2013-07-22

Wednesday July 24, 2013 marks the start of the 26th Oregon Brewers Festival hosted at Portland’s Waterfront Park.

For those that have attended the states largest beer festival in the past, you might notice that this is the first year the event starts on a Wednesday. As the festival has grown with over 80,000 attendees the past few years, the organizers have decided to add an additional day to give ample time for everyone to enjoy the over 80 beers.

Another change this year is that the plastic mugs have been replaced with pint glasses, which should make most beer geeks happy.

I’ll Be There All 5 Days

If you happen to be attending the festival for any of the 5 days, make sure to stop by the Education Pavilion, located on the south end of the park. Inside you’ll find me at my own booth for my book Beer Lover’s Oregon.

I’ll be there all week selling and signing books, talking about beer, and meeting a lot of fun beer fans. I’d love to meet you so stop by and say hi.

I’ll be selling the book for just $15, so get your copy at the festival if you haven’t already.

If you want bonus points, you can make sure my beer glass is full as I’ll be stuck behind the table for most of the event.

Are you coming? Make sure to comment below if so.

Beers at Oregon Brewers Festival

For more details, make sure to check out the Oregon Brewers Festival website.

Below is the beer list being offered at the event. For an easier overview to look at, check out the post Oregon Brewers Fest By the Numbers Jeff Alworth put together at Beervana.

My goal will be to try as many beers that I haven’t had before. Is there any particular beer you are most excited about trying?

Brewery

Beer

Style

OG / FG

ABV

IBU

Tap Trailer

10 Barrel Brewing Co

SWILL

German Radler

4.5

14

4

Beer guy! Stop taking yourself so serious… 10 Barrel’s Swill was designed to throw down. Starting with a base of fine German malts and Sterling hops, the brewers infused Berliner Weiss (also German) with multiple layers of grapefruit (not so German). Fun, delicious and easy to drink!

13 Virtues Brewing Co

Traverse Cherry Wheat

Belgian Wit with Fruit

6

20

1

Oregon cherries give this Belgian Witbier its red color, as well as a sweet-tart fruitiness accentuated by the Wyeast Belgian wit yeast used to ferment the wort for this beer. Great Western wheat and pilsner malts in the mash are balanced with a low dose of bittering hops and no finishing hops so you can enjoy the cherry flavor and aroma.

21st Amendment Brewery

Hell or High Watermelon

Fruit Wheat Beer

4.9

17

8

One of the most popular beers at the OBF for several years, this American wheat beer is brewed with real watermelon for a refreshing hint of watermelon flavor and aroma. Like Summer in a glass!

Alameda Brewing Co

Huckleberry Hound

Golden Ale

4

20

1

If you’ve ever wondered how Oregon huckleberries might taste in a beer, here’s your chance! This sweet fruit complements the grain bill of two-row, acidulated, white wheat, pilsner and Munich malts, fermented with a Scottish ale yeast to create a malt-forward beer with a pleasant fruity ester profile.

Anderson Valley Brewing Co

Summer Solstice Cerveza Crema

Summer Cream Ale

5.5

8

9

This honey-gold elixir is crisp and clear, with an unusual lightness and dryness for such a full-flavored ale. This slightly sweet, malty session beer has a creamy mouthfeel and clean finish. With hints of caramel in the nose and a touch of spice, it’s become affectionately known as “cream soda for adults.” The arousing abundance of Pacific Northwest hops adds both a floral bouquet and a lively, citrusy finish.

Ballast Point Brewing Co

Sculpin IPA

American-Style IPA

6.6

70

9

Caramel, carapils and two-row malts provide just enough malty sweetness to balance this beer’s amazing hop bill. Seven – yes, seven – different hops are added several times to the boil, as well as to the knock-out and in the fermenter. Northern Brewer, German Tradition, Columbus, Chinook, Centennial, Amarillo and Simcoe give it not only a bracing bitterness, but a rich, hop flavor.

Base Camp Brewing Co

In-Tents India Pale Lager

India Pale Lager

6.8

55

6

What makes this beer so “in-tents?” It’s a cross between a hoppy IPA and a smooth copper lager, and aged on a blend of red and white Oregon oak that the BC crew mills and toasts at the brewery. The brewers use a unique cellaring technique developed in-house that they call “Base Camping” that allows for natural carbonation, huge dry-hop additions, and a clean finish. Vienna, naked oats, crystal and melanoidin malts are bittered with Summit hops, then dry-hopped with Centennial, Glacier, Mt. Hood and Zythos in the lagering tanks. Get In-Tents!

Bayern Brewing

Kaiser Pilsner Lager

Imperial Pilsner Lager

5.5

40

7

Kaiser IPL is decoction brewed, cold fermented at 48 degrees and aged four weeks at 29 degrees. Like all Bayern beers, it’s naturally carbonated. A limited edition brew, only two 42-barrel batches will be brewed this year, and some will be available in limited quanities in Portland.

Boneyard Beer

Bone-A-Fide Pale Ale

American Pale Ale

5.6

40

8

This West Coast-style pale ale is brewed for a big, hoppy finish. Golden to copper in color, the malts used to create the beer balance nicely with some of the Yakima Valley’s most bonafide hop varieties: Cascade, Centennial and Chinook. The floral aroma jumps out of the glass, thanks to the copious quantities of hops used in the dry-hop process. If you are a hophead, hop on!

Boulder Beer Co

Pump up the Jam

Fruit Beer

5.2

15

9

Pump Up The Jam is a small-batch, unfiltered blueberry wheat beer, brewed exclusively for the 2013 OBF. Oregon sourced blueberries are added to the fermenter during cold-conditioning and left to do their magic for three weeks, imparting a juicy, jammy fruit flavor and aroma into the beer. Left unfiltered, Pump Up The Jam shows off its appetizing hazy, pinkish-purple color, and allows the full tart fruitiness to remain a dominant character in the taste profile.

Boulevard Brewing Co

80-Acre Hoppy Wheat Beer

American Pale Wheat Ale

5.5

20

5

With roots in two of today’s most popular brewing styles, 80-Acre Hoppy Wheat Beer is the result of careful cultivation by Boulevard’s respected brewers and cellarmen. Their efforts to craft a hybrid yielded a bumper crop of flavor – a delightfully distinctive ale with the aroma of an IPA and the refreshing taste of a wheat beer. Both unmalted wheat and wheat malt are mashed with pale malt, bittered with Zeus, Summit and Bravo hops, and flavored with Cascades.

Boundary Bay Brewery

Double Dry Hopped Bravo Pale Ale

Pale Ale

5.5

45

6

This beer gets its name from – you guessed it – the hops. Five additions of Bravo hops, including a double dose of dry hops, give the beer its signature flavor. But Boundary Bay kept the bitterness to a moderate level so you can taste the sweet pale and caramel malt backbone that gives it balance. Taste this and you’ll know Bravo hops anywhere.

Breakside Brewery

Float

Summer Lager

5.3

22

5

Who doesn’t love a good float? Inspired by long beautiful days on the mighty Clackamas River, this beer is a tribute to Portland’s too short summers. A golden, unfiltered lager brewed in the Dortmund style, Float is made for easy drinking in the July heat. Enjoy it with friends nearby, even if you’re not on the river.

BridgePort Brewing Co

Long Ball Ale

Golden Ale

5

28

10

This light, easy drinking ale has a pale malt base with three different hop varieties, and is dry-hopped with Meridians, a relatively new variety that exudes a distinctive Meyer lemon aroma. BridgePort recently became the official beer sponsor of the Hillsboro Hops, the single-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamonbacks (MLB). This year’s entrant from BridgePort is brewed exclusively for the Hops, and is a perfect complement to a day at the ballpark.

Burnside Brewing Co

Marionberry Berliner Weisse

Berliner Weiss

3.5

5.7

5

This beer’s light tartness comes from inoculation with Lactobacillus along with a traditional German yeast that ferments pilsner and white wheat malts to a dry finish. The fruity sweet-tart flavor and aroma comes from marionberries added to the bright tank. A single dose of Nugget hops early in the boil lets you know it’s still beer under all that fancy brewing technique.

Cascade Brewing

Raspberry Wheat

Fruit Beer

4.5

15

3

This NW style beer is a crisp, refreshing wheat beer fermented with real raspberries – no extracts or flavorings. The first thing you’ll notice is the aroma of bright, tart raspberries. Sweet raspberries on the palate then give way to slight sparkling tart berry finish. The Berlin-style sour mash makes this an extremely refreshing beer.

Cascade Lakes Brewing Co

Kölschkneipen Ale

Kölsch

4.5

21

10

This beer’s grain base of pilsner malt is mashed in soft water for a true German malt flavor. First-wort hopped with German Tettnanger, more German Tettnanger and some Czech Saaz join, creating a true Prussian beer. Sip this with your eyes shut and it’ll feel like you’re in a beer garden in Köln.

Coalition Brewing Co

Wheat the People

American Wheat

4.4

13

6

Wheat the People is an American style wheat beer designed to satisfy a thirsty palate on a hot summer day. A base of American two-row and white wheat provide a crisp and refreshing taste while still maintaining the body of a wheat beer. Single hopped with a light touch of Hallertaur, Wheat the People is the ultimate easy drinking craft beer. Perhaps the most thirst quenching beer on the planet.

Collaborator

Smoked Helles

Bamberg Style Helles Rauchbier Lager

5.9

25

2

This beer was originally brewed by Joshua Boelter as a homebrew entry to the annual Widmer Collaboration competition run with the Oregon Brew Crew. It was brewed in appreciation of the fantastic smoked beers of Bamberg and a fine lager. The subtle smokiness expresses itself as it warms and tries to hide behind a balanced bitterness. This Smoked Helles should serve as a gentle introduction to smoked beers.

Columbia River Brewing Co

Hollywood Hefe

German Style Wheat Beer

5.5

17

8

Hollywood Hefe’s name might go up in lights for this one. Bull Run water with German winter wheat and pilsner malt form the pure and simple mash, and the hop bill is even simpler: all German Halltertau. Fermented with a famous German yeast for that authentic bananna and clove nose, its low bitterness will make this one easy to quaff no matter what the weather.

Deschutes Brewery

Gluten Free NW Pale Ale

Gluten Free NW Pale Ale

6

35

10

What is floral, fruity, packed full of citrus and 100% gluten free? It’s Deschutes Brewery’s GF NW Pale Ale. This beer gets crafty with its use of Nugget, Crystal, Bravo and Galaxy hops, and its sweet blend of Belgian candi syrup. You would hardly know that this gluten free beer is fermented with rice instead of barley. Brewed especially for those who could use a little less gluten in their lives. Go on, try it!

Deschutes Brewery

Double Impact Belgian IPA

Belgian IPA

6.5

70

10

Hops and Belgian yeast join forces to deliver a roundhouse kick of aromatics and flavor. This unfiltered brew’s temperature-programmed mash using atmospheric boil with steam combines with the use of hopback hops to provide a double impact of powerful citrus notes that complement complex fruity yeast esters. This beer has an aggressive bitterness that will Van Dammage your palate; Jean Claude would be proud.

Dick’s Brewing Co

Pulp Friction

Orange Infused Pale Ale

5

25

3

This brew’s amazing citrusy notes come from the addition of orange peel and grapefruit zest on top of a malt base of northwest premium two-row, buttressed with a touch of crystal and chocolate malts for just a hint of sweetness and color. Magnum hops for bittering and Mt. Hoods for flavoring and at knockout add a bit of hop spicness and complexity, but not so much as to hide the special ingredients.

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery

Namaste

Witbier

5

20

10

Made with dried organic orange slices, fresh-cut lemongrass and a bit of coriander, this Belgian-style white beer is a great thirst quencher. A “living beer,” it is dosed with yeast and naturally carbonated. A witbier bursting with good karma, Namaste was originally brewed at the Rehoboth Beach pub with Leo from Birra del Borgo as a tribute to Dogfish’s friends at 3 Fonteinen brewery in Belgium, which had a devastating production loss (1/3 of their annual production) in 2009.

Double Mountain Brewery & Taproom

ClusterF#ck Single-Hop IPA

Single Hop IPA

7.3

85

7

What’s missing from this beer? You, we imagine, and not a whole lot else. Serious poundage of Gambrinus pilsner and honey malts plus immeasurable amounts of Cluster hops create this fermentation giant, and the brewery’s in-house Abbey strain of yeast does the heavy lifting to create a 7.3% alcohol beast that looks as light as a session ale – and drinks just as easy.

Drake’s Brewing Co

1500 Pale Ale

American Extra Pale Ale

5.5

48

7

Looking for an all-around good, drinkable all-American pale ale? Look no further! This light amber pale ale gives you flavor and balance without knocking your palate out for a couple of rounds. Two-row and caramalt form the base. Bravo hops for bittering, Cascade for flavoring and Simcoe and Amarillo in the whirlpool give it a soft, citrusy finish.

Dunedin Brewery

Chronicle 11: Subtropical IPA

American Fruited Farmhouse IPA

7

75

2

We can guarantee this is the only beer at the fest with the unique combination of grapefruit peel, pink peppercorn and toasted coconut as ingredients. A complex grain bill is fermented by a wit/farmhouse yeast strain that provides a subtle fruit character and a dry tart finish. The hops are Nelson Sauvin, Calypso and Summit.

Eel River Brewing Co

Cali Pale

Pale Ale/IPA Hybrid

4.8

38

4

This organic pale ale comes together around a grain bill of two-row, wheat and carapils malts, with Magnum hops for bittering, Citra for flavor and Citra and Simcoe hops for aroma. Hard brewing water accentuates the hops and the California ale yeast ferments it clean and dry.

Elysian Brewing

Oddland Spiced Pear Ale

Spiced Fruit Beer

6.5

40

10

Pear – yes pear – plus cardamom and cumin give this beer its unique spicy, sweet character. Two-row pale and carahell malts fermented by West Coast ale yeast let those special ingredients shine. The hop bill of German Northern Brewer for bittering, Cascade and Czech Saaz just before knockout and again in the whirlpool accentuate the spicy, fruity character.

Epic Brewing Co

Hop Syndrome Lager

Dry-Hopped American Premium Lager

4.6

35

7

Epic makes a splash worthy of its name with this highly quaffable, moderately-hopped beer whose 4.6% alcohol content is low only by craft beer standards. One of the few lagers here today, it may be the only beer in the festival using French hops (Aramis) which, added to the hopback, provide a delicate, herbal German Noble hop type aroma with a hint of lemon. Calypso and Crystal hops do the bittering on wort drawn from Weyermann pils and Munich malts and Briess two-row carapils.

Fearless Brewing Co

Peaches and Cream Ale

American Style Cream Ale and Peaches

4.8

18

1

Fearless to the core, this is the only beer at the festival drawn from “”the magical waters of the Clackamas River.”" Pale two-row and pilsner malts get fermented by the very versatile house strain of Scottish ale yeast. Perle hops provide the bittering, while Sterling hops provide the hop finish. Join Fearless and make an offering to the Viking gods for another successful batch of beer.

Fire Mountain Brew House

Bogart NW IPA

IPA

6.9

99

3

This Northwest-style IPA features five, count ‘em, five, “true to the cause” hops in the kettle: Cascade (of course), Centennial, Simcoe, Hercules and Willamette. Hops in the Brite feature Cascade and five other Northwest varieties to bring a balance of hop aromas to life. For balance, there’s some Maris Otter and Canadian pils malt. So don’t bogart the Bogart.

Firestone Walker Brewing Co

Wookey Jack

Unfiltered Black Rye IPA

8.5

60

4

Rich, dark malts and spicy rye careen into bold citrus-laden hops, creating a new dimension in IPA flavor. This brew has been left unfiltered and unfined to retain all of its texture and character. This GABF gold medal winner is lagered four weeks, leaving it gnarly on the outside yet complex and refined on the inside.

Fish Brewing Co

Herban Legend

American Pale Ale

5.5

35

3

That’s right, there’s hemp in this smooth and polished-tasting pale ale. Hemp seed creates a subtle nutty flavor that complements the hops and barley. The unique protein spectrum of the hemp seeds gives this beer a rich, creamy head and imparts mellow herbal flavors and aromas. The spice notes of the barley and hemp blend seamlessly into the citrus hops, creating an interesting beer that’s easy to drink on a sweaty day, but worth sipping whenever you have the time.

Fort George Brewery & Public House

Hop Contract

NW Pale Ale

5.6

50

4

Made especially for the festival, this beer enjoys the benefits of its unique slow sand-filtered coast range water – and so will you! Neutral ale yeast allows you to taste the organic two-row malted barley and honey malts that provide the beautiful copper color. Cascade hops provide the bitterness and add citrusy notes, and Simcoe and Centennial hops supply the hop flavor and aroma.

Full Sail Brewing Co

Session Black Lager

Czech Tmavé

5.4

12

10

Short, dark and drinkable, Session Black carries the mantra of drinkability into new territory. Most beers this dark are so heavy-duty, you could eat them with a fork. Session Black, on the other hand, lets you have your dark beer and drink it, too. With just a hint of roasty chocolate character, Session Black is a dark beer that doesn’t drink like a meal!

Gigantic Brewing Co

& Juice

Beermosa – IPA with citrus juices added

6

65

5

Here’s a great way to drink your vitamin C: grapefruit, pineapple and tangerine juices, added post-fermentation, form the “mosa” side of this interesting brew. A simple grain bill of pale malt gets bittered by Simcoe hops, then doused with bucketloads of Simcoe, and Cascade in the hopback for an intense citrusy character. Oh, then it’s dry-hopped with Cascade and Simcoe so those juices don’t get lonely.

Gilgamesh Brewing

DJ Jazzy Hef

American Style Hefeweizen

5

8

1

This American-style hefeweizen was brewed with organic ingredients and a generous amount of jasmine tea. It’s a light-bodied brew with a hazy shade of sunshine and pleasant jasmine aroma. This beer was presented with the “Best Summer Brew” award by none other than Erik Estrada at the NW Cuisine Scene Foodiefest.

GoodLife Brewing Co

Evil Sister

Imperial Pacific Ale

8

30

8

Think back on the days when your sister tortured you with endless pinching, wet willies and Indian burns. Evil Sister’s flavors of strong citrus and floral hops balance this beer, but at 8% it will have you cryin’ for your mama!

Great Divide Brewing Co

Colette Farmhouse Saison

Farmhouse Style Saison

7.3

28

7

Colette is brewed in homage to the saisons that Belgian farm workers have enjoyed for centuries. Brewed with barley, wheat and rice and fermented at high temperatures with a special blend of two French and two Belgian yeast strains, Colette is fruity and slightly tart, with a dry finish that makes it that rarest of treats – a beer as refreshing as it is complex.

Hale’s Ales Brewery & Pub

Hale’s 30th Anniversary Double Pale Ale

Double Pale Ale

8

40

8

Celebrate thirty years of Hale’s Ales with this doubly good pale ale. This malt-forward pale is made from two-row, crystal, Vienna, wheat and aromatic malts, as well as a dose of oats. Bittered with Apollo, the finishing and flavoring hops include Centennial, Cascade, Chinook and Citra. Open-fermented and dry-hopped for that special Hale’s edge.

Heathen Brewery

Transgression IPA

West Coast IPA

7.5

80

7

This robust flavored, medium bodied, sunset amber colored ale is hop forward to say the least. American hops take front stage with Simcoe, Amarillo and Citra collaborating on a five tier assault. Hop additions started with first wort, hop bursting, four kettle hop introductions, and a long, patient dry-hop with three separate additions. Then to climax on the day before being kegged, the brewers run the finished beer over whole Citra hops, stripping lupulin and creating even more aroma. Heathen Brewing deserves to be punished or commended for this hop transgression.

Hop Valley Brewing Co

Czech Your Head Pilsner

Bohemian Style Pilsner

5.5

50

4

Check your glass and Czech your head! This classic Czech pilsner begins with Weyermann pils and carafoam malts mashed into McKenzie River water, gently bittered with Magnum hops and finished with noble Czech Saaz for a delicate, spicy hop flavor and aroma. Lagering smooths it out for maximum summer refreshment.

Hopworks Urban Brewery

Two Tickets to Pearadise

Organic Belgian Pear Ale

6.5

18

9

Hopworks has paired a delicate blonde brew with locally-sourced Bartlett & Bosch organic pear juice for a crisp and refreshing fruit beer. Floral & peppery aroma open into a tart, dry imminently drinkable brew. Pack your bags, we leave tonight!

Ice Harbor Brewing Co

ExBEERience Hefeweizen

Hefeweizen

5

13

3

Natural tangerine flavoring adds a sweet, citrusy tang to this unique wheat beer. It’s a crossover from top to bottom, with American two-row and wheat malts fermented with a blend of American and German hefeweizen yeast strains. Untreated Kennewick tap water helps accentuate the Mt. Hood hops, used for both bittering and finishing.

Laht Neppur Brewing Co

Peach Hefeweizen

Hefeweizen

4.9

19

1

Concentrated peach juice provides an intense, sweet fruit flavor to this American classic wheat beer. Two-row, malted white wheat and Vienna malts are fermented with a very neutral top fermenting yeast strain, yielding slight estery aromas. This allows the wheat flavor to come through without overwhelming the subtle peach aroma.

Lompoc Brewing Co

EleventyOne CDA

Cascadian Dark Ale

6.6

75

5

Pale, Munich, wheat and carafa malts comprise this complex beer’s grain bill, but that’s simplicity itself compared to the hop schedule. Mash hopped (yes, in the mash) with Columbus and first wort hopped with Simcoe, Lompoc adds more Simcoe, Crystal, Centennial and Cascade at various stages throughout the boil. Planning the moon landing was simpler, but far less tasty.

Lost Coast Brewery

Tangerine Wheat

Fruit Beer

5.3

15

10

A refreshing citrus ale, Lost Coast Tangerine Wheat combines the brewery’s Harvest Wheat with natural tangerine flavors. Brewed with a combination of wheat and crystal malts, and finished with Perle hops, this refereshing beer is ideal for warm summer weather, BBQs and easy drinking.

Lucky Labrador Brew Pub

Copperopolis

Copper Ale

5.1

49

3

This malt-forward ale has complex toasty, caramel sweetness with a floral, herbal scent and a light spiciness in the finish. Its bright copper-red color contrasts with its creamy white lacy head that thrusts its sweet, spicy aromas skyward. A complex grain bill blends with Fuggles, Centennial and Cascade hops for a well-balanced, very drinkable beer you won’t let the dog steal.

Maui Brewing Co

Lemongrass Saison

Belgian Inspired Saison

5

18

8

This beer is a collaboration brewed with Maui Brewing’s friends at the Lost Abbey in San Marcos, CA. It features pilsner, Vienna and Munich malts, is bittered with Nelson Sauvin and Citra hops, and finished with locally raised lemongrass from West Maui Farms. This saison is malty, spicy and refreshing and carries a beautiful aroma of citrus and fruit esters.

McMenamins Cornelius Pass Roadhouse

Silvercone IPL

India Pale Lager

6.5

84

9

What’s an India Pale Lager? Think IPA with the smoothness of a summer pilsner. Superior pilsen, flaked barley, and light crystal malts create the golden malt base. Chinook and Centennial provide both bitterness and intense flavor, backed up by late additions of Simcoe and more Centennial in the hop back. After fermentation, it’s lagered for several weeks, with dry-hopping in the brite tank. Taste why it won top honors at the McMenamins Hillsdale Brewfest!

Mt. Shasta Brewing Co

Skip and Go Naked

Strawberry & Ginger Hefeweizen

4.8

13

6

This beer is dry-hopped … without hops! Instead it contains 20 pounds of sundried California strawberries and eight pounds of fresh ginger. To make sure you can taste those unique ingredients, a modest amount of the delicate Liberty hops are used to balance the grain bill of Gambrinus ESB, organic wheat and extra special malt. This brew will make you want to Skip N Go Naked. Buy one for the most attractive person you see at the festival.

Natian Brewery

Erbal Tenacious

Organic Herb/Spice Blonde Ale

5.6

36

3

In the fierce competition for most unique beer ingredients, Natian may win fronds-down. Elderflower, grains of paradise, lemon myrtle and lemon balm help organic Palisades and Centennial hops spice and balance this organic beer that is brewed from two-row and caramel malts. If you aren’t curious to try this yet, mere words cannot help you.

Ninkasi Brewing Co

Bohemian Pils

Bohemian Pilsner

5.1

38

5

Pilsner, two-row pale and acidulated malts provide the food and fun for the Budvar bohemian lager yeast to transform this brew into the amazing elixir ready to fill your glass. Hallertau hops do moderate bittering, joined by Czech Saaz for flavoring with even more Saaz tossed into the whirlpool for that spicy, delicate aroma. Fermented and lagered for eight weeks for maximum smoothness.

North Coast Brewing Co

PranQster

Belgian Style Golden Ale

7.6

20

4

This beer’s amazing flavor is primarily yeast driven, a mixed culture of antique yeast strains that produce a floral, slight banana nose, a fruity flavor and a clean finish. Noble Tettnanger hops provide just enough bitterness to balance the big malt base, with finishing hops courtesty of Mt. Hoods. The beer’s golden color and low bitterness may deceive you into thinking it’s a session beer, but this beer is big in both flavor and alcohol.

Oakshire Brewing

OBF 26

Imperial Oregon Ale

7

26

4

Celebrating 26 years of the OBF, Oakshire crafted a special commemorative beer just for the event. It uses 26 ingredients, many sourced in Oregon, and features a very approachable 26 IBUs. Two kinds of locally sourced honey and a host of spices, herbs and citrus peels are layered on the Oregon grown malt and hops to make a very unique, yet light and refreshing local golden ale.

Occidental Brewing Co

Occidental Dortumunder

Dortmunder

4.8

28

5

Dortmunder is the Westphalian answer to pilsner or helles: a straw-colored lager with a noble hop character accentuated by a hard water profile. Occidental’s is characteristically refreshing with a moderate maltiness and smooth bitterness thanks to multiple additions of German Tettnanger hops.

Ohio Brewing Co

O’Hoppy Ale IPA

American IPA

6.8

85

3

This American India Pale Ale is a hophead’s delight! Wonderfully hoppy aromas come first from the Columbus, Cascade, Warrior and Kent Goldings in the boil and Centennials for dry-hopping. Then comes a rich, slightly fruity mouthfeel delivered by pale, crystal, wheat and two-row malts. The refreshingly dry finish is marked by a sophisticated hop bitterness. At 85 IBUs, this big beer is not for the timid.

Old Market Pub & Brewery

Dilution of Grandeur

Mixed Berry Belgian Lambic

8.1

9

6

If you like sassy tarts, you’ll love this beer. Raspberries, blackberries, black currants and boysenberries add tart, fruity depth to the pilsner, wheat, flaked wheat, Vienna, Munich, flaked oats and acidulated malt. Spontaneous fermentation and barrel aging create a Lactobacillus-soured wort and an amazingly dry finish for a very big beer. Modest amounts of Willamette hops keep the bitterness to a minimum.

Old Town Brewing Co

Portmunder

Dortmunder

5.9

30

1

Brewed specially for the OBF, this one goes great with pizza. Pils, Vienna, carafoam and aromatic malts fermented with German lager yeast make this Dortmunder-style ale malty and clean on the palate. Its full malt character and strong noble hop profile from Golden, Sterling, Liberty and Santiams strike a Prussian balance during its seven week lager time.

Omission Beer

Omission IPA

Gluten Free IPA

6.7

65

5

Omission IPA is a bright, hop forward Northwest style IPA produced in the spirit of the original IPAs shipped from the UK to India in the late 1800s. The heavy-handed use of Cascade and Summit hops give it notable pine, citrus and grapefruit aromas and flavors. The bitterness is what you would expect of a NW IPA but this beer is balanced and smooth due to the perfect level of malt sweetness. The finish is crisp, clean and refreshing: a true IPA lover’s IPA, and gluten-free to boot!

Oskar Blues Brewery

G-Knight Imperial Red IPA

Imperial Red IPA

8.7

60

4

This “Velvet M-80″ is a hefty, dry-hopped double-red ale with a nose full of aroma, a sticky mouthfeel, a malty middle and unctuous hop flavors. G’Knight sports a surprisingly sensuous finish for a beer of its size. It’s brewed in tribute to a fellow Colorado craft beer pioneer and Vietnam vet who died fighting a 2002 wildfire outside of the brewery’s hometown of Lyons. For all the details behind this tribute, visit www.N3978Y.com. G’Mornin’. G’Day. G’Knight.

Paradise Creek Brewery

Pokerface Blonde

Blonde Ale

6.4

23

6

Paradise Creek Brewery shares its space with a ghost named Hector who is known to throw lavish parties resulting in the loss of great amounts of beer at times. His favorite? The Pokerface Blonde. Pale, Crystal, Carapils and Vienna malts provide the beer’s blonde hue. Her pokerface is attributed to the calcium sulfate and calcium chlorides added to her 10,000 year old water.

pFriem Family Brewers

Wit

Witbier

5.1

18

8

It is considered polite in Belgium to stand for a toast. Stand now, and raise a glass to sweet aromas of orange and spice, light-creamy flavor and a refreshing finish. Here’s looking at you, Wit.

Prodigal Son Brewery & Pub

Jackson Sundown

Saison

6.9

27

1

This Belgian style beer uses a blend of ale and Saison yeasts and was fermented at warmer temperatures, giving it an estery sweetness typical of the style. Additionally, this beer was flavored with long pepper (Piper longum), the dried fruit of a flowering vine from Indonesia, adding a floral aroma and peppery finish.

Ram Restaurant & Brewery

Big Chill Belgian Blonde

Belgian-Style Blonde Ale

7.2

30

2

A complex grain bill of pale malt, malted white wheat, honey malt, flaked rye, flaked barley and flaked oats give the Trappist high gravity ale yeast plenty to ferment in this big Belgian-style blonde ale. Czech Saaz and other imported hops (we ain’t tellin’) do the bittering and add hop flavor and spicy aromas. The high-gravity wort is fermented dry to leave a big, unsuspecting alcohol kick.

Rock Bottom Brewery

Fifty French Clovers

Bière de Garde

6.3

32

2

Like any good Frenchman, this beer can be a bit surly, almost rude at times, but deep down, it has a good heart. Kind of like The Fonz without the goofy sidekicks. Biere de Garde means “beer to keep,” and you’ll want to guard your glass once you get this one – and then beat a hasty retreat back into line for more. Surrender to flavor!

Rogue Ales

Beard Beer

Belgian-Golden

5.6

25

10

Rogue brewer John”More Hops” Maier has had the same Old Growth Beard since 1983 and for more than 15,000 brews, so it is no great surprise that a natural yeast ideal for brewing was discovered in his beard… and yes, used in this beer. No need to freak out – brewers have used wild yeasts in beer making for centuries. This light-colored ale is deceptively strong with a solid hop backbone that lets you know you’re drinking a Rogue.

Sasquatch Brewery

Oregon Session Ale

Cream Ale

4.9

20

1

This easy-drinking cream ale gets its sweet malty base from pilsner, two-row pale, flaked maize, dexpils and flaked unmalted barley. It’s a single-hop beer, with Willamettes doing all of the bittering, flavoring and aroma duties. All those ingredients work hard to flavor Portland’s pure Bull Run water. You’ll be able to enjoy a few of these mild brews, low in alcohol by festival standards.

Seven Brides Brewing

Frankenlou’s IPA

IPA

7

105

2

At 105 IBU, this American IPA is the hop monster of the festival. Two doses of the high alpha acid Nugget hops – one for bittering, the other at knockout for flavor – are sandwiched around mid-brew doses of citrusy Columbus and Cascade. Abiqua Basin’s finest water joins two-row pale, crystal, Munich and carastan malts in the mash.

Silver Moon Brewing

Bone Crusher Imperial Red

Imperial Red Ale

8.6

100

1

This big red ale gets its sweet backbone, caramel flavors and blood red color from generous portions of American crystal and midnight wheat malts. Bold and assertive high alpha hops (Simcoe, Summit, Columbus and Chinook) provide a resinous bitterness and an aggressive citrusy-piney-floral finish. Bone Crusher is an intensely flavored strong ale with a medium body that results in a beer that’s robust, balanced and hoppy.

Speakeasy Ales & Lagers

Tallulah

Extra Pale Ale

5.6

50

8

Hetch Hetchy water from the Yosemite Valley gets dosed with pale two-row, light German caramel and Vienna malts in the mash. Columbus hops do the bittering, while the relatively new hop El Dorado combines with Calypso in the whirlpool for finishing and into the fermenter to dry-hop this balanced brew. Clean California ale yeast provides a crisp finish.

Stone Brewing Co

Stone Delicious IPA

American IPA

8.3

116

9

This bright and deep gold IPA is brewed with six great hops thrown into the mix, including the addition of two new hops (Mosaic and El Dorado) that Stone has never used before. It’s full bodied, dry and very bitter, with flavors of spiced bread, grapefruit, lemon, nectarine and pine.

Surly Brewing Co

OverRated! West Coast IPA

American IPA

7.3

73

2

Don’t know what beer to get? Don’t just stand there, get Surly – and watch the elbows. Two-row pale and Belgian malts are balanced by El Dorado, Centennial and Chinook hops and accentuated by the hard brewing water. An English ale yeast leaves a lightly fruity flavor and aroma. See for yourself if it’s really OverRated!

Terminal Gravity Brewing

Tap Out

Craft Malt Liquor

10

80

7

This highly quaffable beer also carries a punch. Northwest pale, Vienna and Munich malts, as well as some flaked rye, provide the malty sweetness of this high-gravity ale that’s fermented by a private strain of British ale yeast. Halletau Mittlefrue, French Strisselspalt, Crystal and Columbus hops balance all that malt. The result is a beer with some alcohol sweetness and a lot of subtle estery flavors with a long finish.

The Dudes’ Brewing Co

Grandma’s Pecan Brown

English Style Brown

6.9

34

6

Grandma knows best. The Dudes’ traveled from Los Angeles for their first trip to the OBF, and they decided to bring Grandma along. This English-style brown ale features a nice rich body courtesy of toasted Georgia pecans added in the mash.

Two Beers Brewing Co

Evo. IPA

American Style IPA

6.2

70

1

Evo. IPA is a dry‐hopped, deep copper colored IPA featuring a complex hop bill that includes Super Galena, Simcoe, Amarillo, Columbus and Centennial, and dry-hopping with Simcoe and Columbus. The hops contribute a floral and citrus aroma to complement the crisp malt body.

Upright Brewing Co

Offen Kölsch

Kölsch

5

25

9

Offen Kölsch is brewed in a classic German style, using an authentic yeast strain and open fermentation to produce a beer that showcases pure malt character and delicate hop flavors. A light and balanced profile along with a soft finish make this traditionally brewed Kölsch a perfect pub beer, as the Germans have known for years.

Vertigo Brewing

Key Lime Tropical Blonde

Fruit Beer

5.3

13

6

Ready for dessert? This beer’s unique ingredient is 100% natural Key lime juice. Two-row, crystal and wheat malts formulate the malty base and provide a light golden color. Saaz and Mt. Hood hops provide just enough bitterness to balance. Fermentation with a private yeast strain yields clean, crisp flavor characteristics with low fruitiness and mild ester production.

West Highland Brewing

Mango Moon Ale

Fruit Beer

6.6

18

6

Mango flavor is introduced into this beer by the way of a proprietary process. You’ll have to visit West Highland’s secret Vancouver brewing facility to find out what it is… maybe. Premium two-row malted barley provides sweet wort fermented by a special blend of English pale ale yeasts designed for malty, sweet beers. You guessed it, that’s secret too. We’ll tell you this much: the hops are Fuggles, Fuggles and more Fuggles.

Widmer Brothers Brewing Co

Eye of the Thaiger

Thai Lager

5.2

22

2

Kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass and ginger provide the uniquely southeast Asian spice profile of this beer. Pilsner and Munich malts create a golden wort, hopped entirely with Hallertau noble hops for a delicate balancing bitterness, flavor and aroma. Clean lager yeast ferments out crisply so you can taste the spices. Thai one on!

Wild River Brewing

Harbor Lights

Kölsch

5.1

21

2

This beer’s malt base comes from two-row pale, Munich and white wheat. Fermented with the house strain yeast from Paffgen brewery in Köln, a kind gift from the head brewer many years ago, it’s clean-fermenting and highly attenuative, with mild pear esters and white wine overtones.

Wildwood Brewing

Organic Ambitious Lager

Pale Lager

5

22

7

German Hallertau Hersbrucker hops are added three times, just to make sure you can taste them, but the soft brewing water keeps them from tasting harsh on your palate. Two-row pale and Munich malts provide an authentic Munich-style grain bill, and the brewers keep the German theme going with a Munich lager yeast – and, of course, plenty of cold lagering for extra smoothness.

Yakima Craft Brewing Co

Heather

Scottish Heather Ale

5.7

22

2

Heather tips and honey make this one stand out. The honey supplements the fermentables provided by two-row pale, crystal, Vienna and Munich malts. The earthy noble Golding hops do the bittering, assisted by the heather tips. A traditional top-fermenting English yeast produces a full-bodied ale with fruity esters.

The post Over 80,000 Beer Lovers Will Attend The Oregon Brewers Festival. Will You? appeared first on Blog About Beer.

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