Video Review – Base Camp In-Tents IPL

The first review of 2013 in intense. It comes from Base Camp Brewing in Portland, Oregon and is an India Pale LAGER!

Here is the description from the website, “Our flagship India Pale Lager showcases a copper color that gives way to a crisp, clean lager beer perfectly balanced in its massive complexity. Dry-hopped and aged on an in-house toasted blend of white and red oaks. The IPL finishes clean and smooth, with hop aromas of wild flowers and pine, and a unique maltiness highlighted by the subtle oak character.”

Base Camp Brewing

I expect a little rustic-ness at most start-up breweries. Toss in the fact that I was in Portland and that the name of the brewery is Base Camp and the rustic quotient should be huge. And it was, but this was an impressive tap room.
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Nice and roomy. Though still incomplete in spots the wood and rocks under the tables plus the carabiner’s hanging from the sparkly tap handles made for a warm and classy spot.
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I picked up the 9 strong taster tray for a cheap price and set about trying the beers.
My favorite was the cleverly named In-Tents IPL. Nice and citric on the nose with a balanced load of hops. After tasting it I brought a can home to L.A. with me. Of course the can is shaped like a bottle but that doesn’t detract from the beer inside. Second and winner for presentation was the S’More Stout which came garnished with a toasted marshmallow. First time I had seen that effective touch. It was a lovely stout. Smooth with roast notes.
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Some of the other beers tasted good but suffered from being style misplaced. The brown ale was more a hoppy red and the kolsch was way to un-crisp for that style though still tasty.

Enough promise is shown here and great branding style that I will return when next I hit Portland.