Archive for April, 2010

Review: Seven Brides Brewing Lauren’s Pale Ale

Author: Jason Harris
April 16, 2010

LPA from Seven BridesAfter reviewing a local Salem brewery extensively, I wanted to do the same for another local brewery in Silverton, Oregon called Seven Brides Brewing.  I’m sure your first question is…where did the funny name come from?  Apparently the owners have seven daughters.  These fathers wanted to sell enough beer to pay for each of the girls’ weddings, so as a result, we have Seven Brides Brewing.  For more on the story, see their website.

Today’s beer review is regarding a brew called Lauren’s Pale Ale, also known as LPA.

LPA’s label describes the ale by saying: LPA is our interpretation of the classic British Pale Ale, Amber in color, robust and full flavored.

A variety of caramel malts in part a rich flavor and light amber color, while liberal use of whole Oregon hops adds zest and aroma.  LPA is one of the first beers we brewed and continues to be perennial favorite.

This Pale Ale is very unique.  At first pour, it’s a copper colored ale with an ample amount of foamy head.  The flavor is smooth with noticeably malty overtones.  The hops (said to be ‘liberally used’ from Oregon) balance out this very flavorful ale.  This beer has a bit of a bite at first, with a smooth and tasteful finish.  It’s quite good for a Pale Ale.

I can tell a definite difference between this brew and the ones from Pale Horse Brewing.  The hops in this beer are whole hops, whereas Pale Horse utilizes pelleted hops.  The hoppy flavor of LPA is noticeable when comparing beers from the two breweries.

This brew is a good introduction for me to Seven Brides.  These guys apparently know what they’re doing and LPA shows this.

Review: Red Chair NWPA From Deschutes Brewery

Author: Jason Harris
April 1, 2010

For tonight’s review, I decided to pick up a seasonal from Deschutes Brewery in Bend, Oregon.

Red Chair NWPARed Chair NWPA was named after the oldest operating ski lift at Bend’s local ski mountain, Mt. Bachelor.  To my knowledge, this is the first time Deschutes has decided to bottle this ale that previously was available on a seasonal basis in the pub in downtown Bend.

So, how does it stack up against Deschutes’ other fantastic brews including Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Black Butte Porter, and Inversion IPA?

In a word: it’s fantastic.  Red Chair is a pale ale with an amazing malty taste.  According to the Red Chair website has as much as seven flavors of malt and the taste shows.  The brewmaster(s) balanced the taste out with an amazing caramel essence.

Red Chair NWPA is a bitter-free, fully flavored ale that is sure to impress the most die-hard beer fan.

Give it a try and leave a comment below on how you like it!  I love to hear others’ opinions on beers.