A Small Part Of Me Just Died

I was just scanning the headlines at Real Simple Beer Syndication, aka RSBS, when a headline jumped off the page and smacked me:

This Is The End of Olfabrikken

You can read Jens' post for more details, but in short, Olfabrikken was purchased by Gourmetbryggeriet, a Danish craft brewery located in Roskilde, Denmark. It's tough to read their site, even with the help of a Danish > English translator, but they seem to have a focus on quality; hiring a former brew master from Carlsberg, serving great looking food in their restaurant, and putting out a handful of their own tasty beers. That gives me a small ray of hope that the Olfabrikken Porter I've come to love will continue to stand up to it's reputation, but I think I'll be stocking up soon, just to be safe.

Maybe Jen and I are freaking out over nothing, but it's always worrisome when an amazing brewery (or any small independant company) gets snatched up by a bigger fish. Especially when the founder of Olfabvrikken sends a letter to their shareholders that ends on a note like this:

"All alternative solutions that would mean that we, the shareholders, would stay as owners, have been rejected by Gourmetbryggeriet and as a result I have dismissed myself."

Cross your fingers...

BTW, Jens' blog is highly entertaining (and written in English), and provdes a different perspective on the European beer scene than what you get from any of the blogs on this side of the pond. Take this commercial for Westmalle. Who knew that the monks needed advertising?

Shhh...Keep This On The Down Low...

Rumors have been swirling for a few days now about a second wave of Abyss arriving in Portland this week, and I can confirm that there are a couple hundred more cases dropping tomorrow and Friday. As far as I know, every place that received some of the first wave should get another small allotment, and a few places that got screwed the first time will be getting a some as well.




We won't be getting anywhere near the amount we received on the first batch, so in order to spread the joy a bit we're going to limit people to 3 bottles per person (per day) for at least the first week.






As if that wasn't enough to motivate you to stop in on Friday, we should also be receiving Full Sail Bourbon-aged Top Sail, Stone Old Guardian Barleywine, and maybe (it's a slim chance) some Oregon Trail Bourbon Porter. Even if the Oregon Trail Porter doesn't show up that still leaves you with 3 world class beers arriving on the same day!

Throw in a few other things we've got in stock like Great Divide Oak-Aged Yeti, Orkney Dark Island Reserve, Beer Valley Black Flag Stout, or Rogue Russian Imperial Stout, and you've got the makings of one heck of a beer tasting. Just a thought...

Just be sure to take it easy on Friday night. Trying to drink all three (maybe 4) of these 10%+ monsters in one sitting is a recipe for disaster, or at least a nasty hangover.

McMenamin's 15th Annual Hillsdale Brewfest

20 McMenamins brewers present 20 beers in competition at the historic "Battle of the Belt"

PORTLAND, Ore. - On Saturday, February 16, 2008, the notorious "Battle of the Belt" rages for the fifteenth time at Hillsdale Brewery & Public House (1505 SW Sunset Blvd.). McMenamins' Hillsdale Brewfest is a day-long event featuring twenty original brews, food specials, revelry, merriment and – most important – a competition for the coveted Belt. The Hillsdale Brewfest is free to attend, begins at 11 a.m. and is open to guests of all ages; those 21 and over may taste the ales.

Twenty of the finest ales from all over McMenamins' Kingdom of Fun are sent into battle, their brewers vying for bragging rights, the notorious championship belt and a berth in the annual Oregon Brewers Festival. It is our worthy patrons' duty to decide who deserves the coveted title. With sixteen ales from Oregon and four from Washington, these beers cover the spectrum of brew styles – from IPAs to stouts, goldens to porters and beyond. Guests order trays of beer samples, order some food and begin comparing the entrants. Then, each taster casts one ballot for his or her top three choices.

The victorious brewer at this year's Battle for the Belt will represent McMenamins at the 21st Annual Oregon Brewers Festival in downtown Portland on July 24–27, 2008. For more information, visit http://www.oregonbrewfest.com

And now… [drumroll, please]… the 15th Annual Hillsdale Brewfest contestants are….

McMenamins Mill Creek presenting… Venom
Brew Style: Vienna
OG: 1050 TG: 1010 ABV: 5.16 %

High Street Brewery presenting… Schneeflocken
Brew Style: Dunkle Weisse
OG: 1057 TG: 1011 ABV: 5.93%

John Barleycorns Brewery presenting… Remembrance
Brew Style: Spruce Ale
OG: 1055 TG: 1009 ABV: 5.93 %

Oak Hills Brewery presenting… My Favorite Things
Brew Style: NW Pale
OG: 1052 TG: 1010 ABV: 5.42%

West Linn Brewery presenting… Don't Worry Be Hoppy
Brew Style: IPA
OG: 1058 TG: 1011 ABV: 5.93%

Hillsdale Brewery presenting… Madman Jack's
Brew Style: Insane Pale Ale
OG: 1074 TG: 1010 ABV: 8.26%

Lighthouse Brewery presenting… OR?Ator
Brew Style: Double Ale-Bock
OG: 1072 TG: 1012 ABV: 7.74%

Roseburg Station Brewery presenting… ‘M'
Brew Style: Strong
OG: 1073 TG: 1017 ABV: 7.22%

Crystal Ballroom Brewery presenting… Brimley's Best
Brew Style: Oatmeal Stout
OG: 1057 TG: 1013 ABV: 5.68%

Thompson Brewery presenting… Lifesource
Brew Style: Chocolate Chili Porter
OG: 1055 TG: 1010 ABV: 5.81 %

McMenamins Queen Anne presenting… Old Chappy's Palate Cleansing Golden Ale
Brew Style: Golden
OG: 1048 TG: 1010 ABV 5.16%


McMenamins on the Columbia Brewery presenting… Blackwater
Brew Style: Chocolate Wheat
OG: 1048 TG: 1010 ABV: 4.90%

Highland Brewery presenting… Springwater
Brew Style: Pale Ale
OG: 1058 TG: 1012 ABV: 5.93%

Dad Watsons Brewery presenting… Pale Rider
Brew Style: American Pale
OG: 1050 TG: 1010 ABV: 5.16%

Cornelius Pass Roadhouse Brewery presenting… Rose City ‘Til I DiePA
Brew Style: Organic Double IPA
OG: 1080 TG: 1013 ABV: 8.64%

McMenamins on Monroe Brewery presenting… Black Bandit
Brew Style: Porter
OG: 1054 TG: 1011 ABV: 5.55%

Old St. Francis School Brewery presenting… Evolutionator
Brew Style: Double Bock
OG: 1072 TG: 1014 ABV: 7.48%

Fulton Brewery presenting… Old 32
Brew Style: NW Strong Ale
OG: 1077 TG: 1014 ABV: 8.13%

Concordia Brewery presenting… Lights Out
Brew Style: India Black Ale
OG: 1058 TG: 1012 ABV: 5.93%

Edgefield Brewery presenting… Bada Bing
Brew Style: Cherry Porter
OG: 1057 TG: 1012 ABV: 5.81%

***

About the Hillsdale Brewery & Public House

Welcome to Oregon's very first brewpub! Opened in 1986, after state legislation was passed that allowed brewers to sell their product on site, the Hillsdale was the first to try fruit beers, unfiltered wheat ales and other concoctions that have become hallmarks of the Pacific Northwest craft brewing industry. It is McMenamins' third location (following the Barley Mill and Greenway pubs). Additional history is available at http://www.mcmenamins.com

About McMenamins Hotels, Pubs & Breweries

The name "McMenamin" is well known throughout the Pacific Northwest, signifying a great place to enjoy handcrafted ales, wine and spirits and Northwest pub fare with family and friends. The dream began more than 20 years ago and continues to grow in the hearts of brothers Mike and Brian McMenamin. With 56 properties (and counting!), the siblings are considered to be among the pioneers of the Pacific Northwest microbrew and historic hotels industries. See http://www.mcmenamins.com for photos, history, events and more.

Lucky Lab Barleywine and Big Beer Fest

The Lucky Lab's annual big beer and barleywine festival seems to be coming together nicely. Dave Fleming just confirmed (via the Oregon Brewcrew listserv) that this years' event will be held Friday and Saturday, March 7th and 8th, at the Beer Hall on NW Quimby, and the beer starts flowing at noon each day.

The entire list hasn't been publicized yet, but here's the list of things that have been confirmed thus far:

Hair of the Dog - Adam 2007

Bend Brewing - Outback X 2006

Terminal Gravity - Barleywine 2005

Great Divide - Old Ruffian Barleywine

Caldera Brewing - Imperial Stout 2004 and 2005

Stone Brewing - Old Guardian 2005

More to come...

Full Sail Top Sail Arriving 02.01.08

As incredible as the Bourbon-aged Top Sail is, I'm surprised it hasn't generated any of the buzz that the Abyss garnered. The bourbon and vanilla character are perfectly layered with the roasty, coffee and cocoa malt flavors to create a wonderfully flavorful brew.

I don't expect it to sell as quickly as the Abyss, but they made considerably less Top Sail, so I wouldn't recommend waiting very long to seek it out.

John Harris will be joining us on Friday, February 8th to tap one of the only kegs available. I'm sure he'd be happy to answer questions about barrel aging, brewing big beers, or what it's like to be one of the rock stars of our local brewing scene. We're still working out some details, but we expect to tap the keg at 5pm. Stay tuned for more details after we confirm things with the big guy.

Workshop: Craft Beer Appreciation for Women @ Fort George

From the desk of the fine folks at Fort George Brewery in Astoria, Oregon:






Announcing an upcoming workshop: Craft Beer Appreciation for Women, with Lisa Morrison, Saturday February 9th from 2:30-4:30 p.m. at the Fort George Brewery & Public House in Astoria.

Here’s an exciting opportunity to get ahead of the curve on the booming craft beer industry—a fascinating workshop by a woman for women. Beer is no longer reserved for the stereotypical man on the couch watching football. Rather, it’s a dynamic part of our culture, bursting with complexity, much like fine wine.

Increase your knowledge and confidence in purchasing, and consuming craft beers. You’ll learn about proper beer etiquette, the brewing process, styles of beer, tasting techniques, food pairing, and a history of women and beer.

Lisa Morrison, also known as the “Beer Goddess”, is a beer writer from Portland. She’s traveled the globe testing beer and has taught several of these classes.

The class includes instruction, written materials, samples of at least eight beers from a variety of top craft breweries, decadent snacks, server gratuity, and a brewery tour. The cost is $25.00. Space is limited to 30 women and the class is expected to fill up fast.

Register at the Fort George Brewery and Public House, located at 15th and Duane Streets in Astoria, OR, or call the Fort George at (503) 325-PINT.


For more information, contact Cindy at (503) 791-8456 or Zetty at (503) 791-8869.


Fort George Brewery and Public House
1483 Duane Street
Astoria, OR 97103
(503) 325-PINT
www.fortgeorgebrewery.com

Finally...The Wait Is Over

Alright ravenous beer lovers of Portland, the Deschutes Abyss is finally here. I can't even tell you how many calls and emails I've received in the last two weeks, but I know the demand is going to be ridiculous, so if you haven't already scooped some up elsewhere I'd suggest stopping by ASAP.

I would be very, very surprised if our allotment lasts through the weekend, so don't say I didn't warn you. As previously mentioned, there is a one case limit in effect in order to spread the beer out to as many people as possible. Due to the incredible response, we're unable to take any reservations or holds; first come, first served.

Now that that's out of the way, we can begin speculating and hyping their newest project, the Dissident, which they're describing as a sour red ale "in the Rodenbach style". Personally, I'm probably more excited for that than I was for the Abyss. Don't get me wrong, I truly enjoy big imperial stouts, but I absolutely love a good sour ale.

Are you listening Deschutes? I'm not in the habit of making demands, but now that the Abyss has raised the bar (and your profile), we all have big expectations for this brew.



EDIT 5pm: The giant stack in the above picture is gone, and we have sold out of our entire allotment of Abyss. Rumor has it that Whole Foods on W. Burnside still has about 20 cases, but I doubt that will last long.

A Quick Teaser...

WOW! John Harris was kind enough to drop by with the first bottle of Bourbon-Aged Top Sail Imperial Porter, and I'm blown away. Bourbon, chocolate, vanilla, and oak collide in one amazing package.

February 1st is the official release date for this years' Bourbon-aged Top Sail Porter. We're still working out the details, but if everything goes as planned we'll be having a release party in the Biercafe on Friday February the 1st to kick things off. Stay tuned for more details on that as they become available.

In other news, John mentioned a special tasting that he's working on for the Harborside Pilsner Room. At this point the details are tentative, but it's being lined up for Friday February 7, 2008. The tasting will feature 2004 Bourbon-Aged Top Sail Imperial Porter, 2006 Bourbon-aged Black Gold Stout, and 2008 Bourbon-aged Top Sail Imperial Porter. John also mentioned "finding" some 2002 Imperial Porter, so that may make an appearance at the tasting as well. Stay tuned for more info on that one as it becomes available.

Deschutes Abyss Update

Greetings Beer lovers,

Due to circumstances beyond our control, the Abyss will most likely not arrive until Friday morning. Apparently it won't be arriving at the distributor's warehouse until tomorrow, so the earliest that anyone in town will receive it will be Wednesday.

If by some stroke of luck we manage to get our allotment before Friday I'll post again, hopefully with pricing info and tasting notes, but at the very least I wanted to get this info out ASAP to reduce the number of people who come in and get frustrated because we don't have it.

Your patience will be rewarded...