Belmont Station Beer Forum

The Abyss is Here!

2009-11-06T09:07:00.001-08:00

We received our allocation of Deschutes Abyss this morning, and it's ready for sale. Due to the overwhelming volume of calls and emails we've received regarding the beer we'll need to enforce a limit of 3 bottles per person (per day) for at least the duration of the weekend. This should allow us to provide at least 120 people with an opportunity to dive into the Abyss.

Here's what the brewery has to say about the beer:

The Abyss: Stout brewed with licorice and molasses with 33% aged in oak and oak bourbon barrels. It’s dark. It’s deep. It’s mysterious. Aged in French Oak and Bourbon barrels, this special brew has immeasureable depth inviting you to explore and discover it’s rich, comples profile. The flavor of molasses and licorice draw you in further and further with each sip. The Abyss beckons. Enjoy the journey.

On a related note, we still have a few cases of the two previous Reserve Series Beers available - Mirror Mirror and Black Butte XXI. If you're buying The Abyss as a gift for someone you might want to consider picking up one of each of these as well to make a deliciously decadent gift set for the beer lover(s) in your life.

ACK!!!! The delivery was rolling in as I wrote this, and unfortunately there were some casualties. When beer geeks talk about "drain pours" this isn't quite what they mean. :(

New Berr Round-Up Oct. 30, 2009

2009-10-30T18:13:00.000-07:00

We received close to 20 new fall and winter seasonals in the last few days, so it's time for another round-up.

New American Beers:

Full Sail Wreck The Halls
Great Divide Fresh Hop
Marin Hoppy Holidaze
Laurelwood Vinter Varmer
Upright Pure Wit
Upright Flora Rustica
Boulveard Nutcracker
Oakshire Ill-tempered Gnome
Bayern Doppelbock
Dick's Double Diamond
HeBrew Monumental Jewbelation
Rogue Santa's Private Reserve
Pike Entire Stout
Alaskan Smoked Porter 2009

New Imports:

St Bernardus Christmas Ale
Kerst Pater (Pater Leiven Christmas Ale)
Ridgeway Seriously Bad Elf
Ridgeway Criminally Bad Elf
Ridgeway Santa's Butt Porter

If you have questions about any of these, please feel free to give us a call at 503.232.8538.

Have a safe and happy Halloween!

Facebook Anyone?

2009-10-24T13:05:00.000-07:00

You may have noticed that there's a new sidebar widget below the Twitter feed that shows our *gasp* Facebook Page.

After numerous requests for us to create a Facebook page I broke down and created one this morning. It's still in it's infancy, but I've already populated the event page with our upcoming tastings and added a couple of photos.

So, if you're into the whole social-networking thing, why not become a "fan" of the shop and give yourself one more way to keep up to date on all the newest beer arrivals, tastings, and other special events.

Lots and Lots of New Beer

2009-10-23T14:00:00.000-07:00

A monsoon of winter beers is upon us. In the last 10 days we've received over 30 new beers, and a bunch of elusive favorites have returned.

Sadly, I don't have time to do full write-ups and links for all of these, but Google and Ratebeer work well enough that if you see something on the list that you're curious about it should be easy to find. As always, feel free to give us a call at 503.232.8538 if you have questions about anything else beer-related.

New American Beers and Ciders:

Upright - Five
High and Mighty - Home For The Holidays (proceeds benefit Afghanistan Vets)
Wandering Aengus - Wanderlust Semi-Dry Cider
Oskar Blues - Ten Fidy Imperial Stout
Elysian - BiFrost Winter Ale
Eel River - Climax Noel Imperial Red
Ninkasi - Oatis Oatmeal Stout
Bison - Organic Gingerbread Ale
Bridgeport - Ebenezer
Full Sail - Wassail
Sam Adams - Winter
Lagunitas Sumpin Extra
Southern Tier Iniquity Black IPA
Southern Tier Creme Brulee
Southern Tier Hoppe Imperial Pale

New Imports:

Brew Dog - Atlantic IPA
BFM - Abbaye St. Bon Chien (Vintages from '06, '07, and '08)
Nogne O - Tiger Tripel
Nogne O - Tyttbaer (sour ale with lingonberries and wild yeasts)
Nogne O Peculiar Yule
Nogne O Winter Ale
Ridgeway - Bad Elf Strong Ale
Ridgeway - Lump Of Coal Stout
Kerstmustke - Christmas Nightcap
Tsmisje - Calva Reserva
De Dolle - Bos Keun
Geants - Noel de Geants
Hitachino - Commemorative Ale 2009
Hoffstettner - Granitbock
Hoffstettner - Kuebelbier
Van Steenberge - Witches Brew Tripel
Christmas in Belgium 5pk (5 assorted small-batch Belgian ales)

...And Some Returning Favorites:

Harviestoun - Ola Dubh 18yr
De Dolle - Special Export Stout
Hitachino - White Ale
Hitachino - Sweet Stout
JW Lees Harvest Ale 2006 (Lagavulin cask-aged)

Last but not least, a quick note about our Beer List page. I've been working diligently to keep it up to date lately, and you'll notice that there's now a blurb at the top of the page showing when it was last updated. I also spent more time than I'd care to think about implementing some simple javascript that will allow you to sort the (formerly static) table and re-organize it by brewery name, state/country of origin, or beer style. Hopefully this proves useful to people, I'd hate to think I spent all afternoon working on it for nothing but my own edification.

EDIT: 2:00 pm, Friday October 23

A few more things rolled in this morning:

Ridgeway - Very Bad Elf
Ridgeway - Insanely Bad Elf
Ridgeway - Reindeer's Revolt
Amager - Julebryg
Sierra Nevada - Celebration Ale
Mad River - John Barleycorn Barleywine
Goose Island - Bourbon County Stout 2009
Goose Island - Christmas Ale 2009
Firestone Walker - Reserve Porter
Nectar Ales - Black Xantus Imperial Stout

Don't forget, on Monday night from 6-8 we'll be having a Nectar Ales tasting where you can sample the new Black Xantus bourbon-aged imperial stout along with the rest of the Nectar line. We'll also have a keg of Black Xantus on tap next door if the samples don't slake your thirst.

Have a good weekend!

Fresh Hop Finale!

2009-10-09T15:30:00.000-07:00

It's been building all week, but we're not done yet. To properly cap off Fresh Hop Week 2009 we've loaded all but one of the tap lines with fresh hopped goodness.

Here's the full line-up:

Full Sail Lupulin Fresh Crystal Hop
Full Sail Lupulin Fresh Cascade Hop
Fort George CoHoperative - NEW TODAY
Oakshire Conundrum Fresh Hop
Oakshire Harvest Fresh Hop
Bridgeport Hop Harvest - NEW TODAY
Cascade Lakes Fresh Hop Ale
Deschutes Hop Trip
Hopworks Fest o' Fury - NEW TODAY
4th Street Fresh Hop Ale
Sierra Nevada Estate Harvest Ale
Barley Brown's Roadside Fresh Hop
Rogue Chatoe Wet Hop Ale
Laurelwood Hop Bale Fresh Hop Ale
New Belgium Trip III (You know we had to keep something sour in the line up)
Upright Fresh Hop of Bel Air
Full Sail Lupulin Fresh Crystal (cask)

Not in the mood for hops? Don't worry, we've still got 800+ chilled bottles in the coolers just waiting to be consumed.

Mmm...Fresh Hops

2009-10-07T13:26:00.000-07:00

Just a quick heads up, when the cafe opens at 3 we'll be rocking 11 different fresh hop beers. Here's the full tap list for today with the fresh hop beers highlighted:

Full Sail Lupulin (Crystal)
Full Sail Lupulin (Cascade)
Double Mountain Killer Green (Brewer's Gold)
Lagunitas Li'l Sumpin' Extra
Calapooia Pacific Pilsner
Rogue Maierfest
Cascade Lakes Fresh Hop Ale (Santiam)
Deschutes Hop Trip (Crystal)
Block 15 Blocktoberfest
4th Street Fresh Hop Ale (Willamette)
Sierra Nevada Estate Harvest Ale (Cascade, Centennial)
Barley Brown's Roadside Fresh Hop (Wild roadside hops)
Rogue Chatoe Wet Hop Ale (Independence and Revolution)
Laurelwood Hop Bale Fresh Hop Ale (Amarillo)
New Belgium Trip III
Silver Moon Snakebite Porter
CASK: Full Sail Lupulin (Crystal)

Trying to figure out what to have after work will (hopefully) be the toughest decision I make all day...

New Arrivals and Impending Hop Overload

2009-10-02T14:52:00.000-07:00

After another lull in new arrivals we've suddenly been deluged with beer in the last few days. Winter seasonals, new cans (Buckbean Brewing from Reno, NV), a couple new imports, and the Sam Smith's gift boxes return for the season.

New Craft Beers:

Buckbean - Original Orange Blossom Ale: Cream ale with orange flavors
Buckbean - Black Noddy Lager: Schwarzbier (in a can!)
Dogfish Head - Punkin: Strong ale with pumpkin and spices
Mactarnahan's - Humbug'r: Strong, dark ale (tweaked version of Black Watch?)
Pyramid - Sno Cap: American strong ale
Cascade Lakes - Santa's Lil Helper: English-style strong ale
Cascade Lakes - Skookum Creek Ale: American strong ale
Big Sky - Slow Elk: Oatmeal Stout
Full Sail - Vesuvius: Belgian-style golden ale
Bridgeport - Hop Harvest: Fresh hop IPA
Anderson Valley - Winter Solstice: Strong cream ale with spices
Shipyard - Pumpkinhead: English-style ale with pumpkins and spices
Stone - Sublimely Self Righteous: Black IPA
Sierra Nevada - Estate: Fresh hop IPA made entirely with ingredients from SN's brewery estate.
Deschutes - Hop Trip: Fresh hop pale ale
Alaskan - Winter Ale: English-style old ale with spruce tips

New Imports:

Aecht Schlenkerla - Urbock in Minikegs: Traditional smoked bock
Lurgashall - Tower of London: Mead with Scotch whiskey added
Sam Smith's - Selection Box: This gift set contains one bottle each of the Pale Ale, Nut Brown Ale, and Oatmeal Stout in addition to a logo'd Sam Smith's pint glass and coasters.

Fresh Hop Week in the Biercafe

Holy Hops Batman! We have so many fresh hop beers that I'm not sure how we're going to squeeze them all into a single week unless we load up all 17 taps at once. Even then I'm not sure we can do it, but I'm counting on all you hop heads to help us out.

I can't really say when anything in particular will be on tap (it's not a secret, I just don't know), but we'll be running at least 8-10 of our taps (plus the cask engine) with fresh hop delights all week long. We promise to update the homepage before the cafe opens each day, and we'll send out up-to-the-minute tweets if something blows once the cafe opens.

That said, here's the list of things that are in-house and confirmed for next week:

4th St Fresh Hop - Cascadian Dark Ale
Barley Brown's Roadside Fresh Hop - IPA
Bridgeport Hop Harvest - IPA
Cascade Brewing (aka Raccoon Lodge) Fresh Hop - Cascadian Dark Ale
Cascade Lakes Harvest Ale - Pale Ale
Deschutes Hop Trip - Pale Ale
Double Mountain Killer Green - IPA
Fort George CoHoperative - Pale Ale
Full Sail Lupulin (Cascade) - Pale Ale
Full Sail Lupulin (Crystal) - Pale Ale
Full Sail Cask-conditioned Lupulin (Crystal) - Pale Ale
Hopworks Fest of Fury - Oktoberfest
Laurelwood Hop Bale Ale - Pale Ale
Oakshire Conundrum - Cascadian Dark Ale
Oakshire Harvest Ale - IPA?
Rogue Chatoe Wet Hop - IPA
Sierra Nevada Estate Brewer's Harvest Ale - IPA

There's also a few more that we're hoping will make it in time, but I don't want to get anyone's hopes up until they're actually here.

That's it for now. Have fun in Hood River, and if you can't make it out there be sure to stop in here next week for some fresh, resiny goodness.

New Arrivals for 9.15.09 - The Better Late Than Never Edition

2009-09-15T15:00:00.000-07:00

Well, 09.09.09 has already come and gone, but Stone's latest Vertical Epic release didn't arrive until today. Such is the way of things I guess. Today's delivery brought a few other things besides the VE, so scroll down the list and see what catches your fancy.

New Beers:

Stone - Vertical Epic 09.09.09: This year's twist in the story line brings us down a dark alley haunted by mysterious aromas of tangerine and vanilla. At 8.5% it begs for a snifter and your complete attention.
Stone/BrewDog/Cambridge - Juxtaposition Black Pilsner: Ignore the fact that "black pilsner" is just another way of saying "schwarzbier" because this brew bears absolutely no resemblance to pilsner, black or otherwise. It's dry, roasty, and pushing a double digit abvmore which makes it more akin to an imperial stout fermented with lager yeast. It's really tasty, just don't go in expecting any sort of classic lager.
He'Brew - Rejewvenator: I haven't had this one yet, but the label says, "Half Doppelbock, Half Belgian-style Dubbel" and it's brewed with date concentrate, which definitely sounds interesting. With Rosh Hashanah beginning Friday, it's worth noting that the entire He'Brew line is Kosher Certified. In addition to the Rejewvenator we have their Genesis Pale Ale, Messiah Bold (a flavorful brown ale), and Bittersweet Lenny's Rye IPA. L'Chaim!
Alaskan - Baltic Porter: This brew sold out quick last year, and as delicious as it is I'm really not surprised. Cherries, vanilla beans, and French oak add dimension and complexity to this classic style. Get it while it lasts.
Kona - Pipeline Porter: This tasty little porter is brewed with real Kona coffee to give it an extra little kick.
Blue Moon - Harvest Moon: Nothing fancy from the house of Coors; just an unpretentious amber ale with pumpkin and spice flavors.
Hopworks - Bike Beer IPA: Whoa, another hoppy beer from HUB!?! Seriously though, this one is a little less astringent and a little more fruity than their regular IPA. I'd have to bust open one of each and do a side by side comparison to nail down any other differences...
Baron - Oktoberfest: Classic "festbier" lager from Seattle. Flavors of caramel and nutty malt compliment the clean, crisp hopping in the finish...
New Old Lompoc - Monster Mash: Despite what the angry jack-o-lantern on the label would have you believe, this is an Imperial Porter and not a pumpkin beer. This should be around for at least a couple of months, but if it sells faster than the Heaven's Helles did it could be gone in a couple weeks, so don't delay.
Midnight Sun - Obliteration V: The fifth beer in the Obliteration IPA series is an 8.2% double IPA brewed with Tomahawk and Magnum hops. I haven't had this one yet, but based on the hop selection I would expect it to lean more towards pungent and piney rather than a typical west coast citrus bomb.
Elysian - Night Owl: The northwest's most popular pumpkin ale is back.
Great Divide - Tripel: Great Divide's take on the trappist mainstay is a little sweeter than the classic Belgian examples, but all in all I think they did a great job on this one.
Great Divide - Hoss Lager: This is becoming a favorite around the shop, and "Hoss" is well on it's way to becoming a slang term for rugged and/or manly. For example, Patrick Swayze's character in Road House was definitely "Hoss." Anyway, come and grab some Hoss before Jimmy and Lucas drink it all.
Hales - Super Goose Imperial IPA: One person at the shop decreed that the Super Goose is superior to Russian River Pliny the Elder. Debatable perhaps, but at less than $5 per 22oz bottle it's certainly worth buying one of each and conducting your own experiments.
Coney Island - Freaktoberfest: It smells and tastes like an oktoberfest beer, but the bloody red color might throw you off a bit. Buy some to freak out your Halloween party guests.
Crispin - Honey Crisp: This seasonal cider from Crispin is only roughly filtered which results in a very cloudy cider (with a color reminiscent of dirty dish water), and the tartness of the apples is smoothed out with an addition of organic honey. Speaking of Crispin, we're hosting a tasting with them this evening, so stop in from 5-8pm and you can sample this for free along with the rest of the Crispin line.

That's all for now; keep your eyes peeled for the stream of fresh hop beers coming out in the next 2-4 weeks. Most of them are truly delicious, but the season is painfully short.

New Arrivals For Tueday September 1

2009-09-01T16:45:00.000-07:00

Not much in the way of new things, but I figured people would want a heads up about a couple of these.

New Arrivals:

Russian River - Temptation: A mid-strength (at least for RR) sour blond aged in Chardonnay barrels with every pretty much every wild yeast available. This is not an introductory wild ale as the levels of tartness and horse blanket mustiness will probably scare off people who aren't already in love with the style, but for lovers of wild brews this is one of the best. I'd put it second only to Supplication in RR's "regular" sour line-up.
Mad River - The Mad Belgian: I haven't had it yet, but based on the few reviews that have been posted it's a coppery colored Belgian-style ale with some candi sugar maltiness, tropical fruit overtones from the yeast, and some citrusy hops to balance it out. Sounds pretty darn good.
Flying Dog - Dogtoberfest: (commercial description) Dogtoberfest is a unique beer containing five premium malts. This lager draws its influence from the Vienna Marzen or Oktoberfest style. It is rich and malty with a sweet aroma and deep mahogany color.
Leinenkugel's - Oktoberfest: A classic festbier from a classic midwest brewery. Ignore the low ratings, I think Leinenkugel's scores suffer more from being owned by Miller than from any flaw in the beers themselves. Except for the summery one that tastes like Fruity Pebbles™, that stuff deserves its low rating.
Southern Oregon Brewing - "Na Zdravi" Czech Pils: Solid pils with a smooth body, just a hint of sulpher, and a crisp noble-hoppiness to the finish. This is a pretty short run seasonal, so grab some now.
Hale's Ales - O'Brien's Harvest Ale: An aggressively hopped, copper-hued ale, perfect for the warm days and cooler nights of September.

The following aren't new, but they don't come in very often so it's worth noting:

Alesmith - Wee Heavy
Alesmith - Devil
Alesmith - IPA

Last but not least, we should be receiving a small shipment of Russian River Pliny the Elder and Blind Pig IPA on Friday, but we're at the mercy of distributors and trucking companies, so don't get mad at me if it doesn't arrive.

Quick List of Today's New Arrivals

2009-08-25T17:11:00.000-07:00

Dinner beckons, so this needs to be a short post. If/when I have time tomorrow I'll get back to this and elaborate on any of the new things I try this evening.

New American Craft Beers:

Rogue - Maierfest: description comiong soon...
Southern Tier - Jah-va: The first S.T. beer to hit Oregon, the Jah-va is a decadent imperial stout infused with Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee. Fairly limited, so don't delay.

New Imports:

Mikkeller - Single Hop (Nugget) IPA: description coming soon...
Mikkeller - Czech-style Pilsner: description coming soon...
Ise Kadoga - Pale Ale: description coming soon...
Ise Kadoga - Brown Ale: description coming soon...
Ise Kadoga - Stout: description coming soon...
Ise Kadoga - Genmai: description coming soon...
Ise Kadoga - Triple Hop Pale Ale: description coming soon...
Sam Smith's - Yorkshire Stingo: description coming soon...
Brasserie Lefebvre - Barbar Belgian Honey Ale: description coming soon...
Fantome - Saison: Not really new, but we haven't had any in stock since March so I figured it was worth mentioning.

That's it for toady, have a great night!

New Arrivals For Friday August 21, 2009

2009-08-21T17:05:00.000-07:00

It seems strange to be receiving "Oktoberfest" and pumpkin beers when the weather is pushing 90, but I guess it's just a continuation of the trend towards pushing seasonals out earlier and earlier. In any case they're nice and fresh right now, so you might as well drink them. We also got the first shipment of bottles from Upright Brewing, so if a light, refreshing farmhouse ale is more your speed we have you covered. On to the list:

Boulevard - Bob's 47: (commercial description) Boulevard’s fall seasonal beer, Bob’s ’47 Oktoberfest is a medium-bodied, dark amber brew with a malty flavor and well-balanced hop character. With this Munich-style lager we solute our friend Bob Werkowitch, Master Brewer and 1947 graduate of the U.S. Brewer‘s Academy. Available from September through October in bottles and on draught.
Bayern - Oktoberfest: Smooth, malty, clean, pretty much everything you want in a festival lager.
Sam Adams - Oktoberfest: A dark amber lager with minimal hops and a smooth caramel/toffee malt flavor. One of the best in the Sam Adams line up.
3 Skulls - Hop the Plank IPA: 3 Skulls is an off-shoot of Baron Brewing in Seattle that gives them an opportunity to brew some NW-style ales without muddying up the German theme of their core lager brand. As a fairly new brewery there's very little in the way of reviews out there, but the distributor was kind enough to drop off samples, so we'll taste them on Sunday and I'll get back to you
3 Skulls - Black Bonney Porter: review coming soon...
3 Skulls - Pillagers Pale Ale: review coming soon...
Buffalo Bill's - Pumpkin Ale: An amber ale with pumpkin spices. Not too shabby, but it can't hold a candle to the Elysian Night Owl.
Upright - Four: A brilliantly balanced farmhouse wheat ale. Perfect for weather like this.

These aren't really "new", but Firestone Walker's products are pretty popular, so it's worth mentioning that their Pale 31, Double Barrel Ale, and Union Jack IPA are now available in 12oz singles and 6 packs for those times when a bomber just won't cut it.

That's it for now. Check back soon (or check the Twitter feed over there ----> ) for the latest on new tappings in the Biercafé and other info.

New Arrivals

2009-08-14T16:53:00.000-07:00

The flow of new beers dropped off for a while, and it seemed as though everyone was simply trying to survive Craft Beer Month. Or, maybe everybody was simply planning ahead and saving tank space for the cornucopia of fresh hop beers and other fall/winter seasonals we all love so much.

Thankfully that's changed in the last few days, and between new releases from local Oregon breweries, popular recurring seasonals, and new imports we've got a solid list of new arrivals.

New American Craft Beers:

Oakshire Brewing - Overcast Espresso Stout: An oatmeal stout infused with cold-brewed espresso. Mmmmm...breakfast beer.
Oakshire Brewing - Watershed IPA: A big, bold, west coast-style IPA with a solid malt backbone.
Beer Valley - Gone Fishin' Mild Ale: A 4% English-style mild ale for less than $4 per 22oz bottle? If it's any good you'll probably see it on the employee picks board next to Jimmy's name.
Mactarnahan's - Lip Stinger Farmhouse Ale: (commercial description) An effervescent and rustic farmhouse ale. This limited release ale is fermented with cracked peppercorn to introduce a spicy nose and warming mouth feel that will deliver a flavor sensation that is endlessly interesting. Enjoy the heat….and no pouting!!
Blue Frog - DIPA 3: Blue Frog reformulated their double IPA to make it more hop-forward and slightly less malty. They also lowered the price, so it's a double win.
Widmer - OKTO: Even though it's an ale rather than a lager, Widmer's popular fall seasonal is a malty, amber-hued refresher that captures the spirit of the classic German festival beers.
The Bruery - Papier: a 14.5% monster of a beer brewed in honor of their first anniversary. Partly aged in bourbon barrels, it blurs the lines between Belgian Quad, American Barleywine, and English Old Ale. It's tasting great now, and it should age well for several years if properly cellared.

New Imports:

Scaldis - Refermentee (75th Anniversary Ale): I haven't had a chance to dip into one of these yet, so here's a great Ratebeer. com review from BeastieFan2k: "It pours with a medium thick head. It is a dark and murky thick orange color. Aroma is full of ripe fruits (and slightly overripe fruits for that matter as well), only lightly alcoholic, which is surprising. Basically a nice meld of fruit, alcohol, and lots of Belgian yeastiness. Taste chugs right along. There is a nice orange aspect in the flavor as well. Nice thick mouthfeel that plays perfectly with the structure of the beer. Usually Scaldis can be unpredictable with the high alcohol content becoming undrinkable (think Scaldis Prestige) but I thought this brew pulled it off well."
Dupont - Biere de Miel: A refreshingly light, dry saison with subtle honey flavor. Deceptively easy drinking for 8% abv.

New Ciders:

Ace Cider - Apple and Honey Cider: A smooth, fairly dark cider created by blending a small amount of honey into the fermenting cider. Fans of the Spire Dark and Dry should give this one a shot.

That's it for the new stuff this week. Be sure to join us next week as we host a Mad River tasting on Monday (6-8pm) and an Oakshire Bottle Release/Meet the Brewer event on Tuesday (also 6-8pm). In addition to free samplesd of the bottled products w'e'll have several special kegs flowing in the Biercafé. Check the events page for more info on these and other upcoming tastings.

OBF Entries Available At The Station

2009-07-28T09:12:00.000-07:00

I had to transcribe these by hand off of the OBF site (I wasn't able to copy and paste out of an excel sheet like the PIB* list so I may have missed a couple), but by my calculations we've got roughly half of the OBF line-up in stock and ready refresh you. Many of these are year-round offerings, but I've highlighted the limited edition or seasonal things that may not be around very long.

Here's the (fairly comprehensive) list of "Standard" beers:

21st Amendment - Hell or High Watermelon
Alaskan - White Ale
Anderson Valley - Summer Solstice
Bayern Brewing - Dragon Breath Hefe
Beer Valley - Leafer Madness
Bison Brewing - Organic Chocolate Stout
Blue Frog - Blonde Ale
Boulder - Flashback Anniversary Ale
Bridgeport - Stumptown Tart
Cascade Lakes - Blonde Bombshell
Dogfish Head Festina Peche
Eel River - Organic Acai Wheat
Firestone Walker - Union Jack IPA
Fish Brewing - Organic Wild Salmon Pale Ale
Full Sail - LTD #3
Golden Valley - Bald Peak IPA
Grand Teton - Bitch Creek ESB
Great Divide - Titan IPA
Green Flash - Imperial IPA
Lagunitas - Pale Ale
Laughing Dog - Alpha Dog Imperial IPA
Lost Coast - Great White
Mactarnahan's - Summer Grifter
Marin Brewing - Bluebeery Ale (out of stock until Friday)
Mt. Shasta - Mountain High IPA
Ninkasi - Radiant Summer Ale
North Coast - Scrimshaw Pilsner
Pike Brewing - Monk's Uncle Tripel
Pyramid - Haywire Hefeweizen
Redhook - Belgian Tripel
Southern Oregon - SOB Golden Ale
Track Town (Rogue Eugene) - 200 Meter Ale
Trumer Brauerei - Trumer Pils
Victory Brewing - Prima Pils

...and a couple from the Buzz Tent:

Alaskan - Barleywine
Cascade Brewing - Sang Royale
Dogfish Head - Palo Santo Marron
New Belgium - La Folie
Stone - 13th Anniversary Ale

Last but not least, we currently have Boulevard Tank 7 Saison (along with 16 other delicious beers) pouring in the Biercafe.

* Special thanks to Jeff Alworth over at Beervana for creating the awesome PIB list.

PIB Beers Available At The Station

2009-07-22T11:57:00.000-07:00

There are a bunch of draught-only beers and other festival "one offs" that we don't have, but after scanning the list I've found 99 beers (and a couple meads and ciders) from the 2009 PIB that are available on our shelves right now. Many of these, like the Schneider products, are available year round, but I've highlighted the things which may sell out quickly and never be seen again.

Aecht Schlenkerla Helles Lager
Amager Hr. Frederiksen
Amager Sundby Stout
Aventinus Eisbock
Ayinger Brau Weisse
Baird Rising Sun Pale Ale
Batemans Combined Harvest
Batemans XXXB
Cantillon Saint Lamvinus
Chimay Blue
Chimay Red Ale
Chimay White Ale
De Dolle Dulle Teve (The Mad bitch)
De Ranke Cuvée De Ranke
De Ranke Guldenberg
De Ranke Noir de Dottignies
Deschutes Mirror Mirror
Deschutes Red Chair Ale India Pale Ale
Dieu du Ciel Peche Mortel
Dieu du Ciel! Rigor Mortis Abt
Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA
Dupont Avril
Franziskaner Dunkel Hefe-Weisse
Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse
Great Divide 15th Anniversary Double IPA
Great Divide Chocolate Yeti
Great Divide Double Wit
Great Divide Hercules Double IPA
Haand Dobbel Dram
Harviestoun Ola Dubh 18 (we also have the 12, 16, 30, and 40 year versions)
Henney's Vintage Cider
Hitchino Nest Espresso Stout
Huvila X-Porter
Iron City Lager
J.W. Lee's Harvest Ale (several variations)
Kapuziner Weissbier
Konigshoeven Quadrupel
Kulmbacher Eisbock
Kulmbacher EKU Pils
Kulmbacher Mönchshof Schwarz
La Rulles Triple
Le Coq Imperial Extra Stout
Lindemans Cuvee Rene
Lindemans Framboise
Mikkeller Beer Geek Brunch Weasel
Mikkeller Black Hole Imperial Stout
Mikkeller US Alive
Mountain Meadows Cranberry Mead
Mountain Meadows Honeymoon Nectar Mead
Mountain Meadows Moonlight Magic Mead
Mountain Meadows Spiced Nectar Mead
Mountain Meadows Trickster's Treat Agave Mead
Ninkasi Tricerihops
Nøgne Ø # 100 (Batch 100)
Nøgne-Ø Dark Horizon
Nøgne-Ø Imperial Stout
North Coast Old Stock 2008
Old Lompoc LSD
Oppigårds Well-hopped Lager
Orval
Pabst Blue Ribbon
Pelican India Pelican Ale
Peroni Lager
Pilsner Urquell
Primator Double Bock
Primator Maibock
Reissdorf Kolsch
Rochefort 10
Rogue Captain Sig's Deadliest Ale
Rogue I2PA
Rogue Sesquicentennial Ale
Samuel Smith Imperial Stout
Samuel Smith Organic Raspberry Ale
Samuel Smith Organic Strawberry Ale
Schneider Aventinus
Schneider Edel-Weisse
Schneider/Brooklyn Hopfen-Weisse
Sierra Nevada Keller-Weiss
Slaapmutske Triple Nightcap
Slaghmuylder Witkap Dubbel
Slaghmuylder Witkap Singel Ale
Spaten Oktoberfest
Spaten Optimator
St. Feuillien Tripel
Stone Oaked Arrogant Bastard
Stone Old Guardian
Struise Black Albert Ale
Struise/Mikkeller Double IPA
Thisted Limfjords Porter
Trade Route Dragon King Lager
Trade Route Mango Weizen
Traquair House Ale
Tripel Karmeliet
Trumer Pils
Uerige Doppel-Sticke
Urthel Hop-IT!
Weinhenstephaner Hefe-Weisse
Weinhenstephaner Korbinian
Westmalle Tripel

I'll try to get a list of OBF beers that are available here posted in the next couple days.

Puckerfest Finale Tonight!

2009-07-16T14:35:00.000-07:00

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!

New Arrivals, Special Releases, and Lots of Events

2009-06-30T16:01:00.000-07:00

After a big lull in new arrivals we've been deluged with stuff in the last couple of days. Some are seasonal things we've been expecting for a while, some are hotly anticipated special releases, and one is so limited that we've been forced to put a bottle limit on it.

We also have a bunch of fun events lined up for Oregon Craft Beer Month, so keep reading all the way to the end.

New American Craft Beers:

Full Sail Brewing - Black Session (or is it "Session Black?") - A little bolder, a little stronger, and a little darker, but still easy drinking enough that you can have several of them over the course of a session without burning out your palate or filling your gut.

Victory - Hop Wallop 22oz: The same great imperial IPA that you all know and love, now available in bombers so you can get walloped with friends. (why does that sound dirty?)

Laurelwood - Wry Pale Ale: The latest seasonal 22oz bottle from Chad Kennedy and crew is a bright, crisp pale ale accented with rye malt for a little earthy, spicy kick. This one's on deck for after work, so I'll update this post if it's particularly noteworthy.

Red Branch - Honey Red: The latest brew from this innovative Meadery/brewery is an Irish-style red ale with 25% honey to lend a little sweetness to the body.

Anderson Valley - Summer Solstice and Poleeko Gold in cans!: The same great Booneville beer, now in a more outdoor-friendly package so you can have Bahl Hornin! on the beach, river, or top of Mt. Hood.

Sierra Nevada - Kellerweis: If you pay any attention to the big beer geek websites you've probably aware of all the people practically freaking out over this seemingly simple, unpretentious brew. There's a good reason for it; underneath the "I want extreme" exterior, most beer geeks crave something easy drinking and flavorful on occasion, and there are few styles more delicious and refreshing than a well-crafted Hefe. Sierra Nevada's version is about as authentic as you can get without heading to Bavaria, and since it's brewed here in the States (instead of being shipped over from Germany) it's got a 6-8 week head start in the freshness department. This should be a staple in everyone's fridge (along with Black Session) for at least the duration of the summer.

Flying Dog - Woody Creek White: I haven't had this one yet, but one of our regular, wit-loving customers has given it his thumbs up. According to him there's a great spice presence without being over-done or soapy.

New Old Lompoc - Heaven's Helles: Lompoc's first foray into limited seasonal runs is their light, summery lager. It's got a heck of a lot more flavor than it's 4.5% abv would lead you to believe, but it's light-bodied enough that you can easily polish of a 22oz bottle and still have room for dinner.

21st Amendment - Brew Free or Die IPA and Hell or High Watermelon in cans!: These great additions to the canned craft cooler (which is growing rapidly), provide two more options for your outdoor or backyard adventures. As you may or may not know, the Hell or High Watermelon (formerly known as 21st Amendment Watermelon Wheat) has been the number one selling beer (by volume) at the OBF for several years in a row. This might have something to do with the blazing weather the last few years, or the dearth of lighter options in the trailers full of IPAs, or maybe people just really, really like watermelon. Whatever the case, you can rest easy knowing that when they run out at the festival you can pop in and grab a six pack.

Laughing Dog - Huckleberry Cream: The name pretty much sums it up. "Hucky Cream" is light, smooth, and full of dark, semi-sweet berry character.

Lagunitas - Lucky 13: Imperial Red? American Strong Ale? Whatever it is, it's good. Available for a limited time only.

Bison Brewing - Honey Basil: This pale golden brew is light, a little sweet, and has an interesting earthy/herbal basil note that springs up as the brew warms. Judging by the buzz on the blogosphere this was well received at the NAOBF last weekend, and the bottles have been flying out of the cooler ever since. I'm pretty sure this is a limited, seasonal brew, although it does have a different UPC code* than all the other Bison brews, so it could be a year-round offering. *One of these days I'll get around to writing a giant rant on why I despise overlapping UPC codes (I'm looking squarely at you, Rogue), but today is not that day.

We finally have a brewery from Missouri in our coolers that doesn't have AnhueserBusch (or InBev) on the label. I posted a sneak preview picture a month or two ago after I tried them at a distributor open house, so it's no real surprise that they're here, but I thought I'd mention it because lots of people have been waiting for them.

Boulevard - Sixth Glass Quadrupel: Big, dark, strong, and mysterious. Click here for an explanation of the name.

Boulevard - Long Strange Tripel: A little on the sweet side of the tripel spectrum, which should work to it's benefit if you plan on aging it, but it's plenty delicious right now.

Boulevard - Saison: A golden, effervescent Saison made with Amarillo hops, two-row pale malt, wheat, and a pinch of corn.

Boulevard - Double Wide IPA: A big ol' palate wrecker of an IPA, perfect for sipping while you wait out the tornados in your life...

BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE! (apologies to the late Billy Mays...)

New Imports:

Rodenbach and Rodenbach Grand Cru return! After an almost two year absence from our shelves, the classic Flemish sours are back. I was really, really hoping that the distributor would pull through and get a keg to us in time for Puckerfest, but bottles are better than nothing I suppose.

Steenbrugge - Blonde, Witbier, Dubbel, Tripel: I haven't had any of these since they were available in 11.2oz bottles a few years ago, but if memory serves they're all well-crafted, clean versions of their respective styles. Not quite as complex or challenging as the Chimay's and Rochefort's of the world, but they're quite a bit less expensive so I guess you get what you pay for.

Casa Beer (Morocco): Casa (aka Cascablanca) is a typical "tropical lager" brewed for places with hot weather pretty much all year. There's not a lot going on, but if you're having a Moroccan/North African dinner party it'll make a great accompaniment.

Redstone Meadery - Nectar of the Hops: I haven't had a chance to try this yet, but if you can't wait until July 6th (when the founder of Redstone will be here) you can stop in and grab a bottle of this dry-hopped mead.

Special/Limited Releases:

North Coast - Barrel-aged Old Rasputin XXII: Tastes like you squeezed an evil dictator into a barrel and left him to stew for a few months. Or not. Limited to 2 bottles perperson due to extremely limited supply.

Stone - 13th Anniversary Ale: Supposedly their hoppiest beer to date, the 13th Anniversary brew pours a rich coppery color, throws hop aroma in your face like a walk through the Yakima Valley, and carries more bitterness than a Chicago Cubs fan...

Oregon Trail Bourbon Porter (batch 5): They didn't make very much of the OT Bourbon Porter this year, and I'm not sure how long it'll last, so grab it while you can.

Deschutes Black Butte XXI: Deschutes' 21st birthday present to us takes everything you know and love about Black Butte and cranks it up like only a rebellious 21 year old could. Partially aged in bourbon barrels to give it an added layer of complexity. Side note: I drank a bottle of BBXX a few nights ago and it's tasting delicious, so consider breaking out a bottle from last year and putting it side by side with this one for comparison.

Bridgeport - Stumptown Tart: I haven't had a chance to try this year's version yet, but I'm curious to see how it compares to last year's marionberry version. At 8+%abv it'll definitely be a night capper. Stop in on Thursday from 6-8pm and you can try a free sample for yourself along with the rest of their bottled line-up.

Events and Tastings

THURSDAY JULY 2 6-8PM. BRIDGEPORT TASTING & MEET THE BREWER. Sample the just released Stumptown Tart and the entire lineup from this 25 years running Portland craft brewer. One of the brewers will be on hand to guide you. This year's Stumptown Tart is a blend of wheat ale with 50% aged in wood and 50% ale infused with Oregon Sour Pie cherries.

TUESDAY JULY 7 6-8PM CANNED CRAFT BEER TASTING. In many ways the can is a better storage medium for beer than a bottle. The can doesn't leak at the cap, it completely blocks light, it's lightweight, etc. At long last when you choose cans you don't have to drink industrial generibrew. Now we have Caldera Amber, Pale Ale, & IPA, Oskar Blues Dales Pale Ale, Old Chub Scottish Ale, & Gordon Imperial Red Ale, Big Sky Moose Drool & Troutslayer, 21st Amendment Brew Free or Die IPA & Hell or High Watermelon, and New Belgium Fat Tire. Sample them all fresh from the can tonight!

WEDNESDAY JULY 8 6-8PM Redstone Mead Tasting. Restone Meadery Founder, David Myers, will be here offering samples of several varieties of his award winning mead, including the new Nectar of the Hops. We will also have Nectar of the Hops on draft in the Biercafe, I mean Meadcafe (well, briefly!)

JULY 10 - 16: 3RD ANNUAL PUCKERFEST--A celebration of Sour Beers. July 10-16 in the Belmont Station Biercafe. Featuring very special kegs from Cantillon, Russian River, The Bruery, Double Mountain, Cascade Brewing, New Belgium, Ommegang, Roots, Deschutes, and more!

FRIDAY JULY 10 6PM Puckerfest Opening night with Double Mountain. Brewer Matt Swihart. Matt will bring kegs of Devils Kriek (Sour beer with Bing Cherries) and Rainier Kriek (guess what cherries are in this one) and some of the cherries used in both so you can taste the cherries alongside the beer. BTW Matt also grew the cherries in his own orchards!

MONDAY JULY 13 6-8PM Cascade Brewing Night. Brewer Curtis Bain will offer some free tastes of several of Cascade's Northwest Sour Beers. Nightfall Blackberry Ale and "Barrel 323" (an un-blended Northwest Sour barrel aged for 14 months) will be on draft.

TUESDAY JULY 21 6-8PM. HEATER ALLEN TASTING & MEET THE BREWER.
Owner/brewer Rick Allen of this McMinnville, OR craft brewer will offer tastes of his wide range of German style beers. Plus we'll have Coastal Common, Pils, and a special surprise on draft.

FRIDAY JULY 24 (OBF Weekend) 3PM. Rogue Brewmaster John Maier will tap a keg of John John: Dead Guy Ale aged in a Rogue Dead Guy Whisky Barrel. We'll also have the superb Rogue Charlie on draft.

That's all for now! Enjoy the weather while it lasts, and don't forget to bring a 6pk of craft-brewed cans with you as you venture outside.

Recent Arrivals and Returning Favorites

2009-05-30T11:48:00.000-07:00

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.

North Amberican Organic Beer Fest List

2009-05-15T09:13:00.000-07:00

The NAOBF website has been updated with this year's beer list, and while many of the attendees are bring the same things as last year, there's some interesting new entries.

Assuming the weather holds out and I get to attend both days I'm sure I'll try just about everything, but here's the stuff I'm most looking forward to (in no particular order):

Elliot Bay Hop van Boorian - Belgian-style IPA: I've had several examples of this new hybrid style (how many commercial examples do you need to create a new category?), and while they've been hit or miss I appreciate the effort that goes into trying to create a harmonious whole out of two disparate elements.

Lakefront Organic Fuel Cafe Stout - We've had the Fuel Cafe in bottles for a while now, but I just received word from their distributor that they've teamed up with a local organic coffee roaster and reformulated the beer to make it organic, so I'm excited to try the new version.

Upright Brewing Reggae Junkie Gruit and Seven (aka #7) - I don't know if Alex and Gerritt want me to say anything about the gruit and ruin any potential surprises, so I'll just say that I'm really looking forward to this one. I'm also happy to see the #7 on the list; the first batch should be ready soon and popping up around town at the usual suspects, but for folks attending the fest from out of town this is likely to be their first taste of Upright. If the weather gets toasty Alex may regret bringing this instead of the ridiculously quaffable #4, but I'm sure it'll be a popular beer regardless.

Laurelwood is bringing the Green Mammoth, on of my all-time favorite local IIPAs, but I got a chuckle out of their second entry, simply labeled "something delicious." I'm sure that's just a fun way of saying TBD, but it would actually make a great name for a beer.

Lucky Lab Recession Session Lager - First of all, great name. Secondly, this looks like the pick of the fest when you need to tone it down for a while or simply quench your thirst and let your palate recover from all the hop bombs on the list.

Those are my picks so far; what's calling your name?

Fresh Off the Bottling Line!

2009-05-13T11:58:00.000-07:00

I have in my hands two icy cold bottles of Hopworks Organic Beer that were bottled this morning. The Cross Town Pale and Seven Grain Survival Stout are now in the house and ready for sale, and the IPA and Deluxe Old Ale (aka DOA) should be in tomorrow or Friday.

Daily Notes and a Little Tease

2009-05-12T16:10:00.000-07:00

We've only had a handful of new beers trickle in over the last few days, but there's some other exciting news to report as well, so join us as we stroll through virtual coolers...

New Arrivals:

Black Diamond - A long time Sacramento favorite, Black Diamond is now available in Oregon. The initial line up consists of their Belgian-style Blonde, Amber, and IPA. They've also sent a few kegs of their new Saison into town, so look for it to pop up around town at the usual suspect places.

Mateveza - The original Mateveza (brewed at Butte Creek) is no longer being produced. Jim Woods, creator/founder of Mateveza, has contracted with Mendocino produce two brand new beers featuring yerba mate. Mateveza Gold is a 5%abv Golden ale with the equivalent of 1/3 of a cup of coffee per 12oz serving. Mateveza IPA is a west coast style IPA replete with Simcoe, Centennial, and Cascade hop character capped by a long dry finish from the mate. The IPA has slightly more yerba mate in it; roughly equal to 1/2 of a cup of coffee per serving.

If you catch this post in the next couple of hours I'd encourage you to stop by the store to meet Jim Woods and try some free samples of his newest creations.

Heater Allen Returns! After a catastrophic equipment failure destroyed all of Rick's beer we were left wondering how long it would take him to recover, and I loaded up on all the H/A beer we could squeeze into the walk-in. If the word hadn't gotten out I think we would have had an uninterrupted supply, but unfortunately people started hoarding it when they heard it was in short supply and we ran out of just about everything last week.

Luckily for us (and all you lager lovers), Rick was quick on the mash paddle and this morning he replenished our coolers with fresh batches of Pils, Dunkel, and Schwarz. He also brought us the first few cases of Isarweizen, his Bavarian-style Hefe. I haven't had this batch yet, but Rick said he lowered the fermentation temperature a little this time to help mute the banana/clove flavor a bit, and he feels it's a whole lot better than last year's version.

Great Divide - A fresh load of Great Divide is here, and they sent a few fun new beers along for the ride. Belgica IPA is another entry in the blossoming "Belgian IPA" category. Leaning more towards the Belgian yeast character and less towards the hops makes for a fairly easy drinking brew with a complex fruity/yeasty/citrusy twang to it. The Dunkel Weiss is a dark, German-style wheat beer brewed with wheat, dark German malts, and a proprietary yeast strain. As the folks at GD say, "If you like wheat beers, come to the Dunkel side." Lastly, we got a limited number of their Saison, a classic Belgian-style farmhouse ale brewed with barley, wheat, rice (huh...), and 4 different yeast strains to give it that farmhouse character and a bone dry finish.

Fianlly, a little tease:

With any luck we should be seeing Boulevard Brewing Co. on our shelves within the next two months. They were present at a very packed distributor tasting last night, and everyone I spoke to seemed eager to have them. Of course nothing is certain until the beer actually arrives, but this is deliciously exciting news...

Last but not least, join us tomorrow night as we welcome Shawn Kelso from Barley Brown's brewpub. Barley Brown's is way, way out in eastern Oregon, and his incredibly well crafted beers are almost never seen on this side of the cascades, so don't miss this opportunity to try several of his latest brews including WFOIPA and 18 month old Whiskey Malt Rye beer. Yummy!

New Arrivals and Event Notices

2009-04-30T16:24:00.000-07:00

There's been a slow, steady trickle of new beers over the last few days, and a couple of exciting special releases, so I figured it was time for a new beer round-up. We've also added a couple fun events to the calendar; details on those follow the list of new beers.

New American Craft Brews:

Deschutes Mirror Mirror Barleywine - Arguably one of Deschutes' first (and some would say best) forays into "extreme beer", the first batch of Mirror Mirror was released back in the spring of 2006. Clocking it at 11.5%abv (up from 10% last time) and aged in a variety of barrels, it has been an elusive, sought-after beast ever since it first hit the market, causing almost hyperbolic raves on the local BeerAdvocate and Ratebeer forums. Supplies are limited, so we've instituted a 6 bottle per person limit through Saturday. If there's any left on Sunday it'll be fair game. They state on their website that it will be "best after April 2010", so try and save a bottle or two and see how it evolves...
Deschutes Red Chair IPA - The newest release in the 22oz Bond St. series is big on hop flavor and aroma, but low on the bitterness. It's perfect for those times when you want to satiate a hop craving without totally blowing out your palate for the rest of the day.
Widmer 84/09 Double Alt - This imperialized version of the Brothers' original brew is big, bold, and yet still refined. They didn't make much, and it won't last long, so grab it while you can.
Lagunitas 2009 Correction Ale - A pale hoppy beer from Lagunitas? Who'da thunk? Seriously though, this is a great little (big) beer. Pale, clean, and with a nice fruity hop note. Call it Hop Stoopid Light, call it a tweaked version of Kill Ugly Radio, but whatever you do, don't call it an Imperial IPA.
Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy - This is Leinie's take on the beer/lemonade concoction known as a radler or shandy. In Germany this blend is especially favored by bikers (radler is German for Bicyclist) and other outdoor enthusiasts because if it's light refreshing character and lower alcohol content. The Leinenkugel's version is a 4.2% lightly filtered hefeweizen flavored with lemonade and "natural flavors." While not a true 50/50 blend of beer and lemonade it hits the mark pretty well and will make a nice light yard work beer.
Boulder Sweaty Betty - Boulder summer offering is a pleasant, unfiltered wheat beer with a slight citrusy character and a smooth finish.
Lost Coast Tangerine Wheat - This was one of Lost Coast's offerings at the 2009 Spring Beer and Wine Fest, so some of you may have had it on tap. I haven't had a chance to try it yet, but ratebeerian GodOfThunder describes it thusly, "The aroma is light and full of sweet tangerine fruitiness. The flavors are the same. Thin mouthfeel, light, refreshing, fruity and actually comforting. Reminds me of a tangerine mimosa. I like this a lot, and I am surprised. This would be great for a day at the beach. Nothing bad about it." Sounds good to me...
Bison Single IPA (Willamette) - I can truly appreciate what Bison is trying to do with this series from an educational standpoint, but this is probably my least favorite of the single hop series thus far. Willamette hops have a very grassy, earthy, herbal aroma which usually works pretty well in understated British-style IPAs, but in this case I think the excessively grassy character is poorly suited to the Werst Coast-style base beer they've created. That said, I would still recommend that anyone with a passing interest in brewing try a bottle of this, if only to gain insight into the nuances of this classic American hop variety.
Widmer Hefeweizen 5 Liter Minikegs - The same classic hefe that started the "American Wheat Beer" trend, now in a 5 liter "minikeg" that's perfect for barbeques, beach parties, or a long day of home brewing in the sunshine...

New Imports:

Kostritzer Schwarzbier - This classic Schwarzbier dropped off of the distribution lists for a couple of years, but it's beack and just as delicious as always. If you've never ahd a Schwarz, this is a great into to the style. It's also a fun beer to hand someone when they give you the old "I don't drink those dark beers because they're too heavy" screed. Light on the palate, with just a hint of hops and roasty malt.
Guinness 250th Anniversary - Speaking of schwarzbiers, Guinness has unveiled a new beer to commemorate the 250th Anniversary of the signing of the lease on their flagship brewery in St. James Gate. It's supposedly a "stout", but it's actually more of a brown ale/schwarzbier hybrid with a transparent brown hue and only the slightest hints of roasty malt character.
Saison 1900 - This is a pretty nice little saison. A little "bubblegummy" yeast character sets it apart from some of the others in the style, but it's pretty light and easy drinking. At roughly 5%abv it's a bit easier on the liver than some of the stronger saisons as well.
Three Horses Lager - Canned beer from Madagascar. Again, it's probably a typical tropical yellow beer, but how often do you see beer from Madagascar?
Saigon Lager - I haven't had this one yet, but I assume it's a typical hot weather lager. It does add one more country to the list, and we've already had a few customers snatch some up to fit their Vietnamese dinner plans.
Rialto Lager -Tropical lager from El Salvador. It's got a cool looking silk-screened bottle with Incan ruins on it, but there's not much going on inside.
Sam Smiths Organic Fruit Ales - We received three new "organic hand-crafted fruit ales" from the venerable British brewer today: Strawberry, Raspberry, and Cherry. I haven't had a chance to try any of them yet, but Sam Smiths is known for high quality brew, and I wouldn't expect them to put these out unless they were solid.

Events and Stuff:

Monday May 4th 6-9pm: Trade Route Tasting/Meet The Brewer: Join Chris Castillo as he offers samples of Dragon King Lager, Mango Wiezen, Ginger Pale Ale, Panden Brown Ale, and the Brand new Infidel Kaffir Lime IPA. Choice Trade Route Draft in the Biercafe.

Wednesday May 13th 6-9pm: Barley Browns Tasting/Meet the Brewer. If you've ever been out to Baker City you know how great their beer is. Brewer Shawn Kelso will bring us some very special drafts for this big night in the Biercafe: WFOIPA, Tank Slapper Double IPA, 18 Month Aged Double Whiskey Malt Ale, and Armstrong Double Golden. Barley Browns beer on special in the Biercafe all day.

Off Site Events:

May 1 and 2: Portland Cheers to Belgian Beers at the West Side Lucky Lab. Full beer list and details are available at the Oregon Brewers Guild site.

Saturday May 9th 2-6pm: Fredfest 2009 takes place at the Hair of the Dog brewery. Join 250 of Portland's beer community in celebrating Fred Eckhardt's birthday. Details and tickets available at the Fred Fest site.

That's all for now. Have a safe and happy weekend!

Sunshine

2009-04-17T17:27:00.000-07:00

Just a quick reminder that we have several tables out front just begging to have happy beer drinkers occupying them. If the weather holds up to the predictions it should be a good weekend to drink beer in the sun.

Beer That Will Last Until 2030?

2009-04-16T12:08:00.000-07:00

I generally don't write "personal posts" on this blog unless they're beer-related (which this is, at least tangentially), but it's not every day that your only sibling has their first child.

Congratulations to Lisa and Anthony DeMalia on the birth of Anthony Michael-John DeMalia, Jr.!

Now on to the beer. I will be visiting Lisa and Anthony at some point in the near future, and I want to present them with a gift for their son that they can all enjoy on his 21st birthday in 2030. Do I go with a lambic? Take a chance on a bottle of Full Sail Black Gold or Deschutes Abyss holding up that long?

Ideally I'd like to get something local in order to better reflect where I was in life on this joyous occasion, but I'm not opposed to something imported if anyone has any great ideas. The only caveat is that it should be something locally available whether it's an Oregon beer or an import because I probably won't have time to work out a trade before my visit.

Thoughts?

New Arrivals For Tuesday April 14th

2009-04-14T14:35:00.000-07:00

New Beers!

~Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale: Stone's 11th Anniversary beer (a black IPA) was so popular that they've brought it back as a year-round beer. Roasty, hoppy, and full bodied.

~Stone Imperial Russian Stout: This is the highest-rated beer in the Stone portfolio according to the users of Ratebeer.com, and with good reason. A complex wave of flavors and aromas washes over you with every sip; bitter chocolate, roasted coffee, anise, herbal hoppiness, even a little peppery spice. I haven't had one of the fresh bottles yet, but if it's anything like prior years it's probably a little boozy at the moment. Not that that's neccessarily a bad thing, but I'm guessing it would benefit from at least a couple months to meld like a good stew.

~Butte Creek Organic "Initial Attack" IPA: I'm getting mixed info on this one. My distributor rep informed me that it's a fresh hop beer made with New Zealand hops, but I can't find any references to it being a fresh hop beer either on the bottle or the web. Unfortunately the Butte Creek website is under construction, so I can't go to the source either. I'll take one for the team and report back as soon as possible.

Returning Favorites!

~Stone Cali-Belgique: A special version of their IPA brewed with a Belgian yeast strain. This one went quickly last time we got it in, so don't delay.

~Russian River: Fresh cases of Pliny the Elder IIPA (bottled on 04.07.09) are in the cooler and ready to go home with you. We were supposed to receive a few cases of Blind Pig IPA as well, but they didn't make it onto the delivery truck this morning so they'll hopefully come in on Friday.

Last minute tasting reminder:

We're hosting a Hot Lips Soda tasting this evening from 5-8pm.

HOTLIPS Soda is real fruit soda pop. Picked-ripe fruit is cooked in open kettles, bringing out the nuanced flavors. Seeds are filtered out, but not pulp, then water, pure cane sugar and organic lemon juice are added. Then it is carbonated, put into bottles and pasteurized. It’s simple. High percentages of real fruit. No shortcuts, supplements, artificial flavors, concentrates or trickery. And no corn syrup. Even the bottles are local, manufactured from 80% recycled glass right here in Portland.

As you can see, they take their soda as seriously as most of the breweries around here take their beer. Only the best ingredients and practices go into making them, and it shows in the flavors.

Tonight they're pouring samples of their Strawberry, Raspberry, Pear, Boysenberry, Blackberry, and Black Raspberry sodas. It really is great stuff, either on it's own or used as a mixer for delcious fruity cocktails.

That's all for now. Have a great week!

Blue Frog Beer Arrives in Oregon

2009-04-10T15:47:00.000-07:00

We got 5 new beers in this morning from Blue Frog Grog and Grill in Fairfield, CA. I haven't had a chance to taste any of them yet, but I'll try and squeeze them into the line up for this weekend.

We've got their Blonde Ale, Hefeweizen, Red Ale, IPA, and "The Big DIPA" imperial IPA.

In addition to the Blue Frog we saw a few seasonal favorites return to the shelves or coolers:

Moylan's Hopsickle Imperial Ale (very limited, so please don't hoard it)
Dogfish Head Midas Touch
Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron
Anderson Valley Summer Solstice
Lagunitas Undercover Investigation Shutdown Ale (now in 6pks!)
Hale's Kolsch
Pyramid Curveball Blonde Ale

I think that's it for today. Don't forget about the Spring Beer and Wine Fest this weekend!