Portland Point of View
In spring a young man's thoughts turn to bock
April, 1998Winter has sloshed to another end in Portland. Spring has turned young men's thoughts to brighter elements of life, chief among them Bock. Portland has Bocks springing up everywhere. Most of our brewpubs have one on. Widmer has a delightful pale Bock that has nice balance. But nowhere is Bock more prevalent than at Saxer/Nor'Wester brewing. It seems brewmaster Tony Gomes is creating a house of Bock. The brewery has four Bocks available now. The familiar Jack Frost Dopplebock is joined by Saxer Bock, a malty Mai Bock, Dark Bock which is somewhat dry compared to Jack Frost, and Smith Rock Bock, which is not quite the same brew that Nor'Wester used to offer. Tony has applied his German brewing background to provide us with a style survey under one label.
Other new beers are sprouting up. One of our most notable new releases of the last year was Hair of the Dog's Fred, named for Meister Fred Eckhardt. A few dozen fortunate ones waited in line on a cold and windy morning at the Hair of the Dog brewery and took advantage of a chance to buy bottling number 1. That first bottling sold out in 58 minutes - and that was after Alan and Doug limited purchases to one case per person. You can find subsequent bottlings of Fred in bottles and on draught. For Hair of the Dog's newest brew the launch was decidedly more comfortable - a Dog Day Afternoon at the Horse Brass Pub introduced Ed. Ed joins the rank of highly hopped pale ales, like Rouge's I2PA or Full Sail's VSP. The hop presence is softer on the palette and fairly complex - a product of the wide variety of hops used in the beer. Ed is only available on draught at this time so you'll, aw shucks, have to visit a pub for your taste.
Speaking of draught experience, if you've only tried Fred on draught or only the bottle version you still have a new taste experience waiting for you. Many who have tasted both versions of the brew have noticed that a difference between them. The draught Fred is described as sweeter or smoother than the bottled. The Brewers acknowledge the difference - it's just one of the qualities of a live product. Which is best is in the palate of the beerholder.
Other new beers the spring of '98 will be offering up include Full Sail's seasonal IPA. John Harris will have a release party at the Harborside Pilsner Room featuring a unique keg of IPA. As with the Wassail release last December a single keg of the IPA will be cask conditioned and dry hopped. This keg will be tapped at a release party. No date was set a press time, expect it in early. John is present at the Pilsner Room at these events and expounds on beery matters through the night. Those of use who fondly remember Coho Pacific, Pintale and other fowl and fish christened brews from Bridgeport can breath a sigh of relief for Blue Heron. Bridgeport prepared to retire the last bird from their label - under word got out and beer lovers called with their concern. Firkin Amber - originally the Blue Heron replacement - joins the Firkin Line. Karl Ockert designed the Firkin Amber to "make an Amber with distinction and character." Expect a well-balanced brew with generous hop levels.
A new brand name came to Portland on March 30th. Widmer Brothers Brewing launched the "Collaborator" line of seasonal beers. The Collaborator name comes from the recipe development process for the beers. Widmer Brothers went to the Oregon Brew Crew homebrew club and asked the membership to brew beers for consideration. Widmer established an account at a local homebrew supply store that Brew Crew members could charge supplies to. Any Brew Crew member could purchase supplies to brew a beer for consideration as part of the program. Jeff Brinley and Ken Bieschek created a superlative Milk Stout that was selected for the initial release. The second beer in the series, a dry Brown Ale, came from Scott Sanders. A portion of the proceeds from this line of beer will be donated to a charitable cause selected by the Oregon Brew Crew and the Widmers. Recipients include a scholarship fund for the brewing studies program at Oregon State University.
And about books, Nancy Dendooven of Around Town Publications is at work on a new book about Portland beer places. It is tentatively titled "Portland Pubs by Bus: A Public Transit Guide to Portland's Breweries, Brew Pubs, and Taverns."
Pubs by Bus will feature profiles of notable watering holes, their distinguishing features and public transit directions. Sections will identify where you can find the best outdoor seating, selection of microbrews, brewery tours and other features of the pub landscape. Judging from the list of places Nancy plans to cover, even locals will benefit from the coverage. The book is slated for a July 1 release.
In the "it ain't a rumor" department, Michael Jackson is returning to Portland. The Nor'Wester Brand is the Official Brew of the Portland Rose Festival again. The people at Saxer/Nor'Wester are flying Michael in for the 2nd Annual Rose Festival Homebrew competition on June 20. Like last year, a panel including Michael and Fred Eckhardt will select the best of show beer. Joining them on the stage will be Tony Gomes, our own Alan Moen and a judge chosen from the homebrew community.
