Belmont Station Beer Forum

Dissident Delayed Until Next Week

2008-09-04T15:54:00.000-07:00

The headline pretty much sums it up. I've been told that there's a very, very slim chance that it'll arrive tomorrow, but I'm not counting on it.

On the plus side, they do have bottles at the pub in the pearl district already, so if you can't wait until Tuesday they're probably your only option. They've also got it on draught, so you can sit and enjoy a glass while you contemplate how many bottles to take home.

Hop Harvest Release @ BridgePort featuring Musical Brewmaster

2008-08-28T17:11:00.000-07:00

Here it is straight from BridgePort:

"BRIDGEPORT BREWING COMPANY RELEASEs its 2008 HOP harvest ale on September 12
The Brew that Launched BridgePort’s 22-Ounce Big Brew Series is Back, Taste the New Brew and Celebrate Hop Harvest with BridgePort on Sept. 12

PORTLAND, Ore. – August 28, 2008 – BridgePort Brewing Company, Oregon's oldest craft brewery, is releasing its 2008 Hop Harvest Ale. This year’s brew is a triple hopped imperial style ale made from fresh cone Centennial hops. Hop Harvest Ale was the first brew in BridgePort’s 22-ounce Big Brew series that launched a year ago. To date the BridgePort Big Brew series includes the 12th edition of the barley wine style ale, Old Knucklehead, it’s first berry fruit infused ale, Stumptown Tart, and an Imperial IPA, Hop Czar.

BridgePort’s Hop Harvest Celebration September 12 features live music by BridgePort’s brewmaster, Karl Ockert, and band.

Join BridgePort on Friday, September 12 from 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. at the BridgePort brewpub + bakery in the Pearl at 1313 NW Marshall St. Taste this year’s Hop Harvest Ale and listen to live music from the BridgePort Reunion Band, a bluegrass and acoustic folk band featuring BridgePort’s very own brewmaster, Karl Ockert, on the ukulele. BridgePort will also tap a 2007 vintage Hop Harvest Ale keg for guests to sample. BridgePort’s Hop Harvest Celebration is free and open to the public.

About Hop Harvest and BridgePort’s Hop Harvest Ale

The harvest for each variety of hops is limited and lasts only two to three days, making BridgePort’s Hop Harvest Ale even more unique due to its special brewing process and limited availability.

This year’s Hop Harvest Ale is an imperial style, amped up version of BridgePort’s Blue Heron. BridgePort mashed in their brew at 6 a.m. then drove to B & C Hop Farms in Woodburn, Ore. to pick up 250 pounds of fresh cone Centennial Hops. Within two hours the fresh hops were added to the hot brew on its way to the fermenter. The fresh cones steep in the beer giving it a complete charge of fresh hop flavor.

With 2,500 cases produced, this year’s limited edition Hop Harvest Ale can be found on tap at BridgePort brewpub + bakery, BridgePort Ale House and will be sold at retail grocery stores throughout Oregon and Washington while supplies last.

BridgePort’s Hop Harvest Ale Stats:

IBU’s: 70

ABV: 7.0%

Color: Reddish

Ingredients: Pale, Chocolate and Carmel Malts. Oregon Cluster Hops for bitterness and freshly harvested Centennial Hops for flavor and aroma.

Description: This triple hopped ale is a bottle conditioned Imperial Style Ale. The fresh green Centennial Hops add floral overtones reminiscent of citrus fruits. Pleasingly strong fresh hop aroma, with good malt tones.

About BridgePort Brewing Company

As Oregon's oldest craft brewery, BridgePort is celebrating its 24th anniversary this year. The brewery has reached this milestone by evolving from a microbrewery to a regional leader in the craft brewing market, while remaining faithful to its commitment to producing high-quality, innovative craft ales. The BridgePort family of ales includes IPA, ESB, Black Strap Stout, Ropewalk Amber Ale, Blue Heron Pale Ale, Old Knucklehead and seasonal beers, Beertown Brown, Haymaker Extra Pale Ale and Ebenezer Ale. BridgePort Brewery is located at 1313 N.W. Marshall St. For more information, call 503-241-7179 or visit www.bridgeportbrew.com."

The big dogs at BridgePort Brewing, Jeff Edgerton (with hop masher tool) and Karl Ockert jack in the fresh Centennial whole cone hops.

BridgePort's new fresh hop beer will be different than in years past but promises to be just as tasty.

All pictures (except beer label image) by Angelo M. De Ieso II

The Russians Invade Portland

2008-08-26T09:48:00.000-07:00

No, not THOSE Russians, I'm talking about Russian River Pliny The Elder and Blind Pig IPA from Santa Rosa, CA. We're only getting 3 cases of each. Yes, 3. That's a mere 72 bottles, and given the ridiculous number requests we've gotten (don't forget, we brew some tasty IPAs in Oregon too!) the boss decided to limit this allotment to one bottle of each variety per person. I realize it's less than ideal, but a little Pliny is better than no Pliny, and if we didn't restrict it some hop-crazed fiend (like me) would come and snatch it all up.

The beer will go on sale this afternoon at 5:30, so come on down after work and help fend off the invasion. If you're here between 6-8 you can also try samples of Meantime IPA and London Porter, listen to Alistair Hook (owner of Meantime) speak about his brewery, and grab a couple bottles on sale if you dig 'em.

See you tonight!

Don't Forget! Supplication Tapping @ 5pm

2008-08-12T12:27:00.000-07:00

Just a quick reminder about our "Puckerfest Flashback" this evening. We'll be tapping kegs of Russian River Supplication and Walking Man Blootvoeste Bruin, both of which arrived too late to be included in the regular Puckerfest line up. With any luck we'll also have a couple other treats like Cantillon St. Lamvinus and New Belgium Lip's of Faith Sour Peach still on tap.

See you at 5!

Dogfish Head Expands/Announces New Brews

2008-08-05T09:04:00.000-07:00

Dogfish Head Brewery of Milton, Delaware has recently expanded. Now with more fermentation tanks (this means more beer), a state of the art HVAC/humidity control system, and completely re-vamped their tour program with a remodeled tasting room for regular sampling hours and more free tours throughout the week!

With these changes, the brewery is pleased to announce two exciting new brews soon to hit the U.S. market.

Theobroma

To be released in September '08 (750ml bottles in limited quantities), Theobroma is, according to the brewer "based on chemical analysis of pottery fragments found in Honduras which revealed the earliest known alcoholic chocolate drink used by early civilizations to toast special occasions. The discovery of this beverage pushed back the earliest use of cocoa for human consumption more than 500 years to 1200 BC." Theobroma (translated as 'food of the gods') is a 10% abv brew made with Aztecan cocoa powder and cocoa nibs (from Askinosie Chocolate), honey, chilies, and annatto (fragrant tree seeds).

For more information on Dogfish Head's Theobroma click HERE
.

Old Odense Ale

Dogfish Head owner/brewer Sam Calagione teamed up with Danish brewer Anders Kissmeyer of Nørrebro Bryghus in Copenhagen.
Sam and Anders' beer is a traditional Dane-style brew that they discovered on an obscure web page with a translation of a 15th Century gruit ale recipe from the town of Odense. The beer's ingredients include pale and dark barley malt, oats, fine syrup, smoked dark syrup, fir branches and fir bark, wood sage, hyssop, blackthorn berries, woodruff and star spice. The beer is said to be amazingly sour due to the potent 'herbal juice' hand squeezed into the kettles during the boil. The label will describe the beer as an "ale brewed with maple syrup and herbs.” It is said that the Odense style is somewhat like a Belgian Lambic beer, but defies all categories of commonly known beer. Shelton Bros. is importing limited cases of the beer to the U.S. (Chris save me one, bro!)

For more information on Old Odense click HERE

Silver Moon Comes to Portland

2008-08-01T17:57:00.000-07:00

Bottles from Silver Moon Brewing in Bend, OR are now available at Belmont Station! What started as a home brew supply shop has slowly blossomed over the last couple of years into a full-on craft brewery. They've started by bringing us their Hefeweizen, Porter, and Amber in 22oz bottles. I haven't had a chance to sample any of their offerings yet, but I'll try them this weekend and report back soon.

I would have posted a crappy camera-phone pic, but as luck would have it my phone just died. I'll post a picture after it recharges.

Alcoholic Tree Shrews and Beer Making Flowers

2008-07-29T03:29:00.000-07:00

I havent had the inspiration to do a blog forever but this awesome story combined with many imperial pints of Russian River's Pliny The Elder has inspired me to do so.

Here are some highlights from NPR's article but you really should just click the link and read the whole thing, it is short and fascinating and wont take much of your time unless you count all the time you will spend thinking about it later.

" In the rain forest of Malaysia, scientists have found a small mammal, closely related to primates, whose major source of food is a type of beer."

"...they have one favorite food source: the bertam palm, whose flowers have a very strong and distinctive smell. "They smell like a brewery," Weins says.

In fact, the flower buds function as brewing chambers — they have been invaded by previously unknown species of yeast, which ferment the nectar into frothy alcohol.

"The maximum alcohol concentration that we recorded was 3.8 percent," Weins says. "That's in the range of a beer."

I dont know whats more interesting, beer drinking tree shrews or flowers brewing beer, although I am not sure its beer if their is no barley involved. Plus the fact that it's being fermented with a previously unkown wild yeast and its fermenting pollen just makes my imagination go wild with new brewing possibilities.
Maybe a new kind of alcoholic beverage could be born from this? Or maybe an open brewery with spontaneous fermentation in Malaysia?
Maybe the tree shrew will replace a dog as man's best friend? I wonder what kind of ales they might be into? What do you think it might take to import a malaysian tree shrew into the united states? Talk about the ultimate pet, all you would have to do to take care of them is leave some leftover beer bottles around.
The possibilities are endless.

Puckerfest Update

2008-07-17T15:16:00.000-07:00

Most of the original line-up is either gone or very close to kicking, so here's an update of what we've got on tap as of now. The new ones were detailed on Monday's post, so scroll down a bit if you'd like more info.

Double Mountain - Devil's Kriek
Lucky Lab - Belgian Sour Cherry
Cascade Brewing - Flanders Red
Cantillon - Vigneronne
Full Sail - Pompeii (the "official" name of Belmont Blend #1)
New Belgium - La Folie
Dogfish - Festina Peche
Cantillon - St. Lamvinus

There's a good chance that both the La Folie and Festina Peche will blow this afternoon. If and when they do we'll replace them with the New Belgium Lips Of Faith Sour Peach and BJ's Enfant Terrible respectively.

Keep on puckering!

PuckerFest - The (Almost) Complete Line Up

2008-07-15T14:05:00.000-07:00

OK, here's the deal. I can't really tell you when any of these things are going to go on tap because we only have 8 faucets to run the sours through (we need to keep some "normal" beers on), and we have close to 20 different offerings lined up. There's also a couple of local breweries that have promised kegs, but have yet to deliver them (you know who you are!) and I don't want to get people's hopes up unnecessarily. That said, here's an almost complete list of puckertastic beer.

Currently On Tap:

Cantillon - Vigneronne: Light and delicate, yet aggressively sour. Malted grain meet pressed grape. This is a beer of incredible contradiction that somehow transcends both beer and wine to become something which can only be called Vigneronne. Judging by sales, this was the most popular pour last night, and the keg is already 1/3 gone. I'd give it until Thursday at the latest.

New Belgium - La Folie: New Belgium's Brewmaster, Peter Boukaert, previously helmed Belgium's classic Rodenbach brewery, so it's no surprise that NBB's barrel-aged Flemish sour is amazingly close to the traditional example. Truly wonderful stuff. At the current pace the keg will probably kick on Thursday.

Dogfish - Festina Peche: Described as a "Neo-Berliner Weisse", DFH has once again taken something old and put an extreme spin on it. In this case "extreme" doesn't mean alcohol, just an extremely delicious combination of tart, fruity sourness wrapped up in a 4.5% package. Lots of flavor, not a lot of booze. I want to see someone drink a boot of this.

Cascade - Flander's Red: Ron and Curtis from Cascade Brewing (aka Raccoon Lodge) have been blending, aging, and generally having fun with barrels for a couple of years now. Their take on a Flemish sour is a little softer and sweeter than New Belgium's, but still loaded with woody, funky goodness.

Full Sail - Belmont Blend #1: I'll be perfectly honest; this beer is not for everyone. The initial aroma has been compared rather unfavorably to acetone (nail polish remover), and it's sure to turn a lot of people off before they even take a sip. I would encourage you to make an effort, and not give up on it too quickly. Once the nose and palate desensitize to the sharp aroma, a bevy of interesting things start to rise out of the glass. In the mouth it has a slightly full bodied feel and a little sweetness on the tongue, and the sour, woody notes are lightened considerably by the fruity Belgian yeast character of the base beer into which it was blended. Since this wouldn't be a proper Full Sail beer without some hops, we mixed in a portion of Prodigal Sun for good measure. The result is that the sweet and sour fades from the mouth as you swallow and then get overtaken by a long trail of bitterness in the throat. Like I said, most definitely not for everyone, but I hope you'll give it a chance.

Verhaeghe - Echte Kriekenbier: Verhaeghe is best known for their Duchesse de Bourgogne, a rather acetic Belgian red ale. The Echte Kriekenbier is essentially barrel-aged Duchesse that has had a second fermentation on cherries. Tart and sour, but still approachable and fruity. This one is also going quick, and probably won't last through Wednesday.

Lucky Lab - Belgian Sour Cherry: This is one of the only beers in the line-up that I haven't previously had, because someone drank the sample bottle that Ben Flerchinger was kind enough to drop off last week. I'll update this part after work when I've had a chance to try it.

Coming Soon:

Please note: All tapping times listed below are approximate. The faster the initial line up goes, the faster we can get the rest of these tasty treats on tap. Conversely, if things last longer than expected we may have a couple sour beers left for a few days after the event. If you have any questions about what's on tap please check the front page of our website. I promise we'll keep it updated all week long.

Double Mountain - Devil's Kriek: According to Charlie Devereux, this is the very last keg of their intensely fruity kriek. At 8% abv, it's also one of the strongest entries in the line-up. The kriek was made by aging a batch of the Devil's Kitchen on hundreds of pounds of local cherries for several months. The resulting beer is strong, tart, full-bodied, and bright freaking red. Serious Crayola red. It's pretty cool to look at, and even better to drink. Expect this to go on later in the week.

BJ's Portland - Enfant Terrible: This brew started life as a fairly mild mannered Belgian blonde ale, but like Superman in a phone booth it underwent some serious transformation during a year of barrel aging with lambic yeast. It's funky, dry, and chock full of fruity yeast character. Since BJ's is no longer brewing in town, and Vasili has moved to Rock Bottom, there's no telling if or when we'll ever see this beer again. The Enfant will probably go on tap Thursday or Friday.

Rock Bottom Portland - Ned Flanders: This sour ale was a huge hit at OBF 2006 and Puckerfest #1. We squirreled away the very last keg and have been sitting on it since last year, eagerly anticipating one last chance to taste this. Expect it to be on tap over the weekend.

Liefman's - Kriek: Another Belgian classic, Liefman's Kriek (based on a sour brown ale) has a more pronounced malt flavor than the other Flemish sours in our line-up. Given Leifman's financial difficulties, and recent acquisition by Duvel Moortgat, this could be one of the last kegs we'll get from the "original" company. This should be on tap by Thursday or Friday.

Cascade - Brewing Cuvee: This is an evolving, experimental creation blended from several different barrels. Tart apple character meets earthy, barnyard funkiness. It's fairly strong, yet dry and light bodied, a true testament to the sugar digesting abilities of our tiny microbial friends. This will replace the Cascade Flanders Red when it blows; if I had to guess I'd say Friday.

Walking Man - Blootvoeste Bruin: This very special brew is made by blending Walking Man's Barefoot Brown with a batch of Kombucha. This is the one other beer I haven't had a chance to try (not for lack of trying), so here's a great description from after4ever, a ratebeer.com member from Washington:

Opaque dark brown with thinnish tan rim and light lace. Pungent sweet and sour nose that somehow seems to come and go. Rich, creamy body on the high side of medium. Nutty, sugary, cinnamony, red-apple-y mid-palate. Long clinging apple finish. Really beautiful once it warms up a bit.

You can expect this one to be on tap over the weekend for the grand puckering finale.

Cantillon - St. Lamvinus: St. Lamvinus is created by blending Cantillon's gueuze with French wine grapes. The grapes generally come from Bordeaux, but they pick a different winery every year which makes each batch a unique creation. There's a wonderfully enlightening description of the history and process on the importer's website, and it's well worth the read if you have a couple minutes. This will go on tap this weekend for the finale.

Like I said up top, there's still a few kegs that haven't been delivered yet, so check back for more surprises if and when the stragglers get delivered.

Cheers, and pucker hard!

Prepare to Pucker!

2008-07-14T10:05:00.000-07:00

The day has finally arrived, and Puckerfest 2008 is upon us. We have 5 funky beers on tap right now, and we'll be adding more as the days go by.

More details to follow, but here's the initial line-up:

Cantillon - Vigneronne
New Belgium - La Folie
Dogfish Head - Festina Peche
Six Rivers - Framboise
Verhaeghe - Echte Kriekenbier

We also have a limited number Puckerfest T-shirts to commemorate the event. Get them while you can!

New Arrivals

2008-07-09T11:19:00.001-07:00

I've been slacking on the new arrivals posts, so here's a quick run down of everything we've gotten in the last week or so.

New treats from our neighbors to the south:

Alesmith - Decadence: We got a couple more cases of the Decadence Imperial Porter. The last allotment went quickly, so again I'd implore you to limit yourself to a bottle or two so that as many people as possible can have a chance at tasting it.

Alesmith - Summer Yulesmith: This imperial IPA is always a staff favorite. It's big and malty for an IPA, but it's no slouch in the hops department. Pine, citrus and minty hop notes highlight the lingering bitter finish and bring you back for more.

Stone - 12th Anniversary Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout: The name is almost as much of a mouthful as the beer itself. The 9% abv is well hidden in this jet black, viscous brew, and the only minor complaint I have is that I was expecting a little more creaminess in the mouthfeel from the oats. Other than that, the roasted graininess, coffee flavor, and solid bitter chocolate character kept me entertained for the entire bottle. I'm sure the folks at Stone will question your worthiness, but we won't tell them if you buy a couple bottles.

Sierra Nevada - Anniversary Ale: The SN Anniversary IPA isn't usually released this early, but the unprecedented sales of their tasty Summerfest lager left holes in the distribution chain that had to be filled. No complaints here, as this crisp, cascade-laden IPA is perfect for warm weather porch sipping. The hop profile on this is almost identical to their Pale, but amplified to show off the sharp citrusy qualities of the cascades.

BrewDog arrives in Oregon!

When Stuart Rankin (aka Mike Myers) coined the phrase, "If it's not Scottish, it's crap!" he was almost certainly thinking about beers like this. They're big and bold, and not afraid to show it. Even the labels read like a Scottish version of Stone, proclaiming that the beer is too intense for you, and that you should probably walk away while you can.

BrewDog - The Physics: I haven't had this one yet, so here's what the brewery has to say about it:

A historically accurate beer based on the recipe devised on the 8th of February 2007. Recreated using the finest coloured malts which provide the complex sweet malt character which initially arouses the senses. Like a fine cheese cake the biscuit base has a smooth and creamy layer that both satisfies and entices. Culminating with a delicate fruit topping of blackcurrant and tinges of citrus to refresh the participant, complimented fully by the crisp dry bitter finish.

BrewDog - Punk IPA: I haven't gotten to this one yet either, so here's their description:

A beer of inherent contradiction. This heavy weight of the beer world is strikingly delicate with a white gold appearance. The light fruity aroma dominates the initial confrontation; lychee, kiwi and passionfruit all prevail with subtle nuances of cherry and strawberry. Don’t be fooled however by this smooth medium bodied ale. As it trickles down your throat as this wolf in sheep’s clothing begins to grow teeth. The bite comes as the bitterness builds and endures no matter how hard the malty sweetness of the alcohol tries to tame this ferocious beast.

BrewDog - Hardcore IPA: This won't quite blow your taste buds off like some of the bigger west coast imperials, but it's probably the hoppiest beer I've ever had from the UK. The malt takes a back seat on this ride, providing just enough presence to carry the citrus and tropical fruit hop flavors that keep trying to crawl out of the glass and smack you in the nose.

BrewDog - Riptide Imperial Stout: If BrewDog keeps making it, this brew has the potential to become a classic in the realm of imperial stouts. Rich yet restrained. Aggressive yet smooth. Roasty coffee, bittersweet chocolate, and dark fruity grain flavors all gather harmoniusly on the tongue before spreading out to every corner of the mouth. Also, I believe this is the base beer for their Paradox series of imperial stouts (keep reading), but I don't know for sure.

That brings us to the Paradox series. Having easy access to the distilleries in Scotland has given Brewdog an unmistakable edge when it comes to barrel-aged beers. Not content to settle for generic bourbon or whiskey barrels, they've gone so far as to pick some of the best houses in Scotland and somehow talked them out of their precious barrels. So, what's the difference? While a typical bourbon barrel will generally add some wood, vanilla, and obvious bourbon notes to the brew, aging it in something like a 1970 Glen Grant barrel allows you to really focus on the character of the individual whiskey. It's especially enlightening if you can find a bottle of Caol Lla to pair with the Islay blend, or a bottle of Macallan to pair with it's beery counterpart. Each of the four beers that we've received from this ever-growing series began with the same imperial stout, so even if you don't have access to the various whiskeys I'd suggest gathering a couple friends an eye-opening side-by-side comparison.

BrewDog - Paradox Macallan Batch 011: Aged in a used Macallan cask (which itself was a used sherry cask), this variant is the least whiskey-ish of the four. Polished wood meets slightly cardboardy sherry notes, all wrapped up in a deliciously thick bodied stout.

BrewDog - Paradox Glen Grant Batch 003: While the name Glen Grant may not mean much to most people, Scotchophiles will recognize it instantly. It's the largest-selling single malt in the world, but much of it is used in the production of Chivas Regal, so you don't see the name tossed around as much as say Glenlivet, Dalmore, or Talisker. This version of the Paradox has some smokiness integrated in with the wood and "fresh whiskey" flavors which brings a little more snap to the aroma.

BrewDog - Paradox Speyside Batch 010: This one seemed to have the most whiskey character; a slight salty note (to be expected in a Speyside), a bit of the smokiness to the aroma, and a definite woody component to the finish.

Brewdog - Paradox Islay Batch 001: This one is the peatiest of the bunch, but unfortunately I was pretty deep into a tasting session and my palate wasn't sharp enough at that point for me to pick anything else specific out of it. Note to self: Get a tape recorder so you don't have to try and remember to write things down while sampling a range of huge beers.

Craft Beer Month Preview

2008-06-27T16:13:00.000-07:00

A month of beer drinking, liver straining, palate bending fun is almost upon us. In addition to the NAOBF this weekend , there are over 120 beery happenings scheduled for the Month of July.

Roll Out the Barrels!

We'll be kicking things off one day early with 5 oak or barrel-aged beers going on tap at 5pm, Monday June 30th. 3 of the 5 beers are from Oregon, so I guess you could call it an Oregon beer event, but we'd prefer to think of it as the pay off for waiting several months for our new walk-in and draught system to be installed. Click here for more details...

Oregon Craft Beer Month Begins!

The festivities begin in earnest on Tuesday July 1 at the Horse Brass Pub. The folks at the Brass have searched high and low for the best that Oregon has to offer, including several rarities like Oak Aged Jubel and Bridgeport Hop Harvest.

Here's the details and a partial list of beers. Knowing Don, I'm sure he'll have a couple other surprises up his sleeve.

Tuesday, July 1st at 5:00 p.m.
Horse Brass Pub
4520 SE Belmont
Portland, OR 97215

Bridgeport Brewing Co. 2007 - Hop Harvest Fresh Hop IPA
Deschutes Brewery - Oak Aged Jubel
Double Mountain Brewery and Taproom - Molten Lava Double IPA
Eugene City Brewery - Track Town IPA
Full Sail Brewing Co. - 2007 Vesuvius
Hopworks Urban Brewery - Washoe Weizen
Laurelwood Brewing Co. - Belgian NW Red Infrared
Lompoc Brewing Co. - 2007 C-Son’s Greetings
Mia & Pia’s - Whiskey Barrel Aged Barley Wine
Mt. Hood Brewing - Wee Heavy - Cask
Ninkasi Brewing Co. - Tricerahops - Dry Hopped in Keg - Cask
Rock Bottom Brewery - Kolsch 55
Rogue Ales - Imperial YSB
Terminal Gravity Brewery - Tripel

Also on Tuesday July 1:

Rogue Ales kicks off the month by tapping a firkin of Latona Ale, the newest John's Locker Stock release. The Latona is a hazy, unfiltered amber ale brewed with a variety of specialty malts and hops for a delicious, complex flavor. The firkin gets tapped at 5pm, so you might want to head down there before going to the Brass.

Portland Distillery and Public House
1339 NW Flanders St., Portland
503-222-5910
www.rogue.com

Friday July 4th:

If you're heading to the northern section of the Oregon coast next weekend consider stopping by Astoria for some tasty beer and exploding things. Fort George Brewery will be hosting a 4th of July Parking Lot Party. "Join us as we celebrate the Nation's birthday! The city of Astoria puts on a display of fireworks on the waterfront which will be visible from our parking lot celebration!" The party starts at 6pm and runs until after the fireworks display.

Fort George Brewery and Public House
1483 Duane St., Astoria
503-325-PINT
www.fortgeorgebrewery.com

I think that's enough for today. For a huge (almost complete) list of Craft Beer Month events, pop on over to John Foyston's Oregonian blog. Tune in Monday for more highlights!

Last, but not least, we got our allotment of Deschutes Black Butte XX. It's going fast, even in this heat.

Deschutes Black Butte XX and more...

2008-06-26T17:30:00.000-07:00

Greetings beer lovers! Just a couple quick notes for today:

Deschutes 20th Anniversary Releases - The Deschutes Black Butte XX and 20th Anniversary Wit will be arriving tomorrow afternoon. Due to incredibly high demand (and low production) for the XX we'll be implementing a 3 bottle per person limit for the first few days in order to spread the beer out as much as possible. The 20th Anniversary Wit will not be subject to any restrictions, and with the weather predicted to be in the 90's it strikes me as a perfect beer to beat the heat this weekend.

North American Organic Beer Festival - The NAOBF kicks off at 3pm tomorrow. With 70+ beers to sample you could spend most of the weekend sampling organic goodies without drinking the same thing twice. I should also mention that we still have a limited number of voucher/ticket combos left. As previously noted, they are $15 each (1 mug + 10 drink tickets) and we are only able to accept cash for the vouchers. Remember, purchasing a mug and tickets in advance allows you to skip the regular line and speed your entry into the fest.

The Rogue XS Family is Growing - The XS Imperial Younger's Special Bitter ( aka XSIYSB?!?) is coming back as a year-round product, and the new XS Imperial Porter will be making it's bottled debut. We should have several cases of each available tomorrow afternoon.

That's all for now. Tune in tomorrow for a weekend round-up, and the first in a series of posts highlighting some of the best events coming up in July. Check out the Brewer's Guild site or the new (so new it's not quite live) oregoncraftbeer.com for more details on the 120+ events taking place during the next month. Remember - Think Oregon, Drink Oregon!

Roll Out The Barrels on Monday June 30th!

2008-06-13T09:18:00.000-07:00

We've finally gotten the new walk-in finished, the system is dialed in, and we've got 16 glistening new Perlick taps just waiting to dispense some delicious beer. If you read the previous post you may recall that I said 12 taps, and maybe you're wondering where the four extra taps came from. It's simple; taps 1-12 will be filled with interesting, eclectic, rotating beers all year, and the other 4 are set aside for future growth and special events like the one you're reading about.

Anyway, enough jibba jabba; here's the details:

Join us Monday June 30th as we celebrate the Grand Opening (grand tapping?) of our new draught system. We'll have at least 5 oak or barrel aged beers on tap and perhaps some other surprises too! The event kicks off at 5pm, and the kegs will run until they're gone.

The Beers:

Ft. George Bourbon-aged Cavatica Stout: This was the centerpiece of Ft. George's Stout Month back in February, and we're happy we squirreled away a keg. It's rich, full bodied, and leaves a long trail of vanilla, bourbon, and oaky tannins as it glides across your palate and down the hatch.

They describe it as "an immense, bold, black as night, American-style beauty; there's nothing dry or Irish about it. The name reflects the brewer's affinity for arachnia. Be forewarned: this beer WILL stain your clothes."

Ft George Bourbon-aged Illuminator Doppelbock: A couple kegs of Illuminator have popped up around town, but this is quite the rarity. I've haven't had a chance to try it yet, so I called Chris Nemlowill (brewer/owner) yesterday to get a little more info. It was brewed last fall and modeled after the classic German beers that created and defined the style; Salvator, Celebrator, Optimator, but adds an extra dose of hops to help brace all the malt. Chris took it one step further and gave it the barrel treatment for several months and basically ignored it until spring.

He wanted the bourbon to integrate rahter than overwhelm the beer, so he used barrels that had previously held a batch of Cavatica, hoping that the first beer would have absorbed the bulk of the sweet brown liquor. However, after 6 months in the barrel he discovered that the Illuminator had become a bourbony beast of it's own, so it was blended with the remainder of the batch that had been resting quietly in stainless kegs all winter. The result: a malt-lovers dream come true. Waves of caramelly, fruity malts carry the subdued bourbon essence across the tongue, and a solid blast of hoppy bitterness keeps all the sugar in check.

Stone Oaked Bastard: This is the only beer that hasn't actually spent time in a barrel, but it's so good that we'll forgive Stone for simply using oak chips instead. Becoming a year-round bottled product hasn't dampened people's enthusiasm for the arrogant brew, but kegs of OAB are still a rare treat and we're happy to have one here to help us celebrate summer with our new system. On most days this would be a heavy hitter, but at only 7.2%abv, this will probably be the most "sessionable" beer in the line-up.

Allagash Curieux: This is another special treat. Bottles of Curieux only come out once or twice a year, and this is the first time any kegs have made it this far from Maine. Curieux started out as Allagash's deliciously complex Tripel, and 8 weeks in a Jim Beam barrel added several more factors to the equation. Spices, wood, bourbon, caramel, fruity yeast esters; this brew will have you scratching your head as you pull flavor after flavor out of the glass. If you're hoping to try this one I'd suggest getting here as close to 3pm as possible. We only received a 5 gallon keg, so this will be the first keg to blow on Monday.

BJ's (Portland) Whiskey Barrel Stout: We're still a bit upset about BJ's corporate and their decision to cease brewing in PDX, but hopefully this beer will leave us with a fond memory of the place. Fresh, "unwashed" whiskey barrels are used to age this beast, so this will be the most intensely boozy brew of the bunch. If you like your whiskey with a beer back, this is the one to reach for. To the best of my knowledge, this is the last keg of Whiskey Stout in existence, so enjoy it while you can.

To recap (feel free to cut, paste, and copy):

Who: You, me, and as many other beer lovers as we can squeeze into the cafe.
What: 5 deliciously potent examples of brewing excellence, aged to perfection.
When: Monday, June 30th, from 5 to 11pm
Where: The BierCafe @ Belmont Station - 4500 SE Stark St PDX, OR 97215
Why: Because we've been waiting a long time for the new taps.
How Much: Free (as always) to get in, beer prices will vary.

Cheer, and enjoy the long-awaited sunshine!

Mug and Ticket Pre-Sale for NAOBF

2008-06-07T11:00:00.001-07:00

We love beerfests, especially local ones, so we jumped at the chance to help out the North American Organic Brewers Festival when they asked us to be a pre-sale location for mugs and tokens.

First, some fest details:

The North American Organic Brewers Festival (NAOBF) returns to Portland’s Overlook Park on Friday, June 27th, 3:00 to 9:00 p.m. • Saturday, June 28th, 12:00 to 9:00 p.m. • Sunday, June 29th, 12:00 to 5:00 p.m. The event is Free and open to the public. Participation in beer tasting is $5 for a reusable, yet compostable, cornstarch tasting glass and samples are $1 a ticket. Children are welcome with guardians. Service animals only. Beer sales are restricted to people 21 years and older with valid ID. Discount of $1 off of tasting glass with validated MAX ticket or three (3) 4 oz cans of food. No Parking is provided for this event, making Tri-Met's MAX Yellow line the easiest way to attend.

Here's how the pre-sell works:

Come into Belmont Station anytime between now and the Thursday June 26th. For $15 dollars (CASH ONLY) you'll receive one of the compostable tasting glasses and a voucher good for ten (10) tasting tickets. Go home happy.

On the day of the event there will be a special line for everyone that bought mugs ahead of time. Breeze through this line (try not to laugh at the poor suckers in the regular line), show them your ID, and trade your voucher for 10 tasting tickets.

A quick note about the tasting cups: They are made out of cornstarch, and they break down rapidly when exposed to sun and heat. I was assured by the organizers that there's no risk of the cup melting in your hand while you're drinking beer at the fest, but they suggested keeping the cup in a dark, cool place until the day of the event. In other words, don't leave it sitting on the dashboard or you'll end up with a pile of mushy corn goo all over the A/C vents.

...And Then There Were 9

2008-06-05T17:59:00.000-07:00

First off, I apologize for the lack of posts recently. Maybe it was writer's block, or the weather, but for whatever reason I couldn't motivate myself to sit in front of the computer any more than I already have to.

However, today is a new day, and with it comes big news. After months of planning, designing, and lots of waiting, our new draught system is almost complete. We now have 9 tasty selections to whet your whistle, and with any luck we'll be up to 12 by the end of the week. We'll still continue to rotate through all your favorite locals and imports, and the added capacity will allow us to feature a broader range of styles at any given time.

We're also going to bring in some "forgotten favorites" on occasion; classic craft brews like Pike Pale Ale, Mad River Jamaica Red, and Rogue Imperial IPA that you may not have had in a while.

It's all a work in progress as far as styles and selections, but if there's anything in particular you'd like to see on tap please leave a comment or mention it to the bartender next time you're in the cafe. With that, here's the list...

On tap as of now:

Alameda El Torrero IPA
Elysian Avatar Jasmine IPA
Lagunitas Gnarlywine
Pike Pale Ale
Warsteiner Premium
Weihenstephan Hefe Weissbier
Cascade Lakes Monkey Face Porter
Anderson Valley Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout
Six Rivers Framboise (aka Losen Frambozen)

Speaking of the Warsteiner, some of you may have received our email last week mentioning the 2 liter boots that are now available. We have plans for those boots as well (I'll save the details for another post) and if you've seen the movie Beerfest you should have an idea of what we've got in mind.

UPDATE: Thursday June 5, 2008 @ 5pm

We got 3 more lines up and running, which brings us to 12 taps. In addition to the list above, we've also tapped:

New Belgium's Le Fleur Misseur (their spelling), a 6.5% Belgian-style blonde fermented entirely with brettanomyces. It's fairly light, a little funky, and pretty tough to come by, so stop in and have a pint. It's about as close to Orval as you're going to get on tap...
Allagash Black, a delicious Belgian-style imperial stout from the other Portland. Smooth, silky, and full bodied, it's a truly rare treat to sip.
Schneider Aventinus Eisbock. (Coming tomorrow) I don't recall ever seeing this on tap before, so I'm as excited as anyone to try a glass of this.

That's all I got for now. Don't forget about the Dick's beer tasting on Tuesday (June 10th) from 6-8pm. Dick's Brewing makes perhaps the widest range of bottles of any brewery in the region, and I don't know what all we'll be offering, but I can guarantee there'll be at least 7-8 different bottles to sample. We'll also have a keg (or two) of something tasty pouring in the cafe. Check the events page for more details on this and other upcoming tastings.

Viva la Choice!

One last note for the anonymous poster requesting AK Smoked Porter: I'm not sure if the distributor has any left, but I'll do what I can to scrounge one up!

New Arrivals for May 13, 2008

2008-05-13T14:47:00.000-07:00

Every now and then we get crushed (in a good way) with a giant pile of new beers, and today was one of those days. By my count we received 19 new beers, and several other favorites returned to the cooler. The vast majority of these bottles are new to Oregon, and a couple have never been seen in the states, so the commercial descriptions will have to suffice until we have a chance to drink them all. If anyone tries these before we have a chance to describe them I implore you leave a comment and tell us what you thought.

New North American Beer!

Anchor Brewing - Summer Ale: Anchor's tasty summer seasonal is a filtered American wheat ale. It doesn't have a long season, but hopefully it'll still be here when the weather finally warms up.

Allagash - Black: Commercial Description - Allagash Black, our new Belgian style stout, is brewed with German 2 row barley, Torrified wheat and oats, balanced by a large addition of Belgian dark candi to give the Black a full and silky mouthfeel. Roasted malts give this stout its classic chocolate, toast and malty taste, and contribute to chocolate notes and a hint of roasted coffee in the aroma. The Black is fermented with a Belgian yeast strain and refermented in the bottle with the methode champenoise to make this beer truly unique.

Allagash - Odyssey: A Barrel-aged, strong, dark, Belgian-style wheat ale? Hmmm...That sounds just crazy enough to work. Lots of folks mention flavors of chocolate, raisins, bourbon, and wood, so I'd expect something along the lines of a bourbon-aged Belgian Grand Cru.

Allagash - Hugh Malone: This tasty treat is an American interpretation of a Belgian interpretation of an American IPA. Got it?

Dieu du Ciel! - Peche Mortel: Oregon got a taste of this elixir once (several years ago), and it still stands as one of the tastiest beers I've ever had, so hopefully this new batch will live up to my fond memories. This concoction is loaded with coffee, and they're not kidding about the warning label on the bottle: "If coffee isn’t your cup of tea, and caffeine makes you bounce off the ceiling, then just put the bottle down and find something else to drink." If it wasn't pushing 10% abv I'd be tempted to have one for breakfast.

Dieu du Ciel! - Dermiere Volonte: The commercial description is simply "Dry-hopped Belgian-style ale", which doesn't give us much to go on. Reading some of the reviews it seems as though they were shooting for something along the lines of Orval, the classic Trappist blonde. Anything that scores above the 90th percentile is certainly worth a try, and if it's even half as good as Orval it will be delicious.

Dieu du Ciel! - Corne du Diable: Commercial Description - An American-style I.P.A. The Corne du Diable is a contemporary adaptation of the original English Pale Ales. This interpretation of the style, born on the North American west coast, is caracterised by stronger and much hoppier beers. The result is a caramel flavoured, full-bodied red ale, with sharp bitterness and powerful aromas thanks to our dry hopping technique.

Dieu du Ciel! - Rosee d'Hibiscus: Commercial description - The Rosée d’Hibiscus is a soft spoken wheat beer. The rose colour comes from the hibiscus flowers added during the brewing process. The aromas and flavour of this tropical flower are very prominent in the beer, giving it a slight acidity and a very agreeable fragrance. It is the perfect thirst quencher on a hot summer day.

Dieu du Ciel! - Route des Epices: Mmm...rye beer. I don't know what it is, but there's something about rye beer that's really been hitting the spot lately. Perhaps it's the aroma, or perhaps it's the spicy, borderline metallic zing that it adds to the finish. Either way, I can't seem to get enough, and this one looks like it'll have a permanent place in my fridge, at least until we run out. The one dominant note besides the rye that pops up in all the reviews is pepper. Lots and lots of pepper. Stay tuned for an update on this one.

New European Beer!

Drie Fonteinen - Hommage: This special brew was crafted as a tribute to Gaston Debelder, the founder of Drie Fonteinen. This is one of the only authentic "multi fruit" lambics in existence, blending the bright flavors of raspberries with a small percentage of tart Belgian cherries. Several years of aging in oak barrels melds everything together in a truly spectacular fashion. Only 36 bottles arrived in Oregon, so if you're a "lambicophile" (copyright pending) you'll want to grab one of these while you can.

Drie Fonteinen - Doesjel: Although they use the traditional blend of 1,2, and 3 year old beer, this gueuze is bottled still (flat), similar to Cantillon’s Bruocsella 1900 Grand Cru. On first sip, the creamy malt body and citric, slightly vinegary tang create an explosion of flavor. Aromas of barnyard (hints of leather, wood, grass, and musty cobwebs) carry through the air as it warms, adding layer upon layer of complexity. Like most Drie Fonteinen products, this is bone dry and has an acidic, cleansing finish.

Hofbrouwerijke - Hofblues: Belgian breweries tend to bring an interesting twist to the recipe or process when they emulate British style beers, and this stout is no exception. All the typical roasty, coffee, and cocoa notes are there as expected, but many reviews point to a Belgian yeast fruitiness that sets it apart from its English fore bearers. Many people also mention a bit of smokiness, along with a solid bitterness in the finish, that keeps the body from being cloyingly sweet.

Hofbrouwerijke - Bosprotter: This seems like a solid Belgian tripel, and many of the reviewers mentioned an underlying zesty peppery note, which could be an interesting twist to the style.

Fantome - Brise-BonBons: This was originally designed to be a beer so bitter that no one could drink it. Unfortunately, Dany Prignon underestimated the demand for such things, and it's become one of the most popular (and therefore hard to find) Fantome brews around. Look for the big bottle with the sumo wrestler on it, and prepare yourself for the onslaught of earthy, spicy, herbal bitterness.

Fantome - Black Ghost: Commercial Description - Once described as a Belgian Irish-style stout, Black Ghost has undergone lots of changes over the years. It now bears no resemblance whatsoever to a stout, and brewer Dany Prignon has begun adding spices to the beer. What they are is anybody's guess...the Fantôme confounds once again.

Fantome - Printemps: As with everything else Fantome, you never quite know what you're getting into, but the Printemps tends to be one of the more consistent in terms of style and body. Expect a light peachy colored brew that's chock full of fruity, spicy, and yeasty goodness. Will it be sour too? Who knows, but we'll find out soon.

Mikkeller - 黑 (Black): At 17.5%abv, this looks to be Mikkeller's answer to Dogfish Head Worldwide Stout. Like a heavy metal band going camping, this stuff is INTENSE! (sorry, I couldn't resist). It is apparently quite hot (i.e. boozy) at this point, and even the brewery admits it probably won't peak for a couple of years, but we're gluttons for punishment so we'll try it soon.

Hook Norton - Old Hooky: A classic ESB, with a good dose of crystal malt to give it some body. Low abv British beers aren't known for their endurance, so get this one while it's fresh.

Bieres-23 - Ambree: This one is so new that it hasn't even been entered into the Ratebeer or BeerAdvocate databases yet. Come and grab one and you can be the first person in the world to review it.

Bieres-23 - Biere de Mars: This one is so new that it hasn't even been entered into the Ratebeer or BeerAdvocate databases yet. Come and grab one and you can be the first person in the world to review it.

If that wasn't enough, there's the "returning favorites" that I mentioned above; Mikkeller Beer Geek Breakfast, Cantillon Classic Gueuze in 750ml bottles, Ridgeway IPA and Bitter, Coniston's Bluebird Bitter, Fantome Saison, Haandbruggeriet's Norwegian Wood and Dark Force, and Panil Bariquee. Whew!

Event Notice:

Last, but certainly not least, don't forget about the free Ayinger tasting on Thursday, May 15th, from 6-8pm. Gertrud Hein-Eickoff, Ayinger's Export Manager is traveling all the way from Bavaria, so stop in and learn to pronounce those goofy German names from an expert! Check our event calendar for more info on our free tastings and other special happenings.

Interview with Green Flash head brewer Chuck Silva

2008-05-08T13:13:00.000-07:00

By Angelo De Ieso II

On a recent trip to Southern California, I had the great privilege to sample some great beers in the San Diego area--Port/Lost Abbey, Stone, AleSmith, Ballast Point, and Coronado to name a few. Green Flash Brewing in Vista, California was one of the best, producing some palate-jolting brands that have been garnering acclaim all over the world of late. The company's West Coast IPA has become an industry standard and has placed the San Diego style IPA on the map. Winning several awards while finding new and exciting uses for the precious hop, Green Flash head brewer Chuck Silva showed me around the brewery and let me taste some amazing beers. He also was so kind as to shed some light on himself, the brewery, and the whole hop craze. If you are ever in the area, make sure to stop by the brewery and taste some of their wonderful offerings.

Angelo De Ieso II: When did the Green Flash company get its start?

Chuck Silva: The company’s been going on for over five years. I came on after the first two years, so I’ve been with the company for the last three-and-a-half years.

AD: What sparked your interest in beer?

CS: Oh, that goes back…beer itself, of course…the flavor of good beer as opposed to domestic, well, swill, I guess (laughs). But, I’ve always liked good beer, even when I was a teenager. I definitely had my share of Budweiser, but I’ve always leaned toward what imports were available, whether it was Heinekin or Lowenbrau or flavors that were richer and more interesting. I’ve always leaned toward flavors that were more interesting. Later on, there was a nice surge in homebrewing, and I became involved with homebrewing in ’94 and after about four years of homebrewing, decided to quit my day job and get an education in brewing sciences. It’s been ten years of commercial brewing since.

AD: Where did you study brewing?

CS: The American Brewers Guild, started by Dr. Lewis at UC Davis. It was in Woodland at the time. It was a nice facility that had a working brewery so you could brew and filter, and it had a lab and classroom all in the same facility.

AD: Where did the name “Green Flash” come from, and how is that representative of the beer?

CS: Green Flash got the name from the owner and some of the shareholders. In the beginning, they had their pads and pencils out trying to figure out what the name of this brewing company was going to be, and everybody had put down “Green Flash” on their pads, but nobody had it as their first choice. So, at sunset, they were on somebody’s deck and walked out to look for the green flash, and I think at that point, everyone turned to each other and said “Well, why not ‘Green Flash’?” So, it was spawned and accepted at that point. The green flash is something that occurs at sunset and at sunrise, too, if you can catch it. It’s when the light refracts like a prism. There are also blue flashes and red flashed, but a green flash is more commonly viewed at sunset for maybe a couple seconds in the right conditions at the right time. We feel like it is representative of our coastal origin, being on the West Coast in Southern California, but it’s also common in Hawaii. Aviators often get to see it, especially aviators looking over the ocean where they have a good angle for viewing…hence the Green Flash name.

AD: You’ve won some prestigious awards recently, including first place at the first annual NAIPAC (North American IPA Competition) with the West Coast IPA. This is perhaps the most popular IPAs around. You also won a medal for the Hop Head Red in the World Beer Cup this year. What has this been like, and what are some of your proudest moments as a brewer?

CS: The IPA is definitely a really nice feather in the cap, although it’s not at the level of World Beer Cup competition, which we actually did just win the gold in the American red and amber ale category for the Hop Head Red. Previously, just in September, we won the silver at the GABF (Great American Beer Festival). We also won the silver for the Tripel—a modern Belgian style. We also won a bronze. That was an amazing moment for us—to win three medals in one major competition. It was really amazing. It’s not all about just winning awards. It’s real nice to get that kind of recognition. When I created Le Freak—a beer that wasn’t an existing beer style, that was a special moment for me. It’s a convergence of styles and an emerging style. It’s our Imperial IPA meets Belgian Trippel. For that to come out as savory and flavorful as it did, to me, is a crowning achievement and special moment to have that creativity come out in a beer. It wows me still.

AD: Does the Le Freak draw any influence from the Houblon Chouffe?

CS: Sure. That’s a Belgian beer inspired by what American brewers are doing with hops. In tern, I was inspired to do it my way—West Coast Style. I used a lot of all-American hops and two yeast strains—Belgian and American and I still used a little bit of American hops for a little bit of dry hopping. So, it’s richer and a little more over-the-top with the hop bitterness, super zesty. So, I was inspired by Belgians being inspired by us. It kind of goes back and forth. We weren’t the first to do it, for sure. The Urthel Hop-It is another beer that was inspired by American brewing that has a Belgian flavor to it. Maybe even DeRanke or a couple other beers that are kind of in the similar realm. The Le Freak is an American beer inspired by Belgian tradition.

AD: There’s been a lot of talk about the West Coast or San Diego Style of beer. In your opinion, what does that mean and how does that differ from a Northwest Style?

CS: I would include the Northwest. That’s a really good question. I think just West Coast, period, is strongly inspired by hops and the great Pacific Northwest hops and American varieties that have developed from other varieties whether it be British or German origin. We’ve developed some really, really savory and pungent hops that are citrusy, piny, and floral, and more extravagant than Old World varieties. Those used in craft beer in elevated levels really define what’s going on with West Coast brews. Not exclusively, but certainly a tilt there. If we are talking about IPA, for instance, what would define a San Diego IPA versus a West Coast IPA versus a Northwest IPA…I think what you’ll see (with the San Diego Style) is a paler color and a lighter body but still a full alcohol level, still probably 7 percent (ABV) beer for a West Coast IPA but with an extreme emphasis on hop extravagance—hops throughout the brew, multiple kettle additions. Some people do mash hopping. Some people do first work hopping. Some people use hop backs. Some people do all of that, as well as dry hopping and then even a second dry hopping. We just did the Symposium IPA for the CBC (Craft Brewers Conference) and we employed all of those techniques, taking input from the brewers around San Diego. It was a paler color with mash hops, first work hops, multiple kettle additions, whirlpool additions, hop back, and then dry hops. But still, with the focus on balance, even though it has this huge hop emphasis, you still need to finesse the beer and make it very drinkable. With that little bit of lighter color and that lighter body, it allows the alcohol and the hops as opposed to just a straight malt and hop balance, which maybe is a little more Northwest or East Coast. But then also, the yeast selection is important, too—a yeast that accentuated the hops instead of just a British yeast fruitiness. So, there’s a few differences to look at.

AD: Do you have a favorite hop variety?

CS: We could say Simcoe might be one of them with respect to IPA. But I love most of the hop varieties because you can’t make different beers without different hops. Otherwise they’ll be too similar to each other. I can’t make the Trippel with the Simcoe. I need Saaz and Syrian goldings. Each hop has its place.

AD: With so many flavorfully hopped-out beers in the San Diego area, how has Green Flash managed to set itself apart from the others such as AleSmith, Port, and Stone?

CS: Another very good question. Just purely by flavor. We don’t have a kitschy marketing program. We don’t have fancy names, with the exception of Le Freak. When you see Green Flash’s West Coast IPA, it’s almost more of a style than a specific name, although we set out to make thee West Coast IPA when we made that beer. Obviously, there were a lot of nice West Coast IPA’s before we came along, being that we are only five and a half years old. Two years into it is when we first introduced the West Coast IPA, but when you set out to be a benchmark beer, you need to be the most extravagant and the top of the category if you look at the specific parameters of the beer. So, hop extravagance is the way we set ourselves apart with the West Coast IPA. That was really the beer that was a turning point for Green Flash and set the stage for us to make more extravagant beers like the Barleywine, the Trippel, the Imperial IPA, the Double Stout, and new beers to come like the Le Freak and the Summer Saison. We’re showing some range—not just hoppy beers but hoppy beers is what put us on the map to begin with.

AD: Judging by all the medals, it appears you are doing a good job so far. For a while Green Flash was contract brewing the Reaper Ales line of beer. We haven’t seen those beers for some time. What became with that relationship?

CS: (Reaper Ales) were doing some contract brewing and needed to find a new contract brewer. At the time Green Flash had some capacity and struck a deal with them. They took on the brand and I came on about six months later. I helped retool some of the recipes as well. But then we hit our ceiling as far as capacity and the West Coast was on fire. So we needed to make more West Coast IPA so we basically had to give them notice that we were going to discontinue the Reaper brand. They didn’t find a new brewer right away. They were thinking about opening their own brewery but found it to be a daunting challenge. They’ve been seeking another contract relationship. I think they may have found another facility in the Sudwerk (Privatbrauerei Hubsch) in Davis (California).

AD: We’ve heard so much about the hop shortage as well as other ingredient shortages. Does this have a significant impact on Green Flash? What do you foresee in your future with this whole hop crisis going on?

CS: It’s a tough time for everybody I would say. We have a good contract for this year. I am still working on contracts just for the ’08 crop year for next year’s brewing in 2009. I am probably 80% contacted (for next year) and probably have another 10% coming, and I am still working on the rest. That being said, the prices from this year to next year have easily doubled and tripled for me. Our prices increased this year, which translates to the consumer to at least a $9.99 six-pack of West Coast IPA. It’s a terribly expensive beer to make because of the ingredients and because of the packaging. A six-pack is much more expensive (to package) than a 22-ounce bottle. But we’re still committed to the package. We really like it and the consumer still seems to really want that beer even at that higher price. We didn’t increase our prices just to make more money, it was an increase to cover our costs. The malt prices went up even more significantly—about 40 percent. Of course fuel costs are up, too, so it’s the whole economic situation. I do see some relief a couple of years out. There are more plantings of aroma and high alpha varieties (of hops) that are favored by the craft brewing community. There are more plantings that Ralph Olsen of Hop Union assured us at the Craft Brewers Conference. As long as the growing conditions are favorable there will hopefully be more relief. We are definitely keeping our fingers crossed and hoping for good weather and a bumper crop even for this growing season. It’s still tough and it will still be tough, I’d say, for the next few seasons.

Learn more about Green Flash Brewing at http://greenflashbrew.com

New Arrivals For Friday May 2, 2008

2008-05-02T15:00:00.000-07:00

Mmm...Beer. The weather looks promising, and the coolers are full. We've got plenty of lighter summer offerings in stock, and if you feel like bucking the weather trend we've got a couple heavy-hitting dark beers for you to consider as well. Here's the newest offerings, roughly order from lightest to darkest.

NEW BEER!

Boulder - Sweaty Betty: Boulder's summer seasonal is often overlooked, but if you're a fan of Widmer (or Pyamid) Hefeweizen it's definitely worth a try. Light citrusy hop notes rise up and accentuate the hazy, smooth beer.

Cascade Lakes Pine Marten Pale: The Pine Marten isn't seasonal, but after changing distributors a few months ago we've finally got it back in PDX. It's chock full of piney hops riding a wave of bready, slightly toasty malt. Imagine walking the hills west of Redmond in the spring, while nibbling on a fresh baguette. Yeah. That sounds good.

Alesmith - IPA: This rare treat only makes a couple appearances per year in Portland, so it's always worth mentioning it when it comes in. I drank one last night and I remembered why I love it so much; the hops practically leaped out of the bottle before I could even pour the thing. Smooth and aromatic with a dry, clean finish, this is a great example of how San Diego does IPA. We only got a couple cases, so come and grab one before I drink it all.

Golden Valley - Geist Bock: Geist is German for ghost, and Golden Valley's tribute to the pale bock style is a deliciously unusual choice for a summer seasonal. It's strong like a doppelbock, but pale as a helles, and finishes clean and smooth like a lager should.

Deschutes - Hop Henge: Given the recent hop shortage, I'm glad to see Deschutes hasn't skimped on the hops, or scratched this recipe entirely. It's huge, but balanced. So balanced in fact that the only real complaints you'll see in theratings is that it doesn't taste "imperial enough", meaning it doesn't tear your palate apart with hops or fusel alcohol flavors. Any beer that's pushing 10% and manages to drink like it's 7% is OK in my book.

Brasserie Huyghe - Delirium Noel: I'm not sure what the hold up on this was, or why we didn't get any before Christmas, but better late than never. The Noel falls roughly in between the Delirium Tremens and Nocturnum. It pours dark amber with a big fluffy head, and is loaded with everything you love about Belgian Christmas beers; dark fruit, spices, and yeasty bread flavors wash over your tongue in an ever-changing medley of tastiness. This brew also cellars well, and it may not arrive in time for Christmas this year, so you may want to consider buying a couple to stash for a special holiday meal.

Hale's - Pikop Andropov Imperial Stout: At "only" 7.5% this is on the lighter end of the imperial stout spectrum, but that just means you can drink more of it. The dark (inky) black body releases dark fruit flavors and aromas of coffee and bitter chocolate. The finish lingers forever and leaves you with roasted coffee and hop bitterness. Pikop one today.

Alesmith - Speedway Stout: There's really nothing I can say about Speedway that hasn't already been said. If the name is familiar to you, you know how incredible it is. If the name means nothing I'd suggest clicking the link and reading all the rave reviews (over 900 to date!) that are posted on ratebeer.

Alesmith - Decadence 2007 Imperial Porter: I'll have to let the fine reviewers at ratebeer describe this one because I ahven't had a chance to try it yet. We were only able to get 24 bottles, and we like to "spread the love", so we kindly ask that you limit yourself to one bottle per person, per visit.

I think that's it for today, and there's no event notices to mention, other than the grand opening of a new brewpub downtown, but I'm sure you've already heard about that. Have a good weekend, and enjoy the sunshine while you can!

Mac's Magic Pyramid #9

2008-04-29T09:25:00.000-07:00

From BusinessWire.com:

SEATTLE & SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Pyramid Breweries Inc. (NASDAQ: PMID) (“Pyramid”) and Magic Hat Brewing Company & Performing Arts Center, Inc. (“Magic Hat”) today announced the execution of a Letter of Intent (“Letter of Intent”), which contemplates a transaction by which Magic Hat will acquire Pyramid, through an agreed all-cash tender offer and subsequent merger, at $2.75 per share of Pyramid common stock on a fully-diluted basis.

The proposed transaction is subject to the negotiation and execution of a definitive merger agreement. The merger agreement will provide for a first-step tender offer for outstanding Pyramid shares by an acquisition entity wholly owned by Magic Hat, to be conditioned upon the acquisition of at least 66 2/3% of the outstanding shares of Pyramid. The tender offer, if consummated, will be followed by a merger of Magic Hat’s acquisition entity with and into Pyramid. The proposed transaction is also subject to the satisfactory completion of a due diligence review by Magic Hat of the business, financial and legal affairs of Pyramid, and receipt of necessary consents and approvals of regulatory agencies and third parties.

I never would have predicted this, but it makes perfect sense. Other than both breweries having "apricot wheat beers" in their portfolios, there's surprising little overlap, so they're both in a good position to expand into one another's territories without too much fear of cannibalizing shelf space or sales. More to come as the story develops...

New Arrivals and Event Notices

2008-04-25T15:32:00.000-07:00

It's always a pleasant surprise when something arrives when we're told to expect it, so I was pretty darn pleased when the Laurelwood Green Elephant and Bridgeport's Stumptown Tart both rolled off the trucks this morning. Throw in a couple of new lagers and you've got a nice list of stuff to drink this weekend.

New Beers!

Laurelwood - Green Elephant: Mmmm....Green Elephant. Big, crisp, and chock full of citrusy, floral goodness. This is my second favorite IPA from the 'Wood, right behind the delicious Workhorse. As I mentioned yesterday, they only bottled a couple hundred cases, so snag some while you can.

Bridgeport - Stumptown Tart: Much has already been written about the Tart, so I'll let Angelo, Jeff, and John wax poetic about the brew. All I'd like to add is that I'm amazed how inexpensive it is. At 8%abv and loaded with marionberries, I didn't expect it to hit the shelf at less than $5 per 22oz bottle, but here it is. People keep asking me, "How long will it age?", and even though I'm sure it's got some staying power I'd wager that the good folks at Bridgeport would prefer you drink it fresh and soak up all the marionberry goodness.

Mt Shasta - Lemurian Lager: Given the recent trouble that Mt. Shasta has been having with the TTB, I just shook my head and grinned when their new Lemurian Lager came in this morning. Printed in 80pt block font on the front of the label is the word WEED, and on the back side there's a curious little story about the mythical creatures that inhabit the wilds of Mt. Shasta. Cap it all off with an enthusiastic recommendation to "Celebrate Weed!" and you begin to see why they've run afoul of our ever-protective government. In any case, the beer is brand-spanking new, so there's not much info to pass on until we have a chance to try one. Show the TTB what you think of their decision and go "Try LEGAL Weed!"

Lakefront - Cherry Lager: Light and smooth, the Lakefront Cherry Lager is loaded with essence of Door County Cherries for a nice tart balance. If it ever warms up around here, this will make a nice afternoon sipper while you sit on the porch. If current trends continue it'll make a nice beer to sip while you sit on the couch and wonder why your PGE bill is so high...

Event Notices:

Hair of the Dog Earth Day Sale: Twice a year Alan Sprints opens up his brewery to the public for a dock sale, and the Earth Day sale is always popular. He'll have a fresh batch of Blue Dot IPA, a couple hundred cases of Fred From the Wood, and probably an assortment of other vintage offerings (Doggie Claws, Rose Cassis?) as well. The official start time is 10am, but get there early or you'll be standing in line for a while. 10 a.m. - 4 p.m, Saturday April 26th at the brewery, 4509 S.E. 23rd Ave

Concordia Alehouse Beer Brawl: I'm going to pass this one off to Mr. Foyston again because he's already given a more in-depth description than I could have. Taste the best that Oregon and Washington have to offer, and vote on your favorites. Starts 11:30 a.m. Friday, runs through Sunday at the Concordia Ale House: 3276 NE Killingsworth St.; $10 per taster tray, $20 with a cool commemorative t-shirt.