Bad timing: leaving Portland just as Oregon craft beer month begins
I was sitting in the Portland airport Tuesday, putting my clothes back on after going through security, when a paid advertising supplement fell out of my copy of The Oregonian, Portland's daily newspaper. That was how I learned that July was Oregon craft beer month, and that the beer drinking community there had planned a bucket load of activities, including one called puckerfest, a celebration of sour beers.
I wanted to cash in my airplane ticket and spend the month there, but duty and the mortgage called me home.
On the plane ride back to Baltimore I read several articles in the 20-page tabloid supplement devoted to Oregon craft beer. It was surprisingly well-written. An article written by Lisa Morrison, whom I learned later is known as the beer goddess, talked about three trends in Oregon brewing --- Belgians, barrel-aging and blending. It seems Oregon brewers are experimenting with Belgian-style beers because they have gone about as far as they can go experimenting with hops. "We have reached the ceiling on the hops arm race," Cascade brewmaster Ron Gansberg told Morrison. "People are looking for an intense sensory experience other than hops," he said.
On another front, so many Oregon brewers are trying to barrel-age their beers that wooden barrels are hard to come by, Morrison reported. Finally, once these beers come out of the barrels, an increasing number of them, Morrison wrote, are being blended with other beers -- some from barrrels, some from stainless steel tanks.
For example, Morrison said that the Abyss imperial stout made by Deschutes is a blend of beer aged in a bourbon barrel, and a portion of the same beer is fermented in stainless steel tanks.
It seems to me that back here on the East Coast we have had plenty of the first B -- brewing Belgians -- but not too much of the other Bs. I know Dogfish does age some beers in wood barrels. Any others come to mind?
Hows about blending? Do we do that here?
By the way, if you have good timing, and are going to Oregon in July, here are some details on the beer festivities.
Comments
Locals regularly "barrel-aging" one way or another include Virginia's Dominion Oak Barrel Stout (oak chips, not actual barrels), District Chop House in DC (bourbon barrel stout), and the aforementioned Dogfish Head (wooden tanks). Red Brick Station in White Marsh also has two wooden barrels in which they age occasional special beers.
Posted by: Alexander D. Mitchell IV | July 6, 2008 5:34 PM
Flying Dog's Gonzo porter is barrel-aged. Also, FWIW, their brewery tour involves a fifteen-minute tour and as much free beer as you can drink in the two hours before/afterwards.
Posted by: Mark | July 6, 2008 8:30 PM
Jim at DuClaw has been experimenting with aging beer in casks for a while now. Don't know how often they make their way to the pubs (as opposed to Jim's house!) but he was the first I'd heard to attempt this aging.
I'll be in Portland for the International Beer Fest; unfortunately I'll miss the Oregon Brewer's Fest the following weekend.
Posted by: Mitch | July 7, 2008 8:38 AM
Thanks for the nice words about the Oregon Craft Beer Month pullout guide. It's a labor of love, so those of us who put it together really appreciate your kind comments.
It might interest you to know that OCBM got its start a few years ago when three of us were enjoying some great Oregon beers, but complaining that our craft beer culture here is taken for granted. We concocted the first-ever Oregon Beer Week, and it's been growing ever since. This year, we have more than 100 events planned across the state throughout the month of July!
The next time you hit Portland, I'd love to give you a tour of some of our great brewpubs so you can really experience "Beervana."
Cheers!
Lisa
Posted by: Lisa Morrison | July 7, 2008 9:25 AM
DuClaws has had a few "Firkin Friday's" lately but I haven't had a chance to stop by any of them. I'll try to find out their next one and report back.
Posted by: Jr Copper | July 7, 2008 1:58 PM
Aren't most of the Weyerbacher brews from barrels? Harpoon and Allagash have some special brews that come out a couple times a year that are barrel and or blended. I think Stoudts may do a couple as well.
From a local perspective, the oak barrelled Millenium and Vanilla Stout from Old Dominion are pretty darn good.
Posted by: Mike | July 9, 2008 12:44 PM