The Champagne of Blogs

North American Organic Beer Fest officially started yesterday, but I haven’t seen much in the way of reviews from other local beer bloggers. Perhaps, like me, they’re waiting until today to get down to Overlook Park.

This is year three for the festival, which has quickly secured a place in my heart. There are a lot of beer festivals in Portland, particularly in June-July, and each has its merits. NAOBF is outdoors in a spacious local park, with easy access to transportation (there’s a Yellow MAX stop across the street from entrance). Kids are welcome, a surprisingly unique feature at most festivals (WTF, Zoo Brew?), and one I am newly appreciative of. There’s a stage with what I’d broadly call live “semipro” music. None of he bands I’ve seen have been remarkable, but they are a nice complement to the festival’s relaxed vibe. There’s usually an eclectic food cart area, too … everything from falafel to African food. In short, it’s the kind of beer festival that could only happen in Portland.

There are more interesting beers on tap this year than last, so I’ve had to compile a shortlist.

• Captured By Porches: Invasive Species IPA. This brewery started in the Clinton Street theater, and I haven’t tried an IPA from them yet. Should be interesting, as I hear this brewery steel bootstraps with the best of them.
• Bison Brewing: Honey Basil Ale. I’ve long considered making a Rosemary IPA, so I’m curious to see how basil works in beer. Thai basil might be a nice variant.
• Eel River: Acai Berry Wheat. I know nothing about this apparent health craze, but if you put vitamins in beer, I’ll likely take them.
• Elliot Bay: Hop von Boorian, a Belgian IPA. Love the Belgian IPAs.
• Fort George: Spruce Ale. This ale was brewed with fresh spruce tips gathered by brewery staff in the manner of Lewis & Clark. Can’t wait to try it, as I really, really like these guys. Check out our video interview and you’ll see why.
• MateVeza: Yerba Mate IPA. I bought a bottle of their better-known Yerba Mate Pale awhile back, but a friend drank it before I could. Maybe it was fate telling me to try a hoppier version.
• Nelson Brewing: Paddywhack & After Dark. File these under “maybe.” I enjoyed my trip to Vancouver, B.C. last year, but the beer wasn’t very impressive, and each bottle I brought back has held down my low opinion of the beer quality in our Northern cousin.
• Oakshire: Watershed IPA. Don’t know much about this brewery, but I’ll try almost anything once.
• Roots Gruit/Rotating Tap. I really hope the rumors about Roots closing aren’t true. I hope to get a taste of the medieval style of fruit beer and the answer to that question if I see Craig Nichols, Roots’ co-owner.
• Sam Smith: Cherry Ale. Also in the “maybe” column. As in, “maybe one of my friends will try it and save me two tickets.” Saw this at QFC the other day and was tempted, but I fear it may be a sugar bomb.
• Standing Stone: Double IPA. Hard to go wrong with this one. See our video interview with the brewer here.
• Upright: Reggae Junkie Gruit & Seven. I’m ashamed to admit it, but I may be the last beer geek in Portland to try Alex Ganum’s newest incarnation. Open-fermentated beer!
• Widmer: Teaser XPA. Call this a bonus. I’m generally a fan of Widmer’s more experimental efforts.

The Weather Channel’s predicting a high of 84 today, which sounds like perfect beer drinking weather to me. Hope to see you there!

As a member of the ever more influential beerygentsia (a fancy word I just made up for beer blogger), we’re getting more and more perks. First there was the well-attended junket to Astoria. The free samples. The BBQ gear. Heck, we’re practically swimming in schwag over at BS HQ, probably because we’re so influential (take note, aspiring PR mavens).

Last Friday morning (it’s tough work if you can get it), Bruce, Thom and I were granted backstage passes at the recent bottling of this year’s Stumptown Tart.

The fine fellows from Green Bottling were hard at work on the 750 cases of 22’s (16 kegs are also being produced), a task they estimated would take just under seven hours. Bottles were flying as we chatted with Steve Bates, Bridgeport’s affable Packaging Manager (and a former Blitz Weinhardt employee) about the task.

They first moved to the 22 oz. format with the original Hop Harvest as a way to better connect with the beer geek crowd, but also as a way to get additional shelf space in the coveted cold beer aisle. It seems six- and twelve-pack territory is pretty well defined, and it can be hard to get a new product into an already-crowded shelf. The 22 oz. area is much more conquerable territory, with shelf space changing nearly every time a new product is released since it tends to be dominated by seasonal offerings that come and go frequently.

Rather than invest in a new bottling line (”Where would we put it?”), they’ve done what so many other Oregon breweries have done, and called in the specialists at Green Brewing when they want to step up from the 12 oz. format. Customers of Green include Laurelwood, New Old Lompoc, Southern Oregon Brewing and the lagerheads at Heater Allen, to name just a few. Don’t call it street cred, but it’s a move that’s paid off, according to Bridgeport, growing sales in their flagship beers in addition to selling out each of the beers released in the Big Brew series.

And what about the beer? It’s tasty. They call it a cherry wheat, but this is nothing like what that name would suggest to this fruit beer skeptic (I’ve been burned so many times … and I’m looking at you, Cranberry Lambic!). It’s tart, with a really nice cherry and almond aroma, but not so very sweet. Perhaps it’s the 2,000 pounds of sour pie cherries it aged on for five weeks. Or maybe the beer’s time in oak chardonnay and pinot barrels mellowed some of the flavors out. Whatever it is, it works. I could actually see myself drinking a whole bottle of this, but at 8.3% abv, it’d probably be on a Friday night. The base beer is Fallen Friar, which wasn’t my favorite of the series, but the addition of a little wheat and a lot of cherries make this a refreshing summer treat.

Of course, having Steve lead our backstage tour kept things from getting too geeky. No cassis notes were tasted or taken.

When I asked Karl Ockert, Bridgeport’s Brewmaster, what type of glass he’d suggest for a beer like Stumptown Tart, Steve interjected “it comes in its own glass!” (If you’re not the “from the package” sort Karl suggests a goblet or red wine glass.) Awesome.

Taste Stumptown Tart for yourself this Thursday, June 25 for the release party at the brewery. The label’s model, Bernie Dexter (somewhat NSFW), and Karl Ockert will both be on hand to autograph bottles or ask your lingerie questions. Who you ask what is up to you (and the amount of Stumptown Tart you’ve consumed).

Bridgeport Brewing
Thursday, June 25, 5:30 – 9:00 PM
1313 NW Marshall, Portland

I got a nice little present the other day from the good people at Redhook when I received a box containing the company’s latest limited edition offering, Redhook Tripel.  We don’t really “do” the beer review thing, there’s plenty of other sites that are great for that, but we did want to share some thoughts on this beer.

Being a generous person, I brought it to a weekend gathering and shared it with Dave and Thom, we didn’t exactly have the ideal glassware, or glass at all really.

There is so much to like about this beer, visually the packaging is great and the color and the head on the beer are enticing. Taste-wise, I would say the beer is very well-made, true to the style, has nice banana and clove flavors woven in and it really hides that 10.2% ABV, not overly alcoholic for such a big beer at all. However, when it comes to tasting, we noticed one small thing, it’s kinda boring, there’s nothing that really makes you say “Wow, I got to try some more of that!”  It’s somewhat like the Toyota Camry of beer. Well-made, precise, reliable and a bit of a snooze. I just wish there was a little something in there that made me want to come back for more.

Speaking of Redhook, not sure how much is left and if it’s at all Trader Joe’s, but the other day i found 22 oz. bombers of Double Black Stout for $1.99 a bottle. I left one on the shelf at the 39th and Holgate store because I didn’t want to be the jerk that cleaned it out. At that price, if you like stouts, it’s worth seeking out at other TJ’s.