New Arrivals for May 13, 2008

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.

New Arrivals for Friday 11.30.07

Today we received beer from Oregon, California, England, Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, and Australia, plus an "ice cider" from France, making this one of the most international "New Arrival" posts in quite some time. I'm sure everyone is excited to go to the Holiday Ale Fest, so I'll keep the lead-in short and get straight to the brew...

Local Craft Beers:

Beer Valley - Owyhee Amber: Owyhee Amber Ale is an easy drinking amber beer for the masses. Brewed with 2-row barley, Munich, and crystal malts, this amber beer is a cleaner, crisper version of an ale reminiscent of an amber lager beer. Owyhee Amber is a true session beer as refreshing as a breath of air in the vast mountain range that it was named after.


Moylan's - White Christmas: Winter seems like an odd time to roll out a witbier, but I suspect this is one of those times when the brewers thought of a great name and then created a beer to go with it.Whatever the case may be, Moylan's Holiday offering is chock full of citrusy, spicy goodness, and the higher than average alcohol content gives it a bit more of a warming presence than a "normal" wit. Tasty and limited, so don't miss it.

From England:

Hook Norton - Double Stout: A smooth, full-bodied stout with a refreshing hoppy aftertaste. Brewed with proportions of black malt for color and toast flavor and brown malt for dryness. Based on a recipe over 100 years old, brewing was revived in 1996 after a break of 79 years. It's only 4.8% abv, so I'm not sure what the "double" refers to, but it seems like a tasty brew.

From France:

Etienne DuPont - Ice Cider: As a true ice cider "Cidre de Givre" expresses with intensity the flavors of the apples from Domaine Etienne Dupont. It is derived from E. Dupont Cidre Bouche Brut 2005 by freezing it and then removing the frozen water.


From Australia:

Baron's - Black Wattle: I'm glad there was a little explanatory blurb hanging on the neck of the bottle, because I know the first thing people will ask is, "What the heck is a Wattle?" Simply put, it's the common name for the Acacia tree and the edible seeds they produce. According to the neck ring, it imparts a unique hazelnut/chocolate/coffee flavor to beverages. According to Wikipedia, it's an ingredient in Barq's Root Beer and Altoids peppermints, so I'm surprised I'd never heard of it before. I tried a sample last week, and it does indeed have a chocolaty, slightly nutty flavor, kind of like a lighter, less filling version of Rogue's Hazelnut Nectar. It's not going to blow you away, but hopefully it'll open your eyes to a new flavor sensation.

Baron's - Lager: The refreshing Barons Lager is brewed with Czech Saaz and NZ hops, Australian and German malts. We have selected the finest international ingredients to create the world class beer. Enjoy. Mmm...pale lager...


From Belgium:

De Dolle - Oerbier Special Reserva: Oerbier aged in Bordeaux casks. That sentence fragment either makes you very happy, or very confused. If you've never heard of De Dolle, find a beer geek and drag them in here. Trust me, they'll thank you.

La Rulles - Christmas Ale: A chestnut brown Belgian strong ale with spices, guaranteed to keep you warm on a chilly winter night.

Regenboog (aka "t Smisje") - Wostynje: This beer with Torhouts' mustard has been craft brewed with top-fermentation at Brewery De Regenboog. Ingredients are malts, hop, candi sugar, mustard seed, yeast and water.


From Italy:

Birraficio Montegioco - Quarta Runa: A belgian ale with "Volpedo Peaches" (well-known peaches from the town of Volpedo, near Montegioco) added during fermentation.

Birraficio Montegioco - Demon Hunter: Demon Hunter an intense beer with great complexity. It is of amber color with a persistent head. The nose has notes of chestnut trees, mature plums, grapes and caramel. The pepper compliments the light herb notes from the hops. The flavor starts with a taste of honey and finishes on a beautiful hop note. Demon Hunter is matured for 15 weeks. 8.5% abv

Birraficio Italiano - Fleurette: I don't much about this beer except for the list of unusual ingredients which include whole roses and violets, citrus bee honey, elderberries, and black pepper. Violets and black pepper?!?

Baladin -Wayan: Wayan is made of 17 different ingredients (barley, wheat, spelt, oats, rye, different types of hops and many different spices besides coriander. Teo calls it a "Saison" but it is certainly his personal definition of a saison. Aroma and palate are rather complex, ie it takes some time to find your way through it, so to speak. The different hops are barely noticeable. The balance and bitterness is by a high defree provided by those many spices some of which are very, very unusual in brewing. This quite unusual combination of spices and herbs greatly impacts the finish which again is very different from "regular" saison-style ales.

Baladin - Xyauyu: Brewing process: the wort is hyperconcentrated then boiled for two and a half hours followed by primary fermentation for 25 days in steel vessels. Then, after a sterile filtration (to eliminate primary yeast strains) the beer is transfered in a steel vessel with transparent membrane and a "oxygen hat". After several tastings from 6 to 24 months later (it depends on the oxidation velocity, very inconsistent!) the brewer decides when it's time to bottle in 50cl. champagne shape bottles with good quality cork. The production is very limited. That's an awful lot of big words which don't tell me a thing about the beer, so we'll have to try one and see what kind of effect the oxidation has on it.


From Switzerland:

BFM - La Dragonne: From the producers of Abbaye de Saint Bon Chien (one of the hottest beers at PIB '07) comes La Dragonne, a beer intended to be mulled. The following review from Ratebeer.com is for a warm sample. "Deep, dark amber ale with no head. The aroma is blend of anise, melted butter, cinnamon, clove, orange peel, cardamom and coriander. Smells a lot like spicy, hot apple cider. Sweet, spicy flavor. Boozy. Medium-bodied with no carbonation." Sounds tasty, and brings new meaning to the "winter warmer" style.

BFM - Cuvée du 7ème: The seventh anniversary brew from BFM. I don't know much about it, but it's garnered great reviews like this: " Cloudy amber, lively head. Tart and lemony with some caramel. Vinous with red berries, prunes and freshening acidity. Russian River-like tartness and complexity. A fantastic beer!" and this: "Very smooth and light mouthfeel. This is the second beer I've tasted from this brewer and they are definitely high on my radar now." And This: "Ok, this is the best beer I've ever had."
Even if it's only half as good as the Saint Bon Chien it'll still be better than 90% of the beer in the world, and less than 100 bottles were brought into Oregon, so don't delay!

A final quick note for all the hopheads: Moylan's Hopsickle and Green Flash West Coast IPA are back! They've been absent for a couple of months, but we finally have a fresh stack of both in the shop.

Have a great weekend and enjoy the fest safely!