Yes, the "Repeal Day" they mention in this press release is a different date from the "Repeal Day" I blogged about in December. The difference is that the April 7th date corresponds to when the prohibition of beer only was repealed—i.e., Prohibition (with a captial P) was partially repealed, with 3.2% alcohol beer, in April, and the full meal deal was December 5th.

But why quibble? Maybe it should be a twice-a-year holiday!

Denver, CO – March 12, 2007 – On April 7, America’s craft brewers will host ‘Brew Year’s Eve’ celebrations recognizing the repeal of prohibition for beer. Flying Dog Brewery will add to the festivities with a special Midnight Tour of their brewery in Denver’s Ballpark Neighborhood on the night of April 6th. Flying Dog’s neighboring bar, the Blake Street Tavern, will also be taking part in the celebration by offering pints of Flying Dog’s “Litter of Ales” for a special price of $2.00.

April 7th was chosen as the date to celebrate ‘Brew Year’s Eve’ because it was on this date in 1933 that newly elected President Roosevelt spurred Congress to modify the Volstead Act, thus allowing the legal consumption of beer of a specific alcohol strength. This was eight months before the December 5 repeal of prohibition for other liquors. Thus ‘Brew Year’s Eve’ celebrates a time when beer was the lone legal libation.

Flying Dog’s Director of Marketing, Neal Stewart, says that a brewery tour is a great way to celebrate beer’s rich history. “Our brewery tours are unique in that we allow consumers to have a very up-close, personal and educational experience and our tours on ‘Brew Year’s Eve will place a special emphasis on the history of brewing,” said Stewart.

“This date is a chance to say that enjoying beer is a legal privilege. On April 7, America’s communities of craft brewers plan to celebrate this and the history of beer in our culture,” said Julia Herz, spokesperson for the Brewer’s Association, the not-for-profit trade association for America’s small brewers.

Both the Flying Dog Brewery and Blake Street Tavern are located at the corner of 24th and Blake, two blocks north of Coors Field in Downtown Denver, CO. Brewery tours will be offered on April 6th at 10:00 p.m., 11:00 p.m., and 12:00 Midnight on April 7th. Space is limited to the first 30 participants and reservations can be made by emailing devon@flyingdogales.com.   For more information, call Flying Dog at 303.292.5027 or log on to www.flyingdogales.com and click on the “events” section.

About Flying Dog

Flying Dog is Denver’s largest brewery and the second largest craft brewery in the state of Colorado. Their award-winning “litter of ales” are available in 45 states. The Brewery is located at 2401 Blake Street, just 2 blocks north of the baseball stadium. Tours are given weekdays at 4pm and Saturdays at 1pm and 3pm. Hunter S. Thompson, the infamous gonzo journalist, had a hand in the brewery’s development, and the beers are easily spotted thanks to Gonzo artist Ralph Steadman, the packaging designer. For more information, log on to www.FlyingDogAles.com.

Nothing heavy here, just a couple of goofy beer links.

First is a YouTube user-made commercial... a parody "beer" called "Buck Light." It's pretty crude. But they're obviously making a statement as to American macro lager...

Second is "32 Things You Can Do with Beer." Fun read, mostly goofy. I mean, clear up brown spots on the lawn? Your mileage may vary.

Brewery Uses a Neighboring Distillery’s Barrels to Put a New Twist on the Popular Gonzo Imperial Porter

Denver, CO – March 20, 2007 – Flying Dog Brewery, Denver’s largest craft brewer has announced the release of their Whiskey Barrel-Aged Gonzo Imperial Porter. The new beer is the latest addition to the brewery’s “Wild Dog” Series, their portfolio of high-gravity experimental beers, exclusively available in 750ml champagne bottles.

This unique version of Flying Dog’s popular Gonzo Imperial Porter was brewed and transferred into charred White American Oak whiskey barrels that the neighboring Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey had aged their product in for two years. After aging in the wood barrels for three months, the Imperial Porter was hand bottled, corked, labeled and conditioned for another six weeks before being shipped. According to Head Brewer Matt Brophy, the resulting taste will “remind you of sweet chocolate, dry oak and smooth whiskey. The barrel’s distinctive characteristics will compliment the Imperial Porter’s already robust, full-bodied flavor.”

Availability of this beer is extremely limited - only 5000 bottles of the Barrel-Aged Gonzo Imperial Porter will be packaged. Of the 5000 bottles available, Flying Dog is also offering 500 Limited Edition Wild Dog Gift Box Sets. Each Gift Box will contain a 750ml bottle of the Whiskey Barrel-Aged Gonzo, a Wild Dog glass, collector’s button and an authentic piece of the wood barrel used in the aging process. “Barrel-aged beer enthusiasts in particular will enjoy the authentic piece of the barrel included in each Wild Dog Gift Box. The wood will still hold the great aromas from the whiskey and beer that aged in it,” said Flying Dog Director of Marketing, Neal Stewart.

The Wild Dog Barrel-Aged Gonzo Imperial Porter is the latest addition to Flying Dog’s “litter of ales” which currently includes nine everyday brands and four seasonals. The Wild Dog Series started in 2004 with the release of a Double Pale Ale then continued with a Weisenbock in 2005 and last year’s Colorado Saison. Flying Dog is planning to release another Wild Dog this coming October.

About Flying Dog

Flying Dog is Denver’s largest brewery and the second largest craft brewery in the state of Colorado. Their award-winning “litter of ales” are available in 45 states. The Brewery is located at 2401 Blake Street, just 2 blocks north of the baseball stadium. Tours are given weekdays at 4pm and Saturdays at 1pm and 3pm. Hunter S. Thompson, the infamous gonzo journalist, had a hand in the brewery’s development, and the beers are easily spotted thanks to Gonzo artist Ralph Steadman, the packaging designer. For information on brewery tours or events, call 303.292.5027 or visit www.FlyingDogAles.com.

Next week, we're going to be in San Diego for spring break, and one of the things I'm looking forward to is hitting some of the breweries they have down there (and writing about them, of course). Time permitting, naturally, so if nothing else, I figure the one brewery I have to visit is Stone Brewing. No question.

The last time we were there, we visited one of the Oggi's and San Diego Brewing. It's not impossible that we won't go back to either one, but if I'm building a wishlist, then here's what I'm thinking we could possibly fit in (aside from Stone, of course):

• AleSmith Brewing
• Ballast Point Brewing
• Lost Abbey/Port Brewing
• And perhaps Coronado Brewing

Most likely there won't be enough time, I'm realistic about that.

I also think it would be fun to find a Dubbel on this trip to review for the next Session. But I've been looking on BeerAdvocate and none of the breweries down there seem to brew any.

Either way, we should have wireless access while we're there, so I may well be writing dispatches from the road, as it were.

I think Lagunitas' The Hairy Eyeball takes a prize for one of the best (strangest?) names for a beer. I know I picked up a six-pack based on the name. Well, that and it's a whopping 9% alcohol by volume. Lagunitas is developing a reputation, like Dogfish Head and Stone Brewing, for extreme beers, I think.

And they're doing a good job of it. Although I would classify this as a barleywine, rather than an "American Strong Ale" as the ratings sites suggest.

Appearance: Mahogany brown with some orange. Clear. Head is a nice tan with hints of orange.

Smell: Cloyingly sweet, warm malt. Hops are overwhelmed, but a bit fruity. Almost a flossy Belgian candy sugar.

Taste: Like an old ale—malty, bitter, dark but not burnt. Overlaying that is the sweet alcohol barleywine character and strong almost peppery hops.

Mouthfeel: Nice, thick chewy body. Warming from the alcohol.

Overall: This packs a punch for sure. Not the best I've had from Lagunitas, but not bad by a long shot, either.

On BeerAdvocate, it scores 88 out of 100 with 99% approval. On RateBeer, it scores 3.65 out of 5 and is in their 91st percentile.

Is this: Beer: The Best Beverage in the World. I pretty much don't care what the content of the article could be, they get a link based on that title alone.

...actually it's for a talk at the Palo Alto Research Center next Thursday, the 22nd. Sounds interesting:

Brewing is the original biotechnology. For 6-8,000 years it has been a delight in the diet, resulting from a tremendously consistent process founded on intricate understanding of the underpinning science. It is an industry that informed all modern day fermentation processes. Beer looks good, it tastes good - and it does you good. This talk will explain all this and much more.

But unless you happen to be near Palo Alto, California next week, it probably won't do you any good. :)

Ah, more notes from the Samuel Adams seasonal gift pack; this time it's their Holiday Porter. With a name like that, you expect something spicy and rich and perhaps fruity, but that's not the case here—they've brewed up a solid, drinkable porter without any foofah and fanfare. At 5.9% alcohol by volume, it's almost a session beer, and just about right for the style.

Appearance: Chocolate tan head. Dark brown, like coffee, opaque-ish with red highlights.

Smell: Coffee, roasted grain, bitter (black) malt, slightly smoky.

Taste: Nice—roasted, dark, rich. Slightly astringent (dry). Burnt coffee.

Mouthfeel: Nice and creamy, with a slight puckering astringency. Lighter than expected.

Overall: Despite the brevity of my notes, I enjoyed it. It's a well-crafted example of the style; I wouldn't mind seeing it year-round, actually.

On BeerAdvocate, it scores 86 out of 100, with 97% approval from reviewers. On RateBeer, it scores 3.35 out of 5, in their 73rd percentile.

Yeah, it's kind of PR-y, but this strikes me as being quite the St. Patrick's Day celebration: The Guinness Storehouse Festival, taking place over the weekend. Three days of live music and "all the beer you can drink," the email assures me.

The Guinness Storehouse® Festival kicks off on Friday March 16 th and will continue until the evening of Sunday March 18th

Throughout the weekend, visitors to the Home of Guinness® will enjoy:

• A variety of music and entertainment throughout the building. Street Theatre performers and large acts such as US marching bands, Flamenco dancers and Gospel Choirs
• An eclectic mix of rock, blue grass, soul and funk in the Source Bar.
• The Tradfest Movement takes over the Gravity® Bar each evening —this movement combines traditional Irish music with rock, jazz, dance and world music to create a dynamic energy.
• Guinness® Food and Craft Fair showcasing the best in Irish crafts and produce each day.
• Complimentary tastings of Guinness® Draught, Guinness® Extra Stout and Guinness® Foreign Extra Stout as well as Smoked Salmon on Guinness® bread for all visitors.

I don't know much about this Guinness Storehouse; from the website it seems to be the tourist front/theme park/museum for Guinness. The site is awfully polished and looks like a tour guide. But a three-day beer celebration sure sounds fine to me.

John Barleycorn is a "Certified Organic Barleywine Style Ale" brewed by Mad River Brewing Company. At 9.5% alcohol, it's not as strong as some of these X-Treme Monsters being put out these days, but it's still plenty strong for the style.

The label is cool; according to their site, it's "created by local artist Janis Taylor, is a folksy woodcut based on the tale of John Barleycorn in verse." You can also view the rest of the series (they change each year).

Appearance: Dark brown, murky—like dark maple syrup. Almost no head when I poured.

Smell: Sweet, alcohol, plummy fruits, fig, raisin, brown sugar.

Taste: Strong alcohol (phenols?), coffee, caramel, dark berry, brandy, hint of vanilla and molasses.

Mouthfeel: Nice and syrupy thick, alcohol numbing, pleasantly warming.

Overall: A very decent barleywine with a lot of complex character happening there.

On BeerAdvocate, it scores 84 out of 100, with 91% approval. On RateBeer, it scores 3.48 out of 5 and is in their 82nd percentile.

Half a billion bottles sold, that is... the headline for this press release is "263 Million Bottles of Beer on the Wall," but that didn't seem descriptive enough for me. Here's the rest of the release:

Oregon’s beer production grew at a rate of 16.5 percent in 2006, as the state’s craft brewers produced the equivalent of more than 263 million bottles of beer and the beer industry as a whole, pumped more than $2.25 billion into the state’s economy.

Total beer production for the state was approximately 796,000 barrels, according to figures released today by the Oregon Brewers Guild. That is an increase of more than 113,000 barrels, up from 683,000 barrels in 2005. A barrel is equal to 31 gallons or 13.78 cases of beer.

That total ranks Oregon second in the nation for total production of craft beer. Since the closure of the Blitz-Weinhard Brewery in 1999, all beer production in Oregon has been by independent craft breweries.

Portland, Oregon has 28 microbreweries within its city limits which is more than any other city in the world. The Guild anticipates four more breweries opening within the city limits in 2007, bringing the total to 32.

The Portland metro area is the largest craft brewing market in the United States (U.S.). It is the only area to sell more than 1,000,000 cases of micro brewed beer according to Information Resources Inc. Seattle and San Francisco are the second and third largest markets respectively.

“Portland has more breweries than any other city in the world. Portland is the largest craft beer market in the U.S. Oregon is the second largest producer of craft beer in the U.S. and Oregon is the second largest craft beer market in the U.S. No wonder Oregon is known as Beervana and is a destination for craft beer lovers from all over the U.S. and the world,” said Brian Butenschoen, Executive Director of the Oregon Brewers Guild.

“Our healthy brewing industry is good for not only beer drinkers, but the state as a whole, because it provides almost 4300 family wage jobs, a lure for tourism and an outlet for local products such as hops, malted barley, yeast and glass,” he added.

He also cited the fact that almost 11 percent of all beer consumed in Oregon is Oregon-brewed craft beer. The national market share for all craft beer is 3.5 percent, according to the Brewers Association.

Oregon’s craft beer production growth also outpaced the national rate of 11.7 percent, growing 16.5 percent in 2006. “This robust growth is an indicator of the vigor of this industry in the state of Oregon and we are a proud to be an important contributing factor in Oregon’s economic recovery,” said Van Havig of Rock Bottom Brewery, president of the Guild’s board of Directors.

Oregon is home to six of the 25 largest craft breweries in the nation, more than any other state in the U.S. The largest craft beer producer is Widmer Brothers Brewing Company of Portland, which produced 269,000 barrels in 2006 making it the third largest craft brewery in the nation. Two breweries produced the fewest barrels in 2006: Willamette Brewery, a new brewery in Eugene and Clinton Street Brewing of Portland, both produced six barrels in 2006.

The Oregon Brewers Guild is Oregon’s non-profit trade association for the state’s independent breweries. The Guild, which receives no state funding, comprises 43 brewing companies, 27 associate or supplier members and more than 1,430 enthusiast members or S.N.O.B.s (Supporters of Native Oregon Beer). For more information, see www.oregonbeer.org.

To commemorate 21 years of brewing (seems to be going around), Full Sail is releasing a Limited Series of beers this year, their LTD Series. The first bottling is a medium-bodied, malty 6.4% alcohol Bock style of beer.

Appearance: Very clear, orange-brown. Very clear. Thin head, it's light tan. Leaves a ring.

Smell: Clean, with some hops. Soap? Very low aroma profile.

Taste: Very clean, with a bitter pilsner profile over darker malt. My first thought was "malt liquor" but in a good way. (Is there a good way with malt liquor?) Some sweet caramel characteristics... like if you crossed a brown ale with a pilsner. Good.

Mouthfeel: Light-feeling body with a nice base—not watery or weak. Crisp.

Overall: I rather liked it. Even though the alcohol is a little high for a session beer, that's how I would classify this.

On BeerAdvocate, it scores 83 out of 100, with 95% approval. On RateBeer, it scores somewhat less favorably, with 3 out of 5 and only in the 43rd percentile.

I'm not the first to be writing about the new Here's to Beer website—both Stan and Jay have beaten me to the punch (Jay's review is comprehensive)—and I'm sure I won't be the last, but I thought I'd throw my two cents in. Especially since the folks behind it took the time to fill out my contact form with the pointer to the site and a quick note about it—which they've done with other bloggers, and I respect groups that are enlightened enough to go grassroots and reach out to the blogging and otherwise non-establishment communities. (Ignoring the point that I'm actually woefully behind on addressing the submissions on my contact form... sorry, for those I have't gotten to yet.)

Anyway. As for the site itself, I have to say that I never did visit the old version of it so I really have nothing to compare against. The current site starts out with that feature of beer sites I hate, namely the age verification form. I'll pound the drums again and say I hate those stupid forms because they don't actually prevent "underage" people from entering—anyone can lie on those forms, there's no check—they just make the site awkward to access, and it's not like there's any reason to keep the "underage" users out anyway. They can't drink alcohol over the net!

Beyond that, the site seems to be fairly well structured, with an emphasis on video. They seem to be doing viral little videos uniquely for the site, not bad. (I've only viewed a couple.) They're hoping to tap into the YouTube/MySpace market for online video... which is a good idea. Jay is skeptical on this:

So maybe it’s because I’m an old curmudgeon — and a reader — but I’m not convinced that these little video presentations are the way to reach people. Sure, it’s cutting edge technology and has that gee whiz factor but this is information we’re talking about. I can read it much more quickly, and I don’t need to be entertained every second of my day. I actually like reading and learning new things. Does that make me out of step with the modern world?

Not to bash on Jay here, but I disagree, I think the short video presentations are the way to reach people, particularly the newer wave of people that both Jay and myself aren't really a part of. (Hey, I can admit it: I'm of the earlier generation of internet users that prefers to read my content rather than viewing it—but there's no denying the YouTube phenomenon. That's the future.)

And I really like the Javascript-enabled Beer Styles interface they've put together. I think that's hot. It's short, useful, and to-the-point. Perfect? No. But it's the kind of thing that appeals to my sense of net-aesthetic.

I also like their link to the Beer Mapping Project—that's exactly the grassroots, blogger-friendly thing that sucks me in. They've fought the corporate mentality urge to reinvent the wheel and own it themselves, instead pointing to the user-created out-of-their-control type of content that's probably better than they could come up with anyway.

So generally I'll be optimistic about the site. Their relaunch is off to a good start, but one thing they really need to add is a blog—not just the video blog snippets, or a corporate PR-driven thing, but an actual, honest-to-goodness blog written by someone (or someones) who care about the product.

And perhaps a place for users to upload, YouTube-style, their own beer videos to share. That would be cool, too.

Samuel Adams describes their seasonal Old Fezziwig Ale as "spicy and bold, a big Christmas cookie of a beer." It's a brown ale style of beer sitting at a warm 5.9% alcohol, and comes in their seasonal packs during the holiday season.

Appearance: Clear brown with garnet tints. Tan head, smooth, collapsed relatively quickly.

Smell: Spicy and malty. Hint of cinnamon; toffee; molasses?; maple syrup.

Taste: Brown ale with a kick. Black pepper at the back of the throat; bitter orange; cinnamon bark; chocolate malt; twiggy/woody. Cloves?

Mouthfeel: A little light, with a woody feel. Kind of wassail-y with the spices and orange.

Overall: Not sure what to expect with a name like "Old Fezziwig," but I thought it turned out remarkably better than I was expecting. A good holiday ale, not overpowering in the spices.

On BeerAdvocate, it scores a decent 85 out of 100, with 97% of reviewers approving it. On RateBeer, it scores 3.37 out of 5, and is in the 74th percentile.

Alan over at A Good Beer Blog is hosting April's Session and has announced the topic: Dubbels. Good choice, but one I didn't really see coming. It's all good.

References: BeerAdvocate, Wikipedia.

This is pretty cool. MacTarnahan's is one of the "old guard" in Oregon and this Mac's Madness party on the 14th sounds like a lot of fun. Congrats Mac's!

Birthday Celebration Featuring Portland Favorite MacTarnahan's Amber Ale

Portland, OR — March 1, 2007 — MacTarnahan's Brewing Company, an affiliate of Pyramid Breweries Inc., today announced the reintroduction of the award-winning MacTarnahan's Amber Ale to mark the Company's 21st birthday. The Company also invites new and old friends of Mac's to attend "Mac's Madness", a MacTarnahan's 21st birthday celebration on March 14th at the MacTarnahan's Taproom in Northwest Portland.

"MacTarnahan's is a Portland original, a pioneer, and one of the most loved brews in the booming craft beer category," said Scott Barnum, President and CEO, Pyramid Breweries Inc. "Our goal is to get better beer lovers in Oregon and surrounding areas to discover or rediscover this truly great brand. Mac's has been kind of 'low-key' the last couple of years and so we're celebrating its 21st birthday with a big bang! Now that Mac's is of 'legal age', we're giving the brand some new clothes and some spending money to mark the occasion."

Starting this week, MacTarnahan's Amber Ale will be sporting new "clothes" — a redesigned label and new packaging — designed by Portland's Sockeye Creative, the agency of record for MacTarnahan's Brewing. The new packaging features a diagonal banner with the distinct red MacTarnahan's logotype displayed on a forest green and craft tan background, accompanied by a stamp stating, "Portland's Original Amber Ale".  The award-winning recipe for MacTarnahan's will remain the same.

The new packaging also highlights the Beer and the City behind it:

• The Beer: Bold. Complex. Hoppy. Portland's pride and joy. Perfectly balanced with fresh Cascade hops. And Award-winning: a gold medal in 1992 and a silver medal just last year at the Great American Beer Fest — the grand daddy of all U.S. beer competitions.
• The City: Considered to be the epicenter of the American craft beer resurgence, Portland, Oregon is home to more breweries than any other city in America. Founded in Portland in 1986, MacTarnahan's Brewing was one of the first craft brewers in the city. Today, MacTarnahan's Brewing is located in Northwest Portland on a beautiful three-acre facility.

"It's important to let everyone know that despite a new set of clothes, we are keeping our award-winning recipe," said Tom Bleigh, Head Brewer, MacTarnahan's Brewing Company.  "MacTarnahan's remains dedicated to maintaining the integrity of a true Northwest Portland Original. Mac's Amber Ale uses a balance of caramel malts and assertive Cascade dry hopping to create a distinct citrus-floral aroma, with a crisp, smooth finish."

MacTarnahan's will put some of its 21st birthday money towards innovative marketing efforts starting in March including: "Mac's Madness" at the MacTarnahan's Taproom, grocery store sampling throughout the Portland area, a co-promotion with a local gourmet pizza restaurant, an on-premise promotion at MacTarnahan's Taproom and participation in the Spring Beer Festival in Portland April 6-7.

Everyone is invited to attend "Mac's Madness" at the MacTarnahan's Taproom in Northwest Portland on Wednesday, March 14th.  More details about the celebration can be found at: www.macsbeer.com.

About MacTarnahan's Brewing Company and Brands:
Founded in 1986, MacTarnahan's Brewing Company is a pioneer in the craft beer category and was one of the first craft brewers in Portland. Formerly Portland Brewing Company, MacTarnahan's is located in Northwest Portland and is an affiliate of Pyramid Breweries Inc. The Company also has a fine pub-dining restaurant called the MacTarnahan's Taproom.  The Taproom is located on the same beautiful three-acre site along with our craft brewery and its traditional German gas-fired brewhouse where MacTarnahan's unique, award-winning line of beers are brewed including: MacTarnahan's Amber Ale "Portland's Original Amber", Oregon Honey Beer, and BlackWatch Cream Porter.

Contact: Jane Rauckhorst, Media Relations 415-519-7176

One thing I'm figuring out that Lagunitas Brewing does is big beers. Really big beers. I had some of their holiday seasonal Brown Shugga and was surprised to see that it's a 9.9% alcohol beer. That, along with a name that conjures up visions from a '70s B-movie is almost enough to give you pause.

Never fear. You'll be treated to a very sweet, very drinkable beer that should properly be styled a barleywine but has somehow snuck in as a strong ale (at least, according to BeerAdvocate). I want to say that they brewed this beer with lots and lots of brown sugar (which would make sense), but I can't verify that story one way or another at the moment.

Appearance: Nice copper, slightly murky. Light tan head falling slowly.

Smell: Hops and sweet malt, sugary (Belgian candy?), probably the brown sugar. Very cloying.

Taste: Sweet bite accented by hops. Alcohol heat, strong character on tongue. Caramelized sugar, spun out and flossy.

Mouthfeel: Nice medium feel, lighter than I'd expect as a barleywine. Dry alcohol rolls around the mouth and leaves that numbing/prickly feeling.

On BeerAdvocate, it scores 86 out of 100, with 95% approval. On RateBeer, it scores 3.63 out of 5, in their 90th percentile.

Welcome to the first edition of The Session (or Beer Blogging Friday, or whatever the ultimate name will be—probably "The Session"): a group blogging effort on the first Friday of each month where individual beer bloggers will post on the that month's tasting theme, and one person compiles all the links in a "centralized" posting. Whosoever does this compiling will rotate each month, and they will select the theme.

This first month's theme is "Not your father's Irish stout," suggested by Stan. So I figured it's the perfect opportunity to write about something I haven't covered yet and keep it local: Deschutes Brewery's Obsidian Stout.

Obsidian has been a mainstay at Deschutes since they started in 1988, and you can usually find it on the nitro tap at the downtown brewpub in Bend, Oregon. At 6.4% alcohol by volume, it's stronger than your session beers but doesn't tip the scales into "Imperial" territory. Which is good, since it seems like every other brew out there these days does!

This is an exceptional stout, all around. You don't have to take my word for it; check out the awards the brewery has garnered for it on their page, for one thing. For another, Obsidian Stout currently sits at number 88 on BeerAdvocate's Top 100 Beers page—no mean feat.

Let's hit my tasting notes:

Appearance: Inky coffee black, with a nice thick brown head, frothy and rocky.

Smell: Roasted malts, coffee, dark chocolate. Creamy and smoky.

Taste: Smooth and dark—slightly burnt astringency. Roasted grains, dark roast/espresso coffee, bittersweet chocolate, creamy sweetness, burnt biscuit (good), clean hops.

Mouthfeel: Velvety smooth, nice full body without being overwhelming in strength. An oily chocolate afterfeel, but very clean-feeling.

Overall: An amazing, smooth, drinkable stout, an excellent example of the style. Truly one of the best stouts I've had. Good thing it's from my hometown!

On BeerAdvocate, I already discussed this beer's placement on their top 100; it scores 91 out of 100 with 100% approval in the reviews. On RateBeer, it scores 3.8 out of 5 and is in their 96th percentile.

This is one beer that's worth finding—if you're not in the Western states already. If you are and you haven't tried it yet, what are you waiting for?

New Board Officers are in place for 2007.

At the 2006 Annual Meeting, the Oregon Brewers Guild elected an expanded board of directors to oversee the affairs of the Guild. Past boards have had seven elected members. The new board has been expanded to nine members, eight brewery members and one allied trade member. The board chose to expand its size to increase the input from the Oregon Brewers Guild general membership.

At the first meeting of 2007, the board elected its slate of officers for 2007.

Oregon Brewers Guild Officers for 2007

Van Havig - President
Senior Brewer, Rock Bottom Brewery, Portland.

Christian Ettinger - Vice President
Owner and Brewer, Hopworks Urban Brewery, Portland

Kurt Widmer - Treasurer
Owner and Brewmaster, Widmer Brothers Brewing Company, Portland

David Logsdon - Secretary
Owner, Wyeast Labs, Odell

New and re-elected Board Members

John Harris - Brewmaster, Full Sail Brewing Company, Hood River
Jamie Floyd - Owner and Brewer, Ninkasi Brewing Company, Eugene
Fred Bowman - Pyramid Breweries, Portland
Jack Joyce - Owner, Rogue Ales, Newport
Ben Love - Brewery Manager, Pelican Pub and Brewery, Pacific City

The Oregon Brewers Guild is Oregon's non-profit trade association for the state's independent breweries. The Guild, which receives no state funding, comprises 43 brewing companies, 27 associate or supplier members and more than 1,430 enthusiast members or S.N.O.B.s (Supporters of Native Oregon Beer). For more information, see www.oregonbeer.org.