Vasili's Tasting Notes For Wednesday's Tasting

Vasili was kind enough to provide some insight into the beers we'll be pouring on Wednesday, April 24th. The following was slightly edited for readability, but otherwise everything is straight from the horse's mouth.

Redrum (7.2%abv, 25IBUs): This beer debuted at Portland’s Cheers To Belgian Beers 2008. Made with wort from the Jeremiah Red and fermented using the famed “La Chouffe” yeast strain. Nice and spicy with dark fruity flavors.

Grand Cru 2008 (10%abv): A spiced tripel, modeled after our champion Belgian strong ale from 2002. This batch fermented faster than any beer I’ve ever brewed, but without the “higher alcohols” known for causing headaches.

Enfant Terrible (~7.8%abv): This brew began life as the unblended base beer from our 2007 OBF entry which was racked into clean whiskey barrels and fermented with a lambic yeast/bacteria blend. It’s well attenuated and has become quite funky over the last year.

IPA (~7%abv): I like to make drastically different IPA’s every chance I get, and this is the most recent experiment. A classic northwest-style IPA, loaded with local hops. I made this for my wife who loves red, bitter beers.

Comet (9%abv): Crafted using a one year old pale barleywine as the base, this beer was “built” with additions from our Jeremiah Red, IPA, and just a touch of Chocolate Stout. This hoppy winter warmer debuted at the 2007 Holiday Ale Festival.

Chocolate Stout (5.5%abv): A delicious stout made with a couple additions of organic dark cocoa nibs. It’s silky and smooth, with dark chocolate aromas and a great body.

For what it's worth, we put the IPA on tap yesterday, and it's been getting great reviews so far. We encourage everyone to stop down, toast Vasili, and wish him well in his new position at Rock Bottom.

Speaking of Rock Bottom, brewpub chains aren't typically known for pushing the envelope, but Van Havig has been quietly crafting some great "under the radar" beers for the last couple years now. With Vasili joining him I expect more great beer (Ned Flanders, PLEASE!?!) to come rolling out of this under-rated brewery in the near future.