South, according to Fort George brewers, is an extremely rich and complex beer, with fruity notes of raspberry, yet dry. This is the brewery’s summer Belgian-style ale, which is being released in conjunction with Oregon Craft Beer Month.
Made with 100% French pilsner malt, brewers fermented the beer with Belgian Wit yeast, aged half in Adelsheim French Oak Pinot Noir barrels, half on 80 pounds of fresh raspberries in stainless steel tanks, and then blended the two together.
“We were excited to taste the amazing flavors we could get from aging beer in wine barrels. The French malt and French oak seemed like a natural combination, and we’re very pleased with the outcome,” said Chris Nemlowill of the Fort George Brewery.
Nemlowill would like to send a special thanks to the Adelsheim winery in Newberg, Oregon, for providing the wine barrels to his brewery.
South is currently on draught at the Fort George Brewery + Public House in Astoria, as well as several locations throughout the state. In Portland, South is available at the Horse Brass, Belmont Station, Bailey’s Tap Room, the Green Dragon, and in Eugene at the Beer Stein. Each release will be at the discretion of the bar owner, so you may want to call ahead to make sure South is available.