Deschutes: Hop in the Dark

Cascadian dark ales are a great idea. This beer is a mouthful but very well balanced. This isn't quite an imperial but a little thicker and it could be. Very good beer.

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Deschutes - Jubelale

Deschutes - Jubelale

MMMMM winter seasonals!

I'm being lazy/busy right now. You'll have to go get a bottle and do your own review.

Deshutes - Cinder Cone Red

Deshutes - Cinder Cone Red

I like Deshutes Brewery, their seasonal red ale is no exception. Great beer, for the full review see the bottom of the bottle after consuming the contents.

Deschutes - Mirror Mirror Barleywine

Deschutes - Mirror Mirror

http://www.deschutesbrewery.com/brews/reserve-series/mirror-mirror/default.aspx

Smells sweet and malty, large head when first poured but disapated quickly. First taste was sweet and dry. Second taste was more of the same and the beer seemed just a little thin. I'm just barely tasting the oak, I also like that the hops aren't dominating like some other barleywines.

Good beer, I think it will be a great beer after a year or so of aging.

Deschutes: Hop Henge IPA

The first sip gave me goosebumps. This is a great IPA, not very sweet but has a good maltiness to it that isn't present in a lot of beers and shows in its amber colored body. The high alcohol gives it a bite (8.75%) and lingers after the typical aftertaste drops out. The hops (95 IBU) tend to coat the back of my mouth and gets better when it warms up a little bit. I'd recommend you get a bottle. They did a great job last year and they haven't dissappointed.

Deschutes Hop Henge

Deschutes, Hop Henge experimental IPA

Deschutes: Jubelale

Deschutes does some great stuff. Funny story, I spent 1st and 2nd grade in elementary school in Bend Oregon.

So here we go. Light airy head, sudo-thick, deep clear red body. Finishes a little heavy on the palet but not as much as some. Almost a deep amber taste with a hint of smoke. Do I need to be more objective? I don't know what else to say about this beer. It is good, I like it for what it is. I think it is a little above average for amber's but not as drinkable as some. The 6.7% abv lends a welcome bite and complements its heavy palet. Not sure if I would change anything about it, but maybe a little more malt and chocolate would be nice. Like Brew Munkey's Amber.....

Deschutes: Obsidian Stout

Stouts are great. This one pours very dark, tan head, big body. Heavy black and chocolate malt flavors cling heavily to the mouth. Sweet like a good stout should be, this deep malty goodness rises up from a deep porter feel to complete the package. Good beer over all, leans a little towards the porter side, but shouldn't all beers?

The Dissident

Deschutes - The Dissident

Curiosity got the better of me... again... maybe its the waxed top... Anyway, I tried the new offering from Deschutes this weekend.

Its brewed with wild yeast, kinda weird, is this a lambic?! Pours normal, looks like an amber or a brown ale but the smell is wayyyyyy different. It smells almost like sour apple candy... Ok, well only one way to go from here, first sip... yep its sour, but not like I was expecting, phew. It tastes more like a flemish sour ale than a pure lambic.

Side note - this beer does not go well with mexican food.

Got back to the beer after dinner, ok solid beer, a little heavier than the flemish, not quite as lemonady refreshing as the flemish and a little more tart. For me I'd like to drink this as an after dinner pre-desert beer.

I liked it, but not enough to add to my cellar.

Deschutes: Black Butte Porter

Not to be confused with the XX we have had here previously, this is the more frequently brewed variety. I happened to have a few in the fridge so I figured I'd do a near back to back comparison.

This brew has half the alcohol and weight of the XX. VERY similar in taste though it does lack the coffee burbon tones. I consider this light for a porter with a slight dry finish. A slight malty flavor is present while the chocolate and black malts take a stand back from being overbearing. Very drinkable considering some of the very chaulky porters I've had. If its on tap be sure to try it.

Deschutes: Black Butte XX

This is a thick beer! It had been in the fridge for a while now so it was cold. Poured thick, little carbonation. Reminescent of their standard Black Butte but with a much higher, pronounced, biting, alcohol presence and thick body. They boast of coffee bean and bourbon barrels, both of which are mixed deep in its syrap consistency but neither are over dominant. At $10/bottle I would prefer an imperial porter over this but this is a decent beer none-the-less. I enjoyed it and appreciated the complex flavors. Make your friend buy one and then snag a glass!

Deschutes, Oaked Black Butte Porter

Good beer, but overpriced in my opinion. It's normal Black Butte Porter blended with 20% oaked Black Butte Porter. End result tastes like a thicker sweeter Black Butte Porter.

For $10, between this and The Abyss, hands down The Abyss would be my choice.

However, Deschutes if you're listening, I would love to try the unblended oaked porter...

Deschutes Brewery: Mirror Pond

BREWMUNKEY_A EDIT: Hot Shotz has been having lots of problems with their draft system, I had a Black Butte Porter there that tasted horrible - so bad I sent it back, normally black butte is one of my favorite porters. They mumbled something about "CO2 lines, cough, cough, cleaning, something cough..."

I think Mirror Pond is an excellent pale ale, try it out of a bottle or somewhere other than Hot Shotz.


Yuck. Not a good beer. This one goes right up there with Mac'N Jack African Amber. I haven't done any research on it but they have to have very similar brewing processes.

Its a hint of malt, slight early hop presence, medium body, but I am overwhelmed by the taste of vomit.

If you think this is a good beer, you obviously don't drink good beer. Ask me for a recommendation.

Hop Henge Imperial IPA

(That's ice on the glass, I didn't want to wait anymore for the beer to chill)

The price was right and it was sunny out and we were having a BBQ - perfect conditions for a good IPA. And, wow this was a good beer. So good I went and got another bottle the day after I tried it.

Pretty typical IPA until you taste it. Normal pour, smells hoppy but not overpowering, medium viscosity, good head. Taste of the first sip almost had me worried - BAM! IPA! I am HOPS, ROAR! But, by the finish of the first sip the imperal-ness made itself clear, the beer had a beautiful alcohol sweet finish. This taste would make a good Imperial IPA ice cream.

I really enjoyed this beer, the dichotomy really made it interesting. It is to beer what the pre-mixed peanut butter and jelly (the one with columns of each one in the jar) is to sandwiches.

The Abyss

http://www.deschutesbrewery.com/

This is one of my top three favorite stouts.

The bottle is capped with wax, first hint this isn't your everyday stout. Once the bottle is finally open, it pours thick with a dark head - hint #2 that this is a big stout. The beer smells of sweet carmely goodness with a brush of hops in the nose. It smells how I would like my hot chocolate to taste if that makes any sense... first sip is thick and velvety, I think I've found the heroin of beer, I'm addicted for the moment. Second sip, almost a Yeager like licorice taste - read the bottle... dee dee dee it has licorice in it... mmmm yeah, definatly an excellent stout!

Have you gotten your bottle yet?