(Portland, OR) – Fresh hop beer season is almost here.
Not one, not two, but three fresh hop beers from super regional breweries were approved this week. Fresh hop beers are a welcome addition to what is a fall season already jam-packed with traditional seasonals like pumpkin ales and Oktoberfest beers. Expect to start seeing them roll out early-mid September as some brewers are reporting having harvested their hops already.
Beer descriptions…
Deschutes Fresh Hop Mirror Pond Pale Ale
This noble, fresh hop version of our classic American Pale Ale arose from a single plot of heirloom Cascade hops, revived by our brewers from the original rootstock developed at Oregon State University, grown by Goshie Farms in Oregon. This very limited release is just for you. (Bond Street Series / 22 oz).
New Belgium Fresh Hop IPA
Fresh picking for some lip lickings, this beauty of a beer boasts a fresh crop of Cascade, Centennial and Amarillo hops. We’re talking from vine to brew within 24 hours fresh. Citrusy, soft fruit tones. Fresh hop IPA. (Lips of Faith Series / 22 oz).
Sierra Nevada Homegrown Ale
Here in the sun-drenched fields of California’s North Valley, the black soil is rich with promise. In winter, rows of barley seed are laid in the freshly tilled dirt. In spring, trellises are set for hops. From our fields comes a remarkable homegrown ale, made with organic wet hops and barley grown at our brewery here in Chico and one of the few estate-made ales produced anywhere in the world!
This Estate Ale is rish with the flavors of the valley – featuring hops with earthy, grapefruit-like flavors and layered spicy aromas and barley with mild sweetness and smooth, toasted flavors. Together, these crops grow alongside the brewery to make a truly unique brew. (2011 edition / 750ml).
[Disclaimer: Beernews.org is a leader in craft beer news and is the original source of this article. If you would like to check out more, please visit the original site. Thanks!]
Deschutes Hop Trip: First bond Street Series beer to hit 6-packs
Driftwood Old Cellar Dweller Barleywine: 100 IBUs, 11.8% ABV…that’s a big beer. Imported by Beverage Traders.
Others…
Heretic Evil Cousin Anaheim Hefeweizen Verde Canyon Railroad Copper Rail Ale
Verde Canyon Railroad Tunnel Down Brown Ale
Verde Canyon Pullman Pale Ale
Little Mountain Octoberfest Lager Julebrygg (7%) by Ægir Bryggeri (Imported by Shelton Brothers) Courage Russian Imperial Stout
Quimera Imperial Stout (From Chile! Imported by Ecovalley) Quimera Amber Ale
Quimera Stout
Vicaris by Brouwerij Dilewyns (Imported by Vanberg and DeWulf)
[Disclaimer: Beernews.org is a leader in craft beer news and is the original source of this article. If you would like to check out more, please visit the original site. Thanks!]
I’m doing a project with Deschutes Brewing where we have some Cognac barrels and Sherry casks. It’s amazing how much nicer those beers taste than the ones in bourbon barrels.
It’s the first collaboration I’ve done with any other brewer. I brewed two beers of mine and Larry [Sidor, Deschutes Brewmaster] brewed two beers of his. They’re all barrel aging now- they’ve all been in barrels for over a year. We’ll blend them together in some portion and release a beer, hopefully, sometime later this year.
Brewing Network Q: Is the project going to be done before Larry leaves Deschutes to start his own brewery? [He is slated to stay at Deschutes through the end of the year]
Yeah, I think so. I’m actually heading to Deschutes in a couple weeks to do a blending/tasting of barrels. I don’t know if we will get a final blend at this tasting but it’s possible.
The word out of Deschutes earlier this summer was that the beer may not even be ready until 2012 but this sounds promising.
For reference, the interview took place on 7/31 so blending would take place in mid-August. Sprints also dishes out a lot of brewing knowledge and talks at length about his beers so the whole episode is well worth a listen. He comes on around the 50-55 minute mark and sticks around for about two hours.
[Disclaimer: Beernews.org is a leader in craft beer news and is the original source of this article. If you would like to check out more, please visit the original site. Thanks!]
(Bend, OR) – Deschutes Brewery, the 6th largest craft brewery in the nation, has released new packaging and label designs for four of its year-round brands. The new designs use original label artwork to highlight the landmarks around the region and places brew names in a banner for heightened readability. This new packaging design was tested last year on the brewery’s seasonals, Twilight Summer Ale and Red Chair Northwest Pale Ale, contributing to early sell-out of both brands.
“This project is really an evolution of our existing labels,” said Mark Hegedus, director of sales and marketing for the brewery. “It retains brand recognition, while also positioning our products better at the retail level. We were pleased with the response to our test labeling and packaging last year, which is why we have extended the redesign to our year-round brands.”
Deschutes Brewery’s distinctive oval shape was carried into the new designs, but it features a smaller border, allowing a larger window for highlighting each brand’s striking artwork. The brand name for each respective beer now stands out in a banner across the bottom of the oval window, rather than wrapping around the exterior of the oval, making it easier to read.
New labeling and packaging is currently rolling off of the bottling line for Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Black Butte Porter, Inversion IPA and Obsidian Stout. The new design template will soon carry forward to Green Lakes Organic Ale and future brands.
Deschutes Brewery’s last packaging overhaul was back in 2004, with some minor design changes in 2007, so they are very excited for this new packaging to hit the shelves in their 17 state distribution network. New artwork can be viewed online at http://www.flickr.com/photos/deschutesbrewery/.
About Deschutes Brewery
Located on the banks of the Deschutes River in beautiful Bend, Oregon, Deschutes Brewery is in the business of daring people to expect more from their beer. That’s why we started off back in 1988, selling Black Butte Porter at a time when others were sure a dark beer would never catch on. Our brewers love to buck convention, especially if it makes someone nervous. For us, however, the highest praise is a raised glass and a toast of “Bravely Done!” For more information about Deschutes Brewery and its courageously crafted beers, please visit www.DeschutesBrewery.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Deschutes.Brewery or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DeschutesBeer.
[Disclaimer: Beernews.org is a leader in craft beer news and is the original source of this article. If you would like to check out more, please visit the original site. Thanks!]
Part II of today’s group of new beer labels…featuring Deschutes, Rahr and a handful of others.
Deschutes The Stoic Belgian-styled Quad: 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.
August 15th / wax-dipped 22 oz. bottles and draft / 10% ABV / Available in most of Deschutes’ markets
Rahr Visionary Brew Traditional German-style Bock: The Fort Worth Weekly’s Visionary Awards are a celebration of Tarrant County artists working in a diverse set of disciplines – visual arts, film, drama, performance art, literature, fashion and multimedia. At Rahr and Sons, we believe in passion and innovation, and we applaud those who are working to make Fort Worth a more beautiful place. We’re certainly doing our best to make it a tastier place.
This German-style bock has a robust malt character and a dark amber hue. Hop bitterness is assertive – just enough to balance the malt flavor. Enjoy one in celebration of Fort Worth’s true visiionaries. 22 oz. bottles
Other new labels…
Tin Roof Perfect Tin Amber Ale – 12 oz. cans
Tin Roof Voodoo Bengal Pale Ale – 12 oz. cans
Baying Hound Aleworks Long Snout Stout
Lazy Boy Dumb Luck Summer Belgian Style Wit
Timmermans Oude Kriek (Imported by Belukus)
Abbaye Cistercienne Paix-Dieu by Brassier Caulier (Imported by Holiday Beverage)
[Disclaimer: Beernews.org is a leader in craft beer news and is the original source of this article. If you would like to check out more, please visit the original site. Thanks!]
Conflux Series No. 2: Collaboration between Deschutes and Boulevard (22 oz.)
Founders All Day IPA: Labeled as a “session ale,” hopefully this doesn’t make D_I_N_G pull a “Milton” on the Founders brewery (Office Space reference – poor quality vid)
Uinta Bristlecone: This beer is currently listed as retired on Beer Advocate (coming back?)
Fort Collins Imperial India Style Wheat: The Incredible Hops
Green Flash Special Cuvee Trippel (9.7% ABV) Green Flash San Diego Saison
Ballast Point Black Eye IPA
Ballast Point Smoke Screen Smoked Lager
Hops and Grain Amber Ale
Hops and Grain IPA
Hops and Grain Schwarz
Hops and Grain Vienna Lager
Hops and Grain Porter
Hops and Grain Imperial Stout
Hops and Grain Barleywine
Hops and Grain Belgian-style Pale Ale
Knee Deep in Surf: Wheat beer brewed with Pineapple juice
Rheingold Beer (24 oz. cans, one of the laziest looking labels that I’ve ever seen)
[Disclaimer: Beernews.org is a leader in craft beer news and is the original source of this article. If you would like to check out more, please visit the original site. Thanks!]
Deschutes began construction this month on an expansion that will help the brewery to meet growing demand. I wasn’t able to get hard numbers on what capacity will be but was told that the project will be completed next year.
Production is expected to come in at around 225k-230k barrels this year which would be a double-digit increase from 2010.
Expansion of distribution to Missouri (and presumably Kansas) is on hold for the time being. Randles said that there is no solid plan yet for when beers will hit the Show Me State but that Deschutes will do its best to get product out there by fall after the summer season winds down. This is due to challenges in meeting demand in current markets.
Specialty Beer Releases:
Deschutes Black Butte XXIII, a Bourbon Barrel Aged Porter, is set for June 25th release.
White IPA, a collaboration with Boulevard Brewing that will kick off the new Conflux Series, is scheduled to head out the door the week of July 18th. The hope was to get both versions (one produced at each brewery) in both breweries’ distribution networks so that drinkers could do a side-by-side but that is up in the air at this point.
The Stoic – Tentatively scheduled for release by Labor Day
Fresh Hop Mirror Pond (22 oz. and draft, Bond Street Series) – October to December – “We love fresh Willamette Valley hops so much that we decided to go the extra mile for this beauty. Goschie Farms is growing an acre of heirloom Cascade hops just us so we can release this fresh hop version of our Mirror Pond Pale Ale. Base Camp for beer fanatics just got a little more interesting.”
Hop Trip Fresh Hop Pale Ale (6-packs and draft, Bond Street Series) – October to December – “Each year around Labor Day, Deschutes brewers high-tail it over the pass to Doug Weather’s hop fields near Salem for the harvest. After bagging these aromatic jewels, we hustle back and toss them into the brew kettles within four hours of picking. Our reward: a pale ale with a uniquely bright citrus punch and fall spice. It’s something only Deschutes would take past the idle-talk stage.”
[Disclaimer: Beernews.org is a leader in craft beer news and is the original source of this article. If you would like to check out more, please visit the original site. Thanks!]
(Bend, OR) – This brewery-prepared interview with Deschutes Brewery‘s Brewmaster, Larry Sidor, made the rounds last week. I just finally got a copy…
Sidor will leave the brewery at the end of the year to start 856 Brewing Company. Brewbound reports, “Sidor just purchased a four-vessel, 10-Hectoliter brewhouse with 16 bright beer tanks. He says he plans to start small, producing just 1000 barrels during the first year.” It will be a bottle and keg operation, at least at the start.
Here’s the Q&A on his time at Deschutes…
Q and A with Larry Sidor from Deschutes Brewery
As you may have heard, Larry Sidor will be leaving Deschutes in a few months to pursue a long-time dream of owning his own business. Here’s a question and answer session we recently had with Larry to give a little insight into his brewmaster mind.
Q. How many years have you spent in the brewing industry?
A. 37 years.
Q. What roles have you held? What role did you enjoy the most?
A. The greatest amount of my time has been in brewing operations with significant contributions to process and product innovation. My personality is such that everything can be better. My belief is that all products can be improved to meet customer expectations.
Q. What’s your favorite part about brewing beer? What has been the greatest challenge for you?
A. Wow, this is a hard question to answer. It would be easier to answer what I don’t like about brewing. And that answer would be nothing. The greatest challenge for me has been understanding what customers wants. This has always been a moving target and currently the target is changing at an incredible rate. The rewarding part for me is that customer expectations are lining up with my personal beer preferences. A saying in the craft beer industry is that “if you brew beer for yourself, the customers will follow.”
Q. You’ve also spent some time making wine – in your opinion how different is it from making beer?
A. I have spent time both growing wine grapes and making wine. I found that great wine is more about what is done in the vineyard than in the winery, hence the term used in the wine industry of “winegrowing”. I grew up in a very agrarian home and agriculture is very dear to my heart. But brewing is my passion. With brewing, the brewer has a worldwide supply of raw ingredients that can be brought together in limitless combinations. As I’ve said in the past, I believe craft brewers have only begun to scratch the surface of taste profiles that will be achieved in the future.
Q. From your perspective, what have you seen happen in the craft brewing space over the last several years? What changes have been significant?
A. There are really too many to mention, but I will attempt a few.
First and foremost is the customers. They are the engine that drives what I do. They are rejecting commoditized bland beers that are sold by slick advertising “lifestyle” campaigns in favor of more flavorful beers which enhance their life experiences.
Second is also the customers. One of my favorite beers developed at Deschutes is The Dissident, a sour beer. This is a beer which we began developing in 2004. At that time, it was a direction I really wanted to go, but it was met with skepticism. Now, The Dissident is one of the beers I field the most questions about. The shift in customer awareness and acceptance has been simply mindboggling.
Third would be the suppliers. From malt, to hops, to equipment, the improvements have been pivotal in allowing the craft brewers to make higher quality and innovative beers. I get goose bumps when I see Cascade hops being grown again in the Willamette Valley. The exciting new hop varieties which are being released have rocked the craft world. Deschutes was pivotal in the release of the Citra hop and are currently supporting two other new varieties; Bravo and Delta. The new and innovative specialty malts that are being roasted by our maltsters are allowing us to explore new and exciting flavors.
Q. You’ve been with Deschutes for 8 years. Tell us about your tenure at the company and what you see as your biggest accomplishment while there?
A. Without hesitation, development of the Brewing Team. I believe Deschutes Brewery has the best and the brightest brewers in the world, bar none.
Q. You have recently decided to start your own company. What was the driving factor behind this decision? Is it a natural next step in your brewing career?
A. I have always wanted to have my own business. I accidently got into the brewing business when I was trying to raise money to start a winery. One fateful night I stopped by the Olympia Brewing Company in Tumwater Washington to see a friend. I had no intention of working there because I wanted to make money fast so I could get on with my dream of a winery. But a late night tour of the Olympia brewery and I was hooked for a lifetime. Olympia was my first dream job. Over the years, plans to start my own brewery came and went and other things in life got more attention. I fell in love with sailboat racing and a gal from Seattle, ended up getting married, building a house and soon a son and a daughter. Later we moved to Yakima where we bought a vineyard and I worked for a hop company. We really enjoyed owning our own business but it confirmed that brewing is my passion, not winegrowing. We sold the vineyard and took another dream job with Deschutes Brewery.
Q. What kind of business venture (or craft brewing venture) are you exploring?
A. I can’t wait to share the details with you — the Central Oregon community — and the Brewing Community — but I’m not ready to talk about it just yet. As soon as I have more information, I’ll make sure you get the details. If all goes as planned, it’s going to be a very exciting project. For the next six months, my heart and head will be focused on my work at the Deschutes Brewery. I’m invested in the ongoing success of Deschutes Brewery, both personally and professionally, and I want to keep my energies here until I’m ready to move forward with my personal venture.
Q. What will you miss the most about being at Deschutes?
A. The loyal Deschutes customers, fellow employees, and the vast resources Deschutes has.
Q. What type of brewer do you see filling your shoes at Deschutes?
A. An experienced innovative brewer who will support and grow the current brewing team.
[Disclaimer: Beernews.org is a leader in craft beer news and is the original source of this article. If you would like to check out more, please visit the original site. Thanks!]
A surprise Monday double batch edition of beer notes. Here’s Part I.
Deschutes Brewery: Brewmaster, Larry Sidor, was recently on The Brewing Network and revealed some info about a new fall release. The brewery is working on a fresh hop version of Mirror Pond Pale Ale that will be released in 22 oz. bottles around September 15th. As described by Sidor, when you plant new hops, old rhizomes aren’t always removed (as they try to re-grow, they have to literally be torched). For this batch, they did just that with a small plot of acreage, ensuring that the hops for this brew will truly be 100% Cascade hops. Sidor was clearly excited about this project. Update: Knew I missed something…from comments, “The important part about the Cascade hops that Sidor was going to use is that they are from the first Cascade plant. He felt that Cascade had changed so much over the years that he wanted to be able to show the original profile of Cascade.”
Last week, we learned that he will be leaving Deschutes at the end of the year. Sidor is the third brewmaster in as many months to announce that he’s stepping down from the role at a top 20 regional brewery. The other two are Floris Delee at Dogfish Head and Greg Hall at Goose Island. Those are all some big shoes to fill. Brett Porter took over for Hall already though no announcements have been made at Deschutes or DFH.
New Belgium: More expansion talk. Per The Coloradoan, “The brewery, known for such beers as Fat Tire and Sunshine Wheat, has submitted conceptual plans with the city to develop a 5-acre parcel of land south of Buckingham and east of Linden Street owned by the company. The proposed expansion is for offices, meeting rooms and small living quarters, said Bryan Simpson, spokesman for New Belgium.”
Avondale Brewing: An Alabama-based startup brewery had 40 kegs stolen on Thursday morning. The owner played the role of detective and located the kegs at a nearby scrapyard. Information for the guys who stole the kegs is now with police though it’s not clear whether they have been arrested yet. The kegs had cost the startup $120 apiece.
Brouwerij Bockor: Some Cuvee des Jacobins Rouge bottle news. According to today’s Artisanal Imports newsletter, “We will be offering this outstanding example of the Flanders Red in four packs of 330ml bottles sometime later this summer. August?”
St. Feuillien: More from the Artisanal Imports newsletter…meet St. Feuillien Spèciale. “A beer so new we don’t even have a label yet! This is a sign from decades past, upon which the new beer’s label will be based. It’ll be available in the winter but won’t have any holiday or Christmas markings, and will be the same beer as Noël.”
Koningshoeven / La Trappe: Now, back in stock, La Trappe Isid’or! We are offering this wonderful Trappist ale in both four packs and 20l kegs. A very small quantity of never-to-be-repeated Oak Aged Isid’or is also in our warehouse now.”
Baying Hound Ale Works: Announced via newsletter the Imperial Draft Series this morning…”The first stop on this monthly tour of high octane beers is our ‘Sloppy Drunk’ Double Imperial India Pale Ale. It is generously hopped with Columbus, Tomahawk, and Nugget and a complex malt bill of crystal and other specialty malts.” No bottles or growler fills and launch is this Friday.
Bonus I: The video above shows New Brew Thursday interviewing Spike Buckowski of Terrapin Beer Co. recently. NBT is among several folks helping me to make this into a business and their support while I get things off the ground is hugely appreciated. Their videos can be seen each week on the New Brew Thursday site.
[Disclaimer: Beernews.org is a leader in craft beer news and is the original source of this article. If you would like to check out more, please visit the original site. Thanks!]
(Bend, OR) – Deschutes Brewery announced today that Larry Sidor, Brewmaster, is leaving the company at the end of the year to pursue a lifelong dream of starting and running his own brewery. Sidor has been at the brewery for eight years, following 23 years at Olympia Brewing Company, in development and production at a Yakima hop dealer and creating a small winery.
“My years at Deschutes Brewery have been incredible. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed leading and collaborating with the brewing team to hone and create its phenomenal portfolio of beers, but also originating new beer styles and brewing techniques,” said Sidor. “I will always be proud of the work we’ve accomplished together, and be grateful for the support of Gary and the leadership team for taking creative risks. While I transition to the next phase of my career, over the next several months, my heart and head will be with the Deschutes Brewery team and will remain focused on their continued success.”
With Sidor at the head of the brewing department at Deschutes, the company has added many new brands to the portfolio including Hop in the Dark, Red Chair Northwest Pale Ale, Inversion IPA, The Abyss, The Dissident, and several barrel-aged specialty beers. Sidor will continue on at Deschutes Brewery through the end of 2011 while the company integrates a new brewmaster over the next several months.
Gary Fish, Founder and CEO of Deschutes Brewery, said, “While we are sad to see Larry go, we are excited for him being able to realize his life-long goal. His contributions to the brewery are innumerable, and he will be missed by us all. Now, we’re announcing that one of the best jobs in the industry has just become available! We are looking ahead with excitement toward the future.”
Deschutes is the original brewery in Central Oregon, a place which has now become a hot spot for craft brewing. A search is underway for a replacement for Sidor.
[Disclaimer: Beernews.org is a leader in craft beer news and is the original source of this article. If you would like to check out more, please visit the original site. Thanks!]
