Blog Category: Beer Release

In my last post (Beer: Don’t Describe it, Drink it.) I discussed how beer brings people together and helps build community. When drinking any one of the many craft beers available, one quickly learns there is more in a beer than just flavor. Widmer Brothers Brewing knows this too. I was invited to a private Widmer Brothers Brewing tasting held at BEER on Monday, April 15th. I was rather reluctant. Expecting a panel of judges,... Read More »

Columbia River Brewing 1728 NE 40th Ave Portland, OR War Elephant Double IPA from Columbia River Brewing weighs in at 8.5% ABV, making it a "lighter" alternative to some of the 10 percent monsters out there. This means that the beer can still be somewhat delicate since it doesn't have to pull off a crazy balancing with a full ton of malt and hops that can make some beers of this style fall apart. This... Read More »

Taproom/Milwaukie Hours Mon-Fri: 3-7:30ish Sat: 12-6:30ish On Saturday, January 25th, five members of the Portlandbeer.org team gathered at Base Camp Brewing in SE Portland for a quarterly-ish meeting of the beer minds. The discussion turned toward the upcoming grand opening of the Breakside Taproom in Milwaukie, OR. I was alone in groaning that I’d never had a good beer from Breakside. (Yes, there were audible gasps from my four compatriots.) So, of course, as with... Read More »

This is a great IPA from Hopworks! I'm sipping the one pictured above as I type. Despite the IBUs at 80, the finish on this is not overly bitter, allowing the lush fruit flavors from the hops shine through. With wheat in the malt bill, the mouthfeel is silky. On tap this year, it was remarkable. This bottled version comes in a notch lower at fantastic—only because the hops are bit more muted in both the aroma and the... Read More »

Lompoc Holiday Beer Extravaganza November 27th, 4p-10p Lompoc Sidebar 3901a N. Williams Ave Brewers Bryan Keilty, Irena Bierzynski and Josh Merrick have been hard at work to stuff your stockings with seven holiday seasonals! On Tuesday November 27th, these beers will be available at the Sidebar at the annual Lompoc Holiday Beer Extravaganza. Complimentary appetizers and sampler trays will be ready for consumption starting at 4pm. Last week, some of the local beer media were... Read More »

Base Camp Brewing 930 SE Oak St., Portland, OR 97214 Facebook / Twitter Beer List » Out now in aluminum 22 ounce bottlecans and on draft is Base Camp's flagship beer: In-Tents India Pale Lager (IPL). In the previous article, I quickly talked about the oddly classified beers of Base Camp. The five beers I tried at their grand opening were solid, well-thought out, and covered a fairly wide spectrum of styles. My favorite is... Read More »

“As we head into fall and winter, our brewers start thinking about rich, complex beers that warm from within,” said Rob Widmer Halloween seems to be the tipping point around Portland when the rain becomes constant and the colder temperatures start to creep in. Beer drinkers in the Northwest also welcome in the maltier, more warming winter brews from Portland breweries. Widmer Brothers Brewing is no exception as you'll see four new releases from them... Read More »

As many times as I give Otto treats and take photos of him, he now thinks that the camera is the treat dispenser. Case in point: brush off the table, set up the camera, get the bottle. Once I walk to the camera to take the shot, he's on the table looking for handouts. Oh well, you can barely see him. As do most of you, Otto wants to be around as many fresh hop... Read More »

Double Mountain Brewery is going to make sure that you leave with some bottled fresh hop goodness when you leave this year's Hood River Hops Fest. You can get your hands on these two beers starting at 11:00am on Saturday September 29th. Since fresh hop beers are meant to be consumed as, well fresh as possible, these are a limited run and are only available at the Hood River taproom. These new bottles join the... Read More »

Jubelale hits the shelves for the 25th year this October. Deschutes Brewery is now covering 16 US states, so those of us lucky enough to get this will see it in bottles and on draft through December. As usual, the artwork for the bottle is fantastic. In fact, this year's artwork is a design comprised solely of previous years label art through collaging bits and pieces together to form an entirely new piece. Bend Artist Kaycee Anseth Townsend said,... Read More »

"We've been brewing OKTO Festival Ale for 26 years, and there is a reason that it’s a seasonal favorite: it’s the perfect beer for the transition from summer to fall," said Rob Widmer This week's Fermented Photo subject comes from Widmer Brothers Brewing: Okto Festival Ale in the 2012 Widmer Brothers Oktoberfest stein. Okto Festival Ale is released around Oktoberfest time every year. You'll probably already find it on a few shelves and will stick... Read More »

I'm late on posting this, which by my watch, makes you an hour past release kickoff! Go visit the guys over at the Commons Brewery tonight and get your hands on some Eidolon! From the official press release: The Commons Brewery will be releasing their second beer from the Beetje Series Friday August, 17th at 5:00pm, at the brewery. Eidolon is a sour, barrel aged amber farmhouse brewed with meyer lemon peel, jasmine green tea,... Read More »

The highly touted Figaro is finally here. From the description, it sounds great—and you already know what cascade does with complex barrel aged beers. In fact, Cascade Brewing beers are taking up 8 of the top 20 spots on our Top 20 beer list, as voted by you! It's been a long wait, but Figaro is tapping tonight at 6pm at the weekly Tap It Tuesday event at the Barrel House. Bottles will be available... Read More »

For those of you that know Black Butte Reserve XXIV from Deschutes Brewery, you've probably already got a few in your cellar. For those that don't know this beer, or only treat yourself to one each year, keep reading. The annual Black Butte Reserve beer is one of the most complex beers that leaves Bend Oregon. With its myriad of enticing ingredients, and its high-viscosity body, it almost defies description. Black Butte XXIV is layer upon... Read More »

Another addition to the ever-expanding IPA market segment in Portland, Ice Axe IPA from Mt. Hood Brewing comes down of the mountain in bottles for the first time. However, this beer won't be competing for shelf space in your local Fred Meyer or Safeway. You'll only be able to find this beer at Zupan's Markets and Made in Oregon stores. I recently received a sample of the beer and as you can see in the... Read More »

Summer is here and Widmer Brothers Brewing has a great lineup of beers that reflect the hot, dry season. The only one out of the four beers below that's not in the photo is the Marionberry Hibiscus Gose: it didn't last long enough for the photo shoot. Finally, it turned too hot to drink anything heavier and I broke the rest of these out. If your habits trend toward lighter beers in Summer, definitely check... Read More »

CRB's brewery has a rich history dating back to the Old World Pub & Brewery, which is where Hopworks Owner/Brewer Christian Ettinger cut his teeth. It is hard to believe, but it has been two years since Columbia River Brewing launched in the space most recently occupied by Laurelwood at 1728 NE 40th Avenue in the Hollywood District. To celebrate, CRB is throwing an anniversary party this Saturday July 14th. Although Happy Hour specials will be... Read More »

Tonight's Tap It Tuesday at the Cascade Brewing Barrel House is a preview of their fantastic Kriek: an oak barrel aged sour red ale fermented on cherries. Straight out of the barrel and into the glass, these live tappings are a great piece of the Portland beer scene. While the spectacle of someone from the crowd tapping the barrel can be a fun (and wet) event, surely it's the beer that makes this a great... Read More »

Portland Beer Week Spirit of 77 500 NE Martin Luther King Jr 6p-10p Portland Beer Week kicks off tomorrow at Spirit of 77. Be the first to drink the official 2012 Portland Beer Week beer (India Red Lager collaboration from Hopworks Urban Brewery and Deschutes Brewery), party with Portland brewers, and hang out with Lisa Morrison: MC Beer Goddess! Details are below in the official press release: Portland Beer Week kicks off with the first... Read More »

Normally, when two competing companies get together in America, they're up to no good: dark rooms, whispering, and talks about screwing the consumer. In the beer industry however, the process and outcome is very different. Collage, for example, is a blend of four vastly different beers from two vastly different breweries. Alan Sprints from Portland's Hair of the Dog brewed batches of Adam and Fred at Deschutes brewery in Bend. In turn, Deschutes Brewery crafted... Read More »

Another Tap it Tuesday is upon us, in less than 3 hours! Check out the details from the press release: "Tonight's Tap It Tuesday Live from the Barrel series at 6pm is Cinnamon Quad. This NW style sour ale is a blond quad that was barrel aged with cinnamon and is a blending component used in several projects, including Vlad the Imp Aler. Aromas of cinnamon with a hint of Bourbon are the first to... Read More »

Live Red is tomorrow's Tap It Tuesday release at Cascade Brewing Barrel House. Only a mouthful will tell, but I'm intrigued by the flavor profile below, especially the combination of hazelnut, currants, and bourbon barrel! "This week's Tap It Tuesday at 6pm is Live Red, a NW style sour red ale that was aged for four months in Bourbon barrels. Dark red wine, raisins and red grape skin aromas are noticed up front. Sweet red... Read More »

Just a quick note to congratulate The Commons Brewery for their bronze medal in the French & Belgian-Style Saison category at the 2012 World Beer Cup. Their Urban Farmhouse came in 3rd out of 44 entries. Cheers! Read More »

Kali-Ma Release Burnside Brewing Co. Tuesday May 15th 3pm 701 E. Burnside Portland, OR 97214 UPDATE: There have been some issues surrounding the use of Hindu goddess Kali-Ma on the beer label and in the promotion of the beer. On their Facebook page, Burnside Brewing has been quick to respond: "We at Burnside Brewing Co. aspire to create exceptional craft beer while sustaining an enjoyable, livable workplace for our crew of approximately 20 employees. In... Read More »

We just got some info on tonight's Tap It Tuesday at Cascade Brewing Barrel House: "Tonight we're living large and stepping out with a High Class Blond. Join us at Tap It Tuesday at 6 pm where we'll tap a live keg of a NW style sour blond ale that was barrel aged for a year in French oak. Tart apple, vanillin and soft oak are present upfront. Hints of green apple and sweet green... Read More »

Here is the official information on tonight's Tap It Tuesday at Cascade Brewing Barrel House: "Happy May Day! In honor of this spring holiday, we bring you Beck Blossom at tonight's Tap It Tuesday at 6pm. This live NW style sour ale is a wheat beer that was barrel aged for 12 months before additionally aging on noyaux shells for a week. Sweet notes of orchard blossoms and almond aromas are the first to be... Read More »

Stop by The Commons Brewery this weekend during their tasting room hours on Friday 5-9PM and Saturday 4-9PM to check out the newest bottle-conditioned beer releases. This weekend sees the debut of Flemish Kiss and Urban Farmhouse in bottles. Congrats Commons, keep pushing these out! Read More »

Kill Devil Release Widmer Brothers Brewing Retail Store 929 North Russell St. Saturday, April 28 9 to 11 a.m. When I stumbled upon the beer label for Widmer Brothers' Kill Devil Brown Ale, I was very excited: interesting label, great ingredients, very promising. But, as the saying goes, you can't always judge a beer by it's label. However, if I was going to brew my own dream Imperial Brown Ale, it would probably have an... Read More »

Beer + Rain = PDX. It's the new, new math. While I don't have time to explain all of the intricacies of the equation, your takeaway is the beer part. In this case, The Commons Brewery's Biere de Garde. A trip to the The Commons Brewery taps during their limited tasting room hours will yield an amazing assortment of Belgian inspired beers. You can get them by the glass and even better, a four beer... Read More »

Coming soon is the much anticipated collaboration between Deschutes Brewery and Hair of the Dog Brewing: Collage. This beer answers the question: What would happen if we blended Hair of the Dog's Adam and Fred with Deschutes Brewery's Dissident and Stoic? Oh, and what if we aged everything in a variety of barrels?" Well, I for one am glad that someone asked that question. I'm even more happy that the two great breweries decided to... Read More »

Every Tuesday at 6pm, the Cascade Brewing Barrel House taps a new live barrel of a usually short-lived, one-off beer. What is a "live" beer? It simply means that beer is still active: the yeast and/or bacteria is still changing the profile of the beer as it sits in the barrel. These beers are rolled out of the barrel room and tapped—usually by a lucky patron—at 6pm. They are served at cellar temperature and carbonated... Read More »

The Commons Biere de Garde Release Cheese Bar 6031 SE Belmont Street 6p-9p I shouldn't need to say anything more than "Hey, great beer and great cheese!" But I will. I haven't tried the Biere de Garde yet, but if you know The Commons Brewery like I do, it will be fantastic! Pair this bottle offering with the amazing cheese at Steve Jones' Cheese Bar, and you've got an incredible, yet simple event. Check out... Read More »

I get a lot of email from people asking about gluten-free beer. Honestly, I don't have much experience with it. As someone with absolutely no gluten intolerance, I don't have to be picky about the ingredients in the beer I'm drinking. To different degrees, gluten intolerance can affect about 1 in 125 people in the US and is referred to as celiac disease or celiac sprue. In the beer world, it's hard to escape gluten... Read More »

Hitting shelves beginning April 9th, tasting notes coming soon.  For now, here are the stats: Ingredients Malts: Pale, Roast Barley, Caramel 60L, Midnight Wheat, Chocolate Malt Hops: Alchemy for bittering, Willamette and Cascade for aroma Red raspberries Profile Original Gravity: 21.5 P Apparent Extract: 5 P IBU: 70 ABV: 9.3% Color: 90 SRM Read More »

The "White IPA" style on the label should be a giveaway: this is not your normal IPA. But don't let that scare you: this is an excellent beer. As with every other Deschutes Brewery beer, this ale has gone through many iterations and tests at the Deschutes Proving Grounds (DPG)—aka the Deschutes brewpubs. Deschutes Brewery is not afraid to ask consumers for their opinions on new recipes and they are not afraid to change these... Read More »

The newest addition to the Widmer Brothers 924 Series is the Oatmeal Porter. The 924 Series sits between the brewery's regular releases and their Brothers' Reserve Series. The regular 6 pack releases include the year round and widely known Hefeweizen as well as the Drop Top Amber, Drifter Pale Ale, and the Rotator IPA Series. These beers are the bulk of their portfolio and are seen all across the US. On the high end, Widmer... Read More »

Hood River, Or –  In 2008 Full Sail Brewing created their small batch Brewer’s Share series as an opportunity for each of their individual brewers to express their creations to be shared on tap exclusively in their pub. Since their crew came up with so many great beers, they decided to share a selection of them with beer lovers everywhere. The second beer in the series is "Phil’s Existential Alt," developed by Brewer Phil Roche, and will be released... Read More »

Brotherly Love Bottle Release 750ml bottles, $15 each 1810 SE 10th Ave Saturday March 24th, Noon   Mike Wright, Founding Brewer The day has finally come: The Commons Brewery releases its first bottle conditioned beer! Brotherly Love will be released on Saturday March 24th at the brewery. That's the good news. The bad news? Only 150 of these handcrafted 750ml bottles of this beer will leave the brewery. Well, I guess it's only bad news... Read More »

Burnside Brewing is releasing Neptune's Wrath today at 3pm. From the official press release: "Packaged in Magnum sized (1.5 litres or 51oz) and limited to only 100 hand numbered green glass bottles with a wraparound label, Neptune's Wrath is expected to cellar well and be a valuable edition to anyone's craft beer collection! Bottles go on sale at the pub opening this Tuesday 2/28 at 3pm for $30."   Read More »

Those of you that came out to my Of Pints and Men beer photography show at Gigantic Gallery, got a sneak peek at Chainbreaker White IPA graciously donated by Deschutes Brewery. In fact, we kicked an entire 13 gallon keg in a matter of a few hours! I'm so proud of us. But playing around with an IPA is a dangerous proposition. It's obvious that we take pride in our huge floral and citrusy IPAs here... Read More »

Black Out Party Lompoc Sidebar 3901A N Williams Ave, Portland, OR 4pm-10pm Lompoc Brewing's Sidebar is having a great event tomorrow night: the Black Out Party! Big, bold, dark beers and a great way to see the influences of different types of coffee on the same base beer. Compare Ristretto Roasters' Beaumont Blend, Peruvian proprietary roast, and El Salvadorian proprietary roast. Check out the official press release: Come to the Dark Side tomorrow from 4 to 10 pm at Sidebar... Read More »

The label says Spring 2012 and I might be more excited about this beer than I am about the Spring season itself. American Brown Ales should be big on chocolate, caramel, and well-roasted malts, creating a medium to high viscosity sweet body, balanced out by some nice hop bitterness. Gentle aroma and flavor hops can be used by professionals of balance, but these can often muddle what should be a clear malt showcase. Well, that's... Read More »

Rob Widmer, talking about the upcoming releases from Widmer Brothers Brewing: W'12 Dark Saison and the Rotator Series Spiced IPA. I've seen the Dark Saison on store shelves already, but the new Spiced IPA hasn't displaced the current delicious Rotator Series O'Ryely quite yet. Both beers are quite unique. The Dark Saison lives up to it's name, showcasing the Belgian yeast strain, while finishing long and sweet from the caramel and dark chocolate malt. The... Read More »

Fantasia from Upright Brewing answers the age old question: What is craft brewing? Craft beer is not defined by market segments, budgets, or campaigns. Forget the ideas surrounding the size of the brewery or the barrel production numbers and boil it down to the simple, yet often overlooked concept of "what if". Craft beer is created by carefully executing an idea—and creative brewers will come up with equally creative ideas. Throw quality ingredients and patience... Read More »

“You will find no cloying, mouth-puckering bitterness here. In its place is a straight-up, succulent, citrus punch to the nose.” Brewer John Abraham Traditionally, a Northwest Style Pale Ale is very hoppy: big floral aroma, huge citrus taste, and a giant bitter backbone. Deschutes Brewery has bucked that tradition with their version of the Northwest Pale ale, Red Chair. Now this beer is still hoppy, but retains none of the bitterness usually associated with this... Read More »

Happy Holidays to all of Portland from Hopworks Urban Brewery! Big releases this week including one of the standouts at this year's Holiday Ale Festival: Kentucky Christmas (on Thursday). Today from the brewery is a double header of their Noggin' Floggin' Barleywine. As of noon, you can stop in and do a side-by-side comparison of the vintage 2009 version against the 2010 bourbon barrel aged version. Tuesday's Imperial Stout sounds great as well, so you... Read More »

What happens if you say Skookumchuck three times quickly? Unfortunately, nothing. Though people will look at you. And you'll be wasting time. Instead, you should be heading down to Belmont Station between 5pm and 8pm tonight to get your hands on a very limited quantity of Skookumchuck Wild Ale from Oakshire Brewing. Belmont Station has a few cases of Skookumchuck 750ml for sale at $19.99 each along with Skookumchuck, Hellshire II, and Ill Tempered Gnome... Read More »

Still thirsty after the Holiday Ale Festival? You're in luck: Amnesia [map] is throwing their Winter Ale Fest this Saturday (December 10th) from noon until 10pm. They will have Frosty's Revenge and SleighJerker as usual along with aged versions including a Frosty's aged on Cognac infused French oak. They are also releasing a new strong milk stout made with flaked oats and lactose sugar called The Milk of Amnesia and we'll be tapping a ferkin... Read More »

Holiday Beer Release Party Lompoc Sidebar Tuesday, Nov. 29th 4pm-9pm 3901 N Williams Ave. One of the perks of covering the Portland beer scene—as you might expect—are the media previews that we get to attend: beer, food, stories, history, beer stats, media handouts, and a lot of great people. One Tuesday night, we all gathered at Lompoc's Sidebar to sample Lompoc Brewing's ten seasonal releases. Uh, yep, ten. In fact, when these are released to... Read More »

Nov. 15, 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. Deschutes Brewery Portland Public House 210 NW 11th Ave., Portland (503) 296-4906 We promised details, and he they are!  You'll see me there for a four year vertical.  If you haven't had the willpower to store away bottles for the last three years, this will be your only chance to try all four years side by side. From the official press release: 2011 marks the sixth release of... Read More »

Sorry for the cell-phone-nature of this photo, but I had limited time due to things like being required to drink a (different) vertical of beer, write about it, and photograph the process. Oh, the horror! I know, there could be worse ways to spend my time. Regardless of how I spend my time, free time can be very scarce. Unfortunately, you are the ones that have to pay the price by being subjected to that... Read More »

Fresh hop beers are meant to be consumed as fresh as possible, keeping the floral and spice characters from receding into oblivion. This year, Deschutes Brewery's Hop Trip is on the shelves in six packs. Get 'em now and enjoy some of the last bits of the lost Northwest summer! Read More »

Oakshire Brewing Company Hellshire II Release Party November 12th, 12-4pm Feel free to file this post under "Not Soon Enough."  Brewmaster Matt Van Wyk at Oakshire Brewing has announced the second beer in their Hellshire reserve series beers. Last May, Oakshire debuted Hellshire I, an amazing bourbon barrel aged barleywine.  With that release, we saw about 1, maybe 2 cases of this beer hit each of your favorite Portland beer retailers.  It.  Was. Scarce. Hellshire II,... Read More »

Just in from Cascade Brewing (kicking off in about an hour so I'm just passing this straight through from the official press release): Tonight's Tap It Tuesday at 6 pm is "LIVE: Elderberry II." This live barrel of NW-style sour red ale was initially aged for 14 months in French oak wine barrels, then additionally aged on elderberries for five months. Sharp dark port, raisins, black currants and hints of red peppercorns greet you in the nose.... Read More »

Tomorrow night, LOLA (Ladies of Lagers and Ales)  will be releasing it's latest creation at the Lucky Lab Quimby Beer Hall.  Coinciding with the LOLA release, the Lab will also be releasing two fresh hop beers!  Check uot the details below in the official press release: Lolatoberfest Release Party Tuesday, Oct. 4th, 4pm The Lucky Labrador 1945 NW Quimby Street LOLA will be celebrating the release of Lolatoberfest at the Lucky Lab Beer Hall (1945 NW Quimby) on Tuesday October 4th, 2011 starting... Read More »

Lompoc Sidebar Friday, Sept. 30th 4pm-11pm 3901A N Williams Ave Portland, Oregon This Friday at the New Old Lompoc Sidebar, plenty of amazing beers will be pouring. Of course, the headliner is Monster Mash Imperial Porter which will be pouring on draft and available in bottles. Weighing in a 8.1% ABV, the beer is not one of those boozy, overpowering imperial style beers. Instead, the focus of this beer is the balance of all of... Read More »

Details about this year's Jubelale are starting to leaking out, even thought the beer won't hit the shelves until October.  Jubelale rears it's beautiful head around Oregon in many shapes and sizes around Oregon throughout the year.  A few weeks back, Tonip Lebuj (Jubelale aged in Pinot Barrels) was on tap at the Portland Pub.  Two weeks ago, bottles of Jubel 2010 (the Once in a Decade Reserve Series version)  mysteriously reappeared in Portland. Vintages of this... Read More »

A shot of the three Block 15 beers in my cellar. I have two of each of these left, but they are so good, and my will power, well, not so good. Try as I might, I don't see any of these lasting past our annual New Year's Day tasting. Left to Right: Figgy Pudding, Pappy's Dark, Ferme de la Ville. As previously mentioned, Block 15 is worth the trip to Corvallis.  Fantastic range of... Read More »

Let's start this off by admitting that I know very little about the Belgian Quadrupel style.  I've had several versions, La Trappe Quadrupel, St. Bernardus Abt 12, Trappistes Rochefort 10, Allagash Grand Cru, and so forth. However, compared to the amount of Portland and Oregon based beer that I have to drink for this site, the numbers are very small. There are very few Quadrupel style ales brewed in the Portland and even fewer bottled.... Read More »

The Stoic Read More »

Sometimes an event announcement comes out and I want to keep it all to myself.  It literally hurts me to post it.  The fact is, the more of you that show up, the less beer I get.  It's simple math. This Friday at Beermongers is no exception.  Nick Arzner from Block 15 Brewing in Corvallis is coming up to Portland with several cases of his latest bottle creation: La Ferme de la Ville.  Last year, I... Read More »

Not that you need a reason, or in this case several, to go to the Cascade Brewing Barrel House, but below you'll find several convincing incentives to stop by this week. For four days, there will be a special bar opening up on the production side of the facility (from 3pm to 10pm), serving new, rare, and vintage beers. You'll see some never-before-tasted editions along with some old favorites. Just check out the details below... Read More »

Come out and celebrate the first public beer release from the Ladies of Lagers & Ales tonight at the Lucky Lab Northwest location.  The party kicks off at 4:30pm and goes through 9:30pm.  From the Release Party Facebook page: Join LOLA and the Lucky Labrador Beer Hall for the release of the LOLA Kolsch! This brew is a first for the Ladies of Lagers and Ales (LOLA) crew with no less than a dozen women... Read More »

Hood River, Or – Oregon’s Cascade Mountains are named for the multitudes of cascading waters that rush from their glacial peaks. Oregon’s rushing rivers, cascading streams and thundering waterfalls all flow through the deep forests and rolling foothills. It is from these epic elevations that every batch of Full Sail beer sources its water. Full Sail’s new Brewmaster Reserve release, Elevation Imperial IPA, is brewed to celebrate these snow-capped mountains and their bounty of pristine, crystal clear... Read More »

25 April 2011 - Bend, Oregon– Deschutes Brewery and Boulevard Brewing Company today announced that they will release two versions of a new collaboration beer later this summer. The style, which is described by brewmasters Steven Pauwels of Boulevard and Larry Sidor of Deschutes as a White I.P.A., combines Boulevard’s expertise in making Belgian-style witbiers with Deschutes' mastery in brewing hop-forward ales. The ale will be made at both breweries and released simultaneously throughout each... Read More »

Looking for something new on the shelves? Here are a few releases that will be hitting the stores, well, sometime. While not new to draft lines, this is the first year that Hopworks' Galactic Imperial Red is being bottled. Draft description: "Our Galactic Imperial Red boldly goes where no Red has gone before. We gave it all the Centennial and Cascade hops we've got to bring the floral and citrus flavor and aroma to Warp... Read More »

PORTLAND, Ore. – May 3, 2011 – BridgePort Brewing Company, Oregon's oldest craft brewery, will release its newest summer seasonal, Summer Squeeze, in bottles on May 16th. Deemed as the perfect lawn-mower beer, Summer Squeeze will bring relief to hot summer evenings through its crisp citrus finish. The new brew has a pale ale base with a twist of lemongrass and the East Asian citrus fruit, yuzu and is currently on tap at the Ale... Read More »

Let's get this out of the way first: You want this beer. Since a very limited amount (i.e., I'm going to punch you in the face to get the last bottle) will make it up to Portland, the best way to get your hands on this is to make it down to the brewery on May 7th at 8am. Not only will you get the chance to purchase a bottle of this superb beer, but... Read More »

From Upright Brewing: Next week on Monday marks the re-release of our Gose bier one of our absolute favorite releases and one that won us a Medal at last years World Beer Cup. Gose is a nearly extinct style of wheat beer from Germany that is brewed with Coriander and Salt and is both light, refreshing, slightly tart and yet has a subtle salt finish that leaves you wanting another. The Grain & Gristle will... Read More »

Widmer Brothers brewing, fresh off a media event about their new outside packaging and branding, are now showing off their insides.  The latest addition to the Brothers' Reserve series is the Galaxy Hopped Barleywine.  "At Widmer Brothers, we're always experimenting with new recipies, and the Brothers' Reserve Series brings some of our most innovative concepts to market," said Rob Widmer.  "We love craft brewing, we love great beer, and our hope is that we're able... Read More »

We can file this under "not-so-portland-but-oh-so-worthy-news".  While our focus here at the site is on Portland beers, there are some breweries like Oakshire down in Eugene that will always be on our radar.  Why?  Well just look what we have here.  Oakshire is not just stepping into the barrel aged beer scene, they're kicking in the doors and stomping forward with this aggressive inaugural release in their new barrel aged beer series.  Oakshire doesn't mind setting... Read More »

Being released at Laurelwood's 10th Anniversary Party, Imperial Workhorse Double IPA should satiate the most aggressive hopheads out there.  There isn't much to say except: I can't wait for this beer.  There will always be a large place in my heart for big, bitter, floral beers and the fact that this brew shares some DNA with my favorite IPA in town, it's already heading straight for the bullseye.  The first sip will tell, but I think I... Read More »

The best brews reflect the delicate balance of art and science. With Full Sail’s latest release in their Limited Edition lager series, LTD 05, artistry takes form in an amber lager- a sophisticated beer that has an elegant maltiness and is superbly balanced. “We brewed this beer as a celebration of lagers, and like the other beers in our LTD series, it allows us to explore a classic lager profile and intertwine our own passion as an American craft brewer. LTD 05,... Read More »

From Block15.com: "Brewed with six malts of Belgian & British origin. Bourbon in color with a very complex and interesting malt profile. Matured in 9 & 10 year old bourbon barrels for 2-4 months. Bright aromas of bourbon, fresh baked bread, caramel, and oak. Velvety texture, rich malt and bourbon flavours with an enticingly warm bourbon finish. 10% alc/vol, 40 IBU’s." Yesterday, we were treated to four stellar beers at the Hop & Vine from... Read More »

Widmer Brothers KGB Russian Imperial Stout. This would be a great addition to their year round lineup.  I found a 12 pack for a little over $12 at Fred Meyer.  Delicious: a strong beer with dark chocolate, coffee, caramel, and licorice flavors. 70 IBUs 9.3 % ABV 21.5 Plato Read More »

Not quite Portland, but then again, not talking about Block 15 would be a great sin of tremendous proportions.   Block 15 from Corvallis Oregon is out of the gate with their first official bottle release of Figgy Pudding. From their website: "Inspired by a 16th century English Christmas cake our Figgy Pudding is brewed with English Pale & Specialty malts & molasses and fermented with London ale yeast.  After fermentation we matured Figgy Pudding... Read More »

Laurelwood's annual limited edition bottle release this year is their extraordinary Green Mammoth Imperial IPA. Weighing in at 10%, you can now pick up these 750ml swing top bottles at their NE 51st location for $15. Other locations may carry these as well, but I got mine at 51st today. From Laurelwood: "This is the Imperial (read big ‘ol) version of our Green Elephant Organic IPA. This beer is all about hops, hops and more... Read More »

Straight on the heels of Deschutes Brewery's release of The Dissident, out comes the Abyss.  With larger quantities than The Dissident, this beer should be a bit easier to find both at the pubs and in stores.  Wait too long though, and it will be gone just the same. Read More »

The Dissident from Deschutes Brewery. Gone as quickly as it appeared, selling out in under three hours at the Portland Pub. Sporadic cases have hit a few stores, good luck! Read More »

PORTLAND, Ore. - Nov. 16, 2010 - The Lompoc brewers have been as busy as elves preparing for the holiday season.  This year, they are releasing eight different holiday beers - including two for Hanukkah. The Lompoc Holiday Beers Release Party will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 30th from 4 to 10 pm at the Lompoc Sidebar, located at 3901 N Williams Ave. next to Pix Patisserie. This year's offerings include Blitzen Golden Ale, Brewdolph Belgian... Read More »

Many things exist on paper before they are fully realized. With the exception of BridgePort's Nightcap (released on November 11th), the labels below represent planned releases from the breweries. No specific dates yet as the press releases have not hit the streets. BridgePort Brewing Nightcap Winter Ale Full Sail Brewing Bump in the Night Cascadian Dark Ale Full Sail Brewing Imperial Porter Widmer Brothers Galaxy Hopped Barleywine Ale Widmer Brothers Nelson Imperial IPA Widmer Brothers... Read More »

Hood River, Oregon – The peaks are covered in fresh snow and the ski and snowboard season has finally arrived. To celebrate the newly fallen snow and the predictions for an epic snowfall year, Full Sail will release a new beer in their Brewer’s Share line up, Powder Stash Pale, brewed by Full Sail’s Pub staff. “It’s an easy drinking, low alcohol, nitro beer so it’ll be smooth and creamy, just like the powder on the mountain,” says Matt Bowers, Full... Read More »

Vlad the Imp Aler (10.3% ABV / 6 IBU): This strong NW sour is a blend of strong blonde quads and tripels aged in oak and Bourbon barrels, then further blended with spiced blondes and left to condition for an additional five months. Click here for a photo of inaugural release cousin Bourbonic Plague. Read More »

Not much on the label, except that we can expect: a 22 oz bottle of hoppy, Imperial IPA, sometime in 2011, IBUs: 80, ABV: 7.5% This should be another great release from John and Phil down at the Portland Waterfront location! I'll have more information when the press releases start dropping, but with 2011 on the label this one is probably at least a few month off. Normally, we don't report on things too far... Read More »

Pacific City, Ore.—The Pelican Pub & Brewery will release its famous Mother of All Storms beer on November 19, which the Pelican is naming “Mother’s Day.” Mother of All Storms, formerly known as The Perfect Storm, has caused quite a stir over the last couple years and has sold out quickly.  Mother of All Storms is produced in an extremely limited quantity and only 240 cases will be produced in 2010.  This year, the only... Read More »

UPDATE: Regarding the release of Cascade Brewing Bourbonic Plague and Vlad the Imp-Aler: due to massive interest in these beers and concerns for quantities, we are limiting the purchase of these two products to six bottles per person, per beer.  Thank you. PORTLAND, ORE. - Oct. 13, 2010 - More than a year after winning gold and silver medals at the 2009 Great American Beer Festival, Cascade Brewing will begin selling 750 ml bottles of... Read More »

Three things that make me think that this release is getting pretty damn close: Tweet from Deschutes today: "The Dissident sure smells good. Having a little tasting session with the brewers to determine the perfect blend for 2010." Label approval (uh, see above) Best After date on label: Usually about a year after release, and we're well into that territory. The last release of this in bottles was in 2008, too long ago.  I was... Read More »

Whether you have plans tonight or not, you may want to change them:  Check out the new details to Upright Brewing's bottle release party tonight.  Along with the relase of their "unnamed strong lager brewed in tribute to the only band that mattered in the 80's brit punk invasion*", you can also look forward to: Tonight, 4:30p-9:00p at Upright Brewing. 240 N. Broadway @ Leftbank Project Suite 2 Portland, OR 97227 (503) 735-5337 Our newest... Read More »

The crystal ball has sent out its predictions again. From big, bold winter releases to a Framboise that's been in the works for nearly two years, these upcoming seasonal releases should help you through the rainy season! Read More »

Portland needs more great year-round Brown Ales. It's an often neglected style here, with many breweries opting for the hoppier Red Ale to fill in the color spectrum of styles. In fact, over at Laurelwood, their Free Range Red has long held the title of being their biggest seller. But this did not dissuade them from creating one of the best Brown Ales in town: Hooligan. Rich, malty, complex, available year-round at the brewery, and... Read More »

Sled Crasher Although summer got a late start this year, we are already peering around the corner to Fall, with some notable releases slated for Widmer Brothers Brewing. While there is no release information on the Sled Crasher label, this beer is classified as a Winter Warmer, so I doubt it will be released until the Fall. This is part of Widmer Brothers Collaborator series. From the Oregon Brew Crew page: "The Collaborator Project is... Read More »

What takes 22 brews and more than a year of experiments to reach perfection? Deschutes Brewery’s newest Bond Street Series release: Hop in the Dark Cascadian Dark Ale (C.D.A.). C.D.A. is a new style of beer that emerged recently in the Pacific Northwest, more widely known as a Black I.P.A. There has been a significant movement and debate in the region to call the style C.D.A., and Deschutes Brewery leads the way with Hop in... Read More »

Widmer Brothers Brewing, based in Portland, Ore., has introduced its new summer seasonal, Sunburn Summer Brew, initiating the unofficial start of summer. “We crafted this beer with summer in mind, wanting to create something perfect for long, hot days,” said Rob Widmer. “It is a crisp and refreshing beer that is an anticipated addition to our seasonal lineup.” Sunburn is a blonde ale with a light caramel body and subtle, refreshing hop aroma. This brew uses Citra... Read More »

Well, you don't have to take my word, last year the GABF bestowed a Gold Medal in the American Style Amber/Red Ale on this beer.  I haven't had this beer since it was out about a year ago and after trying again tonight, I'd have to agree with the GABF.  This beer is an amazing representation of the style.  Now, through a 22 ounce bottle, it'll be easier for you to get your hands on... Read More »

Just got some information from Deschutes about some upcoming beer releases over the next few months.  While Hop in the Dark will be debuting in bottles on the shelves this month, Black Butte XXII will be out at the end of June and The Dissident will be out in September.  More details as the release dates approach and I can get my hands on some.  For now, here's plenty of information so that you can... Read More »

PORTLAND, Ore.  – BridgePort Brewing Company, Oregon's oldest craft brewery is releasing its third generation Stumptown Tart. The new brew is a Belgian Style Framboise infused with 2,000 pounds of Oregon Red Raspberries grown at Willamette Valley Fruit Company in Salem, Ore. This year’s Stumptown Tart varies from years past as it blends an aged oak barrel and a fresh Belgian Tripel. Stumptown Tart is touted as a brew that hits the drinker upfront with... Read More »

So much beer, so little time. I know, I lead a rough life.  Living in Portland and writing about beer is a sweet gig--as long as you don't enjoy being paid for it.  But for each snide comment and bit of sarcasm that comes out of my mouth, everywhere I turn, there's beer, beer, beer: new releases, more events, budding breweries, more bloggers, and new friends in beer.   From startup breweries to those entering... Read More »

Deschutes Brewing has released the next version of their Hop Henge Experimental IPA.  As you'd expect, this monster is big on hops: huge aroma, giant floral taste, and a whopping bitterness to balance out the malt blend.  This is an IPA pushed to the edge of balance supporting  8.75% ABV and 95 IBUs.  For an IPA lover, this is a great creation, and fairly complex rather then just a hop bomb.  Sure, it's a showcase... Read More »