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Suggest a new beer for Fort George Brewery

Posted: March 10th, 2010, 8:12am CET by Jon

Fort George Brewery over in Astoria, Oregon, is busy this month: not only are they celebrating their third birthday coming up on March 14th, they’re also holding a contest to suggest their next new beer. From their blog:

We here at Fort George take being a Public House very seriously. It has been because of our great customers that we have been able to grow and better our business and for that, we would like to give back. Fort George Brewery would like your ideas for a new beer that could be made in our brewery. If you would like to see a new style of beer, would like us to try something new with our beers, or have a recipe of your own that you would like to see pouring at Fort George, submit an entry and it could end up being brewed!

All beer entries must be able to be made with our American Ale Yeast or our Belgian yeast. The beer selected will be based on quality, creativity, availability of ingredients, and by how delicious it sounds. You may submit as many entries as you like but only one beer will be chosen.

Click through to the blog to get the details on how to submit your beer idea. You have until April 10th to get your entry in.
Session #38 announced

Posted: March 9th, 2010, 8:32am CET by Jon

The roundup for Session #37 has been posted (hmm, seems a little sparse; I don’t see mine or several others I remember reading listed there yet…) and the topic for The Session #38 for April has been announced:

With Kate the Great Day a recent memory and the day of the Dark Lord fast approaching, I started thinking about what beer or beers that I would get up at 4:00 in the morning, drive across state lines, stand in a long unmoving line in the cold and rain for the chance to taste with a crowd the size of Woodstock.

So here is my question to you (with a couple addendums).

What beer have you tasted recently (say, the last six months or so) that is worthy of their own day in the media sun?

And to add a little extra to it, how does “great” expectations affect your beer drinking enjoyment?

AND If you have attended one of these release parties, stories and anecdotes of your experience will be welcomed too.

The host for April is Beer Search Party. The usual rules apply: publish your Session blog post on Friday, April 2nd, and shoot an email or leave a comment on the host blog. And be sure to read all the others posts that day, too—putting the “group” in “group blogging” you know.
The Session #37: When to Drink the Good Stuff

Posted: March 6th, 2010, 6:17am CET by Jon

Three years ago this month The Session celebrated its inaugural Friday with the topic of Stouts. This month, The Session’s third birthday, we have an entirely apropos topic: When to drink the good stuff, hosted by The Ferm.

Finding a drinking occasion that lives up to the reputation of the bottle and the story of its acquisition is not a dreadful struggle to have, but it is a struggle nonetheless. When my good friends are over and we have had a few other beverages, will we still be able to enjoy my cave aged Hennepin that I bought after my tour of the brewery and have cellared for ten years? Will I miss it like I miss that four year old Golden Monkey?

In March, The Ferm has the honor of hosting The Session, a monthly assemblage of beer bloggers to opine on a shared topic. The March 2010 topic is “The Display Shelf: When to Drink the Good Stuff.” The topic is open ended and the rules of The Session are close to nil. You can use your post to be persuasive or therapeutic. You may choose to tell a story of a great bottle you once opened or boast of your own beer collection.

As I write this post up, I’m enjoying a 2007 vintage bottle of The Abyss—partly in appreciation of this month’s topic, partly to celebrate The Session’s anniversary (enjoying an Imperial Stout in a nice symmetry with that first month of stouts), partly “just because.”

All of which leads into the best answer I can give of “when to drink the good stuff”: I don’t know—it’s entirely up to you.

What? Too anticlimactic? Well, there’s no way around it—beer can be such a subjective topic and everyone has their own tastes and preferences. The only one who can tell you when to drink that prized beer is you.

But if you can hold on to that beer for ten or more years? My hat’s off to you.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I believe I’m going to enjoy the last of this ‘07 Abyss…
Empire Strikes Back

Posted: March 4th, 2010, 8:58am CET by Jon

I’m sure the movie is the first thing you think when you see the title of this post, but in fact it’s the name of the latest limited-release beer from Double Mountain Brewery. In fact they’re holding release parties tomorrow and Friday, and thanks to the Bend Beer Blog I know that Friday’s release party is being held here in Bend, at Brother Jon’s Pub.

(I’d completely overlooked this, since I saw the “Moon & Sixpence Pub” in Portland as the first location and assumed it was all Portland.)

I had to read this line about the beer from the Double Mountain blog and smirk, though:

EMPIRE STRIKES BACK is a concept beer that answers the question, “what happens when you make a big Northwest-style IPA with all-English malt and hops?”

Um, you have a traditional English IPA?

Yes, completely snarky because it’s a silly concept question. But to be fair, it’s Double Mountain, so I’m sure the beer will be very good.

The release party at Brother Jon’s is from 5 to 9pm Friday, the 5th.
Oregon Brewers Festival 2010 beers

Posted: March 3rd, 2010, 4:18am CET by Jon
The beer list for this year’s Oregon Brewers Festival has been posted, and it’s pretty impressive! There are all the usual suspects, of course, but there are a few standouts that caught my eye:
- Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale from Boulevard Brewing
- Hibiscus Ginger Beer from Caldera Brewing
- Dogfish Head (TBA)
- Exit 4 from Flying Fish Brewing
- Sofie from Goose Island
- Le Freak from Green Flash Brewing
- Strawberry Cream Ale from Laht Neppur Brewing
- Coconut Porter from Maui Brewing
- 7 Grain Saison from The Bruery
- Reggae Junkie Gruit from Upright Brewing
Seems like a lot of new appearances in this group, and it’s always nice to see far-reaching breweries making an appearance at the Brewfest.

There’s a nice showing of some of the (relative) Oregon newcomers as well: Hop Valley, Mt. Emily Ale House, Natian Brewery, Seven Brides Brewing, Southern Oregon, Upright, and Vertigo. (Did I miss anybody?)

All in all, based on the list in place so far, looks like it’s shaping up to be a great ‘Fest this year.
Reminder: The Session is this Friday

Posted: March 3rd, 2010, 3:03am CET by Jon

Don’t forget The Session is coming up this Friday, the 5th: the topic is “The Good Stuff” (when to drink it). Since it’s the anniversary of the first Session, and given the topic is “good stuff”, I may well open a 2007 Abyss to commemorate it.
Pyramid (Spring) Fling Pale Ale

Posted: March 2nd, 2010, 8:31am CET by Jon

Ah, Pyramid. Between owning MacTarnahan’s, being owned by Magic Hat, contract brewing at several locations, it’s tough to know what’s what with them. I still remember the Pyramid of the ’90s and early ’00s, with their Apricot Ale and Snow Cap in particular as strong, leading beers, so I’ve been a bit confused over the various branding changes they’ve undergone over the past few years—if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, and I never thought their old identity or branding was broke.

But that certainly shouldn’t stop me from enjoying the fruits of their latest efforts, their Spring seasonal, Fling Pale Ale. This is one of the three types they sent me just over a week ago, and the one I have yet to have tried (I’ve been drinking and reviewing the other two over the years).

Fling is an American Pale Ale at 5.2% alcohol by volume; it’s moderately hopped (36 IBUs) according to their site, though brewed with three different hops.

Appearance: Pale gold in color, clear. Bubbly—lots of beading—but a minimal pale tan head on top.

Smell: Fresh and floral, green grassy hops. Bright. Toasty-sweet malts, raw bread dough. Nice!

Taste: Surprising rush of bitter hops up front, not what I expected from the fresh floral notes. Clean bitterness, resiny and earthy, kind of a dandelion bitterness. A bit of cracked wheat in the malts, otherwise relatively mild.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with a crisp finish.

Overall: A nice fresh pale ale with big hops—well-played for the Northwest crowd. Otherwise I’d call it a fairly standard pale ale.

On BeerAdvocate, it scores an overall grade of B-. On RateBeer, it scores 3.08 out of 5, and is in their 46th percentile.
Bend Brewing Company turns 15 today!

Posted: February 27th, 2010, 7:26pm CET by Jon

There’s been almost no fanfare or publicity for this—indeed, even I almost missed it if not for my wife—but Bend Brewing Company is turning 15 today and celebrating in grand style:

Saturday, February 27th marks the fifteenth anniversary of the BBC. The anniversary party will last all day, beginning at 11:30 a.m. with half-priced appetizers and $2.50 pints of beer, both of which will be served until closing time that evening.

From 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., visit the BBC Garage Sale. Miscellaneous merchandise, including shirts, hats, pint glasses and more, will be offered at very good prices. Guests will also have the opportunity to win tons of great raffle prizes from 5 to 10 p.m.

From 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., enjoy live music on the patio from The Buck Rodgers Band, known far and wide for their progressive alt rock with a twist of psycho-billy and infused psychedelic jams. Fire pits will keep revelers warm as they boogie, and a server will be on hand to ensure crowds are adequately fed and watered.

In the 15 years since Bend’s second-ever microbrewery opened, what’s remarkable about it is how little it’s changed: they are still in the same building, with the same overall decor and atmosphere, and (largely) serve up much of the same menu over the years. They exist in a popular niche in Bend and done a great job nurturing that niche.

Even for all that, what’s more remarkable is what has changed: the quality of the beer. When brewmaster Tonya Cornett came aboard in 2002, she helped put BBC on the map, so to speak, from a craft brewing perspective: with Great American Beer Festival and World Beer Cup awards for HopHead Imperial IPA and Outback X, among others, as well as other awards, BBC has become a beer geek’s destination (and has helped cement Bend, Oregon in the “Beer Pantheon” along with Deschutes Brewing and other great brewers in town).

Happy 15th to Bend Brewing! I plan to enjoy come down and enjoy some of the party today.
Hop Press: Canvolution

Posted: February 27th, 2010, 5:12pm CET by Jon

My Hop Press article for today—”Canvolution“—takes a look at the canned beer segment of craft brewing (something which I have passing familiarity with) to serve as both an introduction and an advocacy piece. Oskar Blues, 21st Amendment, and Canfest all get nods.
Big Beer Week: Noël Des Géants

Posted: February 26th, 2010, 7:00pm CET by Jon

I suppose you can’t talk “Big Beers” without mentioning (at least in passing!) Belgium. In this case, it’s a Christmas beer: Noël Des Géants from Brasserie Des Géants in Wallonia, the French speaking half of Belgium; I picked it up shortly after Christmas without knowing much about it (but it was a good price).

It’s not just a big Belgian beer in terms of alcohol however (8.5% by volume); “géants” in French literally means “giants” and the town of Irchonwelz in which the brewery is found has an annual “giants march.” I’m not sure what such a spectacle would look like but it sounds like one of those things that should go on the list to see someday.

Appearance: Nut-brown and cloudy, with a rocky, impressive tan head.

Smell: Rich and sugary with only the barest hint of fruit. A touch of flossy cotton candy and maybe bubblegum; caramel malts and brown sugar.

Taste: Spun sugar in the mouth, makes me think “sugarplums.” It’s toffee-rich caramel and a hint of smoky malt; a rummy note hinting at its strength. A little more alcohol heat at the back of the mouth. Very rich but holding “Belgium” in check.

Mouthfeel: Chewy and sharp—bright effervescence and some alcoholic astringency on the tongue.

Overall: Sweet, rich, cloying, yet a bit restrained. Decadent and tasty.

On BeerAdvocate, it scores an overall grade of B+. On RateBeer, it scores 3.4 out of 5 and is in their 80th percentile.