Whatever You Say #21

I was driving in the neighborhood a few weeks ago when I saw Breakside Brewery and remembered posts at the New School about it. ‘I need to go there,” I thought.

Then last week I saw a post at It’s Pub Night about the place and I figured that was a sign. Time to get out there and see what they got.

The fellow I ask is typing away on his smartphone, sitting next to a friend/sweetheart who is also typing on her smartphone. Modern romance?

He’s having the house IPA. I am too-though I have to wait a brief moment while the keg gets changed. IPAs are still popular all around the city, I suppose.

I slip in at the bar and try to get a measure of the place. I don’t know why but it feels a little chilly in here. Probably just me but I almost feel like I’d come back in the summer and find the place very comfortable.

I love the bar though; there’s a wood frame around what appears to be a series of old steel plates forming the surface -I can see the welds in spots- that’s been smoothed over and coated with something transparent so you can still see the years of wear on the metal. I’m not sure if this is recycled or has been weathered to look this way but I dig it a lot.

The rest of the space gives me a vibe that stops just short of hipsterism. It’s a nice place but like so many nice places in Portland, nobody is insisting that you conform to an elegance or acting as though they’re too good to be here. I have a feeling that this place can get amusingly racous on the weekends or annoyingly loud and I’m not sure what would push it one way or another.

Sitting at the bar though, I get to watch the staff interact a bit and I’m leaning towards amusing because they seem to be an easygoing bunch.

The IPA is a good one; milder than the usual and with a pleasant orange blossom/citrus nose/bitterness. The bitterness sneaks up too, and a little over halfway through my glass I’m noting a very pronounced bite to the brew. Good in small doses for those who don’t like the bite, good in larger ones for those who do.

Was it worth it?

So, check that out. This beer was recommended to me by an employee of Belmont Station and at $25 I balked at the price.

“It’s worth it,” he assured me.

This is North Coast Brewing’s Old Stock Ale from 2009 and it smells like a bourbon barrel plus raw maple syrup with hints of chocolate underneath, even suggesting red wine. The head diminishes quickly, though there are tiny bubbles that ride through the whole experience of drinking the contents of my glass.

And it is luscious. Everything you might like about a very nice sip of whiskey, with the softness of an old ale, and on top of that there is a nutty, maple finish that shows up at the end hugs your tongue goodbye when it leaves. It’s sweet from the malts but halts short of cloying by a respectable margin. If you drink this beer on an empty stomach, you’ll feel a little heat in the belly from the 13+% alcohol but that doesn’t make itself known in the mouthfeel at all.

As it happens, I’m drinking this with a little Anchient Heritage cheese made from sheep’s milk. It’s a very mild cheese that melts easily on the roof of your mouth and has just enough sharpness to allow for the next taste of beer to come through.

The Old Stock Ale is really, really good. It’s also really, really expensive with just over a pint in the bottle I purchased. I can’t say that I agree with the expense on a regular basis but I will say that should you have the opportunity to try some, jump on it because it’s truly wonderful.

Recycling

My Dad sent me this article from the Boston Globe and I have to say, I just dig on these kinds of efforts. I know not everything can be reused in such a manner but that the mentality that we should reuse where we can is seeping into the minds of Americans everywhere is something that makes me happy.

Whatever You Say #20

One bonus about a holiday is that I get a chance to go to places that are otherwise a touch too crowded to adequately visit otherwise. Such is the case for my visit to Hopworks.

Now, make no mistake; I don’t begrudge the success of the HUB; rather, I think it’s a great thing. Despite my adoration of places that aren’t too successful, {admittedly so I can have the space to get a beer whenever I want} I think that rewarding good people who do good work and have an ethic that wants to look at success long term, ought to be rewarded. It just means that when I decide to visit for a blog post, I need to pick a time of day that makes my writing possible. On the upside, it means that my girlfriend can join me and I am absolved of having to approach a stranger. All in all, a pretty cool situation.

She’s having a Kronak the Bourbarian, a bourbon barrel aged porter which means so am I. Truly, this is what it means to suffer, right?

This beer has a bourbon strand running through it like a big carmel colored thread moving through a quilt. In the nose, in the finish but softer in the mouth, the caramel flavor of bourbon waves hello like a neighbor you’re always happy to see. On top of that, it’s light and complex without feeling thin. Quite an accomplishment.

In short; it’s good. Very good and if you like the style, have some.

The girlfriend and I chat. There is a deliberate attempt to keep things light, because we have been making moves toward purchase of a house. It hasn’t been all serious business but it’s been a bit more intense than usual and I think that anyone who’s been in a relationship for awhile understands that if things are intense for long enough, sometimes you just have to go out, have a few beers and some chicken strips and laugh. Burning the candles for too long just leads you to ash, you know.

helles

I’m finishing off my porter, she’s still got about a third left when the announcement comes from a redheaded woman with long, poofy hair and olive green waders that HUB is putting a new beer on tap: a Helles Bock. And everyone is invited to try a pint for free.

So not only am I having Whatever You Say, I’m having Whatever They Say. That is pretty awesomesauce, I have to say..

Unfortunately, I’m not a fan of the Helles.  I want to be, understand. I like Hopworks and I know they do good work-especially in the pilsner arena. On top of that, it’s free. Complaining about a free thing feels very much like a dick move.

That said; for me, this beer was just a bit too effervescent and had a hint of metallic taste to it. I didn’t get much malty, bready flavors and I couldn’t pick up much in the nose either. I tried to pick up those notes and everything just got washed out by the carbonation. It’s possible that this brew just isn’t for me or that those initial pours just weren’t quite ready yet. My girlfriend couldn’t detect any problems so I’m willing to concede that I might be missing the qualities of the style that make it great. But this sample did not encourage me to try another.

I have no complaints though. After an intense weekend a proper beer was deserved and HUB is a great place to get one.

Evil

From the same mindset that gave us Arrogant Bastard, we now have Concentrated Evil from Fifty/Fifty.

Take a look at that logo. That’s the kind of thing that was destined for a person like me. How am I going to resist trying this at least once?

I’m not. I think I’ve made it pretty clear in the past that I have a weakness for this sort of thing and you can shrug your shoulders and smile and we’ll just go on from here, OK?

The only thing left to discuss is; how is it? The beer claims to be a Belgian with exotic sugars and flavors from raisins and I have to say, the raisin flavor certainly comes through. The nose feels full of really good brown sugar. Nothing exotic or weird about it to me but it’s certainly potent.

There’s a touch of the Flemish Red influence here, I think. The beer doesn’t finish sugary or overly sweet; instead there’s a touch of sourness there that keeps this beer firmly on the rails and prevents me from noticing the 11% alcohol. I don’t know that it’s for everyone, since the sugary nose might be off putting for some and the flavors of the beer don’t follow through with those who may love the nose. That it has discernible flavors despite being that high in alcohol is a big mark it the beer’s favor to me. There’s something I can actually describe to people aside from an alcoholic warmth.

Unfortunately, I just don’t feel like it’s evil enough. It’s strange but I feel like beers with names like this are out to challenge and making them drinkable somehow goes against the point of giving them such names. I have similar issues with Arrogant Bastard. If you’re going to get out there and insist that your audience isn’t worthy or is going to enter into Concentrated Evil then by god I want a beer that pushes some buttons.

On the other hand, who wants an undrinkable beer?

Is this what a lager looks like?

I hope so.

I’ve never made one because the style is very difficult to brew. Temperature considerations and delicacy due to the lightness of malts and hops make this style a real challenge for homebrewers like myself who haven’t invested in refrigeration equipment. But I had a proper garage this year so I thought that now would be as good a time as any to give the style a shot. I tried to stay away from my typical tendencies to dabble with the recipe or so anything quirky and just brew this batch straight up.

Pictured is the carboy, just before I bottled the beer. How did things turn out? I don’t know. It’s been put into the bottle and then back in the garage to finish cold.

Spoiler alert: the prognosis does not look good. But if the pros can have the occasional hiccup, then remembering to give myself a little slack is probably appropriate. How does it all turn out? I’ll tell you next month.

Whatever You Say #19

The Agenda feels almost like one of those places that could only exist in Portland and still be criminally under attended. They have a beer list that is way beyond what it ought to be for a bar on 82nd, including a dominant local selection with a wide variety of styles, including Deschute’s Miss Spelt and sour ale from Bear Republic.

Seriously. Who does that but dedicated sour beer spots or serious beer bars?

Plus, they have a giant Jenga game that people are playing. That is practically an autowin right there. I know at least one friend that when she finds out about this, will make the Agenda a must go destination, just to play giant Jenga.

It’s unfortunately almost deserted and there isn’t anyone who I feel I could approach without being rude. So I explain my dilemma to the bartender who suggests Stone’s Pale Ale to me and we go from there.

A man comes in from the street, complaining about another place he was at where happy couples surrounded him. He finds shelter here and is clearly a regular as he gets a drink and I never hear him order it. He mentions prostitutes as a better option than this lousy holiday and my feeling is; whatever it takes to get you through the day, just don’t hurt anyone.

He’s observing the Jenga game, quietly coaching from the bar, the drama of a ready to topple tower quietly gripping, more interesting than the basketball game on the three televisions despite it’s lack of running and beer ads. There’s an interesting strand of hip-hop on the speakers which gives the joint an undercurrent of pleasantry that I can’t quite capture. You know it when you hear it and I like that.

It’s weird; 82nd roars not but 15 feet from me, the rain and the wind batter about outside but none of those things seem to make it in. The Agenda has, at least for this evening, managed a neighborhood bar feel despite not having a neighborhood. Again; only in Portland would this be ignored.

I almost feel bad about being here, telling people about this place. Everybody needs a bar to go hide out in, friendly enough that you can hang out but anonymous enough that you can become camouflage if you want and I wouldn’t mind having an escape hatch like this place. The beer is good, the price is fair, the happy hour goes until 8, it’s friendly enough that I could be known but on the days when I don’t want to be known, nobody would know me here.

Not that they do but that, of course, is the point.

Burnside Brewing visit

Note: I totally meant to post this on Wednesday but instead I got sick. I seem to be having a rough time keeping on my schedule in 2011 but hopefully that will not be the case for long.

I’m part of the OBC board now and for our monthly board meetings we like to go to local brewpubs and check out their wares, make contact and perhaps even schedule a visit or a talk from the brewers for the group but we’re there mostly to discuss business, which nobody reading cares about.

What you might care about is the new beers that Burnside Brewing is producing and I’ve got a brief lowdown on them, notes taken from memory during a very busy meeting. Let’s go:

The Gratzier: maybe just not for me. I didn’t detect any flaws in the beer but the smoky flavor coupled with a wheat brew just didn’t jibe for me. That said, this is a resurrected style, so give it a shot because I promise you haven’t had anything like it before. Maybe you’ll love it.

The IPA: quite good with a very, very sharp bitterness spiking at the end. Piney notes there with a less pronounced nose, I wanted to have more of it to appropriately qualify this beer.

The Oatmeal Pale: a surprise to me in it’s luscious mouthfeel. It had a great body, more dense than your average pale but a subtler nose and as one might expect from an oatmeal tweaked beer, wasn’t as clear as your average pale. Still, a very tasty beer and I thought a wonderful take on the style.

I’m looking forward to going back and getting a better perspective on the beers as well as trying the food. Good stuff.

Whatever You Say #18

Check this out:

In some ways, this is really all you need to know about Roscoe’s, which I mean in the most benevolent way possible.

It’s a neighborhood joint that wants to have beer tastings and meet the brewer nights. It wants to play the Metallica and Pantera and Iron Maiden you loved as a teenager but give you the beer you were denied. The good stuff.

I am walking in with a friend tonight and part of me is suddenly cognizant (which is a more awesome word than aware will ever be because there’s a ‘z’ in it) that the beer that I’m picking isn’t just for me. When I have to play roulette for myself, I don’t care if I get a drink that’s less awesome because it’s just one drink. Compelling that choice on someone else suddenly seems unfair, because the most obvious person to ask has a PBR in front of her.

So I put the screws to it, step aside and ask another man what’s in his glass. Turns out, it’s Bear Republic‘s Wee Heavy, the Heritage Ale.

Talk about the gamble paying off! This beer is just excellent. Malty and chocolatey, no sense of alcohol, light on the tongue and just all around delicious, I cannot complain about the selection for tonight.

So we settle into a table and begin to chat away. Discussions of economics and enlightenment, the mindset of starvation as a youth, the attempt to appreciate bounty as an older person, money vs debt; basically bar talk with purpose. Yeah, yeah, I could give you specifics but then I’d be telling you about me and that really isn’t the point.

It’s all taking place under a reasonably well lit pub with good beer and enough TVs to be useful but not so many that you can’t ignore them if you want. I think I have to come back here-and I certainly have to recommend the pub to anyone who lives in the neighborhood.

Bill 444

At the Oregon Homebrewers Alliance you can get the latest information on Senate Bill 444. The bill is being scheduled for a hearing before the Senate Business, Transportation and Economic Development Committee Thursday, February 10. This is a great time for people who read this blog and are in Oregon to call or email the members of the committee and politely urge them to support the passage of SB 444 along with Senator Prozanski’s amendments to the bill. The committee members need to hear from you if this bill is to succeed.

I don’t think you need to be a homebrewer to support this bill; anyone who has benefited from the efforts and success of the craft brew movement in Oregon, which pretty much includes anyone who drinks alcohol in the state, ought to know that their voice will help homebrewers everywhere continue to provide tasty or at least interesting beers for you to try and it certainly can’t be understated what the craft brew movement has done for employment in Oregon and recognition of this state as one of the leaders in the world of beer.

Thanks to the Oregon Brew Crew listserv, who listed the members of the Senate Committee and their contact information, which I have reproduced here for readers who feel so inclined to help out. And thanks to you, the people who take action.

Senate Business, Transportation and Economic Development Committee Contact Information:

Sen. Lee Beyer, Chair
sen.leebeyer@state.or.us
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1706

Sen. Jason Atkinson, Vice-Chair
sen.jasonatkinson@state.or.us
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1703
District Phone: 541-282-6502

Sen. Ginny Burdick
sen.ginnyburdick@state.or.us
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1718

Sen. Chris Edwards
sen.chrisedwards@state.or.us
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1707

Sen. Fred Girod
sen.fredgirod@state.or.us
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1709
District Phone: 503-769-4321

Sen. Bruce Starr
sen.brucestarr@state.or.us
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1715
District Phone: 503-352-0922