Follow Sean Inman to the best in craft beer
Deschutes and Goose Island have teamed up for the final Class of ’88 installment….
And here is the little blurb put out about it…”This exotic beer was brewed with Michigan Riesling and Oregon Pinot Noir grapes, hops from Mt. Hood and pilsner malt – all aged in barrels that previously held Muscat wine in them for 10 years. ” Beers with grapes can be tricky to make beer-y enough with good wine characteristics so this will be a test to see how these two “ancient” breweries handle it.
This is one of those beers where you know what you are going to get but it still hits with a punch. Deschutes is known for their Black Butte Porter and Great Lakes has their Edmund Fitzgerald so you know going in that this beer is in each of these breweries wheelhouse. But then the beer pours a light cola color. Lulling you into thinking it is not that imperial. The aroma hints at the smoke but chocolate notes come into play as well. Then you take a sip and the smoke descends. This is really “rauchy”. And that liquid smoke lingers. You would need a big BBQ sauce to soften this beer. Otherwise, most other foods would pale against it.
Rauch is not my cup of beer usually. But I can tell what was being aimed for here and it was hit. If you don’t like the smokey then this is not the beer for you but if that is a something you like then this is one to pick up.
I will admit it. I graduated in the Class of ’88 when North Coast, Deschutes and Rogue started their breweries. So I was drawn to this beer the moment I heard about it. So, expectations were high from a brewery reputation standpoint and a sentimental viewpoint too.
’88 pours a bright and clear orange color. The head is bubbly and then fades. It is 10% abv after all. Initial aroma is reminiscent of many a barleywine before. With some orange notes at the back too. Good sparkly and carbonation to this that fades into an orange zest and alcohol taste. The top of the mouth is coated with hops of a medium/high bitterness. That orange taste could be amped up some to combat the slickness and the alcohol but a damn fine sippin’ beer.
Having secured a taste of both the Chainbreaker IPA (though it should really be a Belgian tea-inflected blonde) and Black Butte XXIV and finding both to be quite tasty, I thought I would give a month long heads-up to what the Bend, Oregon brewery has in store for Los Angeles before and during L.A. Beer Week.
9/10 Deschutes pint night at Link N Hops in Atwater Village
9/12 Deschutes pint night at the Bruery’s Provision shop in OC
9/15 California Beer Festival in Ventura
9/22 Septemberfest at the Santa Monica Pier
9/29 Beer brunch at Boneyard Bistro in Studio City
9/30 Union Station even for LA Beer week
Tomorrow is the start of 6 days of Deschutes Brewery Base Camp Week here in Los Angeles. And below is the press release information that talks about the why, what and where of Base Camp. In addition to the Steingarten event which I highlighted earlier…
“Deschutes Brewery brings its Base Camp campaign to Los Angeles for an amazing week of specialty beer tastings, beer and food pairings, and appearances by Woody, the giant beer barrel on wheels. Deschutes brewers, ambassadors and fanatics will be on hand to provide some in-the-trenches insight into our courageously crafted brews.
What is Base Camp you may ask? It’s a place where Deschutes Brewery offers beer fanatics a spot to “pitch a tent” of sorts – and find their footing with the cornerstone of Mirror Pond Pale Ale. Deschutes Brewery Base Camp Week is a celebration of Mirror Pond’s easy-drinking goodness, along with many more of the brewery’s passion-heavy, pioneering brews. The Deschutes Brewery team is traveling around to cities all over the west this year, providing passionate fans with a seriously fun exploration of beer. Make the trek to Base Camp. It all begins here…”
Planned Events
Mon, 4/9, 6pm Deschutes Brewery Scavenger Hunt (Far Bar)
No one will deny it: scavenger hunts equal good times! Couple a scavenger hunt with some damn tasty beer from Deschutes Brewery and you have pure fabulousness. Join us and start the hunt at Far Bar – we’ll give you a list of several things you need to find and take a photo of with your smart phone. Send the photos to Deschutes Brewery as you take them – they’ll be judged on correct completion of all tasks, best photo and best team name. So gather your friends and take up the gauntlet to win prize packages from Deschutes Brewery for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place. You could even be strutting home with the coveted Golden Growler. See you here!
Contact Joey Pleich (jpleich@deschutesbrewery.com) to sign up your team.
Mon, 4/9, 8-10pm Base Camp Kick-Off Party (Mohawk Bend) Woody!
Join us as we kick off five whole days of celebratory beer drinking made possible by Deschutes Brewery’s Base Camp. Our featured brewery of the month for April, we’ll be whooping it up with the Deschutes Brewery team this evening as they share with us such brews as Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Black Butte Porter, Chainbreaker White IPA, Hop Henge Experimental IPA and even The Abyss. Pair some of this hand crafted goodness with our specially selected appetizers, and you’ll have a night to remember.
Tues, 4/10, 6-9pm Hats Off to Homebrewers (Steingarten LA) Woody!
Attention homebrewers…come hone your craft with the gang from Oregon’s Deschutes Brewery. The Deschutes crew, including brewer Robin Johnson, are heading to Los Angeles for Base Camp Week and will be giving away clone recipe booklets and bags of whole flower hops to use in your next homebrew. Specialty beer tastings of rarities like Black Butte XXII, The Abyss and The Stoic paired with some tasty appetizers will whet your palate. And that’s not all…five more Deschutes beers will be on tap including Obsidian Stout on Nitro and Chainbreaker White IPA. Robin will also be leading a deconstruction of the never-released Black Butte XXII, providing tastings of some of the specialty ingredients. We’ll even have commemorative glasses to give away while supplies last. Hope to see you here!
Wed, 4/11, 6-8pm Beauty, Bloggers & Beer Private Media Event (Makeup and GO!)
Los Angeles Magazine’s Best Beer Sommelier Christina Perozzi, aka ‘The Beer Chick,’ will be on hand to discuss Deschutes’ yummy Black Butte Porter, the popular Mirror Pond Pale Ale, the almost-impossible-to-find, never-formally-released Black Butte XXII, plus endless complexities of The Abyss. Of course, there will be a chance to get some beauty pampering like eyelash extension and custom makeup application too. And did we mention the delectable desserts? This is an intimate private media-only event, RSVP is required – please email christina@thebeerchicks.com to reserve your spot
Thurs, 4/12, 3-5pm Deschutes Brewery Two-Bit Tastings (Silverlake Liquor) Woody!
Clean out under the couch cushions, break open the piggy bank and dig around on those car floorboards – you’ll be surprised at how you can utilize a mere 25 cents tonight at Silverlake Liquor! Let us surprise you while you visit with Deschutes brewer Robin Johnson, and frolic around the brewery’s giant traveling beer barrel, Woody – all while drinking Deschutes Brewery’s damn tasty year-round line-up of beers.
Thurs, 4/12, 6-8pm Deschutes Brewery Tasting (Whole Foods, Fairfax)
Deschutes Brewery will be visiting the Fairfax Whole Foods Thursday evening to talk with craft beer fans and provide samples of their award winning beers. A brewery representative will also guide you through a cheese pairing with The Stoic, a barrel-aged Belgian-styled ale. There will be special offers on beer in the store, plus you’ll get a free collectible pint glass when you buy a 6-pack to take home.
Thurs, 4/12, 6pm-close Beer-lesque: Tastings & Tassels (Skinny’s Lounge) Woody!
What’s better than an evening full of craft beer from Deschutes Brewery? An evening full of craft beer coupled with intriguing Burlesque dancers and Vaudeville variety acts. Each act will feature a different Deschutes Brewery beer equaling a night of excitement, laughter, and unforgettable fun.
Fri, 4/13, 4-6pm Deschutes Brewery Snacks & Sips (The Village Idiot) Woody!
Thank goodness it’s Friday, and it’s time to wind down after a long week with some damn tasty beers and snacks. That’s right, we’re welcoming the gang from Deschutes Brewery as part of their Base Camp for Beer Fanatics. What does that mean for you? You can spend Friday after work chatting about hand-crafted brews with the experts, while sipping on hard-to-find beers like Hop Henge Experimental IPA and Chainbreaker White IPA.
Fri, 4/13, 7pm-close Grab Beer by the Horns (The Surly Goat) Woody!
Not only will the giant Deschutes Brewery barrel on wheels, Woody, be here, but you should be too! We’ll be pouring a limited amount of some Reserve Series brews like Black Butte XXIII, The Abyss and The Stoic along with the brand-new Chainbreaker White IPA. With live music on our back patio to help you get your groove on, and a Deschutes beer in your hand, you’ll kick off the weekend right and change your mind about the possible pitfalls of Friday the 13th.
Sat, 4/14, 7pm-close Base Camp Finale (House of Blues) Woody!
Oregon’s Deschutes Brewery’s been in LA all week celebrating a fanatical love for craft beer, and the celebration is wrapping up with a grand flair at House of Blues. Guests will have access to the members only Foundation Room, where Nitro Obsidian Stout will be on tap and sampling of all of their year-round beers such as the infamous Black Butte Porter will take place. Paired with the beer will be a special selection of scrumptious appetizers. Downstairs in the music hall Mirror Pond Pale Ale will be on tap, ready to rock it to the reggaeton sounds of Prince Royce. Contact Lisa Aranda at Lisaaranda@livenation.com or 323-848-5146 to buy your tickets in advance.
Chime in and listen to the Base Camp chatter on Twitter using #BeerBaseCamp and by following @DeschutesBeer.
For those of you who were scratching their heads at Conflux # 2. Here is the info on # 1!
“The beer is a blend of two Deschutes beers, The Stoic and The Dissident, as well as two Hair of the Dog beers, Fred and Adam. All four were brewed at Deschutes’ facility in Bend in March of 2010. All four were then aged in a variety of wooden barrels for two years including Rye Whiskey, Cognac, Sherry, Pinot Noir, Bourbon, used American Oak which previously held beer, new American Oak, and new Oregon Oak.”
I have an Abyss in my cellar and this new offering might need to take the spot next to it.
“The newest beer in Deschutes Brewery’s coveted Reserve Series, The Stoic’s journey from Belgian-style Tripel to American Quad is a remarkable one. A simple German Pilsner malt bill and a low-key profile of Hallartau, Czech Saaz, and Northern Brewer hops equip you for the more distinctive aromas and flavors that lay ahead. Ingredients like Belgian candy sugar, beet and date sugars, and pomegranate molasses impart a clean, tangy sweetness. Pinot Noir and rye whiskey barrel-aging suggest notes of spice, citrus, pepper, vanilla, and toasted caramel like offerings to the gods. Unraveling the intricacies of The Stoic is evidence of a life bravely done.”
The Deschutes Base Camp rolled into Los Angeles last night with one of it’s first stops being the Verdugo.
And I mean rolled in. Woody the giant beer dispensing barrel (o.k. a trailer) was on the patio and for $5.00 you got a beer AND a glass.
And a strong Deschutes line-up was inside the bar as well. Including Abyss, Jubel 2010 and the mysterious Black Butte XXII.
I started with Red Chair the NW Pale Ale. Because I had to get a beer from the barrel.
Then because I thought it would run out. I grabbed a goblet of the XXII.
In the end, I had the Cascade ale as well and even though I am usually not a big stout/porter fan, the BB XXII was the clear favorite for me as well as my drinking buddy Richard who also sample Abyss and Jubel 2010. Lots of chocolate notes in the XXII. Smooth but not viscous. An enjoyable late night sipper.
Here is all the information you need about the upcoming ……
2011 Rustic Canyon Spring Beer Bash
Featuring Deschutes Brewery
“The long-awaited Beer Bash is back at Rustic Canyon Winebar & Seasonal Kitchen. Hosted by Beer Sommelier and Author Christina Perozzi and Proprietor Josh Loeb and featuring a beer inspired menu from Chef Evan Funke & Pastry Chef Zoe Nathan, paired with craft beers from Oregon’s preeminent craft brewery, Deschutes Brewery.
The menu will feature as well as the award-winning, highly limited, hard to get Deschute’s specialty beers The Dissident and The Abyss 2010.”
Tuesday, April 12th, 2011
$75 per person
Rustic Canyon Winebar & Seasonal Kitchen
1119 Wilshire Boulevard
Santa Monica, CA 90401
Because space is limited,
PLEASE CALL 310-393-7050 for available reservations.
Tax and gratuity not included.
Credit card is required to hold spaces.
Menu
Amuse:
Fried Oyster
First Course:
Shaved Asparagus and Artichoke Salad with Parmigiano-Reggiano
Paired with Black Butte Porter
Black Butte is rich in flavor yet easy to drink, with a creamy, smooth mouth feel with distinctive chocolate and roasted finish.
Second Course:
Beer Laquered Free Range Wings with Farmers Market Carrots & Homemade Buttermilk Dressing
Paired with The Dissident
This limited beer brewed in September of 2010 spent eighteen months in isolation. A wild yeast Flanders-style brown ale made with whole cherries
Third Course:
Chestnut & Buckwheat Mandilli with Braised Vittellone
Paired with Inversion IPA
Named for a local Oregon weather phenomenon where the clouds hug the base of the mountain revealing clear skies further up, Inversion is Deschutes’ answer to the siren call of the hop.
Fourth Course:
Crispy Pork Belly with Southern-style Veggies
Paired with Green Lakes Organic Ale
A finely balanced certified organic ale with a mellow malt profile and subtle hop leading edge that you can enjoy in good conscience.
Dessert:
Vanilla Napoleon
Paired with The Abyss 2010
This highly coveted, rare specialty beer was brewed in November of 2010 and makes its Southern California debut this week in Los Angeles.Full-bodied with hints of molassas and licorice.
Taking the Hopworks bike one step further is the WOODY!
Here is what the Deschutes people have to say about this new toy…“Who is this guy? Woody, the good-times-on-wheels mobile bar, is a giant wooden beer barrel featuring multiple delicious Deschutes Brewery beers, a stereo, and a disco ball. He is a natural gathering spot at any event for all thirsty individuals (and any misplaced members of your party). Woody’s lounge atmosphere, complete with bar tables, is as inviting as an undiscovered oasis in the California desert. So stop by for a tasty beer and create your own public house.”
