Coming up in the next day or so: some photos from the Rogue Brewery (and Distillery) over in Newport (Oregon), and some notes about it.

Not a full review, though we had dinner at the Public House on the Bayfront; more of a mini-review, I suppose. I'm sure I've expressed this before, but if you're a beer lover on the Oregon Coast then Newport is a good place to be.

You may remember that I reviewed Long Hammer IPA from Redhook last year around this time. (Don't mind the beer, but generally can't stand the all-Flash website.) This year, the packaging is getting a revamp.

Nation's Most Popular IPA Continues to Lure Fans to the Hop Side

Redhook Ale Brewery today announced new packaging for its Long Hammer IPA, the nation's number-one selling India Pale Ale. With a smooth, clean finish, Long Hammer IPA embraces the traditional strong hop profile, while remaining approachable and easy to drink.

Read full press release

July is Oregon Craft Beer Month and the Oregon Brewers Guild is partnering with Oregonlive.com for a unique contest to give one local beer enthusiast a complete Oregon Craft Beer Month Prize Package. The contest officially begins today, Friday, June 27th and runs through Sunday, July 13th. Entry is simple, users visit http://www.oregonlive.com/contests/craftbeer and fill out the entry form for a chance to win.

The Oregon Craft Beer Month Prize Package is valued at more than $250 and includes:

• Two tickets to the Oregon Brewers Guild “Brewers Dinner” on Wednesday July, 23rd, 6-8:30 pm, Gov. Tom McCall Waterfront Park, Portland
• Two “Supporter of Native Oregon Beer” memberships for 2008/2009
• Two July is Oregon Craft Beer Month T-shirts
• Two tickets to the Brewers Brunch on Thursday, July 24th
• Two $40 gift certificates to the Oregon Brewers Festival

For complete contest details and eligibility requirements or to enter please visit http://www.oregonlive.com/contests/craftbeer. For more information on Oregon Craft Beer Month visit http://oregonbeer.org.

The final Friday of the month has been designated as "Fermentation Friday" for homebrew beer bloggers—think of it as a companion to The Session (which is the first Friday). This month's FF is hosted by Travis of CNYBrew.com, and he asks the question:

What is the craziest concoction you ever came up with, on the fly or prepped, to brew with?

I've been rolling that question around in my head for a few days and I regret to say, I can't think of anything truly crazy that I've brewed with. But here's a list of some of the things I have used in brewing, so I'll throw the craziness issue out to the masses:

• Pumpkin - naturally. When I brew my pumpkin ale, I use real pumpkin and pumpkin pie spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves).
• Licorice - actually brewer's licorice, the stuff you can buy at the homebrew supply store, so that's pretty tame.
• Juniper berries
• Various fruits: apples, cherries, apricots, strawberries (in a mead).
• Chocolate, but really what homebrewer hasn't tried chocolate?
• Hops that I grew or picked myself.

Hm, that's a pretty tame list, nothing really outrageous there at all. Now I pretty much have to brew something crazy. And blog about it, of course.

A few months back when we went to John's Marketplace, I had picked up several pumpkin beers (wishing all the while I'd found them back in time for Pumpkin Beer Week), and Shipyard Brewing's Pumpkinhead Ale was one of them.

According to their, um, not-very-usable website (there, I said it), this is a "wheat ale with delightful aromatics and subtle spiced flavor." No mention of actual pumpkin, interestingly, and it's 4.5% alcohol by volume.

Appearance: Slightly hazy and straw-colored—surprisingly pale, considering. Fizzy white head initially thick but fell quickly.

Smell: Pumpkin pie spicing with an almost-cloying sweet background. ("Natural flavor added.") Smells more like flavoring than the rich aroma of real pumpkin. [Trust me on this one. I've brewed (and drank) enough pumpkin ales to know.]

Taste: Odd—not sure if I like it—like a tart wheat with the spices coming across in the back of the mouth without any of the characteristic spiciness. Is this a bad bottle, or just a weird formulation? The sourness could go either way, but I'd hazard a guess that it's "turned."

Mouthfeel: Light, tart, almost acidically so; puckering.

Overall: Not good... not undrinkable if I look at it as an intentionally sour wheat, but...

Apparently, reading the reviews on the other sites, this wasn't a bad bottle after all, just a not good pumpkin beer.

On BeerAdvocate, it scores a grade of C+, but the Bros give it an F. On RateBeer, it scores 2.82 out of 5, and is in their 30th percentile.

A UPS package arrived from Deschutes Brewery today, containing the two newest bottles that I've mentioned to death here lately: Black Butte XX and 20th Anniversary Wit.

They're in the fridge now, though I likely won't have a chance to drink and review them until next week. But I'm practically rubbing my hands together and cackling maniacally over them.

Yes, another Deschutes press release. I know things have been getting top-heavy with Deschutes items around here, but hey—they're sending me press releases. You want me to run stuff? Send it on.

Deschutes Brewery’s Traveling Beer Barrel Hits the Road

Deschutes Brewery proudly announces the triumphant return of its one-of-a-kind, custom dreamboat, “Woody,” the big wooden barrel. Emerging from a spring training tour through Portland, Las Vegas and the banks of Central Oregon’s Deschutes River, Woody is ready to hit the hot summer streets and quench beer lovers’ thirst for a taste of Bend. Sharing the rich and diverse Deschutes Brewery experience is the barrel’s mission, because the brewery knows it is not always possible to make the pilgrimage to the source. Woody is ready to take the world by storm...or at least one festival at a time.

Woody will most likely make a stop in your hometown in search of Cliff, Norm, and the rest of the “Cheers” gang. Swing by, say hello and enjoy a pint with the Deschutes Brewery team at one of the events listed below:

• The Bite of Bend - June 21 & 22 (Bend, OR)
• Waterfront Blues Festival - July 3 - 6 (Portland, OR)
• Bend Summer Festival - July 12 & 13 (Bend, OR)
• Summer Music Meltdown - August 7 – 10 (Darrington, WA)
• Squaw Valley Jazz & Funk Fest - August 16 & 17 (Tahoe, CA)
• A Day for the River - Sept. 13 (Bend, OR)
• The Fremont Oktoberfest - Sept. 19 - 21 (Seattle, WA)

Woody is the consummate tailgater’s ultimate necessity, Deschutes Brewery-style. Open the gull wing. Pour some tasty beer. Get down with the disco ball. Just follow the barrel to the next festival! Visit www.neighborhoodhops.com for the most up-to-date schedule.

I know this sounds pretty much like last month's press release for the Deschutes 20th anniversary, but it in fact details actual things going on. Deschutes founder and president Gary Fish will be around, too.

Incidentally, according to the Brewery's Now Pouring page, both 20th anniversary highlighted beers—their Wit and Black Butte XX—are on tap right now. Right now.

To celebrate 20 years of creating some of the world’s finest craft brews, Deschutes Brewery is opening its doors to host a two-day 20th Anniversary party.

On Friday, June 27th, locals and visitors are encouraged to take advantage of Central Oregon’s beautiful June weather with a celebration outside the Deschutes Brewery and Public House in downtown Bend, Oregon. This event is free and open to the public, with live music by Scott Fox and his band, beers and a barbecue available at Locals' Night prices completing the festive atmosphere.

Then, on Saturday, June 28th, the party moves to the brewery where self-guided tours and music from the Moon Mountain Ramblers allow attendees to explore at their own pace. The brewery’s newest releases, Black Butte XX and 20th Anniversary Wit, will be poured along with the brewery’s original offerings, Black Butte Porter, Bachelor Bitter and Cascade Ale, from 1988.

When & Where:
Friday, June 27th, 5:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Deschutes Brewery & Public House
1044 NW Bond Street, Bend, OR 97702

Saturday, June 28th, 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Deschutes Brewery
901 S.W. Simpson Ave., Bend, OR 97702

This is a late entry for Wheat Beer Week, originally intended for last Friday. But I was out of town without internet access so I'm running it today.

Another beer from Pyramid Brewing; this Crystal Wheat Ale is fairly recent I think—there's nothing about it on their website—and according to the bottled it's based on their original Wheaten Ale that they first brewed in 1984. (Indeed this was one of their first beers ever.)

It's 5% alcohol and is a good all-around summertime beer.

Appearance: Very clear, golden in color, but a fizzy, thin head that didn't last.

Smell: Surprisingly, hops are the first thing I notice, spicy and a bit green. Then there's a bread dough character below that, but overall it's fairly clean.

Taste: Crisp, very clean and has a bite. Oddly enough, it reminds me more of an American Macro Lager, only done well—there's a bit of sweet corn, nice grassy wheat notes, and lightly toasted malts.

Mouthfeel: Light-bodied and very, very clean on the palate. Nice edge to it, too.

Overall: Refreshing, enjoyable to drink, a definite win in my book.

On BeerAdvocate, with only nine reviews it scores a B grade. On RateBeer, it scores 2.85 out of 5, and is in their 32nd percentile.

I picked up the Samuel Adams "Summer Styles Mix Pack" from Costco last week, which includes their Cherry Wheat. This beer has been around awhile but it's the first time I've had it. Their website proclaims:

Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat® follows the centuries old American tradition of brewing beer with native ingredients, in this case Michigan cherries as well as a touch of honey. The sweet fruitiness of the cherries is balanced against the crisp, cereal note from the malted wheat and the subtle citrus flavor from the Noble hops. The end result is a sweet, refreshing beer that is light on the palate but long on complexity.

At 5.35% alcohol by volume, it's the highest (by a slim margin) content beer of the ones I've reviewed this week.

Appearance: Mostly clear orange beer that goes golden at the edges. Head poured one finger thick, a tad off white.

Smell: Maraschino cherries—very sweet cherry presence, very pretty in the nose. That's the dominant aroma here.

Taste: Sweet cherry washed with a slightly bitter bready flavor. Cherry sweetness turns a bit tart near the back of the tongue. The malt below that is fairly light with a bit of "red" (darker wheat, I'm assuming) character to it, otherwise it's nondescript.

Mouthfeel: Medium-ish body and a bit gassy; there's some bitter in the aftertaste—tannins from the cherry peels?

Overall: The cherry aroma is wonderful; the rest is okay, but a bit disappointing after the cherry build-up.

On BeerAdvocate, it scores a grade of B-. On RateBeer, it scores 2.78 out of 5 and is in their 28th percentile.

As much as Widmer's version, Pyramid Hefeweizen is one of those beers that helped define a style: the American Wheat. Of course, I've seen a bit of pushback in recent years against the Pyramid and Widmer hefes; I don't know if it's because the breweries have grown into large, overly "commercial" entities that people object to on principle, or if they're just too light for the American "extreme beer palate" or what, but for me, these are iconic beers and I quite enjoy them as they are.

Pyramid's Hefe comes in at 5.2% alcohol by volume.

Appearance: Cloudy tan-orange brew with a dense, creamy head that's just off-white. Nice substantial look to it, all around.

Smell: Clovey and spicy, with a touch of yeast. A hint of lemongrass sourness.

Taste: Crisp and yeasty, a bit of sourdough bread crust, some grassy bitterness that strikes me as a cross between clover and hops. A bare hint of tart and a touch of peppery-clove spice.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied and almost chewy in a satisfying way. Finishes a bit dry and pretty cleanly.

Overall: It's a pretty classic American wheat, for sure. Very well done.

On BeerAdvocate, it only scores a grade of C+. On RateBeer, it scores 2.84 out of 5 and is in their 32nd percentile. Both are fairly mediocre scores that punctuate what I was writing about at the beginning; there's not much respect afforded this beer, which is a shame because it's a solid brew all around.

Ah, a Trader Joe's beer by way of Gordon Birsch: "JosephsBrau" is the contract label for TJs that has produced several beers (I've reviewed two). Their Dunkelweizen is fairly new, a dark wheat beer that is 5.2% alcohol by volume.

Since it's a TJ's "house beer", it was picked up for $5.99 a six-pack (and specials may apply)—not bad for a craft-brewed beer.

Appearance: Murky, brown with a tan head. Like a dark, unfiltered apple cider.

Smell: Tart and clovey... a hint of banana and a kind of funk.

Taste: Wheat, a bit of raw dough character, yeasty. A bit of tart funky character (green fruits) and a little phenolic. Hint of spice—clove and nutmeg. A touch of green apple?

Mouthfeel: Certainly has an unfiltered character but it also has a prickly, slightly over-carbonated feel to it... a bit gassy.

Overall: A little too gassy, I think, and the sour fruit notes aren't my favorite.

On BeerAdvocate, it only has two reviews thus far and those two give it a grade of A-. On RateBeer, it scores 3.31 out of 5 and is in their 69th percentile.

When I first picked up Dogfish Head's Festina Pêche, I didn't know that it was brewed in the style of the (rare-ish) Berliner Weisse. (You can see the point in my tasting notes when I figured this out.)

Berliner Weisses are sour wheat beers, typically low in alcohol. Dogfish's own page has a good summary:

A refreshing neo-Berliner Weisse fermented with honest-to-goodness peaches to (get this!) 4.5% abv! Because extreme beers don't have to be extremely boozy!

Sadly, there are only two breweries left in Berlin still brewing the Berliner Weisse style which is characterized by its intense tartness. There were once over 70 breweries in Berlin alone making this beer! In addition to fermentation with an ale yeast, Berliner Weisse is traditionally fermented with lactic cultures to produce its acidic or green apple-like character. It is delicately hopped with a pale straw color and served as an aperitif or summertime quencher. To soften the intense sourness, Berliner Weisse is traditionally served with a dash of essence of woodruff or raspberry syrup.

The peaches are an interesting touch; you don't see too many beers brewed with them.

Appearance: Very pale, straw-colored and hazy... rough white head that collapsed quickly.

Smell: Delicate peach and a tart note... kind of crisp with a touch of wheat. Mild.

Taste: Very sour! Tart and puckery, lemon over the mild peach character. Or like a very tart (underripe?) peach... ah. A "neo Berliner style Weisse", so that explains it. It's pretty tasty, if a surprise.

Mouthfeel: Sour, puckery, very clean, very crisp, light-bodied.

Overall: Unusual but tasty once I figured it out. The peach isn't as strong as I would've thought, but it's enjoyable nonetheless.

On BeerAdvocate, it scores a grade of B. On RateBeer, it scores 3.27 out of 5 and is in their 67th percentile.

Yes—gasp!—it's a beer from Anheuser-Busch. I drink those from time to time, and when I saw this in the store, my curiosity finally got the better of me. While the name and packaging seem to come straight from a marketing department (hat tip to Stan for that), the beer comprising Shock Top Belgian White itself is much more solid.

Brewed in the style of a Belgian Witbier, which is a wheat-based ale always spiced and (ideally) served cloudy with yeast, Shock Top is 5.2% alcohol by volume and (according to the label) brewed with lemon, lime, and orange peels, and coriander.

By any other name: when it was introduced in February 2006 as a specialty seasonal, it was under the name Spring Heat Spiced Wheat. To be honest, I don't know which name is better, since both just aren't great.

Appearance: Cloudy pale yellow with a gold-orange tint; very white head with a short life. Sediment in the bottom of the bottle.

Smell: Bright, fresh nose of coriander that's very fragrant and there's a bare hint of citrus peel below that.

Taste: Light and wheaty—not strong, but like a light bread—with a hint of white pepper, some bitterness from the fruit peel, and the coriander. It's the coriander that's most prominent, combined with a touch of citrus; it brightens up the flavor and—to me—conjures up images of hot, sunny days.

Mouthfeel: Fairly light-bodied with a bit of an edge to it, and a slightly off-bitter finish (though very clean). A bit lighter in the mouth than I would like/expect.

Overall: Better than I anticipated. I enjoy this type of "Belgian White" style, even though (I suspect) it's fairly Americanized. Drinkable, I might buy it again.

On BeerAdvocate, it scores a surprisingly high (for an A-B beer) grade of B-. On RateBeer, it scores 2.68 out of 5 and is in their 23rd percentile.

I suppose it's somewhat fitting that the first Wheat Beer Week beer I review is a Widmer beer—considering they are arguably best know for their very American Hefeweizen. W '08 Crimson Wheat is their "Brewmaster's Release 2008" beer:

The three different red, caramelized, and dark wheat malts give this beer an intense red color that runs as deep as the flavor. The toasted grain flavors blend perfectly with the subtle spiciness of the hops just as the entirety fades to a smooth quick finish.

What's interesting to me is that the color is drawn out of the wheat malt, rather than falling back on the variously-roasted barley malts that you usually draw red from. I wonder if that requires any special kilning, or if "red, caramelized, and dark" wheat is readily available to brew with?

At 4.9% alcohol by volume, this is easy drinking.

Appearance: Deep copper with red tints and fairly clear. Off-white head that didn't last very long. Remarkably doesn't look like what you'd expect for a wheat (but of course, that's the point).

Smell: Grainy, wheat nose with a touch of sweetish caramel malt.

Taste: Malty with a crisp wheat tang and the dry character of some roasted grains. Very clean tasting, fairly light with a nice "red ale" character.

Mouthfeel: Light- to medium-bodied with a coppery-dry finish.

Overall: Kind of a cross between an American dry wheat with a red ale... not too bad at all but it's nothing exceptional—a thirst-quenching warm weather beer.

On BeerAdvocate, it scores a decent grade of B. On RateBeer, it scores 3.09 out of 5 and is in their 50th percentile.

This week it's Wheat Beer Week here at The Brew Site. All this week I'll be blogging about wheat beers—mostly tasting reviews, as it turns out, and I think they've all been American-brewed. So a reasonable sub-title for this week might be "American Wheat."

(I'm quite sure this won't be the last "Wheat Beer Week" by a long shot, either.)

With summertime (mostly) here, wheat beers seemed like a natural topic to tackle since they complement the warmer weather nicely. So far I've got a nice "style spread" to write about, so off we go!

It's a Deschutes Brewery news day, I guess. But this is such exciting news (for us beer aficionados) that I had to share.

Black Butte XX and the 20th Anniversary Wit were bottled on Wednesday, the 11th. This according to my source at the Brewery. Furthermore, they're having the "waxing party" next week (for the XX; the tops of the bottles are wax-dipped like The Abyss was) in order to have the beer released into the wild the week of the 23rd.

That means keep a sharp eye out for these beers in just under two weeks. I have no doubt that they'll be selling like hotcakes (the XX in particular).

It seems it's both the 20th anniversary of Deschutes Brewery this year and their 20th annual Sagebrush Classic. What's the Sagebrush Classic? Read on.

Handcrafted Beer and Haute Cuisine Are Main Course at 2008 Sagebrush Classic
Deschutes Brewery Celebrates 20th Annual Celebrity Chef Pairing Dinner

At the Sagebrush Classic, celebrity chefs and beer are the perfect pairing. On July 18th & 19th, Deschutes Brewery celebrates the 20th Sagebrush Classic at the exclusive Broken Top Club in Bend, Oregon, with an intriguing line-up of talented chefs from around the world. This high-profile golf and dinner fundraiser has raised nearly $2 million for numerous nonprofit organizations benefiting children and families in Central Oregon.

Read full press release

I first caught wind of the new website for the Oregon Brewers Guild from Jeff's post here (last week). But today I got the official press release, so here we are.

Oregon Celebrates Craft Beer In July
New, Improved Oregon Brewers Guild Website Helps Craft Beer Enthusiasts Maximize Oregon Craft Beer Month Experience

The Oregon Brewers Guild (OBG) is unveiling a new and improved website. The long awaited website, designed by the creative team at eROI, includes many new interactive features making it even easier for craft beer enthusiasts to find the latest news from their favorite Oregon breweries and stay up to date on events happening around the state. Highlights from the new website include a complete listing of OBG members, upcoming beer events across the state, an interactive blog featuring the latest OBG member news, an extensive photo archive and an online pressroom housing the latest Guild news.

Read full press release

I received these both early this morning. St. Austell Brewery is located in Cornwall, England, and dates to 1851. Since both press releases came in at the same time, I decided to run them together.

Click through to read both press releases

Rob over at Pfiff! has announced Session #17: Going Against the Grain Bill: Solstice Edition. An enigmatic title like that deserves some explanation:

The subject for July's Session could be summed up thusly: Drinking anti-seasonally. Think of this as the unorthodox cousin of such topics as "beer and food" and "beer and music". Beer and weather, perhaps? More like beer despite the weather, I guess. Cracking open a Guinness on the beach, finishing a day of yardwork with a Speedway Stout, or whatever else you do that raises an eyebrow (again, beer-related, please), do us all a favor and take a few moments to share your non-conformist tale.

It's his reaction against "the marketing eye of brewing's Sauron [which] becomes firmly targeted on light, easily quaffable, lawnmower beers, which we're all supposedly to dumbly chug down" during the summer months; works for me.

As an added bonus, the first Friday falls on July 4th—Independence Day here in the U.S., so it's a holiday edition of The Session as well.

I opened up the Twilight Ale I received from Deschutes this evening and quite enjoyed it. According to the Brewery, it's made with a "harmonious blend of four hops" and is dry hopped with Amarillo hops. At only 5% alcohol by volume, it's an excellent summertime session beer.

Appearance: Light, clear, straw-gold in color with a crisp white head. Bubbly.

Smell: Bready and clean with toasted malts and bright floral hop presence.

Taste: Hops are bracing, right up front, with bitter, slightly woody, almost oily notes—in a good way. Very green with hops. Malt is toasty and light and just right—not too heavy or sweet but not dry or roasty either. Very refreshing. A hint of citrus.

Mouthfeel: Light- to medium-bodied with a refreshing, thirst-quenching quality.

Overall: Excellent, a flavorful and robust summertime ale.

On BeerAdvocate, it scores a grade of B. On RateBeer, it scores 3.18 out of 5 and is in their 59th percentile.

That's right, next week is the third Monday of the month—which seems to have zoomed in quickly this month—so that means it's Theme Week here at the Brew Site. All next week I'll be blogging about beers related to a chosen theme, which is...

Wheat Beers. (First one of many Wheat Beer Weeks, I imagine, since it's a big category.) Since June is the advent of the summer months (at least, it supposed to be—here in Central Oregon, it's still acting like early, cold spring), wheat beer seemed like an appropriate topic to tackle.

Stay tuned for next week.

I've written about Rogue's Shakespeare Stout before. In particular, I named it one of the "50 Beers to Drink Before You Die" and also mentioned it as a desert isle pick. Since it had been awhile since I'd drank one, I picked up a bottle back in March (which is also when I had it). As good as always.

Appearance: Thick and black with a creamy brown head of foam... almost a motor oil kind of appearance.

Smell: Malty and dark and yeasty. Reminds me of a warm, mild and dark bread. Hints of molasses, licorice.

Taste: Bitter chocolate, something very soft and lightly fruity and mellow but I can't place it... dried fruits? Rose hips? Some effect from the oats? It's subtle and delicious. Dry roastiness and a fruit-infused chocolate effect. It's remarkable.

Mouthfeel: Thick and chewy and full-bodied. Nice drawn-out dry finish with hints of that unknown fruit character.

Overall: Simply one of the very best.

On BeerAdvocate, it accordingly scores an A grade. On RateBeer, it similarly scores 3.91 out of 5, and is in their 98th percentile.

The first Friday of the month means it's time for the group beer blogging session known, appropriately enough, as The Session!

This month's theme is courtesy of Geistbear Brewing Blog: Beer Festivals:

As Summer approaches we are in full swing of beer festival season, so it seemed the perfect topic for the June Session. Do you have a favorite beer festival you like to attend or a particular memory of inspirational moment at a festival? Or perhaps talk about what you would like to see out of festivals or perhaps the future of them. All is fair game, I look forward to seeing where people take this topic.

Ironically, for the amount of talking I do about the subject, I'm still pretty much a Beer Fest Novice. By which I mean I've only actually been to a handful of festivals (not counting the beer garden-type areas of different fests), so my experience with the "Beer Festival" is colored a bit by that lack of, er, experience.

The Oregon Brewers Festival is the main one I've attended, and my favorite. (Is it a favorite because it's the one? Or the one 'cause it's the favorite?) My attendance for the OBF is sporadic, though; I was able to attend the past two years (2006 and 2007)—you can read all my OBF-related posts, reviews and photos here—but I had a five year gap or so between them and the last time I had attended, and will likely have a gap for the next few years (I won't make it this year).

Part of the appeal of the OBF for me is Portland (Beervana) itself, and part of it is the simply the festival: everyone's friendly, the beer is great, it's a lot of fun. Even as the size of the crowd grows outrageously large, it's still very civil and friendly—and ultimately you can slink off to one of the many other beer drinking options Portland has to offer.

What do I expect out of the Beer Festival? To be honest, I haven't completely figured that out yet. The chance to discover some new beer, certainly, and share that experience with friends. The opportunity to "talk shop" with other beer enthusiasts. The chance to just find out what other festivals have to offer.

In general, though, I don't think a beer fest should be just about drinking beer—otherwise you end up dealing with the people that are just there to drink (and get drunk). I think it needs to be about the experience (there's that word again) and should offer something more, something unique, maybe.

I don't have any answers, though—I'm still looking for it. I suspect it's an ongoing process, but one I'm happy to keep writing about.

I nearly forgot to mention that last Friday, I received a promotional package of Twilight Ale from Deschutes Brewery (following up on this press release I ran a few weeks ago). That's their lighter, 5% summer seasonal and it's just being released... I haven't drank any of the promo beers yet, but I will soon and post my review.

I don't recall for sure, but Kulmbacher Eisbock may well be the first true Eisbock I've had. Like the Pils, this came in my February Beer of the Month selection (via Shelton Brothers).

It's a very respectable 9.2% alcohol by volume, and I must say I really quite liked it—I suppose when you think of "ice beer" (at least in the U.S.?) beers such as "Natural Ice" or "Molson Ice" come to mind, which naturally tend to create doubt.

Appearance: Dark reddish-brown with a tan fizzy head. Ruby red at the edges when held to the light.

Smell: Sweet with a sugary syrup note and an alcohol tang. A little dark dried fruit—black currant, maybe prunes.

Taste: Rich and sweet and fruity like a fruitcake... ginger, too, a hint of spice. Strong—alcohol is there, a slight bit fusel-y, warm, adding a brandied cherry character. A real sipping kind of beer, full of complex notes and brandy-ish flavors.

Mouthfeel: Rich and chewy body with a heady strong finish... sweet but finishes out a bit dry due to the alcohol.

Overall: This is a pleasant surprise, very tasty and enjoyable. I'd love to drink many more of these.

On BeerAdvocate, it scores a grade of A-. On RateBeer, it scores 3.87 out of 5 and is in their 97th percentile.

I received the following email today and thought it was worth publishing (with permission) for community feedback:

Hi, from reading your blog, I assume you live in oregon so I was hoping that I may be able to get some advice from you. I am thinking about making a trip out west to check out some breweries, and was wondering what your opinion on the best region to go to would be. It would be about a week trip, so I was hoping to be able to hit an area with the highest concentration of best breweries within driving distance of each other. I would have to fly in to start the trip, so it would have to start around a city with a major airport, like portland or seattle. It seems like the Portland area might be a good idea, because a few regions are all within just a few hours drive from each other, but are there better areas in Washington or California to do?

Thanks so much for any help!
Jake

Obviously, my advice to Jake is to come to Portland; in fact, I replied:

Not only are you in the center of one of the best beer regions in the country, but there are many more options (within driving distance, of course) for exploring even more: a trip to the Coast, down to Central Oregon, east along the Columbia (there are a few), up into Washington. Plus Portland is a great, vibrant city with a lot of other things to do if you get bored with beer.

So there's my advice. What advice would other readers give Jake, who is planning a week-long (beer) trip to the West Coast? Portland? Seattle? San Diego? Elsewhere?

I've got a backlog of beer review notes that I haven't posted yet—things get behind when I'm trying to keep up with current releases and such—so tonight's review of Kulmbacher Pilsner is one of those. This is from the Beer of the Month Club selection that I'd received in February.

This Pilsner is a session-strength 4.9% alcohol by volume, and despite the link I gave you above it's really the Shelton Brothers import version that I had. (The bottles are different and the source website calls it "Kulmbacher Edelherb".)

Appearance: Very clear golden yellow, with a crisp white head and bubbles rising slowly a là champagne.

Smell: Clean and grainy with a hard water note... a nice lightly spicy noble hob—pretty typical Pilsner nose.

Taste: Crisp and biting with a bitter edge and a mineral-y, almost sulfury base. Sharp steel cut hops and clean, pleasant grainy malt. Dry.

Mouthfeel: LIght but firm and substantial. Has an edge—a bite to it.

Overall: A good Pilsner with (thankfully) none of the "European lager skunk" that I've come to fear from some of these...

On BeerAdvocate, it scores a grade of B+. On RateBeer, it scores 2.81 out of 5 and is in their 30th percentile.

Last night my wife and I attended Deschutes Brewery's Chocolate Beer Pairing Dinner, a five-course chocolate-themed event that paired excellent food with some of the Brewery's latest chocolate-inspired beers. As I'd mentioned previously, I got an invite to attend on the house, and fortunately we were able to make it.

I took the camera along and snapped a few pictures, though they were mostly of the food (and beer). One picture I didn't take and I wish I had was of the brewer, Jimmy Seifert, who was the one who created all of the beers on the menu and who talked about each beer as they were served. We were sitting at the same table as him, actually, and in addition to writing up a review of the beer and food we had, I've got a few notes about the brewing process on some of these beers and some interesting info on The Dissident, of which Jimmy is the brewer.

In addition to the beer, they were also serving up (free) wine. Someone was telling me later that last year, wine cost $6.50 per glass, but I think making it complimentary, like the beer, is the way to go.

This got pretty long, so click through to read the entire review