Last week while our taste buds were clearly tuned to "sour" the three beers making this week's list span the seasons.
Dionysus Super Funkadelic - Shared by one of our frequent drinking buddies at The BeerMongers, this dry-hopped gose hit the perfect balance of sourness and hoppiness. On the big end for a gose at 6.5% it's still incredibly drinkable with the hop profile making it feel like a suitable fall beer. Bonus points for a label that is as cool as the beer is good.
Buoy Benedict Cumberbatch - Another gose, this one featuring freshly chopped and juiced cucumbers and Jacobsen sea salt, it is super refreshing. It would be a great summer drinker so we'll have to hope it shows up next year but we would be quite pleased to continue drinking it throughout the winter.
North Coast Berliner Weisse Cranberry-Quince - One might recall seeing North Coast's other Berliner Weisses making our Best Things list but this one is quite possibly the best of the series so far. The most gorgeous of this week's list, the fruits used in it are ones we associate with fall and winter. Both the color and the flavor profile would make it a great beer to take to holiday gatherings.
What's hitting your high notes recently? Seasonal offerings like fresh hop beers and Oktoberfests? Your go-to style, be it Pilsner, IPA or stout?
Here in the PacNW there's no denying that cider is making a big impact on the market and we're A-OK with that. In fact there are quite a few ciders that we enjoy (which you may have seen pop up on our Best Things round up from time to time) and we're very excited that the 5th Annual Willamette Week Pro/Am is now officially the Beer and Cider Pro/Am. Last year's event featured a couple of non-beers; this year there will be eight joining the 24 beers.
The event returns to the city's best quadrant after a couple years inhabiting the North Warehouse. The 32 beverage line up will be pouring at District East (2305 SE 9th) and it will be our fourth year attending. Each year the growing number of entries reflects the growing popularity of the event. The full list of pro and amateur brewing pairs is here and like us, there's a good chance you'll see some familiar names on the Am side. The names/styles of the beers/ciders will be revealed at the event however one of the Ams is giving us a sneak peek of his collaboration.
VIP tickets get you in at Noon, are limited to 100 people and include a meal voucher for one of the food carts that will be on-site; general admission ticket holders have 1pm entrance. With either option you'll get to try all 32 entries and be able to vote for your favorite beer and cider (two separate categories). We hope to see you there!
Willamette Week's 5th Annual Beer and Cider Pro/Am
Saturday, October 14
District East, 2305 SE 9th Ave
12 - 6pm
Tickets: $55 VIP, $28 GA, $10 DD
It may be the first week of October but that doesn't mean we will be seeking out pumpkin beers. We might try one that is offered to us but it's unlikely you'll find one gracing on this list. Instead we have a mix of beers we hope to enjoy throughout the coming dark months and some of our preferred flavors of the season.
Melvin Uncle Ruckus - Enjoyed at a beer pairing dinner, this double stout has a great cocoa-y profile on its own. This night it was part of the dessert course, paired with a creamy leche flan-topped chocolate cake that was drizzled with a berry puree, all atop a smear of Eliot's Adult Nut Butters espresso nib peanut butter spread. The combination was the perfect ending to an incredible dinner.
Firestone Walker Mocha Merlin - Another stout, but with almost half the ABV, it does seem that they used a bit of "seasonal sorcery" to pack so much coffee and cocoa flavor into the beer. The oatmeal and lactose combine to provide a creaminess and roundness to further elevate the flavors. No surprise it was drank at The BeerMongers but by lucky happenstance, Sean was sharing some soft blue cheese and that combo was fabulous!
Founders Nitro Rubaeus - A favorite from this Midwest brewery, we've enjoyed it in the past but never on nitro. It appears to be popping up around town on nitro taps and after trying it, for good reason! The berry flavor leans even further towards juice when served this way with the bonus of a smooth, creamy head.
Fort George Fresh IPA (2017) - It seems that we're enjoying more fresh hop beers this year (or perhaps we're just being more selective about the ones we're ordering, upping the probability of "success"). Either way this can of tasty Citras is a worthy follow up to our most recent favorite from Fort George, the now-gone-from-shelves-and-taps 3-Way.
Breakside What Rough Beast Fresh Hop - A version of a beer that we've already been smitten with, this might be better. Whether it's the "ground breaking liquid nitrogen hop shattering technique" or just that Mosaics are one of our favorite hops, we're thrilled with it.
Firestone Walker Bravo (2017) - Circling back to the dark beers that hit the highest notes for us, this bourbon barrel aged imperial brown ale starts off full of huge barrel aroma. The balanced booze flavor (13.2%) is rich, toasty and chocolaty with just the right amount of noble hops.
Thanks for reading, friends! Whatever your favorite styles of the season are we hope you're enjoying them to the fullest.
