Puckerfest Finale Tonight!

It figures, I go back to Minnesota for a few days for some quality family time (BTW Nicole, it was a beautiful wedding!), and the cafe has some of the busiest nights on record.

I was happy to hear the Double Mountain and Cascade events were a hit, but at the same time I was a little crushed that I missed both versions of the Devil's Kriek AND the Barrel 323 that Neil, Curtis, and I worked so hard to pick out....

BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!

Since many of you, and a few of us, never got a chance to try the Barrel 323 we convinced Curtis and Ron over at Cascade (aka Raccoon Lodge) to pull another 5 gallon keg out of the barrel for us, and it's on tap now. This WILL be the last chance to try it, so be sure to get down here this evening if you missed it on Monday.

Here's the full line-up of puckering delights for this evening:

• Cascade Brewing - Barrel 323: Last time I tried this it was pulled directly from the barrel, which means it was warm and flat. I know it had a distinct woody nose and a deep underlying sour quality. I'm dying to try it chilled and carbonated, so this will be the first thing I go for when I get off work...
  
• Rock Bottom - Maude Flanders: I have no idea what this actually is, but if I'm not mistaken it's a blend of several of the previous "Flanders" beers that have come out over the last couple years. All I can say for sure is that it's barrel-aged, fairly sour, and pretty darn delicious. Okely dokely!
  
• Cantillon - St. Lamvinus: Sour beer meets sour grapes. This one is out there, even by Cantillon standards. I would be very surprised if this lasted through the night, so be sure to put it high on the list if you want to be sure and have a glass.
  
• Full Sail - Berliner Weisse: This was brewed as part of Full Sail's "Brewer's Share" Program which allows each of their talented brewers to go a little nuts and brew (almost) whatever they want on the pilot system inside the Riverplace location. It's a crystal clear, pale gold color with a frothy, rapidly diminishing head that leaves wispy trails down the glass. At roughly 4%abv this lightly tart and lemony brew is a perfect way to wash away the 90 degree day we're having.
  
• The Bruery - White Zin: I haven't had this one yet (I've got some catching up to do), but local Ratebeerian BoFNjackson glowingly describes it: Poured cloudy orange with a white head. Spiced, dry aroma. Flavors were high in acidity with a tangy fruit character and a honey, herbal sweetness. Really dry with strong vinegar too. Buttery, shortbread-like malts and apple fruits in the finish. - Sounds great to me!
  
• The Bruery - Hottenroth Berliner Weisse: This one is a little cloudier than the Full Sail version, and a little lower in alcohol. Try them side by side and see which one you prefer.
  
• Roots - Flanders Red: Over 2 years in the making, this obscenely strong (for the style) sour red was partially aged in pinot barrels. Wood, vinous notes, sour cherry, and raspberry seed earthiness compete for your attention while the alcohol quietly sneaks up behind you...
  
• Trade Route - Sweet & Sour Ginger: This didn't sound like a very good concept when I first heard about it, but I've got to admit that the folks at Trade Route pulled it off. As one person on Ratebeer notes,it's like drinking sweet and sour chicken, but in a good way.
  
• New Belgium - La Terroir: This pale counterpart to the La Folie is dry-hopped in order to impart a slightly more bitter edge to the beer.
  
• New Belgium - La Folie: "The Folly" is darker, woodier, and a little more sour than the Le Terroir. Frankly, this as about as close to Rodenbach as you're going to get from an American producer.
  

As I write this the Ommegang rouge just bit the dust. We may slip something else into the line-up, but I'll edit this post if we do. Tune in tomorrow for a run down on any new arrivals we may receive; with the PIB starting tomorrow there's a good chance the distributors may have some extra cases of some of the featured brews.

Cheers, and pucker up!

Recent Arrivals and Returning Favorites

The weather is beautiful and the new beers keep flowing in. We've gotten a couple of incredible sour beer in over the last couple days which are perfect warm weather sippers. A handful of summer seasonals are also in stock so check the list below for the full run down of new brew.

The cafe draught list is also tipping towards the easy drinking side of things as the weather heats up. A couple of highlights on today's list include Heater Allen Isarweizen, Deschutes Red Chair IPA, and New Belgium La Folie. Never fear though, we've still got a wide range of styles, including a couple heavy hitters like Stone Imperial Russian Stout and Hopworks Bourbon-aged Noggin Floggin Barleywine for those who are gluttons for punishment.


New American Craft Beers:

• Leinenkugels - Classic Amber: A 100 percent malted lager, “Leinie’s Classic” features Leinenkugel’s own unique blend of two-row and six-row malts and four varieties of hops. A blend of Pale, Caramel, and Munich malts offer a complex flavor, with four different hops (Cluster, Cascade, Mt. Hood, and Hallertau) to balance the malts.
  
• Cascade Lakes - Paulina Lake Pilsner: Sweet, bready malt character meets crisp noble hops in this classic style. Toss a couple of bombers in the cooler and take some fishing.
  
• New Belgium - La Folie: Say what you will about Fat Tire, La Folie proves that New Belgium can brew, blend, and barrel age with the best of them. Former Rodenbach brewmaster Peter Bouckaert and crew keep watch over a multidude of foeders (huge oak barrels) filled with several vintages of La Folie. When the time comes to bottle they blend various batches together to create a harmonious, complex whole that's sure to put a pucker on your face. We only received a few cases, so please try and limit yourself to 3 bottles.
  
• New Belgium - Biere de Mars: The other new arrival from NBB this week is their delicious Biere de Mars, a New World take on the classic spring beers from the French/Belgian border region. New Belgium's version includes lemon verbena and "unidentified flying yeasts" to create a earthy, citrusy, brew with "crusty bread" malt character and a dry finish.
  
• Fish Tale - Organic Blonde: Fish's summer release is an easy drinking blonde ale brewed with a touch of rye for a delicate spiciness and just enough hops to give it a crisp, very refreshing finish.
  
• Sierra Nevada - Southern Hemisphere Harvest: This twist on the "fresh hop" craze features fresh hops from New Zealand that are dried, flown from NZ to Chico, and thrown into the kettle in less than a week. It's a major undertaking to be sure, but the reward is an off-season fresh hop beer bursting with grassy and floral hop aromas. Look for the fat 24oz bottle with the bright blue label.
  
• Elysian - Avatar Jasmine IPA: This delectable northwest IPA has a healthy dose of dried jasmine flowers to give it a unique floral nose and dry finish.
  
• Flying Dog - Canis Major 8 Pack: This great little package includes four of Flying Dog's big beers - Gonzo Imperial Porter, Double Dog Double Pale, Horn Dog Barleywine, and Kerberos Tripel - in 7oz nip bottles. They're perfect for when you want some strong, flavorful brew but don't want to commit to a 22oz bottle of something that's 10% or higher. Which begs the question, why do so many breweries put their monstrous beers in big bottles?
  

New Imports:

• Schneider - Hopfen-Weisse: This collaboration between Brooklyn Brewing and Schneider is a hopped-up take on the classic Schneider Weisse. Smooth and creamy bodied with a defined herbal, grassy hop character, this is one easy drinking summer brew.
  
• Belhaven - Scottish Stout: (commercial description) This deluxe stout is brewed for a full roasted chocolate flavour with a hop character that complements a blend of three different malts. Drink, savour, and enjoy!
  
• Whistler - Classic Pale Ale: Visitors to Whistler/Blackcomb (or Vancouver, BC in general) will surely recognize the distinctive labels. I haven't had a chance to try either of the Whistler brews yet, but you can click the links and see what other folks think.
  
• Whistler - Black Tusk: (commercial description) Obsidian black with a creamy, tan coloured head. Aroma: Subtle, malty aroma Palate: A dark, bold English-style mild ale. Expect a mild bitterness with notes of chocolate and a roasted coffee finish. Finish: Delightfully subtle with a refreshing, lingering finish.
  

Returning Favorites:

Russian River - Consecration: We got another small load of this incredible strong sour ale yesterday. I don't recall which batch we received last time, but for those who are keeping track this is batch 002X3. We've also got a fair amount of Pliny the Elder and Blind Pig IPA in stock at the moment.

That's all for now. Don't forget to drink plenty of water while you're out enjoying the sun. It's going to be really toasty this weekend, and your body will need all the hydration it can get.

PuckerFest - The (Almost) Complete Line Up

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!

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!

...And Then There Were 9

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 Belgium Set To Unveil Fat Tire Cans

From 9news.com:

DENVER (AP) - This summer, Colorado's New Belgium Brewing Co. plans to offer its flagship Fat Tire Amber Ale from something other than the tap or a glass bottle: an aluminum can.

It looks like outdoor enthusiasts will soon have one more option for tasty "river beer" in the not-to-distant future. There's no word as to when they'll be available, but my source told me it's unlikely that we'll see them in Oregon until later this year.

One other interesting tidbit from the article caught my eye:

The Fat Tire that comes in cans will be "can-conditioned" with live yeast, so its flavor should not be affected, he said. Despite popular perceptions about canned beer, the company's taste tests show the canned version tastes the same as the bottled brew.

With the recent surge in canned craft beers there's been discussion on the various beer geek sites regarding the feasibility of can-conditioning, and this seems to be a definitive answer to that question. I doubt this'll never happen, but the dreamer in me can't help but fantasize about floating down a river while sipping on cans of La Folie.

Mark my words, it's just a matter of time before someone comes out with a can-conditioned bourbon barrel aged imperial stout, and I look forward to that day. I think a certain brewery in Ashland could have some fun with that...

Here's a few beers that you might be interested in trying (These should all be available at Belmont Station.) :

Oregon Trail Bourbon Porter--The old timey bourbon bottle label does this warming big beer justice. This is the second year Corvallis' Oregon Trail has produced this annual brew. Dark brown with a prevalent flavor of bourbon up front, other subtle notes come forth after the beer settles in your pallet. Creamy vanilla to chocolate is evident in this 9.1% beaut. This beer should age well as last year's did.

New Belgium Springboard Ale--Before trying this beer, I must admit I was a tad skeptical of it for a few reasons. You see, I am not the biggest fan of New Belgium beers for the most part. Fat Tire never really did it for me (though I must admit to being quite fond of their 1554 Dark Ale). This coupled with the fact that I had never experienced a beer with Goji berries, wormwood or other Chinese herbs. Now this isn't the same (arromatic) wormwood used to make absynthe, that would be toxic lunacy. Infact, this beer turned out to be quite a pleasant surprise. As the bottle warmed up some, the bitterness induced by the ingredience became more noticable and the complexity of the beer became more apparent. The color was very pale and there were lager-like flavors in this crispy concoction. It was slightly citrusy and those who like adding lemons or oranges to their hefeweizens might consider doing the same with this one.

Marin Mt. Tam Pale Ale--The commercial description of this beer reads "This pale ale has a bright golden color, a medium body and a smooth taste." Ok, so it doesn't sound so exciting. But let me tell you, this beer is well constructed. The description is in fact logical and founded, but what I found with this gem is that it is composed of an almost perfect balance of Northwest hops that provide a citrus flavor, grainy malt leave with a miniature touch of carmel malts that make it almost (dare I say) perfect. Especially for a hop head who is getting burnt on monsterously big IPAs, this pale is sharper and bolder than something like Deschutes Mirror Pond or Full Sale Pale. I might even go as far as to call it a golden hoppy ale or a mini IPA. The color is a beautiful array of orange-yellow with a foamy white head. I gotta have another one now!

Deschutes Hop Henge--Everyone in Portland has been gaggling about the idea of a new Deschutes ale house or brewery coming to town. When I first moved to Oregon nearly ten years ago and discovered the microbrews of this fine state, I was extremely impressed with the beers of Deschutes. Mirror Pond, Black Butte Porter, Obsidian Stout, etc. Lately I've not been as big on their beers either because the bottle conditioned beers have disappeared or because a new brewery seems to be popping up almost daily to challenge my views and palette. Either way, a recent trip to the Deschutes Bond Street location in Bend reaffirmed my early opinion of the brewery. It kicks ass! With the Abyss Imperial Stout out of stock at Belmont Station, the newest arrival is this imperial IPA, Hop Henge. Over 8% ABW and very IBU-ed up, this is a gentle beast in a season of doublebarrel assaulting hopped brews (See the next beer to catch my drift). If your not a hop head, this beer is not for you, but if you are a head, you can't beat this beer, especially for a pricetag of under $4 for 22-oz.

Fishtale Ten Squared Barleywine--My co-worker Chris summed it up when he described this beer. 10 % alcohol+ 10 hops= 100% delicious. This deep amber hued beer from the organic Fish of Olympia, WA makes Moylan's Hopsickle come off like a sessions beer. Not really, but it is one maganormous gigantuan universe of hops. Depending on who you talk to, there's so many differnt flavors prevalent in this brew of brews including mango, lemon, grapefruit, menthol, and crackers. It's not likely to mellow out anytime soon do to the absurd quantity of hops and the high alcohol level. It is recommended that you take your time with this guy and share it with a friend or three.

Avery and Russian River Collaboration Not Litigation Ale--This is one interesting story. This Belgian Strong Ale is infact two beers from two breweries combined. As the name suggests (Collab not Lit) Avery and RR each had a nice brew called "Salvation". Instead of running to court over the rights to its nomenclature, the two forced linked up and put forth this big badboy. Now I must admit, that I am nowhere close to being a guru of beer, especially Belgian styled American ales. In fact, I think the American Belgian-styled beers are usually too funky and unbalanced for my liking. And while this one is both funky and unbalanced, for some reason, it was quirky enough and quaffable enough to work for me. With a deep and rich chestnut bruin color, this beer is fruity, sweet, malty, dry, rich, and sensually complex as hell. That's all I can say. Sorry, but you are just gonna have to pick one up for yourself (while supplies last) and make your own call. Love it or hate it, this beer is definitely one of a kind.


That's all I have in me for now. Come by the new location of Belmont Station--4500 SE Stark (SE Stark & 45th Avenue) and grab your own preferred pleasure.