FredFest 2008 Beer Lineup

I would be remiss if I were the only beer blogger in Portland that neglected to post the ridiculously awesome beer lineup for FredFest 2008:

• BridgePort Brewing: Bourbon Barrel aged Old Knucklehead Firkin
• Laurelwood Brewing: Bourbon Barrel Aged Olde Reliable Barleywine
• Widmer Brewing : Altbier!!!
• Lompoc Brewing : Oak aged LSD
• Deschutes Brewing: Br. Abe Belgian ale
• Rockbottom Brewing : Oak aged IIPA
• Cascade Brewing: 2006 Wild Blackberry ale ( Flanders red style)
• Lucky Lab: Brewing Double Alt
• Hopworks Urban Brewery: 2007 Kentucky Christmas
• Hair of the Dog: Cask Fred from the Wood
• Full Sail Brewing: Bourbon BBL aged 1998 Old Boilermaker
• Rogue Brewing : Brewer Ale
• Roots Brewing: 2006 Pinot Noir Oak aged Epic
• Ninkasi Brewing: Dry Hopped Cask Tricerahops
• Firestone: ?????
• Jim 2007 Holiday Ale Fest Collaboration with HOTD

Not only will there be a great tap lineup, but some killer food as well -- rumors of "HOTD Fred-cured pastrami" was enough for me to sign up.

This year's FredFest is a fundraiser for Parkinson's Resources of Oregon, an affiliate of the National Parkinson Foundation. It runs from 2 - 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 10 (Fred Eckhardt's birthday) at Hair of the Dog Brewing, 4509 SE 23rd Avenue in Portland. I'm not sure if there's any tickets left, but you can try begging and pleading with Preston here.

There's also a simultaneous online auction at Liquid Solutions with rare beers like HOTD Adam #1, a cool lot of Lost Abbey beers, and the ever-elusive Westvleteren 12. It starts 3 p.m. PDT Friday, May 9 and finishes up by 3 p.m. PDT Sunday, May 11. And if this works anything like eBay, it'll be interesting to watch the price wars when there's :30 seconds left on the auction. Definitely worth checking out.

...just don't blame me when you blow your whole stimulus package on rare brews.

Gerritt's Official Welcome

Gerritt, our feet on the street.

Many of you enjoy the beer section of our site. And why wouldn't you? We've been keeping track of beer in this city for a couple of years now and have accumulated over 200 listings! Yep, 200. But don't thank us, thank the brewers. OK, you can thank us a little, now you know where to find these new seasonal releases and fresh taps across the city.

But it takes work to get this done. A lot of freakin' work. A lot of drinking, but here at the site, we take it very seriously, so we call it work. Seriously, walking the streets of Portland and drinking beer for you good people is a tough job and requires a lot of "research", but it's worth it.

But it's a big city and we've got a limited number of feet. Luckily for us, we just gained two more. These two new feet are attached to Gerritt I., our new correspondent covering new releases in the North Portland area at such places as New Old Lompoc's Fifth Quadrant and Amnesia. He's even been known to break out of the North and make it all the way to the Southeast of the city--just to cover the beer scene for you. Gerritt came to Portland in 2002 by way of New Jersey and like many of us, Portland is where he discovered great beer.

So, welcome aboard Gerritt! Thanks for your help and please keep drinking beer--er, uh, researching--for us!

Hair of the Dog Earth Day Dock Sale > Dark Lord Day

Here's what HOTD's Earth Day Dock sale line looked like at 9:50am today:



Totally respectable, considering the madness that is going on right now in Muenster IN. I say forget Dark Lord Day -- it's overhyped and overcrowded, not to mention half a continent away.

A table set up with cheese, meats, doughnut holes, plus several bottles of beer was all the breakfast I needed on this bright, warm April morning. Meeting fellow beer geeks in a strange industrial park and waiting for the HOTD garage door to fly open was a really nice way to start the day. Then came the samples for people waiting in line -- this is hospitality! Don't call me a localvore, but a less crowded HOTD Earth Day sale is where it's at.*

Walking into the actual brewery, beer prices were a bit high, but fair. HOTD isn't known for its budget brews -- it's famous for high quality, high octane beer, and in those categories, the brewery didn't disappoint. Add to that the fact that you could go in the tasting room and sample all the styles before (and after) you committed to a full case, and the price ends up being well worth the experience. And really, what else are you gonna do on a Saturday? Mow the lawn?

Fred, Adam, Ruth, Fred from the Wood, and Blue Dot by the case, and some rarities like Adam Batch #1 and some .375s of Dave from 1995 which were gone by 10:15am. All of the above were on tap, minus the rarities and Ruth, add Doggie Claws and Greg (a squash beer made exclusively for Higgin's). I grabbed a case of Blue Dot and a magnum of Adam -- a kindly gentleman traded me in the parking lot for a few bottles of Fred from the Wood & an Adam, so I walked away with a nice diversity of beers for... well I'll just let you do the math.

It was obvious that the entire family was involved in this event, from mom and pop handing out beer samples, to the kids ringing up the credit cards. I found it really endearing that everyone works together for a big event like this. Always makes me feel good to patronize a family business. Cheers to HOTD staff for a great event!



*Admittedly, Dark Lord Day is one of the most fun beer events I've ever been to. No offense meant. Respect to FFF.

Elephant in a bottle?

Was it real, or just a dream?

True story? I'm pretty sure. I've got a witness. Unfortunately, neither her nor I were given permission to break the silence. But, on the other hand, we weren't told not to break the silence. So, in the spirit of ambiguity, I've got a tale to tell. But, good journalists don't expose their sources and good journalists don't sit on important stories either. Luckily, I'm not a good journalist. So here we go. What I'm about to tell you did not happen and the photographs accompanying this story are faked. Really.

In an alley in Portland last night, there was a knock at my window. Normally, I don't roll down my window in these type of situations, but I recognized the shadowy figure. Without a word, he dropped something in my lap, hopped back in his car, and sped away down Sandy. As my girlfriend said "What kinds of people do you hang out with...", I turned on the interior light in the car and discovered a bottle of mythical proportions. Sitting in my lap, was a 22oz bottle labeled "Organic Green Elephant". I looked out the windshield in time to see the mysterious taillights fading into the distance. Could it be? While my source was reliable, this was a bit too hard to stomach (well, until I got home and cracked it open).

Laurelwood's Organic Green Elephant IPA

Those of you in town know that this is one of the most sought after beers in town. Last year a seven-barrel batch--draft only--was demolished within 3 days of it's release. This year, several hundred cases of 22oz bottles will be available at undisclosed locations. As with other limited Laurelwood bottle releases, my guess is that they will be available for purchase at the restaurants and breweries and some retail outlets in town.

So, if this story is indeed true, and if I did indeed drink the contents of the bottle pictured here, then you should be seeing these bottles popping up (and then disappearing) around town. Grab them while you can!

World Beer Cup 2008 - Oregon Medal Winners

Oregon breweries brought back 16 medals from 91 style categories in this year's World Beer Cup.

2008 World Beer Cup

Bend Brewing Co.
Black Diamond Lager
American-Style Dark Lager
Gold

Bend Brewing Co.
Outback X
Strong Ale
Gold

BridgePort Brewery
Beertown Brown
English-Style Brown Ale
Gold

BridgePort Brewery
Blue Heron Pale Ale
Ordinary Bitter
Silver

Deschutes Brewery
Sorghum Beer
Gluten Free Beer
Gold

Hopworks Urban Brewery
Organic IPA
American-Style Strong Pale Ale
Gold

Hopworks Urban Brewery
HUB Organic Lager
Bohemian-Style Pilsener
Silver

Laurelwood Brewing Co.
Organic Deranger
Imperial or Double Red Ale
Silver

Pelican Pub and Brewery
Doryman's Dark Ale
American-Style Brown Ale
Gold

Pelican Pub and Brewery
Kiwanda Cream Ale
Golden or Blonde Ale
Silver

Pelican Pub and Brewery
India Pelican Ale
American-Style India Pale Ale
Bronze

Pelican Pub and Brewery
Tsunami Stout
Foreign (Export)-Style Stout
Bronze

Rogue Ales
Morimoto Soba Ale
Specialty Beer
Gold

Rogue Ales
Morimota Black Obi Soba Ale
Specialty Beer
Bronze

Widmer
Brothers Brewing Co.
Widmer Hefeweizen
American-Style Hefeweizen
Gold

Widmer
Brothers Brewing Co.
Widmer Pale Ale
American-Style Pale Ale
Gold

Champion Brewery and Brewer Awards

World Beer Cup Champion Brewery and Brewmaster
Large Brewpub
Pelican Pub & Brewery
Darren R. S. Welch

World Beer Cup Champion Brewery and Brewmaster
Small Brewpub
Bend Brewing Company
Tonya Cornett

For the full results sheet, check out the World Beer Cup website.

Pins, plates, and broken bones

Pins, plates, and broken bones

As most of you know, almost one year ago, I was in a motorcycle accident. Not my fault, but that didn't seem to matter to my leg--which kept me couch and bed ridden for 2 straight months. My tibia was split down the middle--kind of like you would chop a piece of firewood--and it required surgery, plates and pins. As seen below, I also got a cool 9" of surgical staples to hold the skin around my leg.

It's funny, all of the pain and suffering wasn't even the worst part. During the second week of my incapacitation, my wonderful girlfriend left for work and accidentally left the TV on and the remote control out of my reach. At this point in my recovery, I was unable to move without help and had to lay on the couch, helplessly watching what was left on the television: "Legally Blonde 2" followed by "Tuck Everlasting". It was the most excruciating day of my ordeal.

It's now almost a year later and I'm about 95% healed. A lot of people got in touch with me through portlandbeer.org to wish me well and I wanted to say thanks! Thanks! To return the favor, I've posted some new photos for you to "enjoy". Cheers!

Our Faithful Departed, Remy

Remy, reminding us to go outside and play!

Well, many of you know that we are a small group here at portlandbeer.org. My brother and I started this site a few years back and it has grown, and grown, and grown. Though we've gone through many changes over the years, both in style and content, one thing has remained constant through it all: Mine and Becky's faithful dog, Remy. Many of you know her through our contact page, where she has always been listed as a founding member (and 'drinker of spilled beer'). A few of you have even contacted her through her email address, and while she hasn't always been extremely prompt, she has always answered her emails.

Remy and Becky, getting ready for the Bend Brewfest.

As of this past weekend, due to complications with cancer, Remy is no longer with us. Though she will be here in spirit, we will miss her around the office. She was always a welcome excuse to peel ourselves away from the monitors and go for a walk.

So, raise your glass this weekend and say a toast to Remy, the most reliable one of us here on the portlandbeer.org team.

Cheers Remy, we'll miss you!

Ultimate 6-Pack Giveaway Entries

The Ultimate 6-Pack Giveaway!

Well, although the contest is over, you can check out all of the entries on our forum post. The 40+ entries span the globe to fill up their ultimate 6-pack. Sure, there were many hop-headed local beer entries, but also many dreams of German, English, and Belgian beers. Check it out and take a peek into the secret beer thoughts of your friends, neighbors, and enemies.

Some entrants simply listed their ultimate 6-packs and hit submit, while others took their time to tell their story through their beer choices. It's interesting not only to see which beers were chosen, but also the reasons behind these picks. Read and enjoy!

We'll be announcing the winning entries in about a week or so. Good luck!

Waffles and Stout Breakfast @ Besaw's

Waffles and Stout Breakfast

Last week, a job interview brought me to the Northwest side of Portland. The discovery of a nail in my front left tire causing slow leak kept me there for a few hours. After dropping the car off at Mr. Schwab's, I wandered the neighborhood for a while, hunting for early-morning sustenance. I walked by both the New Old Lompoc and the Tavern & Pool McMenamins -- neither was open yet, but Besaw's was!

Besaw's was hopping with a moderately full dining room, so I did what I normally do in an unfamiliar place -- I found a seat at the bar. It's a small place, but not cramped, with a beautiful wood bar, and I believe they had a little patio in the back for dining when the weather gets nicer.

The breakfast menu runs until 3:00pm, which I really dig. I had a Belgian waffle which was decent, but not crispy enough for a rave review. The three tap handles were all local-ish beers, and I chose the most breakfast friendly brew, Anderson Valley's Oatmeal Stout. It was nice and smooth, easy to drink, and the roasty flavor offset the sweetness of the real maple syrup on my waffle.

I must somehow exude beer-geekiness, because soon, the bar manager chatted me up and enlisted me in an impromptu early-morning beer tasting. She was admittedly "not a huge beer drinker," and wanted me to give her some notes on how to describe the beers to customers, so she set me up with a sample of each. I love it when anyone is eager to learn more about beer, but especially servers, because no matter how much advertising (read: money) a company puts behind their brand, a bartender or waiter is the person who has contact with the customer, and the more they know, the better.

So, it's been a week, and I haven't heard back from the job interview. I still have the nail in my tire because they're too worn to patch, and I don't really don't have the cash flow for four new tires, so I settled for a can of Fix-A-Flat as insurance.

But at least now I know another good place for breakfast and friendly service when I'm on the NW side.

Portland's Cheers to Belgian Beers 2008

Walking into the craziness of the "back room" of Roots last Saturday went something like this:



So many Belgian beer fans! And even better: so many Belgian beers!

For those of you not in the know, this year's "Portland's Cheers to Belgian Beers" was a mini beer festival (I dislike the word "tastival") where all the breweries used the same yeast strain (Ardennes/ La Chouffe), but could make any type of beer they liked.

Now, I am a big fan of the Belgian beers -- especially dubbels -- so I was pretty hyped for this event, looking forward to some fruity, estery goodness. I walked up, paid my $10 bucks for a commemorative cup (I think I was one of the last to get the official glass) and five beer tickets. Read on for my unprofessional and highly unscientific reviews.

I started with the HUB El Diablo, which I guessed was supposed to be their interpretation of Duvel. It was fairly sweet and had a deep green hop presence which I found a little too aggressive for the style. Good, but given a choice, I'd rather have the HUB 7-Grain Stout.

Next was Rock Bottom's Floreal, which must have been fairly subtle, because I couldn't taste it at all after the Diablo. After a trip to Roots' self-service water station to cleanse my palate, I got a lot more out of the Rock Bottom beer; very smooth bodied, slightly dry finish, and not as fruity as some of the other entrants.

Next down the line was Laurelwood's Saison d'Arduinna which was absolutely killer. It poured a wonderful clear gold with perfectly sized bubbles. A light citrus tang was the perfect complement to the fruitiness of the Ardennes yeast. Not too fruity, not too malty. I could drink this all day.

Further down the line I found the Full Sail Dubbel, which I found somewhat thin bodied. The aroma and flavor were all there, but it had a strange acidic finish which I found kind of unpleasant.

After that, it was the Roots Bruin, Lompoc's Diablesse, something from Cornelius Pass Roadhouse, but by this time I started forgetting to take notes and some strange ingredient in the beers was affecting my memory. This has never happened before!

Anyways, I enjoyed the majority of the brews, but like Jeff over at Beervana, I got a "squash" character from several of the beers; one I wrote down as tasting like a "pumpkin beer." Though some of the beers didn't quite hit the high notes I thought they would, I highly suggest you put this on your calendar for next year.

:::edit::::

The winners are in!

1st: Lucky Labrador's Malt Bomb

2nd: Laurelwood's Saison du Arduinna and Lucky Devil from Alameda Brewhouse (tie)

3rd: El Diablo from Hopworks Urban Brewery

Honorable Mention: Roots Farmhouse Bruin

Incurring the Scorn of Beer Geeks - Spring Beer & Wine Fest 2008

Judging Sheet for Spring Beer & Wine Fest 2008

How I was chosen to be a judge at this year's Spring Beer & Wine Fest was serendipitous to say the least. As I was happily browsing through the German beer section of Belmont Station, I was approached by a certain Oregon Brewers Guild member who inquired if I could be bothered to wake up early on Saturday and judge some beers.

...as if I'd say no. Are you kidding?

I arrived early, and helped my OBG friend carry a few items into the hall, whereupon some of the other judges started showing up. Some I recognized, most of them had been at the Fest the day before, and from the looks of their faces, quite a few had been up late celebrating with brewing buddies. But beer waits for no man, and we soon took our seats.

I was assigned the Lager category, and I was lucky to be paired up with some seasoned industry folk who knew their way around a tasting. Dave and Jamie were throwing out tasting notes left and right, while I chose to take notes and stay a little quieter, lest I be looked at funny for not knowing the difference between German and Czech style Pilsners.

Though our experience levels were quite disparate, we all had relatively similar things to say about the beers. We all agreed that the top two beers were the American Light Lager and the Dortmunder. Though not what we'd normally order at our favorite pub, the American Light Lager won out, being spot-on for style and drinkability.

PBR Traveling Art Gallery

So after my breakfast of beer, the sheets were turned in and tallied, and the winners were announced. Much to our surprise, the beer we awarded the gold medal to was...

...Pabst Blue Ribbon?

Yes, you read that right. Hipster beer of choice, PBR. And yes, the other tables booed us.

Now before you begin crying about our how our tastebuds must be malfunctioning, remember that judging is mainly based on specifically defined style points, and the PBR simply met all the criteria, whereas the other beers all had notable detractors.

So read 'em and weep Portland. I love me some locally crafted beer, but there's a blue ribbon on the label for a reason.

Beer Chips & Chicks

...And now, a totally gratuitous shot of the Beer Chips girls, who apparently shop at party outlets for their mylar bodysuits.

The Local Brew DVD Review - The Stone Brewing Company

The Local Brew

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about a show called The Local Brew. Jared Cotton got in touch with me to help spread the word about their new episode. We traded a few emails and got my hands on a copy of their premiere episode featuring Stone Brewing Company. Yeah, I know, not Portland beer related, but they will be filming an episode up here during the summer, so I wanted to help them gain any momentum I could offer. Plus, it would be hard to argue that Stone Brewing isn't doing their share to make the beer world a better place.

Normally, I wouldn't have to state my impartiality, but this is going to be a very positive review. This is not because I got paid to write it (damn!) and I have no affiliation with this company (damn!). The reason that the review is really positive is because the show is that good.

The two aspects that I want to cover about this DVD are content and presentation. These categories do overlap a little, but to me, this is the best way to break this show down. We can measure these areas up to the mission statement on their site:

"In an attempt to put a face on the artistry behind each unique craft brew, we’ve set out to meet the brewers whose passion and skill are setting a new standard for what it means to be a great beer. We'll visit their breweries, hear their stories, and spread the word about craft beer. Along the way, we'll find out what makes local brews local. We'll show viewers new locations (and sometimes familiar ones) through the lens of craft brewing. You can call it an ongoing, purposeful road trip; you can call it passion. One thing is certain: we believe in craft beer."

Let's start with content. The show did a great job of balancing the basic concepts of beer, introducing Stone Brewing, and managing Greg Koch's discourse--all within the 30 minute runtime. When I talked to Jared, he said that they were shopping the show around to get picked up for a television slot. Hence the 30 minute episode. Don't worry, the DVD contains A LOT of extra footage. There some digital cutting room footage, outtakes, and a very cool extra feature called Beer Vs. Wine:

"DVD now includes full episode of the epic Beer vs. Wine dinner at El Bizcocho restaurant, documenting Stone Brewing C.E.O Greg Koch's historic battle on behalf of craft beer against the prevailing popular perception that wine is the only beverage suitable for pairing with fine cuisine."

The show does an intelligent job of knowing what questions to ask and how to ask them. Now, Stone Brewing already has a lot to say. From their CEO to their brewery tour guide, they produce as much information about beer as actual beer. Parsing through the massive amounts of content was probably a lot harder than coming up with content for this episode.

This brings us to presentation. The final show is professional and polished. The delivery of the information is engaging because of the varied mechanisms used to change the pacing and the... Ugh, my tone is getting a bit antiseptic. I think I need a beer.

There we go. [Sound of Stone Russian Imperial Stout Bottle Opening]

Perfect. [Sound of Stone Russian Imperial Stout Pouring]

Much better. [Sound of Stone Russian Imperial Stout Disappearing]

What I mean is, the delivery is not dry and boring. There was a lot of time put into the production and presentation of the DVD. There are many corners that could have been cut to save time and money, but it's obvious from this episode that creativity and quality remained a core value to the creators of the show.

The end result is a great show that gets our stamp of approval. You can get more information and watch the trailer at www.thelocalbrew.com. Buy it for yourself. Buy it for a friend. Do both! It's currently listed at $14.99, and with all of the stuff crammed on the DVD, it's well worth the price.

We're definitely looking forward to their coverage of our scene up here in Portland over the summer. We welcome their perspective on the beer scene here and are happy to have their contribution to the craft brewing industry! Cheers guys, and thanks for the great show!

Portland Beer Tools

Helping you find your perfect beer!

After the redesign of our site, we want to make sure that people are checking out the other areas of our site, and not just the wonderful blog area. Of course, in the blog section, you can find articles, news, events, photos, and almost everything else you need. Almost.

It made sense for us to consolidate a few areas together for the blog, but there are still some great features that exist outside of the blog. For example, did you know that you can print up or save dynamic PDF beer to-do lists, based on our current inventory of 199 beers brewed in Portland? Damn right! 199! In fact, you can customize your lists to include things like: All Pale Ales in Portland, or All Beers from Amnesia Brewing, or All IPAs available at Laurelwood.

Print it up, put it in your pocket, and make a weekend out of it. Check it out in the tools section. Let us know what other tools you'd find handy while exploring Portland's beer scene!

Hopworks Urban Brewery Official Opening Date!

Christian Ettinger, Owner of the HUB

This just in! Official Hopworks Urban Brewery Announcement:

"Hopworks opens for business on Tuesday, March 25th!

Hopworks Urban Brewery is excited to announce that we will be opening our doors on Tuesday, March 25th at 11:00am. Construction is finally complete and the taps are flowing with ten Organic, handcrafted beers.

We look forward to seeing you and your friends at the HUB. Cheers!"

Seriously people, Free Beer in Portland! FREE BEER!

Maybe y'all are drinking too much--maybe not enough. So far, we've had no entries (not a single submission!) to our Ultimate 6-Pack Giveaway. We are literally (not figuratively) giving away free beer. Three $15 gift certificates to Belmont Station. Free. Beer. Now. Check the original post for details.

So, if you live in Portland, or visit, and like free beer (again, free beer), please enter the contest. We get thousands of people to this site every month and for no one to even enter, maybe we were unclear about something. So, just to be clear, what this boils down to is free beer. For you. From us. No strings. No mailing lists. For you mathematicians: this = free beer. This is not a Richard Stallman-esque "free as in speech not as in beer" thing, it's really free beer.

Well, if you didn't get it before, you should get it now. Sorry to be so hostile about this, but who thought it was so hard to give away beer?

Deranger 2008 Release

Pictured here in bottle form, but you can get yours on draft now!

Just a quick note to let you know that Laurelwood has their unbelievable Deranger back on tap. Brewed as an entry for the 2008 World Beer Cup, you can get a local taste before it leaves for world domination. I know it's on tap at the Sandy & 51st location, but it may be available at the others as well. As the end of March nears, we're starting to leave Big Beer Season, so grab these while you can!

2008 Barleywine and Big Beer Tastival Beer List

Previously, I posted my notes and photos on the Barleywine and Big Beer Tastival 2008. I finally got around to typing up the beer list from the event. I know it's a bit late, but at least it's a reference for next year's event.

Barleywines
Brewery	Beer	OG	FG	ABV	IBUs
Anchor	2006 Old Foghorn	-	-	9.4%	-
Anchor	2007 Old Foghorn	-	-	8.2%	-
Anderson Valley	2006 Horn of the Beer	-	-	9.5%	-
Bridgeport	2006 Old Knucklehead	22.6	6.8	8.8%	46.2
Bridgeport	2007 Barrel Aged Old Knucklehead	22.8	4.6	10.0%	57.9
Butte Creek	2006 Train Wreck	-	-	10.6%	-
Butte Creek	2007 Train Wreck	-	-	10.6%	-
Deschutes	2005 Mirror Mirror	22.7	6.1	9.2%	-
Fish	2006 Leviathan	21.0	5.8	8.0%	-
Great Divide	2007 Old Ruffian	-	-	10.2%	90
Lagunitas	2007 Gnarleywine	24.0	6.0	9.8%	69
Laht Neppur	2006 Barleywine	24.0	5.6	10.8%	94
Laurelwood	2007 Bourbon Barrel Old Reliable	22.0	2.5	10.0%	90
Lucky Lab	2002 Old Yeller	24.2	4.2	10.5%	100
Lucky Lab	2005 Old Yeller	25.2	4.5	10.8%	100
Lucky Lab	2007 Super Duper Dog	21.0	3.8	9.0%	100+
Mia and Pia's	2007 Blast Off	-	-	10.5%	-
New Old Lompoc	2005 Old Tavern Rat	26.9	6.8	11.6%	85
New Old Lompoc	2007 Old Tavern Rat	26.7	6.1	10.8%	80
Raccoon Lodge	2005 Barrell Aged Old Yarleywine	23.0	5.0	10.0%	85
Sierra Nevada	2004 Bigfoot	23.0	6.0	9.6%	90
Stone	2006 Old Guardian	25.0	4.5	11.3%	95
Terminal Gravity	2005 Barleywine	27.5	2.8	13.1%	95
Tuck's	2005 Glutius Maximus	23.1	4.1	10.7%	80
Walking Man	2007 Old Stumblefoot	21.8	5.8	10.0%	100
Big Beers
Brewery	Beer	OG	FG	ABV	IBUs
BJ's	2006 Barrell Aged Imperial Stout	22.8	5.3	9.1%	62
Caldera	2005 Russian Imperial Stout	-	-	10.3%	75
Fort George	2007 Sistine Chapel Imperial IPA	22.5	5.6	10.5%	100+
Golden Valley	2007 Barrel Aged Black Panther	20.3	5.6	8.5%	55
Hair of the Dog	2006 Adam	-	-	10.0%	50
Lagunitas	2005 Brown Shugga	23.0	5.0	10.0%	52
Lagunitas	2006 Undercover Shutdown	22.0	4.0	9.9%	63
Pelican	2006 Grand Cru	21.8	4.4	9.5%	24
Rock Bottom	2007 Black Peter Satanic Style	18.7	3.0	8.3%	25
Widmer	2007 KGB Imperial Stout	21.0	5.0	9.0%	70
Bend	2007 Outback X Double Old Ale	20.4	4.5	9.2%	6

The Ultimate 6-Pack Giveaway!

The Ultimate 6-Pack Giveaway!

!!! THIS OFFER IS NOW CLOSED !!!

Yep, free beer. From us, to you. We've got three $15 gift certificates from Belmont Station to give away on our site.

Here's how it works: You win the gift certificate, head down to Belmont Station, choose $15 worth of beer, redeem your gift certificate, and enjoy. At Belmont Station, you can choose from over 1000 beers (yeah, one thousand). You can grab them to go, or sit, kick back, and relax in their cafe with a bottle or one from the tap.

Here's how you win: All you need to do is send us an email. Just answer this question: what would be in your ultimate 6-pack and why? While there is a limitation on our gift certificates, there are no constraints on your selections, so live the fantasy: 6 beers, no limits. Winning answers will be selected by us, published here, and receive the $15 gift certificate. Now, this contest is open to everyone, but it kind of makes more sense if you live here or are planning to visit and can actually redeem this gift. But, hell, if you live in North Dakota and just like winning stuff, we won't disqualify you.

Please submit entries through our contact form on the site. Be sure to include your full name and city of residence. We'll be in touch!

Game on.

!!! THIS OFFER IS NOW CLOSED !!!

The Spirit of Sam Adams

O Hops, Where Art Thou?

All of us beer geeks have done our best to support the local breweries and rage against the brewing titans. Of course, the big boys aren't all evil, but they make an easy scapegoat by passing off their product as beer, dumbing down America with their advertisements, and laughing at us all the way to the bank.

For awhile, Sam Adams has existed somewhere between the big guys and the local microbrewery: while their production numbers are huge, they do put out a lot of beer styles, and I've used them as a stepping stone for people making the transition from swill to Portland micros. And, stone me if you must, their Imperial Pilsner release this year was pretty tasty.

But, the main catalyst for this article is because over the last few years, Sam Adams has also done a great service to the consumer: they've educated. They've spent a lot of time and money talking about what goes into beer, what these ingredients do, and why they're important. Sure, they're selling a lot of beer because of these ads, but whether or not people purchase Sam Adams, they're a little more knowledgeable about beer at the end of the day. And is this entirely a marketing ploy or is it a transparent look into the company?

Maybe I'm a sucker, but I think it's a bit of both. Take their Hop Sharing Program for example. Sam Adams has stepped up and used their enormous hop buying power to give back to the beer community, especially the new upstarts with no hop contracts. This is the same spirit that is alive and well here in Portland among brewers. In fact, it is this spirit that helps our beer community thrive.

There will always be competition among businesses, but competition in this industry is atypical. The goal seems to be more about furthering the beer, not just stuffing profits in your pockets. Of course, a brewery needs profits and customers, but there is a prevailing sense of camaraderie that drives the industry forward. It is present here in Portland, and all the way across the country in Boston.

Barleywine and Big Beer Tastival 2008

Sample list, and some samples.

Well, it was a Saturday afternoon in Portland and unfortunately, I had to go to work. Yep, I had to go down to the Lucky Lab in NW Portland and check out the Barleywine and Big Beer Tastival: drink strong beers, talk to fellow beer lovers, drink strong beers, take some photos, and finally, drink strong beers. How do I even get out of bed in the morning?

This is the first time I'd gone to this event. After going to this one, I can tell you that it won't be my last. With 36+ beers available, there was no lack of choices. And these weren't you average choices. For $1.75 for a 4oz taster, one purple ticket was your key to great beer.

4:00pm crowd on Saturday.

Most of the time, you might see one barleywine pop up on the seasonal list at your favorite Portland Brewery. Many of the breweries around here release one each year, but rarely do the batches run as big as the rest of the seasonals. Since most barleywines require ample cellaring and aging, something as simple as storage space can limit the batch size. Demand also plays a part, as many folks are afraid of these sweet, malty, sometimes estery or fruity, high-octane concoctions. Because of all of these circumstances--unless you're squirreling these few bottle releases at home--the opportunity to compare these beers seldom arises. At this years Tastival, there were plenty of opportunities.

The tasting room.

To the tough-livered barleywine enthusiast, there were many familiar names such as: Old Foghorn, Old Knucklehead, Old Stumblefoot, and Old Yeller. And others that broke with traditional barleywine naming conventions like Bigfoot, Gnarleywine, Mirror Mirror, and Train Wreck. Whatever the name, they all bring a few things to mind: something big, something aged, and something dangerous. Well, these beers were big, with an average ABV percentage in the high 9's. Aging ranged from last year all the way back to 2002! As far as danger, it's dangerous to assume anything about barleywines as a whole. These beverages are a veritable witches brew of ingredients with the more-than-usual malts and hops, but also things like bourbon and oak from the barreling process, vanilla, jasmine, rose, eye of newt. You get the idea.

This event, hosted by the Lucky Labrador Brewing Company, was a success by all measures: great beer, knowledgeable crowd, and a perfect venue. Another tough day at the office.

12 Days of Abyss (Final Installment)

Welcome to the Abyss.

OK. I tried. It was a dare. Actually, it was a bet. But it was a bet without money, and that's pretty much just a dare. The idea was to buy a case of Deschutes' Abyss and drink one a day for 12 days. Simple. Or so it seemed.

In fact, I upped the ante and said, "12 days? I'm not an amateur! I can do this blindfolded by the end of the weekend." It was a Friday. Don't get me wrong, I knew what I was up against. I've had plenty of Imperial Stouts before. I've mixed them with meals, I've mixed them with other beers, and then I've mixed up my words like scrabble squares thrown randomly on the floor where my head was resting. When I called Matt and told him that he was right, that I was not up for this challenge, it came out "wdksjd imperial hsdfkljs iiej jkjdf nksadfn. Know what I'm sayin'?" Or at least that's what the saved voicemail says (Matt, you should probably go ahead and delete that. Seriously).

So, what have I learned? I can't really remember. I do know that The Abyss is worth the hype. It is a superb Imperial Stout that deserves all of the praise in the world. At about $1 for each ABV percentage point per bottle, it's not a cheap session beer (that's about $10 for a 22oz bottle for those of you who haven't been keeping up with the previous articles). That's pretty steep in many circles, but you actually have to look at it more as a bottle of wine when it comes to usage and price. Find a great food pairing, and split a bottle with a friend over dinner. Hell, split it with an enemy over dinner and you'll have a new best friend by the end of the meal.

So that wraps it up. The beer was great. The "12 Days" idea was terrible. Sorry for drinking 12% of the Abyss that made it to Portland. Keep an eye out for my next article entitled: "20 Portland IPAs in 20 Minutes, Bitch". Another bet from another bar...

The Local Brew

The Local Brew

Today, information about beer is on your laptop, on the barstool next to you, and on your television. With the addition of MOJO's Three Sheets series, it's even in HD (though not exclusively about beer). OPB also threw it's hat into the ring last year by airing Oregon Experience's Beervana.

Now on the scene is The Local Brew. Their latest show covers Stone Brewing in California. From the previews on their site, the show looks very polished from a production stand point and very knowledgeable on the beer side. It looks like they have a lot of fun at what they do--and ask the right questions while they're at it. The site states that they'll be in Seattle in August and Portland in July, probably to cover a bit of the Brewers festival. I'm not sure what they're covering out here, but you can submit suggestions on their site, or go ahead and comment here. I've been in touch with one of the show's creators, so I'll pass the info along. Currently, you can order the show on DVD and the creators are working to pitch the show to networks. The obvious problem is trying to sell a show to networks against the money of global players like Budweiser and Coors, whose money funds a lot of programming at many networks. Direct sales always help, so check out what they're offering at their site.

I'll do a full review of the show once I receive my copy in the mail, so I'll quit here. I just wanted to let you know about this new resource. The only thing left is figuring out what beer to pair with this show...

Eugene Invades Portland

OK, it might not be Portland beer related, but it's about beer. And it's still within the Oregon border. Ninkasi Brewing beers from Eugene have been available in Portland for awhile, but until now, just on draft. Three styles are now available in bottles over at Belmont Station.

I don't want to repeat too much of what's said over at Belmont Station's blog, but I would like to say that if you pass up any Ninkasi beers when you see them around town, pack up your bags and get out of this city immediately! You don't belong here. These beers are superb examples of aggressive northwest ales. Find one. Drink it. Find another.

If you're reading this, and you're the mayor of Eugene, get in touch. We've got the power to make Eugene an honorary Portland district in celebration of Ninkasi's success.

We Need Street Workers!

No not street walkers--get your head out of the gutter. We need people to report back from their local watering hole and let us know what's on tap. You know, feet on the street. We currently need 4 out of the 5 quadrants in Portland covered: N, NW, SW, and SE. So, If you're in one of those areas and frequent one of the breweries there, please let us know so that we can enroll you in our street walker, er, worker program--now my head's in the gutter.

With all of the seasonal beers released in this city, it's been very hard for us to keep track, so please help out. Just send your name and the breweries you'd like to cover to taplist__at__portlandbeer.org and we'll let you know how you can help. It'll be as simple as sending us an email once a week or so. Can't promise you'll get rich from it, but we'll put your mugshot on the site.

Cheers!