Pints And Steins

Editor’s note: November 29, 2015 is the first day of Advent. Likewise, I’m going to be posting a beer review each day. Some will be Christmas or Winter ales and other selections will be beers I’ve been wanting to try for some time.

To kick things off for this year’s first Advent beer, I’m going with a local choice: Wassail from Full Sail Brewing in Hood River, Oregon. This particular winter warmer has been brewed by Full Sail (a brewery I’ve visited multiple times and enjoy every single time) every autumn since 1988.

How does it taste?

Full Sail Wassail is as hoppy as it is malty.

When you pour Wassail, you’re impressed by its brownish mahogany color that looks fantastic in your pint glass. There’s no head at all, suggesting mild carbonation and a smooth overall taste profile.

When you drink Wassail, you first taste the four different malts Full Sail selects each year. This brew has a body that is rich and warm on the tongue. Then, the hops kick in giving you a nice bitter aftertaste that perfectly balances the nutty chocolate malts. The beer is a perfect beer to kick off my Advent Beer series because it sets the tone for a perfect example of what a dark winter ale should be.

To me, this beer has a light maple syrup like sweetness. It’s tasted but not overly impactful. The hoppy finish provides a perfect ending to a perfect beer.

Should you buy it?

Without a doubt. Pick up this beer. It will not disappoint.

We’ve all been there. We’re looking at a new beer in the store, wondering whether or not the brew in hand is good, bad, or somewhere in between. I use an app called Untappd to see what my friends say about particular beers. Well, there’s a new player in town called Letsee that is trying to make beer analysis even easier.

The app uses augmented reality give the user instant information on a bottled beer in your position. Simply hold up your phone’s camera and you’ll see an on-screen analysis including basic description, alcohol percentage, country of origin and user review hashtags such as #tasty or #hoppy.

Letsee Beer comes from Letsee and uses your phone’s camera to scan the labels and shapes of beer bottles and cans.

What’s great about Letsee, at least, looking at the web coverage, is the ease of use and quickness of the app in giving useful information with little user interaction.

Being quoted in TechInAsia, founder Ahn Sangchul says:

“By using the more intuitive AR interface, the users will be able to focus on the user-created content itself instead of getting distracted by cumbersome app interfaces. People may enjoy sharing their drinking experiences with others using our service, and we hope to encourage them to love beer even more.”

Letsee Beer is available for iOS and Android

Source: TechInAsia

Those who know me know that I love Bend. It’s a great town with great people and amazing beer. I recently visited Crux Fermentation Project in Bend, Oregon.

It’s one of the newer breweries in Bend and has been open for less than one year. Located near the Bend Parkway, west of the Old Mill District, Crux is a cool, cool building with its steel industrial look. The menu features about 15 beers of what’s on tap and also some amazing food items that are eclectic.

Outside there’s a great outdoor fireplace area with a covered fire and an area to enjoy a brew in the winter cold. My wife and I enjoyed the stout that was on tap and I though it was a smooth, malty and perfect.

It leaves the perfect balance of malt and hops to keep you refreshed on a cold winter day.

Check out Crux Fermentation Project for great beers (they even have guest taps), amazing food and fun people watching.

Kids, dogs, and beer lovers having a good time at our tasting room. pic.twitter.com/gQBC4QFvvl

— Crux Fermentation Project (@cruxbrew) September 30, 2015

Zwickelmania is an annual brewery tour that beer afficianados in Portland have known for years. It’s an open house of sorts for participating breweries that want to welcome new fans and bring old ones into the doors.

This year is special because, thanks to the efforts of Matt Killikelly, it’s the first year Salem breweries will be featured in the festival!

That’s right, this year with Gilgamesh, McMenamins Thompson Brewery, Pale Horse, the Ram, and Santiam Brewing are all participating. Also, there’s a shuttle that will go from brewery to brewery..and here’s the schedule:

Shuttle Bus Schedule

Pale Horse Brewing: 2359 Hyacinth Street NE, Salem 97301 First Bus leases 11:15, 12:50, 2:25, 4:00, 5:35, Last Stop 7:10

McMenamin’s Thompson Brewery: 3575 Liberty Rd S, Salem,  97302 11:40, 1:15, 2:50, 4:25, 6:00

Gilgamesh Brewing: 2065 SE Madrona Ave., Salem 97302 11:55, 1:30, 3:05, 4:40, 6:15

Santiam Brewing: 2544 SE 19th St SE, Salem 97302 12:10, 1:45, 3:20, 4:55, 6:30,

Ram Restaurant & Brewery: 515 12th St SE, Salem 97301 12:25, 2:00, 3:35, 510, 6:45. Bus stop will be in the West lot on the brewery side of the creek.

Parking options:
A large gravel lot directly next to Pale Horse Brewing is being graciously provided by NATHAN LEVIN PROPERTIES; please park there. Parking is also available at all other locations please obey no parking signs.

Are you going to be participating this year?  If so – please let me know how it goes!

Rye’m or Treason

There’s a very special project at 10Barrel Brewing in Bend, Oregon called the Small Tank Project. These very small batch beers are typically done on a special basis, probably like an R&D project, I’d imagine.

While at Newport Market in Bend recently, I came across a beer called Rye’m or Treason, the latest product to come out of the Small Tank Product. This Imperial Red Ale is the brainchild of a fellow by the name Bobby Jackson – production brewer at 10Barrel and in charge of the barrel program.

According to Jackson, Rye’m or Treason is a play off of Super Fly Rye that they ‘imperialized’ (I’m not sure what that means – if you do, please leave a comment below!). The beer is aged in whiskey barrels from a distiller in Park City, Utah.

Each bottle of Rye’m or Treason comes hand-dipped in wax, so the minute you go to pop the top on this brew, you’e in for a treat.  This rare ale comes in at around 60 IBUs and is about 11% ABV.

Rye’m or Treason pours a special copper red color and has a creamy beige head.  To your nose, you can smell the fresh oak and hints of vanilla.

Unlike any beer I’ve ever had – it’s big, bold and very, very interesting.  Being aged in rye whiskey barrels, it’s very flavorful but not overwhelming. I can taste a lot of different hints of earthy hops, whisky, fruit and an amazing barley-focused finish.

I must say, this is the best beer I’ve ever experienced.  It’s flavorful and leaves you feeling like you’ve just gone on a journey guided by an experienced ale artisan.

Go find this beer today!

I’m a huge fan of Three Creeks Brewing in Sisters, Oregon. As I frequently travel from Salem, Oregon to Bend, Oregon, I go past Three Creeks a lot. I’ve tried a few of their creations in the past, including Knotty Blonde.

Hodag

Today’s beer is a special one – in honor of Hoodoo Ski Area’s 75th anniversary, the team at Three Creeks Brewery have created a special limited edition brew called Hodag Cascadian Dark Ale, which is a Black IPA.

Weighing in at 6.2% alcohol, Hodag is described this way:

Three Creeks head brewer says the Hodag CDA is 6.4% ABV and pours near black in color, while featuring the generous hopping of an IPA. Munich and Crystal Malt provide a solid Malt backbone while Midnight Wheat and German Caraffa malts stain the beer black in color. Hopped with Bravo, Crystal and Columbus hops, Hodag has a nice piney hop aroma while the flavor balances hints of roast with citrus and mint hop flavors all rounded out by a dry finish.

When I pour Hodag, it’s black in the glass – as black as the night. There’s a decent lacing around the rim of my glass and it leaves a medium beige head. The hoppy flavor is apparent at first sip until the intense malty smoothness kicks in. There’s an amazing balance of the hop intensity and roast malt flavor.

Overall, this is a very smooth beer with lush flavor and excellent aroma. This is the perfect example of a cascadian dark ale, a beer style I’ve become a huge fan of in recent months.

What’s your favorite cascadian dark ale so far?

In this edition of fresh hop ale news, let’s take a look at the king of fresh hop pale ales – Fresh Hop Pale Ale from Deschutes Brewing.

For those unaware, Hop Trip ale is brewed in Bend, Oregon – after the crew comes to Salem, Oregon and handpicks the choice hops they want.  Then, the hops are trucked in a Uhaul back to Bend and boiled immediately.  The result is a succulent pale ale with a mild taste and bold fresh hop taste- sans the bitterness of a traditionally ‘hoppy’ ale.

I enjoyed Hop Trip in the best way possible – directly from the keg.

Upon your first pour, you’ll see how clear the pale ale is, with hardly any lacing on the glass. Your nose immediately picks up on the citrusy, floral hops. When you sip the beer you notice a sweet almost fruity-flavor that are complimented by pale malts.  This beer isn’t overly-carbonated and it’s very easy-drinking.

Honestly, after Chasin’ Freshies, I was hoping for more of a punchy hop taste. However, Hop Trip is a nicer, lighter version that will likely have  a broad appeal.  For example, my wife, who doesn’t like very bitter beers, thought Hop Trip was just right.

What are your thoughts on Hop Trip this year?  It’s available from now until December, according to Deschutes Brewery.

Deschutes Brewing knows their stuff when it comes to fresh hop beers – in fact, last year they had the most amazing event where they debuted 5 different fresh hop editions of their best beers.

This year, the company is bottling two fresh hop beers, the always great Hop Trip Ale and a brand new one called Chasin’ Freshies, which is an IPA, not just a straight pale ale.

Weighing in at 7.2% ABV and a very low 60 IBU, this beer features fresh hops that are rushed from Goschie Farms (from just outside Salem, Oregon) to Bend. According to the site, this special type of Cascase hops is an heirloom strain, from one field, restored from the original rhizome developed at Oregon State University so many years ago.

As you pour Chasin’ Freshies, it’s astounding at how clear this IPA is..as most IPAs are copper in color. This beer is simple, crisp and clean – and displays the hops so well. Most IPAs (especially here in the Norhtwest) are a little heavy and way bitter. This is a clean and smooth IPA that just lets the hops glide onto your tongue.

I’ve had 3 fresh hop beers so far this year, and Chasin’ Freshies is by far the best.

So, how does it taste, it’s bright, fresh and utterly amazing. The hops taste of a citrus quality with a little tropical hint as well. The beer is quite fragrant to the nose. Like Jon says, it’s “super drinkable with a simple but clean malted-rich cracker malt base”.

Head down to your favorite pub or bottle shop and pick up some Freshies today.

What’s on tap around you?  What’s the latest brew available at your favorite local bar?

There’ a favorite service of mine called Taplister that’s been around for a few years. For beer lovers, Taplister is a website and mobile app available for iPhone and Android (there’s no Windows Phone app – I’m trying to change that) that lets you either search for a specific beer around you and also shows you what’s on tap at the tavern or pub in your area.

Here in Salem, Oregon, we have a few establishments such as Raen Brew and Venti’s that rotates taps constantly. In this case, Taplister shows me what’s on tap as the database is constantly updated by personnel at these brew establishments.

Taplister has been around since 2009 and I know the CEO – Kerry Finsand. Earler this year Kerry went through Upstart Labs in Portland and has re-launched the service with new emphasis on monetizing the service, which before was a side project for Finsand and the others involved with Taplister.

If you are the proprietor of fine craft brews, such as a restaurant, bar or tavern, using Taplister means you have visibility on the web in a very active beer community. By keeping Taplister up-to-date, beer consumers know what’s on tap and available at your establishment.  Access to Taplister for businesses is $99/month.  Here’s Techcrunch’s perspective:

And for bars and breweries, Taplister should provide a relatively easy way to update their menu via Web browser, telling customers about exactly what they have in stock. (That can be particularly important if you’re a small brewery without much of a marketing budget.) That information will be available in Taplister, but it can also be shared on Facebook and Twitter, and even through something that the company is calling a Digital Beer Board — a digital menu meant to be displayed in the store on an HDTV or 1080 pixel display.

Also, Meet the Startup recently profiled Kerry Finsand in an interview:

For a few of my favorite taplister links of awesome Salem beer bars, see:

• Venti’s Cafe and Taphouse
• Venti’s Cafe in downtown Salem
• Raen Brew

I’m lucky enough to live in the the heart of Hop Valley, Oregon, also known as the Willamette Valley. In my area, we grow some good hops. They’re so good, that brewers all over the state scramble each September when the hops are fresh and in season. They come over, pick hops and make ‘fresh hop’ ales that are in season from late September to November, depending on the harvest.

Today’s beer spotlight is on a brand new brewery in Salem, Oregon called Santiam Brewing. Santiam is a collaboration of homebrewers who call Salem home and met through a local homebrew club.

Located in Salem’s industrial area, Santiam Brewing has been growing and growing ever since its debut a few short months ago. I’ve heard really good things about their beer from those whose opinion I trust, so I was anxious to try their one of their brews.

I purchased a growler of Santiam Fresh Hop Pale Ale from Venti’s in downtown Salem.

Weighing in at around 40 IBUs and at around 7.0% ABV, this pale ale is an American style ale with hops “straight from the field to the kettle”.

At first pour, this is a very clear, traditional pale ale. However, when this ale meets your mouth, the taste of flavorful, herbal and floral hops balanced by a clean caramel body take over. Smooth is an adjective that can easily be applied to this beautiful seasonal ale.

Santiam Brewing Fresh Hop Pale Ale is a crowd favorite and is a fnatastic ale to accompany your autumn events.