Deschutes Brewery 2011 Abyss Release and Tasting (Bend, OR)

The initial draw to visit Bend, OR... Deschutes Brewery released its winter seasonal 2011 The Abyss Imperial Stout.  As one of the standout Imperial Stout offerings on the West coast, the release of a new batch of The Abyss is a reason for celebration.  Deschutes decided to ring in their newest release of their iconic Reserve Series by offering a special menu for pair and a vertical flight of four years of the releases, a nitro pour of the 2011, and a The Abyss truffle.  


Arriving an hour early to make sure I had a seat and could relax, I had no choice but to kill time with a flight of some of Deschutes' newest offerings-

Deschutes Extra Pale Ale- This ale was an interesting effort at highlighting hops with as small a body as possible and a sessionable abv.  Deschutes Extra Pale Ale was extremely bright, light, and citrusy-forward, with almost no body.  There isn't a lot going on other than the hops, but this ale is easy to drink.


Deschutes Cinder Cone Red- I believe this used to be a seasonal offering from Deschutes, but I haven't seen it this year.  Speaking honestly, there isn'yt much to say about this ale, and if it always tasted this way there is probably a reason it isn'y available at stores anymore.  Muted, blurry grains and bitter, flavorless hops.


Deschutes Los Muertos Tamarind Sour Ale- This sour ale, a wheat base brewed with tamarind and soured with their house Lactobacillus, was slightly tart and sweet at the same time, with lemonade being the flavor dominating and only a hint of tamarind.  This was enjoyable, nonaggressive, and would be even more interesting if aged longed in the barrel, I'm guessing.


Deschutes Never E Nuff IPA- This big IPA was tasty, but overwhelmed by Citra hops.  The result was a well carbonated IPA that was enjoyable but had a distinct taste of old orange juice.


Deschutes Big Eddy Belgian IPA- Unprepared for the almost 9% abv, Big Eddy Belgian IPA opened spicy and earthy.  The hops were rather subdued for an IPA, but this allowed the Belgian yeast spice to shine.  This is another ale I wouldn't mind seeing in a bottle.


Deschutes Bretterweiss- Of the first tasting, this was the star of the show for me.  Bretterweiss had a pleasant, balance tartness with enough vinegary notes to add depth and earthiness without overwhelming.  The hops and malt balanced nicely against the brett, and the oak was pleasant but appropriately light (surprising, given the 14 mounths of oaking).


Ah... but time for the Abyss flight and meal pairing.  Pardon the poor lighting for the photo, but the meal pairings (there were three options) were fantastic.  We had the Beef & Mushroom Stew (Top Round in beer stock with black trumpet mushrooms and roots) and the Porc a la Biere (Breaded, braised pork with pan sauce over Abyss butternut squash mash and sauteed brusselsprouts)

But the beer!  I'll save the details for a full review later this year (I've been sitting on a bottle of 2010), but for the comparisons-

Deschutes 2008 The Abyss Imperial Stout- 2008 was bright and chocolaty, with much less molasses and licorice than I remember for a standard, new release abyss.  While far from tame, the stout was well settled and integrated.


Deschutes 2009 The Abyss Imperial Stout- Oddly enough, 2009 was markedly smoother and more chocolate-heavy than the 2008.  It seems unlikely this is an issue of aging, so this may be the result of a change in recipe?


Deschutes 2010 The Abyss Imperial Stout- 2010 was brighter than 2009, with an edge more lemon citrus than 2008 (likely the difference of hops fading).  Chocolate fell more in line with 2008 than 2009, the notes of cherry and licorice were clearly present as the ale faded.  The alcohol heat felt more separate from the flavor profile than in the previous years.


Deschutes 2011 The Abyss Imperial Stout- 2011, the newest release (note the bottled version recommends a best after date of 8/4/12) was the most herbal and bitter of the group, with molasses, licorice, and healthy hop pepper and bitterness fighting with each other.  The less integrated newness of the 2011 version made for a rougher, somewhat more chaotic flavor experience.


Deschutes Nitro 2011 The Abyss Imperial Stout- On nitro, 2011 smoothed out incredibly, with the creamy body highlighting the vanilla and milk chocolate more than any other an obscuring some of the earthier, more savory aspects of the tap/bottle version.


Deschutes The Abyss Imperial Stout Chocolate Truffle- OK... this is just a truffle made with The Abyss, but it was excellent and brought out some of the fruitier notes in the stout when enjoyed side-by-side.


Although I did not quite experience the marked difference I expected from the flight of Abyss, the lovingly matched food pairings, and the general air of celebration Deschutes brought to the event (black balloons, a speech, stickers and merch) all contributed to a special evening.  It was a hell of a night to be a beer geek.

Deschutes Brewery Tasting (Portland, OR)

I visited Deschutes Brewery’s Portland Public House for a flight and a sandwich.  The food was first-class, the staff was friendly and knowledgeable, and the restaurant is gorgeous.  A couple notes on beers tasted-

Deschutes Red Dawn Irish Red Ale

This Irish-style red ale was appropriately dry and toasty, with herbal hop notes and a slightly tart, bitter fade.

Deschutes Gluten Free Golden Ale

This Golden Ale opened dry, with some banana and a lot of esters coming through in the body. All in all, a strange beer that seems slightly Belgian, but not from the yeast.

Deschutes Solace Rose Sour Brown Ale

This sour ale, a blend of 4 Dissident casks with different Brett and yeast strains added, is aged for 26 months with a soured black weiss addition.  It opened sweet and creamy for a sour ale, very mature and settled.  Cherry and heavy, dark fruits made appearances in this less tart, slightly sweet-then-usual Flanders-Style ale.  Very delicious.

Deschutes Chainbreaker White IPA

This white IPA opened with a light, wheaty body and big Belgian yeast flavors akin to bubblegum.  The IPA-style hopping brought forth pine and lemony hops, but this ale was hardly an IPA-style hop bomb.

Deschutes Trojan Horse IPA (Casked)

This insanely hoppy IPA opened with mango, apricots, pine tar, and flowers.  Casking helped mellow it out (I did a head to head with casked vs. non-casked) integrate the different hops in a less aggressive fashion, even if it did smear the supporting malt profile a bit.

Deschutes Bachelor Bitter (Casked)

This ESB opened appropriately creamy and flat. The casking resulted in a richer body than the standard tap offering, but inevitably cut out some of the crispness.  This ale benefit from standing a while, and it clearly opened up as it approached room temperature.

Deschutes Jubel 2010 Once A Decade Ale

Deschutes Jubel 2010 Once A Decade Ale, the self-described limited Imperial release of Deschutes Jubelale Deschutes Brewing does once every ten years, is the first beer I purchased for the intent of aging (I purchased this mid-February of 2010) and has a "Best After" date of 1/29/11.  Originally slated to be one of my first beers (I'd already held on to it for almost a year...), I decided early this year this ale should be the final entry for 2011 for a number of reasons.  So here we are!


Deschutes Jubel 2010 Ale poured almost black in the glass, but when held to light it demonstrated deep crimson and orange hues beneath an almost immediately non-existent beige head.  The nose carried spruce, gradd, dark chocolate, and the smallest hint of dried cherries in the background.


Deschutes Jubel 2010 opened with a one-two combo of sweet cherries and peppery alcohol that both mellowed into dark, sugary malt notes of licorice, maple, and burnt caramel.  Dry, roasted notes careened against a semi-sweet black-strap molasses and licorice fade.  There were a lot of almost there flavors that likely had their time in the forefront during the extended aging process, but the ale was mostly notable and defined by the sweet, dark malting.


Deschutes Jubel 2010 is a heck of a way to end the 2011 year of beer- the dark, sweet malts stand out significantly more than they did at the original release, and the ale truly tastes more settled and mature (likely nearing the end of its "Best After" date given how little hops and carbonation remained).  

Deschutes Brewing Jubelale Winter Ale (2010)

How I made it almost a month into this without choosing a Deschutes Brewery beer, I have no idea, but it's about time!  Deschutes is to Oregon what Sierra Nevada is to California... the biggest microbrew in the state with a solid line of northwest-inspired year round brews, always anticipated seasonal ales, and an exceptional line of reserve and limited release beers for the more adventurous beer drinkers.  I've been sitting on a bottle of Jubel 2010 since February of last year (who else makes a beer with a "Best After" date that's a year out from when it was bottled), but chose the more subdued Jubelale Winter Ale for the evening.

Jubelale, which is slightly different each year to reflect the whims of the brewer, poured a dark brown coffee in the mug with red accents and a creamy tan head.  The nose was malty cocoa with a hoppy pine bite to it.

Upon consumption, Jubelale proved itself to be surprisingly different from past years- starting with a fruity crisp hop front backed by a sweet, chocolaty malt undertone that quickly took center stage.  The beer ended with a thick, hot chocolate coating in the mouth and a lingering subtle bitterness.

Deschutes Jubelale is neither heavy as a stout nor sweet as a chocolate-brewed beer... it is easy to drink and cleverly gives nod to the season (pine hops, chocolate malt) while side-stepping the cloying overtness of most flavored or novelty brews.  Cheers to Deschutes!

An aside- Each year, Deschutes commissions an Oregon artist to create the label art for Jubelale.  For those fortunate enough to have access to Jubelale each year, this poster is a blast from the past.

Deschutes Brewing Red Chair Northwest Pale Ale

Today's Beer?  An offering from Deschutes Brewing, and one of the most popular and prolific Spring seasonals floating around Oregon: Deschutes Red Chair Northwest Pale Ale.

 

Deschutes Red Chair Pale Ale was a copper hue, cloudy with suspended particles and topped by a sudsy white head.  The nose was surprisingly fruity, somewhere between a watermelon flavored candy and fruit punch.

Deschutes Red Chair Pale Ale had a sweet, floral start before heading to a tropical body of mango and papaya.  As the beer faded is seemed to lose a little body, and it dried up in the finish with flavors of mineral water and a light lemon aftertaste.  

The "Northwest" in Deschutes Red Chair Northwest Pale is clearly a nod to the hoppy nature of the beer, and it is surprisingly sweet and fruity compared to their Mirror Pond Pale Ale   and Inversion IPA, which lean more towards the pine-side of the taste spectrum.  Fantastically drinkable and representative of Oregon Spring, Everyone with the means to do so owes it to themselves to pick up a six-pack of the Spring seasonal before the weather starts heating up.

Deschutes The Stoic Belgian-styled Quad Ale

Deschutes Brewing certainly caught my eye with their cryptic label for their newest offering, Deschutes The Stoic Belgian-styled Quad Ale.  The Stoic poured a hazy, deep amber with a small white head.  The nose was sour and funky (is there Brett in there?), with sour apple, banana, honey, rye and coriander standing out. 

Deschutes The Stoic Quad opened bright, with orchard fruit and over-ripe berries settling into a spicy, funky middle of oak, clove, coriander, and alcohol heat.  Wine grapes and rye came through as the ale thickened in the middle, with a pronounced sweetness rising, but never overtaking, the alcohol heat.  As the ale faded, the sweetness persisted, bringing the spice notes to the forefront.

Deschutes The Stoic Belgian-style Quad Ale is an interesting, certainly uncharacteristic, offering from Deschutes.  It is clearly of the “more is more” school, and is a heck of a litmus test for how many flavors the palette can detect.  It has so much going on (even more as it warms and the flavors shift in and out of focus), it is almost fatiguing by the end of a 22oz. bomber, but makes for a heck of a sipping ale.  

Deschutes Fresh Hop Mirror Pond Pale Ale

Deschutes Fresh Hop Mirror Pond Pale Ale, a limited Bond Street offering from Deschutes prompted by the availability of fresh heirloom cascade hops from a local farm, poured a light amber with a thick, creamy white head that stuck around.  The nose on Fresh Hop was outstanding, with pine, citrus, and woody flavors smelling like they had been freshly bottled that day.

Deschutes Fresh Hop Mirror Pond opened with a sweet, caramel malt base with an undercurrent of grassy, pine hops.  The hops never overcame the nutty, doughy malt base of the pale ale, and what did wasn’t nearly as nuanced as the nose… mostly a resinous pine.  Only in the fade did the hops hint at anything beyond a grassy pine, with soft floral notes cutting the dry finish.

Deschutes Fresh Hop Mirror Pond Pale Ale is an interesting, if ultimately underwhelming, experience.  The nose is so fresh and flavorful that the flavor, almost identical to the standard Deschutes Mirror Pond offering, falls short of expectations.  Several people who shared a couple of bottles with me stated they wished more of the fresh hop goodness came through.  

Deschutes Bond Street Hop Henge Experimental IPA

Time to celebrate Mardis Gras with another beer from one of my favorite (and most prolific) breweries in Oregon, Deschutes Brewing.  Deschutes Bond Street Series Hop Henge is dubbed an "Experimental India Pale Ale", and is centered around using copious amount of Northwest hops to give it a unique flavor.  That, and they made a replica of Stonehenge using hop bales to celebrate the first brewing!

Deschutes Hop Henge poured a black tea tint in the glass; low on carbonation with a big, parchment yellow head composed of loose bubbles and a frothy top.  The nose was very fruity, with notes of apple and pear.

Deschutes Hop Henge stayed true to its nose, starting with a slightly dry apple front and leading to a sweet, flowery middle.  The malt backed the hops without changing the basic profile of the flavor.  The sweetness lingered well past the final swallow, and there was a subtle, bitter citrus rind background as it faded.

Deschutes Hop Henge IPA makes for a flavorful, bright beverage hop lovers looking for something a little different should seek out at least once.  The 9% ABV doesn't challenege the drinkability at all, but makes for a heady finale.  A bit more carbonation would have been welcome to cut the sweetness and inspire me to follow it up with another, but that's a minor quibble for an excellent ale.

Deschutes Green Lakes Organic Ale

Deschutes Green Lakes Organic Ale, a year round offering from Deschutes Brewing, poured a orange-red amber into the glass with a tenacious white head.  The nose was fruity, with stone fruits and apples standing out. 

Deschutes Green Lakes Organic Ale opened with a fruity spiciness that was a bit surprising for an amber before mellowing into a sweet, dark sugar middle.  Some toasted grain came through before a slow fade with mild emerging bitterness. 

Deschutes Green Lakes Organic Ale is an interesting ale worth trying.  It straddles the fence of never being too hoppy, too sweet, or too malt forward.  

Deschutes Conflux No.2 White IPA

Deschutes Conflux No.2 White IPA, a collaboration between Deschutes Brewing and Boulevard Brewing, poured a hazy, pale straw hue into the glass with a tightly bubbled, foamy white head.  The nose was fruity and yeast forward, phenolic with light citrus and herbs.

Deschutes Conflux No.2 White IPA opened true to its nose, spicy and phenolic with tart lemon and coriander taking over the palette with a dusty mouth feel.  Sage, an actual addition I wasn’t aware was in the ale until after the tasting, came through loud in the middle and added a stately earthiness to the ale, and ended the ale on an extended fade that was equal parts dry yeast and crisp lemon.

Deschutes Conflux No.2 White IPA accomplishes exactly what it sets out to do… use a highly developed, European-inspired wheat ale and hop it up with complimentary, IPA-level citrus hops.  If last year was the year of the Cascadian Dark Ale in the North West, this year is looking to be the year of the Belgian/White IPA.  Try it… you’ll like it.

Deschutes Jubelale Winter Ale (2011)

As I'm reaching the end of the year, I'm starting to lap winter releases from last year.  Oh well, it wouldn't be winter without the latest brewing of Deschutes Jubelale Winter Ale by Deschutes Brewing.  Jubelale poured the color of stained cherrywood into the glass (slightly lighter than last year) with a brilliant red center when held to the light.  The head was soapy and off-white.  Dark malt flavors dominated the nose, with roasted grains and a hint of stewed cherries in the far background.  


Deschutes Jubelale Winter Ale opened with a creamy, sweet start of caramel that slowly dried out as the roasted notes came forward and the ale ended with a toasty dryness that fell just short of the burnt undertones I expected. 


The 2011 release of Deschutes Jubelale Strong Ale seems significantly less focused on the coffee and chocolate roasted notes of the prior release, and while it lacks a bit of the snap and hop freshness of 2010, it is a bit more easy drinking due to the lack of heavy, dark flavors.  

Deschutes Obsidian Stout

When I first started drinking beer, Deschutes Obsidian Stout, the darkest standard offering from Deschutes Brewing, was my go to fall/winter beer.  Obsidian Stout poured an impregnable black into the glass, capped by a tall, red-tinged brown head.  The nose was roasty, with a subdued coffee undertone.  


Deschutes Obsidian Stout opened with a surprising heavy carbonation and a hint of tartness.  The stout quickly mellowed into a sweet middle, with roasted cocoa stealing the show over an underlying, creeping bitterness.  Obsidian ended with a touch of coffee.


Deschutes Obsidian Stout is a year-round offering and regional favorite for a reason; the balance between dark flavors and light drinking find a nice middle ground here, with enough ABV to keep you warm on a cold day but enough carbonation to never feel heavy or filling.  In a beer world of "Bigger is better", it is nice to have an old standby between the burly ones.

Deschutes Brewing The Dissident Oud Bruin Sour Ale (2010)

Deschutes The Dissident Oud Bruin Sour Ale, the highly sought after and only seasonally available Flanders-style sour brown ale from Deschutes Brewing, poured a rich ruby-chestnut hue into the glass with aromas of pie cherries, brett, and funky vinegar.  


Deschutes The Dissident Sour Ale opened with a mouth puckering sourness and underlying, earthy vinegar that took over the palette before gradually subsiding and letting a soft, sweet rising of cherries and earthy funk.  


One of my favorite sours

Deschutes Inversion India Pale Ale IPA

Deschutes Inversion India Pale Ale IPA, a year-round staple of Deschutes Brewing, poured a jewel-tone reddish-orange into the glass, topped bu a thick, off-white head fed by a fair amount of carbonation trails.  The IPA exhibited a classic Northwest hop profile of flowers and spruce.  

Inversion IPA opened with bitter grapefruit rind and a melange of blurred hops.  As the ale settled, a semi-sweet caramel malt background did come through, but only as a support to the increasingly bitter hops flavors.  The ale ended on an extended, bitter grapefruit rind flavor.

As what used to be one of the IPA staples of every bar in Southern Oregon, Deschutes Inversion IPA is unabashedly hoppy and bitter.  Although the intensity of the bitterness will put off hop haters and the two dimensional makeup makes it a little too aggressive after a few bottles, it was surprisingly refreshing to revisit this Oregon staple. 

Deschutes Twilight Summer Seasonal Ale

Deschutes Twilight Summer Seasonal Ale, a limited summer offering from Deschutes Brewing, poured the hue of light honey into the glass, with a sticky, tenacious white head propped by no observable carbonation.  The nose carried a hefty amount of spicy pine hops.

Twilight Ale opened bright, with a pleasant minerality complimented by lemon and floral notes.  As the ale settled, it dried and was almost hopless by mid-drink.  The ale ended slightly watered down but not unpleasant.

Deschutes' Twilight Ale has been a summer staple for me for years due to its balance of flavor, drinkability, and moderate ABV.  The ale is a little lopsided, with heavy flavors at the start but virtually nothing by the end, but that just gives me that much more reason to crack open a second bottle.

Thanksgiving Beer Dinner!!!

Since I'm hosting Thanksgiving this year, I decided to get a little adventurous and have an all-beer Thanksgiving dinner, with each dish prepared with some type of beer, while trying to keep it a cohesive whole.  Here is the rundown-

-New Belgium Tripel, Tangerine, and Fennel Brined Turkey- Very succulent and flavorful with the beer and citrus never overpowering the turkey flavor.  

-New Belgium Tripel Sourdough Stuffing- The stuffing actually carried through a bit more of the beer and citrus flavors than the turkey, but it was still so subtle no one would have known other than there was a pleasant "otherness" going on.

-Deschutes Dissident Sour Cranberry Cherry Sauce- I don't like canned cranberry sauce, and I've never really craved cranberry sauce with my turkey, but this stood out with the complexity of the honey, sour ale, and fresh vanilla bean.

-Deschutes Jubelale Roasted Potatoes, Fennel, and Brussels Sprouts- Just standard fair, tasty roasted veggies.

-New Belgium Tripel Turkey Gravy- There wasn't enough, if that says anything :)

-Blue Moon Winter Ale Butter Biscuits- This was an afterthought, but a welcome addition by daughter slammed down.

-Homebrew Pumpkin Ale Butternut Squash- Slightly sweeter and more spiced than mashed potatoes, way less sweet than any sweet potato dish I've tried, those who wanted savory used gravy and were happy, those who wanted sweet used a little cinnamon sugar.

-Homebrew Pumpkin Ale Pumpkin Pecan Crunch with Pumpkin Ale Whipped Cream- The pecans/butter/cinnamon caramelization on top made dish for me.  

Kronenbourg 1664 Lager

It's unfortunate the scope of a "beer a day" limits me to only reviewing a single beer a day, especially after last night's visit to my favorite local bar, The Gypsy.  That said... in the event they don't make the rotation as a reviewed beer, a quick mention is order for three outstanding beers I tried after yesterday's tasting- the extremely limited Willamete Dammit English style pale ale from Oaskshire Brewing, the always challenging but delightful seasonal The Abyss imperial stout from Deschutes Brewery, and the Widmer Bros. seasonal W'11 (not even listed on their site), another imperial stout.

After a night of decadent beers, I decided to go with what I assumed would be a more subdued brew with some international flair, Kronenbourg 1664.

Kronenbourg poured the golden-yellow color I expect from a lager, with a fizzy white head and constant slight bubbling as it sat.  The nose was also standard lager with a balanced but extremely subdued generic hop and malt odor and a non-offensive hint of petroleum.

Upon tasting, this beer surprised in ways it probably shouldn't.  Considering the bubbling happening in the glass, it was unexpectedly flat and lacking in hop, quickly followed by a bitter-sweet orange rind malt that coated my mouth and sat on my tongue for a good ten seconds.  This lager certainly didn't drink as clean, light, or refreshing as the appearance, nose, and body implied.

Admitting that lager is one of my least preferred beers (I like it and drink it, but never seek it out), this still fell flat in most qualities one expects from a lager.  In fact, it TASTED flat and stale.  I even checked the expiration date, but this beer was quite a ways from what the manufacturer labeled as expired.  I really wanted to like this beer, and a little more hops and effervescence could have made this a good lager, but it misses the mark.  I'd be curious to try this on tap "at the source", but short of that or every other tap being blown, I recommend passing.

Silver Moon Snake Bite Porter

Another rainy day, another porter.  Silver Moon Brewery, located in Bend mere blocks away from Deschutes Brewery Pub House and Bend Brewing Co., sits in good company and was the last of the three I visited on my Bend pub crawl last year.  Seeing the bottle on the shelf brought back fond memories of trying to navigate my way back to the hotel on foot in a post-four bar crawl in the wee hours, so I picked up Silver Moon Snake Bite Porter.

Silver Moon Snake Bite Porter poured a syrupy black into the glass with a small clumpy yellow head that slowly slid down the sides of the glass.  Aromas of cocao and slight notes of coffee were present without being “big”.

Drank, Silver Moon Snake Bite Porter had a bitter hop start, a smooth middle, and very bitter, grapefruit end.  The center of the porter was nice and dry with some burnt nut flavor, and not nearly as thick or syrupy as the pour suggested.

Silver Moon Snake Bite Porter has a couple of funky transitions on the palette, which is unfortunate as it hits some great notes marred by a couple really sour (er… bitter) notes.  As a lighter porter option it has potential, but this porter needs more balance. 

Pyramid Breweries Snow Cap Winter Warmer

Not that I won’t stumble across something I can’t say no to, and this year of beer won’t be complete until I open my bottle of Deschutes Jubel 2010, but today marks the final seasonal winter beer I front-loaded into my collection for tasting; Pyramid Breweries Snow Cap Winter Warmer. 

Pyramid Snow Cap Winter Warmer poured a clear cherry wood color into the glass, highlighted by light carbonation trails and capped by a loose, cream-hued head.  The nose was a complex mix of vanilla, light coffee, and flowery hops supported by a cigar background.

Pyramid Snow Cap Winter Warmer had a medium-bodied start where the hops never really took hold before the tobacco and seared meat flavors dominated.  Coffee and a slightly burnt popcorn taste made an appearance as the ale faded.

Pyramid Snow Cap Winter Warmer is a more complex and challenging beer than most of the winter seasonals I have tried, and the heavy coffee and tobacco flavors will likely turn off the weak at heart, but is a refreshing break from the overly hopped, candy sweet approach many breweries take and tastes like a 2am bar crawl in a bottle.