Tag: Oregon beer

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Where To Go, When You Go, to Oregon

When I travel, either solo or with wife, once the travel is booked the second thing that I do is start looking for breweries to visit.

But getting current and smart recommendations which should be easy in this internet age, only sporadically is. Usually, hours of operation are out of date, can’t find taplists or food menus. I tend to now have plans B and C in my pocket wherever I go. Because I expect that location A may be closed.

Bit of a preamble to very exciting news from the Beervana Blog and esteemed drinks writer Jeff Alworth about a new (and large) project that will help beer travelers plan trips to Oregon.

Read the announcement HERE.

Once up and running, it could be an invaluable travel resource and a clearinghouse of Oregon craft beer information.

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Beer Review – A Trio of Oregon Beers

Some great Oregon breweries have been sneaking into the L.A. beer market of late. I have seen a bit of Wayfinder Beer and Heater Allen and lately pFriem Family Brewers too.

So instead of a single review or a duo, it is time for a trilogy of Oregon beers in one post. Three different styles but only one best of show….

Wayfinder Beer Russian Circles Black Pilsner – if you closed your eyes and drank this, at first, you would certainly know it was a pilsner but you would probably then lean towards either German or Czech styled. There is a bit of roast, Malliard reaction in the aroma and taste but overall this is a really nice, hearty pilsner.

Heater Allen Pink Boots Brew – the famous McMinnville lager brewery utilized the 2023 Pink Boots hop blend for this pale ale. Quite a melange of hop notes here. Getting pine and some citrus and even a touch of strawberry as well. A bit slick on the tongue as well.

pFriem Sparkling IPA – pours a dark orange. Initial taste is a bit of marmalade paired with pear as well. Was expecting more bubbles due to the name but there is a swirl of flavors. The label name checks seven fruits including sugar covered strawberry which is quite specific. Just a crazy four dimensional IPA.

My Winner – Due to the complexity, I select the pFriem but this was a close contest for sure.

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The Birthday Beer of 2018 – Part 2

In addition to the Mikkeller birthday beer from a couple days ago, there is also the matter of the beer that my Mom sent me as a present from Oregon….

It is the return of Cocoa Cow from Sunriver Brewing.

Will it be as good as the first bottle that I brought back from Oregon? Short Answer? Yeah. For sure.

I preface this re-review with this info that I can barely keep up with all the new beers, so to drink a repeat beer is new for me. AND it means the beer must have been really good. Here is the 2018 review…

I remember the chocolate now. Milk chocolate for sure. Nice tan head that dissipates quickly. Still has a little bubbly character to counteract the sweet. Sticks to the roof of the mouth pleasantly. A touch of dark malt but nothing bitter at all. There is a faint note of coconut here too that lends to a comparison to Girl Scout Samoa cookies of old. I can imagine all sorts of chocolate desserts to have with this beer but I could also see a great float with straight up vanilla ice cream.

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Review – Jabberwocky from Walkabout Brewing Co.

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First off, I was quite surprised by how many beers have Jabberwocky in the name.  But more surprising was the fact that I haven’t had a beer from Walkabout Brewing Co. in my life.  Now with a name like that you would expect them to hail from Australia but they are from the Southern Oregon town of Medford. (At least that is what the label tells me, a cursory internet search revealed little information about the brewery)

The beer pours a light brown with orange tinting to it.  The aroma is slightly woody with notes of caramel to it.  Taste wise, I am getting quite a bit of cola taste.  A little bit of English cider notes pop in and out as well and that also adds some sweetness to the proceedings.  Also a bit of raisin in the distance.  The beer really sticks to the roof of the mouth.  I also capture some nutmeg like spicing at the back.  Lots of notes here.

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My Top 10 Beers

In no particular order….
Gose bier from Bayerischer Banhof in Leipzig
Ruby Ale from McMenamin’s
Haymaker from Bridgeport Brewing
Brrr! from Widmer
Our Special Ale from Anchor Steam
Blind Pig from Russian River
IPA from Green Flash Brewing
Hefeweizen from Landskron Brewing
Pommes Lambic from Lindemans
and sadly no longer made
Weizenberry from Thomas Kemper