Archive for September, 2011

Get Thee To Deshcutes For Fresh Hop Beer

Author: Jason Harris
September 27, 2011

Finally, the fresh hop season is upon is. This special time of year comes right as Autumn descends upon our fair State.

Each September, brewers from around the state come to the Willamette Valley to pick hops directly off the vine and boil them immediately into amazing ‘fresh hop’ beers.

This year, Deshcutes Brewing is going all in with special versions of Fresh Hop Mirror Pond Pale, Inversion IPA, Oktoberfest and a few other special ales.

This year is especially unique because Hop Trip will be available in stores as 6-packs as well as the normal 22 oz bottles. Fresh Hop Mirror Pond is available in 22 oz bombers.

So get yourself to a Deschutesutes Pub, in Bend or Portland, today and try out the new ales – you won’t be disappointed!

Review: Frankenlou’s IPA, Seven Brides First IPA

Author: Jason Harris
September 21, 2011

Seven Brides Brewing out of Silverton, Oregon has made a name for themselves in the mid-valley. The passionate group behind the brand has 4 signature brews that are available on a regular basis. I have reviewed Emily’s Ember, which, in short, I would describe as an average amber ale.

In today’s review, I’m taking a look at the Silverton brewery’s first IPA. As the label says, ‘popular demand’ required them to look at making an IPA. In this spirit, they have tried to make it as hoppy as humanly possible. Looking at the label, they invite hop heads to unite.

Quoting the bottle:

Frakenlou’s India Pale Ale. In response to your requests “demands”! we present our first IPA. Our first batch was just 1.5 barrels of this Hop Monster.

Using only the Northwests’s finests hops, and the desire to make a monster IPA, Frakenlou’s was born.

Think of it like this, we use enough hops in each batch if IPA to make three of our other beers!

Frakenlou’s comes in at 7% alcohol and is 10f IBU’s, making this a very bitter beer with some massive hop creds.

To me, when I read the label, I expected this to be a hoppy bitter beer that made me cringe when I took my first sip.  Almost like a DogFish Head 120 Minute IPA. This ale will definitely delight any hop head, but it’s not a pucker up and cringe when you drink it beer. It’s relatively smooth with a bitter finish that leaves you wanting more. It’s a heavy beer when it comes to alcohol content, so you’ll likely want to share it.