Beer Wars, an independent documentary on the state of craft beer in relation to the established “big three”, will be having a live event held in movie theaters across the country on April 16th.  If the online clips are any indication, it appears to be a pretty well-done movie.

In America, size matters. The bigger you are, the more power you have, especially in the business world. Director Anat Baron takes you on a no holds barred exploration of the U.S. beer industry that ultimately reveals the truth behind the label of your favorite beer. Told from an insiders perspective, the film goes behind the scenes of the daily battles and all out wars that dominate one of Americas favorite industries.

Be sure to check out the trailer and clips, and visit the Beer Wars web site.

Thanks to Matt Theus for the head’s up!

Saw this while lurking on the COHO email list … thought I’d throw up a quick pointer in case anyone in the area can make it

Dave Fleming, the Brewmaster of Three Creeks Brewing Co. in Sisters, will be at Cross Creek Cafe (in Redmond) on Fri. Dec 12th. The tasting will start at 5:00. Dave has been the brewer at Lucky Lab in Portland, Bridgeport in Portland and McMenamins. He has alot of experience. Dave has given us a tour of the brewery, and I have tasted all of his beers. This is great stuff. Three Creeks is a good place to relax after coming back over the pass or just watch the game. All you guys should check it out when you are in Sisters. On Dec. 12th Dave will be at our Cafe. He will be bring lots of his beer for you to taste and as always we will have schwag for you to win. Dave is a very fun guy, he will make this night one to remeber. If you are a homebrewer or a beer lover don’t miss this event.

That’s right people. My favorite Northwest beerfest is back, and sweet sassy molassey … this year’s PIB is bringing the heat. I’ve done my homework, and all I can say is, they’ve outdone themselves again. Hope you can make it to Portland this week.

MARK YOUR PORTLAND OREGON SUMMER BEER FESTIVAL CALENDAR!
PIB is an over the top beer festival celebrating the world’s most legendary brewing styles and the nations that made them famous. Come taste over 130 world-class beers from more than 15 countries.

TASTE THE GREATEST BEERS YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OF! RAREST OF THE RARE: The beers of PIB represent all that’s possible in the world of brewing. Many are quite obscure yet hold their own place in world history as the birth of a new brewing style.

So without further ado … my guide to an outstanding PIB

I want to say this up front … get inside before 2:00 on Saturday, and get in line. See my pics below.

Blue indicates beer is on draft
Maroon indicates extra-special beer … you’ll figure out a way to kick yourself in the taint if you miss it

• “Plan B” Belgian Brown – Belgian Brown / Flanders Red
  [Flyer's Brewery, Washington - ABV: 7.0%]
  With the addition of fresh lavendar, “Plan B” is a collaboration between Tonay Savoy of Flyer’s and Arlen Harris, noted NW pro brewer who specializes in great Belgian beers. It will likely be a Flanders/Duchesse style beer, perhaps a little stronger. The Belgian yeast used is the Bastogne.
• 120 Minute IPA – American Double / Imperial IPA
  [Dogfish Head, Delaware | ABV: 21% | BA: B+ | RB: 3.85/5.0]
  The name “120″ comes from being boiled for a full 2 hours while being continuously hopped with high-alpha American hops. Of course since we’re talking about Dogfish this is only the beginning. Next it is dry-hopped daily in the fermenter for a month, then aged for another month with whole-leaf hops. It is estimated at 120 IBU.
• 2005 Double Bastard – American Strong Ale
  [Stone Brewing Company, California | ABV: 10% | BA: A | RB: 4.05/5.0]
  A rare 2005 vintage keg of possibly the most prized beer from Stone Brewery. There will only be 1 of these kegs at the event this year, so get it early.
• Abbaye de Saint Bon-Chien 2006 – Biere de Garde / Sour Ale
  [BFM (Brasserie des Franches-Montagnes), Switzerland - ABV: 11% - BA: A - RB: 3.83/5.0]
  Brewed just 4 times and very rare, this beer treads the boundary between port, wine and beer. This version (the 3rd) is VERY different. It is a unique ale aged in multiple used wine casks, merging all the complex aromas of a vintage red wine, along with wood and the taste it picked up from its former contents. This beer is named in fond memory of Bon-Chien, the late brewery cat who went to kitty heaven in June 2005.
• Avec Les Bons Voeux – Saison / Farmhouse Ale
  [Brasserie Dupont, Belgium | ABV: %9.5 | BA: A | RB: 3.95/5.0]
  “Les Bons Voeux” means best wishes, which is what Brasserie Dupont sends with this very special saison ale brewed only for the holidays. Redolently aromatic, rich and velvety, this is an ale to toast the season and welcome in the New Year!
• Aventinus Eisbock –
  [Weissbierbrauerei G. Schneider & Sohn, Germany | ABV: 12% | BA: A- | RB: 3.83/5.0]
  ON TAP! This is the first time we have been lucky enough to get this beer, let alone in kegs! It is a highly concentrated version of their famous wheat doppelbock, Aventinus, which is normally 8%. But by freeing out the water, they increase the ABV to 12% and the beer changes into something more like port. Awesome stuff.
• Baird Temple Garden Yuzu Ale – Spiced/Fruit beers
  [Baird Brewing Company, Japan | ABV: 5.7%]
  Yuzu is the Japanese name for a citron, a slightly less acidic lemon-lime type fruit. It is a wonderfully aromatic fruit with a snappy zest that is much prized in Japan. We proceeded to shave off and collect the outer peels and hand-squeeze the juice. We then added both the peels and the juice to a rich, malted-wheat accented wort at the end of kettle boil. The end result is, in a word, divine!
• Barley BB10° – Spiced/Fruit beers
  [Birrificio Barley, Italy | ABV: 10% | BA: A- | RB: 3.66/5.0]
  Pale malt, Caramel malt, Pilsner malt Spices — Sapa of Cannonau, which is boiled wort of Cannonau red wine grapes, white candi sugar, orange peel Cascade & Kent Golding hops.
• Rogue Ten Thousand Brew Ale (Brew 10,000) – American Double / Imperial IPA
  [Rogue Ales Brewery, Oregon | ABV: 10% | BA: A- | RB: 3.58/5.0]
  Brew 10,000: One Brewer, Eighteen Years, Ten-Thousand Batches of Beer. Brew 10,000 is not so much a style of beer, rather it is a new recipe using some of the best ingredients John Maier has ever brewed with… Vienna, French Special Aroma, and Maris Otter Pale Malts; Yakima Summit and German Saphir Hops, Free-range Coastal Waters, and PacMan Yeast. 83 IBU
• Belhaven Wee Heavy – Scotch Ale / Wee Heavy
  [Belhaven Brewery Company, Scotland | ABV: 6.5% | BA: A | RB: 3.6/5.0]
  FIRST TIME ON TAP in OR & WA! In this reviewer’s opinion, one of the most highly underrated beers in the world and an easy candidate for top 50 beers. A classic example of the style of beer which typified Scottish brewing in the 1800’s.
• Burton Baton – American Double / Imperial IPA
  [Dogfish Head, Delaware | ABV: 10% | BA: A- | RB: 3.7/5]
  Burton Baton is made from pilsner and amber malt yielding an 11% ABV, hopped with Warrior and Glacier. Primary fermentation takes place in open vessels using two yeast strains, American and English. The beer is conditioned on barrel staves of French Oak for four months before being dry hopped with Glacier. It is then blended with 90 Minute IPA.
• Cantillon Cognac (aka 50ºN-4ºE) – Lambic – Unblended
  [Brasserie Cantillon, Belgium | ABV: 5% | BA: A- | RB: 3.92/5]
  In March 2005, the brewery Cantillon had bought second hands barrels in the region of Cognac. For 15 years, the wood had been impregnate with cognac. Then for 2 years, our lambic has extracted all the flavors and aromas to make a unique gueuze. The name comes from the geographic location of the brewery.
• Allagash Curieux (Bourbon Barrel Aged) – Tripel
  [Allagash Brewery, Maine | ABV: 11% | BA: A | RB: 3.7/5]
  If you don’t try this beer, quite simply, SHAME ON YOU. Never mind that this Bourbon-barrel-aged beer has never been on tap out west before, or that it’s nearly impossible to find even in the bottle. No, that shame would be that you miss out on one of the greatest artisanal big beers ever brewed in the United States. Everything in this beer is evident–the style, yeast, wood, and bourbon…but none of these overwhelms the others. Incredible balance in a big, sexy, exotic style. Top 5…all time!
• Cuvee du Jongleur – Wood-aged Specialty
  [Cascade Brewery/Raccoon Lodge, Oregon | ABV: 7.5%]
  A blend of oaked sour reds, oak-aged soured Tripel (18 months), and fresh Blond Quadruppel. The Reds are the base beer for the Cascade Kriek and Blackberry. The Tripel is the base beer for Cascade Apricot. This blend is undergoing further lactic fermentation in the keg for carbonation…no yeast or surgar was added. 8 different beers are blended to build complexity and color. In the end it vaguely resembles Duchesse de Bourgogne, but dried with lower acidity.
• De Molen Rasputin Imperial Stout – Imperial Stout
  [Brouwerij de Molen, Netherlands | ABV: 10.7 | BA: A- | RB: 3.8/5]
  Color 199.7 EBU, bitterness 81.7 EBU, OG 1102, FG 1026, hops are Premiant and Saaz. This beer is brewed once a year. The 2007 version has 297 bottles (brewed March 17th 2007, bottled April 27th 2007). Best before 25 years after bottling!
• Dieu du Ciel Peche Mortel – American Double / Imperial Stout
  [Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel, Quebec | ABV: 9.5% | BA: A | RB: 4.15/5]
  Stunning coffee Imperial Stout, and one of the most highly rated overall beers in the entire world, regardless of brewing style
• Gluteus Maximus (Vintage 2004) – American Barleywine
  [Tuck's Brewery, Oregon | ABV: 11.5% | BA: A+ | RB: 4.3/5]
  Kiss this beer good-bye, one last time! These are believe to be the last kegs of Max Teiger’s great Oregon barleywine brewed during his tenure at Tuck’s Brewery. This beer has aged incredibly well and at 11.5%, it is great first thing in the morning.
• Harviestoun Ola Dubh 30 Yr (CASK!) – Old Ale
  [Harviestoun Brewery Ltd., Scotland | ABV: 8% | BA: A | RB: 3.9/5]
  READ CAREFULLY: This beer will be poured at 2pm on Saturday ONLY. It is a one-of-a-kind and will not last more than an hour. It is a VERY RARE REAL CASK of the Ola Dubh, which is the Harviestoun Old Engine Oil aged in “wet” Highland Park 30 Year Old Single-Malt Scotch casks. YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE!
• Harviestoun Ola Dubh 12 Yr – Old Ale
  [Harviestoun Brewery Ltd., Scotland | ABV: 8% | BA: A- | RB: 3.7/5]
  Ola Dubh (or ‘Black Oil’) is a collaboration between Harviestoun Brewery and Highland Park, Distiller of the Year*. It is based on Harviestoun’s award-winning Old Engine Oil. With more than a stylistic nod to the classic Imperial Porters (and Stouts) of the nineteenth century, this deliciously rich, dark, 8% a.b.v. beer is the first ale to be aged in malt whisky casks from a named distillery and, with traceable casks and numbered bottles, the rest with genuine provenance. Ola Dubh will initially be available in three different expressions; the initial release will be of small batches aged in casks formerly used to mature Highland Park 12 Year Old, Highland Park 16 Year Old and Highland Park 30 Year Old. Further variants are planned for the future. Ola Dubh is, in the words of beer afficionado Owen D.L. Barstow: “The most interesting new British beer I have tried in years.”
• Hop Stoopid – American Double / Imperial IPA
  [Lagunitas Brewing Company, California | ABV: 8.2% | BA: A- | RB: 3.95/5]
  Get Stoopider
• JW Lee’s Harvest Lagavulin (SPECIAL) – English Barleywine
  [J.W. Lees, England | ABV: 11.5% | BA: A- | RB: 3.73/5]
  READ CAREFULLY: This beer will be poured at 2pm on Saturday ONLY. It is a one-of-a-kind and will not last more than an hour. It will be poured from an extremely old wooden “British Pin”–a classic gravity keg that likely predates WWI. The beer itself is the famed Harvest ale that has been aged in “wet” Lagavulin Single-Malt Scotch casks.
  And one of Brewerman’s all-time favorites in the bottle!
  Freakin the eff out that I’m getting a chance to try this out of a wooden gravity keg!!!!
• La Folie – Flemish/Flanders Red
  [New Belgim Brewing Company, Colorado | ABV: 6% | BA: A | RB: 4.02/5]
  A classic Flemish-style, sour brown beer. La Folie is wood-conditioned from 1-3 years in French Oak. The barrels had a previous life hosting wine. The old tenant imparts tart qualities to the beer living there now. The barrel itself also leaves its mark with very woody notes, particularly in the nose.
• Mikkeller Black – American Double / Imperial Stout
  [Mikkeller, Denmark | ABV: 17.5%!!! | BA: B+ | RB: 3.73/5]
  Get this beer right away as soon as you enter. Then leave and go buy it if you can find it. Save it for 2 years. Drink and marvel. It will be one of the first to sell out at both events, guaranteed!
  Brewerman loves him some Mikkeller
• Old Crustacean (Vintage 2006) – American Barleywine
  [Rogue Ales Brewery | ABV: 11.3% | BA: A- | RB: 3.66/5]
  An unfiltered and unrefined Barleywine. Intense, robust, malty and dark. The cognac of beers. A huge beer in a little bottle, this is a beer designed for sipping. Old Crustacean is brewed with eight ingredients, Great Western Harrington, Klages, Hugh Baird Carastan and Munich Malts, Chinook and Centennial Hops, free-range coastal water and PacMan yeast. Old Crustacean is best when aged for one year.
  This is a 2006 barleywine on tap from Rogue … what more do you need?
• Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron – Imperial American Brown Ale
  [Dogfish Head, Delaware | ABV: 12% | BA: A- | RB: 3.84/5]
  An unfiltered, unfettered, unprecedented brown ale aged in handmade wooden brewing vessels. The caramel and vanilla complexity unique to this beer comes from the exotic Paraguayan Palo Santo wood from which these tanks were crafted. Palo Santo means “holy tree” and it’s wood has been used in South American wine-making communities. This beer is highly roasty and malty brown.
• Sick Duck V2 (Vintage Rum/French Oak Aged) – Imperial Stout
  [Flyer's Brewery, Washington | ABV: 11% | BA: A- | RB: 4/5]
  We are proud to announce the return of our only “proprietary beer” ever, made specifically for our events by Flyer’s Brewery in Oak Harbor WA. This marks the 2nd time and this is Batch #2. It is based on their monster Imperial Stout and aged on French Oak and Pyrat XO Reserve, a 15 year old Caribbean rum. The brew is a Double Mash totaling 1325 lbs of malt for 7 bbls, 7.5% of which is oats. Hopped in 4 additions w/ Centennial and East Kent Goldings.
• Tripel Karmeliet – Tripel
  [Brouwerij Bosteels, Belgium | ABV: 8% | BA: A- | RB: 3.9/5]
  Oatmeal beer from Belgium? Perhaps the most remarkable and little known thing about Tripel Karmeliet is that it is brewed with both wheat and oats, yes oats, in addition to barley. This makes for a very unique grain bill as Belgian triples go. This beer belongs vaunted in the standard-setting collection of beers that define the Belgian triple brewing style.

I have to say that it seems the Barrel Tasting event gets better and better.  By far, this is the annual Deschutes event that I most look forward to each year.  The sun was out, the temp was cool, and there were beers-a-plenty.  The food they chose paired incredibly well (good Lord … that lamb from grill outside was delicious, and went very well with the Green Lakes).

So here’s what they poured.

The Abyss [ABV 11%, IBU 68]
Imperial stout aged in a combination of pinot, Oregon oak and bourbon barrels, brewed with blackstrap molasses, brewers licorice – then dry hopped with cherry bark and vanilla beans.

Drink this beer whenever a glass of it is in front of you.  If you say, “I don’t like dark beer”, you should get slapped … hard … immediately.  Don’t be that guy.  Drink it I say, and be set free!

Anniversary Gold [ABV 8.7%, IBU 60]
Belgian-style ale brewed with coriander and bitter orange peel. The bulk of character is provided by traditional Belgian yeast and Oregon oak aging.

I really enjoyed this beer although it was a bit sweet.  I would have preferred a bit of a drier, spicier finish, but it was a favorite among many in the room.

Black Butte XX Imperial Porter [ABV 10.3%, IBU 68]
Our original flagship beer brewed two times over. This beer has all the Black Butte Porter characteristics but some new flavor nuances in the form of coffee and chocolate intermingled with the standard, then conditioned in bourbon barrels.

The balance is insane, and was a father’s-day gut-punch for my father-in-law who may or may not have enjoyed four too many on top of the other beers that night.  I absolutely love this beer, but it is definitely on the sweeter side … to be expected given the style and ABV.

Mr. Big Ed Brown [ABV 5.2%, IBU 55]
Bourbon barrel aged and characterized by chocolate malt for a roasted flavor and northwest cascade hops for a citrus finish. Wheat and flaked barley contribute to its smooth body.

This was one of my personal favorites.  The flavors were all subtle, but it was one of the most-balanced lighter-grav beers being poured.  A great, nutty, valvety, chocoloate malt flavor throughout.  I really enjoyed this one.

Cabernet Green Lakes Ale [ABV 5.2%, IBU 45]
Made with 3 types of organic malt barley and balanced with Amarillo, Cascade, Brewers Gold, Centinnial, and Sterling hops then aged for 6 weeks in French oak cabernet casks and dry hopped with 1 lb. of Liberty hops per barrel.

Didn’t expect to enjoy this as much as I did.  I would say that it was a big crowd pleaser with the hop enthusiasts in our group.  No surprise given the hop salad in the description.  Very very easy to drink.

Super Jubel [ABV 11%, IBU 100]
This is a super-duper Jubel Ale. Fermented on our house yeast and rose hips aged in cabernet and syrah barrels then transferred into bourbon barrels to add complexity to this very interesting barley wine.

What needs to be said here … reminiscient of the Mirror Mirror, with a nice, just-noticible tartness from the rose hips.  Really really enjoyed this beer.

French Oak Twilight [ABV 5%, IBU 35]
Aged for 4 weeks in cabernet barrels, this beer has a unique blend of four hops and malts. This liuvely straw colored ale has a vigorous hop essence with a malt body that compiliments the flavor of this special seasonal brew.

I’m generally not a fan of Twilight … just not my beer.  However, I enjoyed this version as it seemed to have a bit more of a hop bitterness bite to it.

Oud Bruin [ABV 7.7%, IBU 30]
The beginning stages of our soon to be released reserve beer, The Dissident. This beer is a traditional sour brown fermented with two types of wild yeast strains and freshly picked cherries for a second fermentation. A small portion of this beer was then aged in pinot noir barrels.

Biggest disappointment.  Not that there was anything wrong with the beer, but it was served still.  I don’t know if this was an error or intentional, but it didn’t allow the beer to show what it might be.  Carbonation is such an important part of a beer as it helps carry aroma, which influences flavor.  It might be there to showcase the mother beer used to create The Dissident.  Now I’ve had an early component of this beer in the pub, and I have to say … buy it when it’s here, because it’s going to be gone … very quickly.  Wish that it would have been more of what I had in the pub.  Still, I can see where it might be headed, and the destination is glorious.

For those of you who are quick to act, love high quality beer, helping others, and will be in Portland this weekend, may I submit for your consideration, FredFest 2008.  This is the third year of an event that started out as a surprise birthday party for noted beer writer, Fred Eckhardt.

Limited tickets for this – ahead of time.  See excerpts from press release below.

… The event will take place from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 10 — the actual date of Eckhardt’s 82nd birthday — at Hair of the Dog Brewing, 4509 SE 23rd Avenue in Portland. …

… Cost for the event is $50 in advance and includes a souvenir glass, free ticket for a raffle of bottled specialty beers and four hours’ of sampling, sipping and story-telling with Eckhardt. Admission is limited to 200 attendees. Judging from previous years, the event is expected to sell out quickly. Tickets are available through Pay-Pal. E-mail fredfest@comcast.net to purchase tickets. …

… As always, proceeds from FredFest and the related online auction will go to a charity of Eckhardt’s choice. This year, Eckhardt named Parkinson’s Resources of Oregon, the local affiliate chapter of the National Parkinson Foundation, as the featured charity in memory of his longtime friend and fellow beer writer Michael Jackson, who died in 2007 after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease.

And the beers?  A short but incredibly-impressive list indeed:

Looks like an awesome event.

Quick post here … The Bend Brew Fest starts today and ends tomorrow.  It is being held at the Les Schwab Amphitheater.  I’ve had several people asking me what the highlights will be at the Bend Brew Fest.  I’ve also received comments on how lazy I’ve been in posting lately.  In an effort to appease these people who’ve never heard of Google before, here’s the fruits of 20 minutes of research combined with my own personal winners:

• Great Divide Brewing – Yeti Imperial Stout and Titan IPA (99th and 96th percentile on Ratebeer respectively).  Make sure to get the Yeti.  It is an amazing beer.
• New Old Lompoc – C-Note and LSD.  These were there last year if I remember correctly, and if I do, they’re pretty hoppy (i.e. don’t kill your palette with these up front)
• Wildfire Brewing – Support your new local brewery (Pale and a Golden)
• Butte Creek Brewing – Pass on the pils, devour the Organic Revolution X (Imperial IPA)
• Anderson Valley – If they’re pouring the Hop Ottin IPA … get on it.  Just wait until later in your list, as the hop bitterness will destroy your ability to taste tamer beers
• Ninkasi Brewing – Beers TBD, but they were among the first to run out last year for a reason. 
• Klamath Basin Brewing – Never had their stuff, so must try it. (Golden and IPA)
• Redstone Meadery – Only mead there … for something different to fall back on.  (Black Raspberry and Honey mead made with Apricot nectar)

So there you have it readers … hit print, go drink, don’t blame me if you didn’t like them.  I’ll be there opening day in the ProMash hat and Giant Robot shirt.  Feel free to come buy, say hi, and buy me a beer.

Cheers!

Note: It would appear that the print version of the beer list found in The Source (used to fuel the picks above) is incorrect.  Redstone Meadery was a no show, and Great Divide only brought the Yeti (still … my favorite beer at the fest).  Apologies.

It’s Wenesday afternoon, and it has taken me this long to digest our epic weekend in Portland. Beyond the beerfest, we hung out with friends who I haven’t seen in a while and ate amazing sushi at Masu. It was a great weekend. In addition to the friends and food, I was able to take in two full sessions at the 3 day-long Portland Internaltional Beerfest. I love the PIB and SIB. They are the beerfests that really allow access to a wide variety of beers from all over the world. From Belgians to Germans to English to Americans (and all points in between) … they were all well represented.

The people running the PIB and SIB are doing a hell of a job. These events are among the best that I’ve had the experience to go to in the NW region. There are other epic Northwest beerfests (there will be post soon on the upcoming Oregon Brewers Festival), but they tend to focus on the styles brewed (and beer points of view held) here … in our own backyard. I want a full palette for my palate (sorry … couldn’t resist that cheese), and the PIB and SIB give me that. Thanks guys.

My only gripe, as it is with all beer fests that use volunteers as pourers, is that the volunteers don’t know enough about the beers they’re pouring. That really sucks for the people who enjoy a beer and want to know about the ingredients or brewing techniques. Not to mention how it sucks for the brewery as a truly memorable beer can be swept into the soon-to-be-forgotten confines of the drinker’s alcohol-soaked short-term memory. If the drinker doesn’t have additional information about the beer to help him/her remember something about it (e.g. what the hell is the shochu that was used to make the Hitachino XH?), it is often forgotten before the first Tylenol is taken the next morning.

But that really is my only complaint. So without any further bitching, in order of general enjoyment, here’s the way I got my drink on:

Mikkeler Beer Geek Breakfast Stout: WOW! Simply amazing. Rich, velvety, roasty stout goodness. The aroma, flavor, and mouthfeel are all what you would expect a great imperial stout to be. I feel like I could reduce this beer down and make excellent brownies with it. All I can say is, grain, yeast, hops, roast all perfectly deep and balanced. If you ever have a chance to get you hands on this, buy as much as you can. Epic.

Hitachino XH: This beer is cloudy, murkey orange-brown. Beer stuff floating around preventing light from going through … I love it. It smells malty and doesn’t have much of a head at all. Aged in shochu (a distilled Japan beverage) barrels, the flavor really comes through in a very balanced way. The slightly spicy hop flavor is there. There is a bit of a pleasant tart aftertaste that is almost begianny, but not citrusy like a witbier. This tartness gives way to the shochu, sake-like flavor that really works here. Truly an amazing beer.

Sick Duck: A great cloudy black/brown Stout that has a really chocolatey hit to it. This isn’t like the Chocolate Stout from Rogue, but more of a rich/deep/roasty chocolate with a weighty mouthfeel to it. Big malt, with an amazing big roasted flavor. The time this beer spent in Pyrat barrels becomes quickly apparent. Really good.

De Proef KO: Much clearer than the big cloudy’s that I’ve had. The aroma is like sugar … almost cotton candy. There’s a huge yeast component to the aroma. Prickly carbonation. This is a well-balanced beer. Really amazing. Pale straw yellow in color that is almost like a trippel. It is nice to really taste the hop bitterness in a Belgian like this. It is subtle but present. A very favorable beer. I need to get my hands on more from this brewery.

Allagash Curieux - A bit of a deep straw color with a nice head half-way through the 4 oz taster. It smells so good! Honeysuckle and mellon stand out in the aroma. It is so tasty. The mouthfeel is good and strong, but not too heavy or thick. There’s a hint of hops, which help balance the mellon fruity side of the flavor. All the Allagash tends to have that hint of harshness in the finish that I can’t ever put well into words, and this one has it as well. But everything else is so good in this one that I can’t knock it off the favorites list. It really is a fantastic beer.

So those were my winners. Other beers that were worth drinking many of included Great Divide’s Oak-Aged Yeti and Hercules Imperial IPA, Tomme Arthur’s Reserve Signature Ale, Uerige Doppel-Sticke, the Baron Pils, and of course the Rodenbach Grand Cru. If you didn’t make it this year, put it on your calendars for next year. You owe it to yourself.

So many beers, so little time, such a fragile liver. Cheers!

Just a quick post to remind all that the Portland International Beerfest is this Friday through Sunday.  The scheduled hours are as follows:

Friday – 4:00 PM through 10:00 PM
Saturday – 12:00 PM through 10:00 PM
Sunday – 12:00 PM through 7:00 PM

Here’s a recap of what I think are the outstanding beers being poured this year.  Plan on getting there early if you want to get your hands on some of the outstanding limited edition brews that tend to go quickly at this event.

Cheers, and hope to see you there.  I’ll be among the many people slurring their words as we all bake in the heat.  Ummm … heat and high-alcohol beers … bring the hangover, bring the funk.

The Deschutes Barrel Tasting was a hell of a lot of fun. Good beers, good people, good times. Outside of almost running over Paul’s foot, it was a flawless evening. I’d say that out of all the beers, the favorites had to be the Nitro Bourbon Porter, the French Oak Mirror Pond, and The Abyss. Every beer was excellent, but these three really shined brightly.

The French Oak Mirror Pond was an amazingly balanced beer that showcased all the subtleties that barrel-aging a beer can give. Great hop flavor from the dry-hopping, excellent woody notes from the oak, and the combination seemed to draw out the malt flavor more than you get in a regular Mirror Pond.

The Nitro Bourbon Porter was too easy to drink. Excellent roasty notes butting up against the sweet bourbon flavor. The velvety mouthfeel from the Nitro presentation made the beer surprisingly refreshing despite the big flavors present in the beer.

And what needs to be said about The Abyss that hasn’t already been said. It rocks. Big roast, warming alcohol, big hop, wood, bourbon, balance … all up in your face!

If you didn’t make the event this year, plan for next year. It sold out for a reason, people. This is, by far, the best beer event they put on in the Mountain Room. If you did make it, I hope you pounded the water when you got home.

Deschutes’ is having their 4th annual open house this Saturday from 12:00 to 4:00. If it is like last year’s event, then they will have the brewery open for self-guided tours with people stationed around various spots to tell you about things like how many gallons of beer a vessel holds or how quickly the bottling line runs. It is informative and fun for sure, but the end brings tastings and conversation with staff and volunteers. It’s a nice event. Here’s the email they sent out for it.

Bring Your Family to See Our Family

Complimentary Beer Tastings, Snacks, Self-Guided Tours
& Beer 101 Classes.
$ Gift Shop Open for Retail Therapy $

Help Us Celebrate the Release of Our 19th Anniversary Brew!!

Later that evening, for those lucky ticket holders who planned early, the sold out barrel tasting spirals up at 7:00 in the Mountain Room. I called to try and get a buddy a ticket for his brother-in-law a couple of days ago, and they had a waiting list that was about 30 people deep. The last barrel tasting event was my favorite beer tasting event that Deschutes puts on. Some of the beers are just OK, but some really are pieces of art. One of my favorites last year was a subtly dressed-up Mirror Pond that had been aged in French Oak (not a wine barrel or whiskey barrel). It was just enough to add complexity to an otherwise stable, workhorse beer.

I think the majority of the beers on the list have been featured at one time or another at the pub in downtown Bend, but a night where they’re all lined up for you to tour … nice. Very very nice. Here’s their list for this year’s event:

Bourbon Obsidian Stout
aged 6 weeks in Jack Daniels Bourbon Barrels

French Oak Mirror Pond
aged 2 months in both new and used French Oak Barrels then dry hopped with copious amounts of Cascades

Pinot Jubel
Our 2006 & 2007 Jubelale aged 6 weeks pinot noir barrels then blended with Bachelor Bitter and dry hopped with East Kent Goldings

Mirror Mirror
aged 8 months in French and Oregon Oak Barrels

The Abyss
aged 3 months in both French Oak & Bourbon Barrels

Nitro Bourbon Porter
aged 2 months in Makers Mark Bourbon Barrels

Oregon Oak Cinder Cone Red
aged 6 weeks in all Oregon Oak and then dry hopped with Amarillos

Bourbon Imperial Porter
aged 6 months in Makers Mark Bourbon Barrels

I’ll circle back around after the event to weigh in with impressions. Hope to see you there!