new releases

from deschutes brewery:

 

Red Chair NWPA | Somewhere in between a big IPA and a well balanced Pale Ale, this seasonal, hop-forward Northwest Pale Ale packs a citrus punch. Don’t wait around or you’ll miss the most thrilling ride of the winter. Ride the red chair.   Hop Henge Experimental IPA | Our annual experiment in IBU escalation. New hop processes, experimental hops and boat loads of Millennium, Cascade, Centennial, and Chinook hops result in massive aromas and flavors.

 

The Dissident | Pucker up! This Flanders-style sour brown ale is hardly ordinary. With tart pie cherries and Brettanomyces, this barrel-aged beer is extraordinary. December 12th release.   AltBitter Collaboration with Widmer Brother’s Brewing |  To celebrate Widmer’s 30th Anniversary, they created a beer inspired by two classic favorites: our Bachelor Bitter and their Altbier. Try the 2 barrel-aged component beers and the final AltBitter on December 15th.

from phillips brewing:

December 1st, 2014: Coffee stouts have always held a  special place in our hearts as one of the three original Phillips brews, and this year’s Imperial version–brewed in collaboration with our  friends at 2% Jazz Coffee Co.–is an 8% 650mL double shot! Pouring a deep black earth colour with a medium tan head, this beer is brewed with freshly roasted coffee beans and then finished with a second coffee addition just prior to packaging.  The flavour is a java-laden journey featuring bright coffee aromas and dry roasted flavours accented with hints of dark chocolate.  Methodically crafted with only the best local coffee, this one-eyed Jackal is no wildcard. Available at finer craft-friendly private liquor stores as well as BC Liquor Stores for a limited time only. If you’d like to taste the magic that can happen when you combine roasted coffee beans with malted barley, we’d like to to invite you to pop by the brewery on December 4th from 4-6 for a special draft tasting.

from mt. begbie brewing:

Mt. Begbie Brewing Company Seasonal Release     Mt. Begbie Brewery is located in beautiful Revelstoke, a small town with a rich history, in the heart of British Columbia’s spectacular Columbia mountain range. The company is named after Mt. Begbie, a majestic glacial mountain that dominates the Revelstoke skyline. In turn, the mountain is named after Matthew “Hanging Judge” Begbie, a colourful character from Revelstoke’s early history, who probably would have benefitted from a sip of Mt. Begbie’s soothing ales before rendering his judgements. Read more about the brewery.

BOB’S YOUR DUNKEL                      Limited quantities, only available for Private Stores.   Brewed in the Dunkelweizen tradition, this is a rich, unfiltered wheat beer (Weissbier) loaded with chocolate and Munich malts, that displays the true banana and clove characteristics of a well done dunkel. Sure to warm your winter nights!        Style: Dunkelweizen Alc./Vol: 8.0% 12 x 650ml Price: $5.10 /bottle SKU# 518753

deschutes seasonals

flavours of the season from deschutes:

BLACK BUTTE XXIV

Our 24th Anniversary Release is back in black with a couple of new additions this year including fresh Daglet dates and Mission figs. You’ll still get flavors of dark chocolate and Bourbon roasty goodness but after one sip…you’ll be hooked. Grab a few bottles for aging and one for now! Cheers to 24 years of Deschutes beers!

RESERVE SERIES

11.0% ABV | 55 IBU’s

Availability: Now in 22-oz bottles and draft in limited quantities

 

 

THE DISSIDENT Pucker up, sour fans…it’s time for the return of our favorite Flanders-style brown ale. As our only bottled wild yeast beer, we use fresh tart pie cherries from Oregon and Brettanomyces to give this beer unique flavors and aromas that will have you singing, “Wild Thing” by The Troggs. Snag a bottle while they last and savor the sour! RESERVE SERIES ~10.5% ABV | ~30 IBU’s Availability: Very limited in 22-oz bottles beginning mid-September

HOP TRIP Each year at the beginning of the fall season, Deschutes brewers head over the pass to Doug Weather’s hop fields near Salem, Oregon for the harvest. After bagging these aromatic green cones of awesomeness, we hustle back to toss these hops into the brew kettle within four hours of picking. Our reward: a pale ale with a bright citrus flavor and an amazing floral hop aroma. Take the trip with us, the Hop Trip! BOND STREET SERIES 5.4% ABV | 38 IBU’s Availability: 6-packs and on draft in late September

CHASIN’ FRESHIES The first time in a bottle, this Fresh Hop IPA is perfect for the fall season and packs a citrusy punch! We’re always seeking the freshest powder on the mountain or the freshest hops from the harvest and this beer will quench your desires for both. Fresh Heirloom Cascade Hops from our friends at Goshie Farms are added to the brew for flavor and aroma to delight your taste buds. Be sure to chase this beer down and enjoy as fresh as possible! BOND STREET SERIES 7.2% ABV | 65 IBU’s Availability: 22-oz bottles beginning late-September

things i learned from deschutes

one last post about hopscotch 2010!

i was lucky enough to be given a ticket to attend an invite only seminar on “history of deschutes and what the future holds” which involved getting several tasters of jubilale and hop trip while listening to the very entertaining lance mitchell, marketing manager for deschutes

some of the high points:

the jubilale was intended to run out between christmas and new year’s
but its so popular that it will be sold out by around december 6th
so if you want some for christmas, you’d best be picking it up now!

deschutes was founded in 1988 in bend, oregon
by gary fish, who wanted to serve local foods and local beers to the locals

it wasn’t an easy road getting to where they are today
21 years ago all the beer got contaminated and they had to pour all of it out on christmas day and start over

their new brew system is german
it is 28 feet wide
the road to bend is only 30 feet wide, so they got a police escort

deschutes is one of only two breweries in north america to use whole flower hops (sierra nevada is the other)
using the whole flower hop provides increased aromatics, bitterness, smoothness and balance
they have a climate controlled hop room in which bales of hops wait to be used
this is also known as hop heaven – i wold love to get my sniffer in that room!

deschutes is now the 6th largest brewery in the US
and they aren’t even in all the states yet

they are dedicated to quality beer
they have a sensory room for quality control
anyone who works at deschutes can sign up to be quality control, and one of their most reliable tasters is part of the janitorial staff

the black butte porter is their flagship beer

the cascade ale is going through a change, they’re taking down the alcohol percentage in order to make it a sessionable beer

the jubilale is a winter seasonal that features new artwork each year
(anchor steam’s christmas ale also does this)
the artwork includes labels, packaging and tap handles
they’re new each year, featuring a local artist’s work

deschutes has a brewpub in portland (in the pearl district)
its a 22 barrel system
they have no budget restrictions on research and development
they tried 39 batches of hop in the dark before settling on the recipe
and they used the portland brew pub regulars as the guinea pigs on those batches

much like howe sound, deschutes tries to lower its waste by offering its spent grain to farmers and using some in pizza crusts

coming out in december will be “the abyss”
its a 2x of their obsidian, featuring licorice notes
its 11% and aged in whiskey barrels
the bottle are hand-dipped in wax for a classy look for this seasonal

they have also brewed the “dissident”
12 barrels of sour brown, featuring wild yeast
(good luck finding that anywhere around here!!)

it was a great talk
mitch is incredibly entertaining
and it never hurts to attend a seminar that gives you free samples!
xoxo
the recipe changes yearly too