plastic from going to the landfill.

The first shipment should be in stock tomorrow, just in time for those mid-size holiday parties where a "real keg" would be overkill.

New Arrivals For Friday 12.07.07

Just when I think things are slowing down we get another pile of goodies. Today's deliveries brought more Swedish beer (the Scandinavians are on fire lately), a couple new Belgian and French treats, and a tasty American porter to round out the selection.


From Belgium:

Brasserie du Bocq - Triple Moine: Triple Moine (Triple Monk) pours a pale orange color with a big creamy head that exudes a complex nose of herbs, caramel, and yeast. A high level of carbonation pushes the sweet golden liquid to all corners of your mouth. The finish has some hoppy bitterness and trails away in a long spicy burst. The label looks rather generic, but it comes from the same brewery that produces Corsendonk, so have faith (no pun intended) and try a bottle.

Brasserie du Bocq - Blanche de Namur: I haven't tried this one, but based on the ratings and descriptions it seems to be a pretty solid witbier. This one also has a rather boring "store brand" sort of label, but it's what's inside that counts, right?


From England:

Well's (& Young's) - Banana Bread Beer: It looks like banana bread, smells like banana bread, and pretty much tastes like banana bread except for the minerally, steely hop character in the finish. This beer has built up a cult following, and always seems to disappear quickly this time of year, so if you're a fan be sure to stop in soon.


From Sweden:

Oppigards - Golden Ale: I haven't tried this one yet, so here's a quote from Hammenlind, one of Sweden's' top beer-raters.

"Pale yellow, white diminishing head. Sweet fruity nose with citric notes. Flavour is sweet, buttery, flowery, acidic and hoppy with excellent bitterness."

Sounds good to me, and if it's anywhere near as good as the Oppigards Well-Hopped lager it'll find a semi-regular home in my fridge.

Nils Oscar - Kalasol: A Swedish take on the classic German Oktoberfest style. Golden and effervescent, but brewed with a top-fermenting ale yeast and more hops than the German version. The resulting brew shares some similar malt character as an O'fest, but features a fruitier aroma and crisper finish.


From France:

Thiriez - Biere de Noel: (text stolen from the Shelton Brothers' website) Daniel Thiriez, who lives and brews in a charming old farmhouse amidst the rolling fields of France's north country, is considered by many to be France's best brewer. Every year he makes a different ale to celebrate Christmas, and this year's is a major departure from the darker brews he has done in the past. This Bière de Noël is a beautiful red-gold wheat beer -- with quite subtle all-spice and orange peel added. The result is a slightly tart, wonderfully effervescent, and quite refreshing festive brew -- a perfect alternative to Champagne, for the true beer lover. Thiriez is a very small volume producer, and 3 bottles have already been bought by eager staff members, so don't wait on this one or you'll be disappointed...


From California:

Anderson Valley - Deep Enders Dark Porter: (Commercial Description) A dark brown, medium-bodied porter is endowed with a rich, creamy head and a delicious dark chocolatey aftertaste. Hehe. They said endowed. Seriously though, this is a great porter, and one of the only ones available in a 22oa bottle. My friends Jen and Ernie have been begging us to get this, so come in and try it before they drink it all.

That's all for today. Thanks for reading, and have a great weekend!

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New Arrivals For Tuesday 12.04.07

The flood of holiday brew has finally slowed to a trickle, and only a handful of new things appeared today, but when the newbies carry the names of such respected brands as Roots and Victory it's definitely worth mentioning.

New American Craft Beers:

Roots - Organic Island Red: Big, hoppy reds are perhaps the only style indigenous to the PNW, and Roots' entry is no slouch. They take a slightly different tack than Laurelwood (and others) by adding a fair amount of oats to the mix which helps give it a creamier mouthfeel and dampens some of the hop presence. The toasty, toffee malt carries a lovely grassy hop nose and some bitterness in the finish, but it's distinctly different than the "red IPA" that you expect when ordering a Free Range Red or IRA.

Victory - Old Horizontal: This reddish copper beauty falls squarely on the hoppy end of the barleywine spectrum. A sweet doughy body is propped up with massive amounts of hops to give the brew adequate balance. A good dose of alcohol burn helps to increase the illusion of dryness and keeps the "Old Ho" from coming across as a cloying malt bomb. Good stuff, and rarely available this far west, so stock up while you can.


Sam Adams - Winter Collection: This 12 pack contains 2 each of the following brews: Boston Lager, Winter Lager, Cream Stout, Holiday Porter, Old Fezziwig, and Cranberry Lambic. Personally I think the Cranberry Lambic is one of the most foul "beers" I've ever had the displeasure of tasting, but the others are all solid. The Old Fezziwig and Holiday Porter are only available in this package (at least in Oregon), so if you're curious to try them you'll have to take home the whole set. Despite my feelings on the "lambic", the rest of the stuff is tasty enough to justify buying this pack, and if you discover that you enjoy the Cranberry Lambic please let me know and I'll gladly trade you mine for a bottle or two of something else from the set.


New Imports:

Duvel - 3 liter (Jeroboam): Same delicious Duvel, now in a devilishly large bottle. Snag one for your holiday party and blow people's minds with 3 liters of Belgian goodness.


Coming Soon:

Laughing Dog beers from Idaho. I just received word from one of my reps that they expect the first shipment to arrive "this week", so there's a small chance it'll show up on Friday, but realistically I expect it to come in Tuesday the 11th. Ratebeer lists 12 different beers from Laughing Dog, but my rep wasn't able to tell me which ones are going to arrive, so we'll just have to wait and see.

I think that's it for now. Enjoy our brief respite from the rain and go outside for a beer while you still can!