Beers of the Weekend: Zwickelmania 2013 and Pappy’s Dark PDX Release at Hop & Vine

February 17, 2013 by 3 Comments

Saturday, February 16 was Zwickelmania. Every year, breweries in Oregon open their doors for visitors to sample one (or possibly more) of their beers and often offer tours of their breweries and have brewers on hand to answer question about their process- all for free! There are even shuttles that you can take to brewpub crawl to visit multiple breweries. This year, we stuck to the Portland Streetcar (utilizing the now open CL Line) and walking, reminding us how lucky we are in Portland metro area to have so many options, often many not very far from each other!

We started out at Upright Brewing, which specializes in a farmhouse style beer. Visiting Upright was one of the opportunities Zwickelmania offers, as usually Upright has much more limited openings to their tasting room. There, I caught up with my other drinking companions who had a 45 minute head start on me and tried out their recommendations, the Captain Beefheart and also enjoyed a free sample of their Chocolate Stout. Yes, Captain Beefheart actually has beef hearts as one of the ingredients of the brew.

A view of two sampler tastes at upright brewing

Our next stop was Hair of the Dog Brewing, where they were pouring samples of Adam. While there, I also was able to enjoy a taster of Greg (made with Organic Pilsner and Winter Squash, no hops, so was a nice palate cleanser after Adam), and shared a glass of Otto while we had lunch. The Otto is amazing also, a beer composed of Bourbon Peach Fred from the wood mixed with Cherry Fred from the wood- from the wood notating that they have been barrel aged.

Visiting Hair of the Dog Brewing and tasting their beers, this is Adam Visiting Hair of the Dog Brewing and tasting their beers, this is Adam Visiting Hair of the Dog Brewing and tasting their beers, this is Greg Visiting Hair of the Dog Brewing and tasting their beers, this is Otto

Next we went to Cascade Brewing Brewing House, where they were offering samples of four of their beers: Blueberry Triple, a Rum Tangerine Spiced Quad, Blond Bing Blond Ale with Cherries, and Bourbonic Plague Spiced Double Porter. Unfortunately they were pretty crowded or I would have stopped for a glass of their hot Glueh Kriek, so we pressed on to Harvester Brewing.

Free sample #1 at Cascade Brewing, the Blueberry Triple Admiring the wall of barrels at Cascade Brewing Sampling #2, a Rum Tangerine Spiced Quad at Cascade Brewing Barrels at Cascade Brewing, waiting to share their deliciousness Enjoying sample #3 of Blond Bing Blond Ale with Cherries at Cascade Brewing a look in the brewing area of Cascade Brewing Bourbonic Plague Spiced Double Porter sample #4 at Cascade Brewing

We were happy to visit little Harvester Brewing, a tiny little brewery that can- they have no tasting room and are just two rooms big, but are producing amazing gluten free beers you can enjoy and not care its gluten free. Kindly, they were slicing up and warming up Jensen’s bread for us too as we entered, and then were treated to compare how the Pale Ale tasted from the fermenter versus the bottle, as well as trying their Red Ale, IPA, and test batches.

Jensen's Bread, warmed up for us at Harvester Brewing Pouring comparison tastes from the fermenter vs bottle of Pale Ale at Harvester Brewing Tasting away at Harvester Brewing of test batches

Our final Zwickelmania stop was The Commons, where they specialize in a beer viewpoint of Belgian and Flemish/French style beers. Here, we could taste the Urban Farmhouse Ale and the Holden Dark Farmhouse Rye. We also bought glasses of the Walnut Belgian Porter (pictured) and Avant Flandre Belgian pale ale.

the Urban Farmhouse Ale, at The Commons Brewery Walnut at the Commons Brewery

Since we weren’t too far away, even though Zwickelmania was over we stopped at Base Camp Brewing just to check it out, where we tried the Ripstop Rye Pils, Belgian Session Ale, and Out of Bounds Brown. I had already had the S’mores Stout beer before, and though I like the concept of the toasted marshmallow being served with the beers, overall we found the beers more weak on flavor than what we had been enjoying all day. If they want to do this lighter lager style (which to me says mass market appeal) I suppose this is fine, it’s their vision to go with. But we had higher hopes of them pushing the boundaries, given the ambition and adventure that seems implied by the brewery name and theme. It’s still in its first few months though, so let’s see where they go- I am glad they are giving such attention to the S’mores Stout as a flavor possibility. I’d like to see more of that and less oyster stouts, let’s branch out, thanks!

Ripstop Rye Pils, Belgian Session Ale, and Out of bounds brown at Base Camp Brewing

The Beer Weekend ended on a high note, as on Sunday February 17 we attended the Pappy’s Dark bottle release from Block 15 (specializing in barrel aged beers) at Hop and Vine. There we were able to procure 2 bottles of Pappy’s Dark and 3 of Super Nebula (thanks to other beer friends who let us use one of their 2 bottle allotment- the Super Nebula sold out within the few hours at Block 15 brewing, and within 20 minutes at Hop and Vine! ) to add to our beer cellar. The event also offered tastings of many Block 15 beers:

    • Super Nebula
    • Pappy’s Dark
    • Golden Canary
    • Wonka’s Wit
    • The Demon’s Farm
    • Ferme de la’ Ville Provision
    • Wandelpad
    • Alpha IPA

Pappy's Dark PDX Release at The Hop & Vine, with tastings of many Block 15 beers Block 15's Super Nebula 4oz tasting at Hop and Vine Block 15's Wonka's Wit 4oz tasting at Hope and Vine All the colors of beer by Block 15

And that’s how I had the Brunch of champions at Hop and Vine: Block 15 Brewing Co. barrel aged beer goodness with Gorgonzola Biscuits w/ Sausage-Black Pepper Gravy and a side of crispy bacon!

Brunch of champions at Hop and Vine: Block 15 Brewing Co. barrel aged beer goodness with Gorgonzola Biscuits w/ Sausage-Black Pepper Gravy and a side of crispy bacon

Now I need to rest my liver for next weekend, when I attend the Showcase of Wine and Cheese event for the Boys & Girls Club of Portland which  features hundreds of wines, dozens of gourmet cheeses, hors d’oeuvres, and other specialty foods, and then on Sunday the Block 15/Saraveza Prix Fixe dinner, a beer and food pairing dinner.

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Brewvana + New School: Corvallis VIP Tour with Block 15

March 5, 2012 by 1 Comment

I’ve been able to enjoy the Brewvana van twice- once during my experience with Zwickelmania last year, and another time with sponsorship of Google Hotspot for writing reviews. This was my first time that I went directly for them for a specific tour… and heh, was a paying participant. When I saw on FB that Brewvana would be offering with New School beer blog a Corvallis VIP Tour with Block 15, I was excited. I thought the itinerary sounded really promising and full of new tastes for me, and of course I knew I had good experiences with Brewvana those two previous times. I was lucky I bought the tickets that evening while sitting at the bar of Bailey’s Taproom and fortunate enough to think to catch up on my FB, because the tickets were all sold out the next day.

The tour on Saturday February 4 (sorry for the delay in my post- I did go international to 4 countries- soon to be covered in upcoming posts) coincided with the same day that Block 15 Brewing in Corvallis was releasing bottles of  two barrel aged beers. Batch 2 of Pappy’s Dark Ale (a Dark Strong ale in bourban barrels), as well as the “lost barrels” of Super Nebula (Imperial Oatmeal Stout in bourbon barrels). I have liked many a Block 15 beer, and had both those beers last year at a Block 15 Pappy’s Dark bottle release event at Hop & Vine 2011. More recently after hearing about their new restaurant/beer spot during a food tour, have been mentioning multiple times to others (fishing…) on how I would like to visit their beer cave. And, now here was the opportunity where I wouldn’t have to worry about driving… Brewvana is going to chauffeur me there.

But wait! There’s more! This trip not only included round trip transportation to Block 15, but also

  • stops at Calapooia Brewing (known for its chili pepper beer) for beer samples and a behind the scenes tour with owner/brewer Mark Martin;
  • and also a stop at Flat Tail Brewing with its more experimental beer selection and more samples with Head Brewer Dave Marliave;
  • and a stop at Les Caves Bier and Kitchen (a recently opened European style bistro and beir bar with 16 rotating taps and over 100 bottled beers) for beer and dinner.
  • And then, once finally at Block 15, besides accessing a taster tray of Pappy’s Dark and Super Nebula 2010 and 2011 and Hypnosis 2011 (barrel-aged Barleywine) at Block 15, we also get to learn about their barrel-aging program and see behind the scenes!

Fun! Signed up!

Calapooia Brewing Visit,  a secret (even from residents down the street apparently) that is getting more successful and is bottling their incredible chili beer so its rise is underway. It was cool to hear how Calapooia was conceived and his philosophy for the brewery straight from head brewer and owner Mark Martin- and his cooler smelled wonderfully yeasty

Flat Tail Brewing, a brewery that loves to get creative and experiment, and our time with head brewer Dave Marliave also gave us insight into the art of concocting a beer and also insight on how it sounds fun and laid back environment but make no mistake, it is also a lot of hard work as a career choice.

Les Caves Bier and Kitchen. We started with a shared appetizer of Artisan Board with head cheese, Willamette cheddar cheese, pickled gherkins with stone ground mustard and fresh baked and torn bread. We then had a choice of 3 dishes (or another dish where we would pay the difference). We went with what was already offered: the Roasted Vegetable Strudel of oven roasted parsnips, squash, onions, peppers, fresh mozzarella & ricotta wrapped in a flaky crust with a pink peppercorn sour cream, served with a winter greens salad; and the Naturally house cured, smoked and steamed Painted Hills beef pastrami with stone ground mustard & crisp pickles on rye ciabatta 11 with gruyere cheese.

The Artisan Board was great, but I found the Strudel a bit too rich because of how buttery the crust was, while the pastrami was steamed too far into dryness. The ideas were good for the dishes- in theory they would match well with beer- but the execution was flawed in our dinners. The place was getting packed as we got there right when dinner was starting- maybe the kitchen got overwhelmed. I was much more conservative during dinner in not partaking in ordering from the huge beer menu because I wanted my palate ready for Block 15, but others couldn’t resist the beer bottle list.

Finally, the highlight: the Block 15 visit! There has been no beer from this brewery I have not enjoyed, and I love their concept of aging beers. We tried last year’s and this year’s Pappy’s Dark and Super Nebula and also another beer, Hypnosis, and aged (of course it’s aged!) Barleywine. Nick Arzner showed us the maze of corridors that comprises their brewing and aging areas and his perspective of crafting beautifully complex beers.

We got a sneak peek at a still aging White Framboise made with white raspberries that is probably a one time thing- and is going to probably sell out in hours when it does release. We came in late in the day, after their release at the brewery, but he had set aside bottles for our group to purchase, thank goodness! Of all the breweries we visited this one was the most organized, demonstrating their attention to detail and care and control cascading to their work environment even though they work mostly in a basement.

The only negative of this trip was how the high alcohol content took a toll, so the bus ride home was full of half a bus of those who pehraps their volume sensitivity was not what it usually is, and the other half passed out trying to digest and give all our power to our livers (I went on this side),  all while scrunched into the very little legroom because the seats were made for children. The reality is that Brewvana is awesome and needs a real bus, not a school bus, similar to what size are used for wine tours: that amount of distance with that many people all day is just not comfortable. I don’t see why wine tasters get to be comfotable but beer lovers don’t. At least the treatment we get on the tour on and off the bus is definitely red carpet at least.

Brewvana only started a year ago and has been a huge success- and is now in its growing pains. Their concept for the various tours Brewvana offers is intriguing and is good for either those new to beer or experienced beer geeks, for those new or even those who have been in PDX for a while- the logistical arrangement, communication, sparkly fun energy and enthusiasm and passion Ashley and those involved bring- all of those combined make for a “doh! I can’t believe that’s her job!” and you can’t help but absorb that vivacity she has during the tour and you can’t help but have fun.

Thanks so much for Ashley of Brewvana and Ezra of the New School for putting this fantastic trip together, for the brewers and their staff for their hospitality and generosity with me and the other beer geeks, and also Jason the bus driver for his patience and amazing skills for both speedy and safe driving, and the other beer geeks for being beer geeks but not beer snobs and letting us into their circle for a little bit.

So I realize that as usual, there is no photographic proof on my own camera that I am even present. Fortunately, Ashley took a bunch of photos as well, which I have stolen a few that had me in them as proof of life and am sharing here. All these photos belong and were taken by Ashley Rose, the lovely beer effervescent princess of Brewvana from the Brewvana Flickr album which has more photographic proof of how much fun they are always having.

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Leave the gun. Take the cannoli.

February 13, 2011 by 1 Comment

A coworker had a birthday this past week. His pick was a birthday treat for our team from Ken's but that the cakes Ken's had were passed over instead for macarons. He got two kinds, the sweeter orange ones as well as the spicy chocolate ones. I sampled both (even though each was probably 2 inches wide so these are nice big macarons) and the spicy chocolate are far superior by balancing rich chocolate with that dusting of pepper. I think the orange ones would be much better as part of a high tea but in the regular macaron size, they were a bit too creamy sweet for my taste anyway, though I think many in the team chose that over the idea of the heat in the chocolate. After a discussion of how macarons vs macaroons suddenly we were talking about other bakery goodies, and out came the word "cannoli" and the famous quote from the Godfather.

So of course this weekend I had an urge for some cannoli. I was hoping to find a place that would offer a version that would fulfill my craving without having to resort to asking my sister to ship them from her current hometown Boston from Mike's Pastry. But, as luck would have it, there is a bakery that is well reviewed for them in North Portland, only a few blocks from a yellow Max line stop. The cannoli I got are size small (they have small and large ones available but I think the small is  the perfect sweet 4 bites) at Di Prima Dolci on Killingsworth. I could not resist also buying some bread (I'm almost always a wuss for getting bread from a bakery- that aroma is too intoxicating to not take a bit with me) and well as pignoli cookies. The pignoli cookies are made with almond dough that then is rolled in pine nut, resulting in a cookie that is soft and chewy while having a light nutty flavor.

The take home from my errand run


This bakery stop worked out perfectly because they are just a door down from Hop & Vine’s release party with Block 15 of  bottled Pappy's Dark, one of the highlights IMHO of the recent Bailey's Cellarfest. Unfortunately they were only allowing one bottle per customer, so I only was able to snag one for our beer cellar. Hop and Vine had Pappy's Dark on tap, and I also got to try their Super Nebula, a Bourbon Barrel-Aged Oatmeal Imperial Stout which I actually decided I liked better then Pappy's Dark. The oatmeal gives it a bit more creaminess to the malty bourbon flavor profile of the beer. I can't wait until next year, as Nick said they might try to get more in the bottle next year of Pappy's, but also release both Pappy's and Super Nebula as their February bottles. Since he is also dropping off a keg and a case at Bailey's though, I might be able to get a second bottle so I am not torn between savoring and sharing its goodness versus saving and investing the beer. I know Block 15 is pretty new to the brewery scene, but they are definitely creating a unique impression with their barrel fermentation and mixing palate, keep the liquid deliciousness coming!

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