I just finished drinking three more Flying Dog beers. First up is Old Scratch amber lager. I like a few amber ales, but most of the time I find that they are too roasty for my liking. Sadly, this was the case. I would like to say that while my personal preference is that I didn't like this beer too much, when I was opening it a friend of mine saw it and said "Oh hey, thats a good beer." We got to talking about Old Scratch and he told me that he buys a 6 pack of it quite regularly, so I can be confident that saying its worth a try, after all this is a very award winning beer.
Next is Doggie Style classic pale ale. This is a good pale ale for summer time drinking. Not too hoppy like many west coast pale ales, but still very flavorful. On the website they say its dry hopped during fermentation with "shit loads" of hops. Coming in at 35 IBUs, this 5.5% abv pale ale is hopped with Northern Brewer and Cascade, and then dry hopped with cascades.
I followed the pale ale with Flying Dog's Double Dog, a double pale ale. Wow this was an awesome beer! It weighs in at 10.5% abv and 82 IBUs. It really tasted like a barley wine with a great balance of malt and hops. I have to admit that by the time I got through this palette wrecker my tasting notes were pretty skewed, but isn't that the purpose of drinking good beer?
Overall impressions: Amber Lager was ok but its not really my style. Pale ale was pretty good, went down nicely in the heat of the day. Double pale ale is running neck and neck as my favorite Flying Dog beer (Tied with Kerberos).
Monday, June 23, 2008
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Flying Dog's Kerberos Tripel
WOW! I love tripels and all too often I am disappointed. Usually they are WAY over done, but not this time. Flying Dog's Kerberos is a great example of what a tripel is all about. Strong malt backbone with a perfect balance of hops. This ale measures in at 8.5% abv and 27 I.B.U.s. Kerberos starts off with a slight sweetness that quickly moves into a well balanced hop profile with a slight spicy and dry finish. Flying Dog uses Pilsner and Aromatic malts with Goldings and Saaz hops in this bottle conditioned Belgian tripel.
Also worth mentioning is the bottle art. All of Flying Dog's brews have pretty unique bottle art. Here is a quote taken from Wikipedia "Cerberus or Kerberos was the hound of Hades, a monstrous three-headed dog with a snake for a tail and snakes down his back like a mane, whose analogs in other cultures are hellhounds. Cerberus guarded the gate to Hades and ensured that spirits of the dead could enter, but none could exit. " I'm going to leave the debate of whether or not Flying Dog intended any inference (is that the right term to use here?) to how great the beer is to a later date.
Closing thoughts: Great beer, even as it warmed up while drinking. Hops weren't too much to cover the malty backbone but enough to keep the beer from being cloyingly sweet.
Monday, June 9, 2008
Flying Dog now available in Southern Oregon
I'm home sick today, so what better time then now to post about Flying Dog Brewery! Flying Dog has recently been picked up by Gold River Distributing and their beers are quickly becoming available in the area. Flying Dog's approach to beer advertising is very much grass roots. They have great looking bottle art, witty writers for their website, email, and blog and understand the importance of technology in advertising. Even their PR correspondence is a breath of fresh air. Basically, it seems like these guys are just having fun, but what is important is that they are creating an image that appeals to a younger crowd, as an example they just started a "Text and Win" promotion.
Check back later this week for a review on several of their brews, but real quick, let me say that their ales are VERY worth while. I haven't had one that I don't like yet, nor have I seen a bottle of theirs that doesn't stand out. BTW, when a company uses bullshit@flyingdogales.com for their feedback address you know they are going to be worth checking out.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Weekly Update from Southern Oregon Brewing
(Excerpts from the Southern Oreogn Brewing Weekly Newletter)
Upcoming Events
Sasquatch BrewFest, Saturday June 7th, in Eugene Oregon
The Southern Oregon Brewing Company “Traveling Roadshow” (a.k.a. Anders and Tom) will hit the highway next weekend to attend the annual Sasquatch BrewFest in Eugene. This is a great opportunity for us to gain more exposure in the Eugene market while supporting a very worthy cause. If you are in Eugene next weekend, come by say “hello” and have a beer with us. Check out this link for info http://www.sasquatchbrewfest.org/
Medford’s Taste of History
Saturday June 21st, Southern Oregon Brewing Company will be participating in the annual Medford’s Taste of History. The purpose of the event is to showcase Downtown Medford and feature a walking tour of the historic buildings that had been renovated utilizing the facade grant improvement program that was funded by Medford Urban Renewal Agency. The walking tour features 19 stops with a local food and beverage (beer, wine and coffee) combination at each building on the tour. S.O.B. will be working with Jackson Creek Pizza in their restaurant at 317 E. Main as tour stop 13. If you are looking for something interesting tasty and fun, come downtown on June 21st and have some great beer, wine and food while you learn about and celebrate the rich history of downtown Medford. Check out the website for more info. http://www.thetasteofhistory.com/home/index.html
Logo Pint Glasses are in the works!
Expect to see S.O.B. logo pint glasses in the tasting room within the next 6 weeks. They will be top of the line glassware with the classic S.O.B. round logo on the side. These will make excellent additions to your collections or wonderful gifts for your friends who aren’t lucky enough to live in Southern Oregon and drink our great beers. I will update you when they are shipped.
T-SHIRTS: New Colors and New Styles and more sizes
We have our latest shipment of S.O.B. T-shirts in stock now. We have a full supply of shirts in many colors including Prairie Dust and Stone Blue. A new style of women’s shirts is also available. Drop by and get your shirts before we run out of your size again.
BREWERY TOURS
Southern Oregon Brewing Company will continue to host scheduled tours on Saturday afternoons. If you haven’t had a chance to check out how we make beer and look at our shiny stainless steel up close and personal, this is your opportunity. This week, your tour guide will be our Head Brewer, Anders Johansen! Come get the brewer’s perspective on how the brewery operates. The tour begins at 4:00 pm and will last approximately 30 minutes. It will finish in the Tap Room where you will receive a complementary pint or sampler tray of our refreshing malt beverages or a soft drink. Kids are welcome.
TAP ROOM HOURS
Thursday 4:00-10:00
Friday 4:00-10:00
Saturday 3:00-9:00 (change)
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Reminder: Rouge Valley Homebrewers Porter Compitition
This is a reminder for those entering the Rouge Valley Homebrewers Porter Competition. Tastings will be held during the June 19th club meeting. If you are interested in joining the Rouge Valley Home Brewer's just contact me.
The Porter tasting/competition is a local and informal homebrew competition being hosted by RVHB with help from Southern Oregon Brewing. RVHB meets once a month officially, and several times a quarter unofficially and always warmly welcomes new members.
Southern Oregon Brewing is the Rouge Vally's newest brewery. SOB is doing some really interesting work. All their ales are fermented with a hybrid ale/lager yeast, giving their brews a very smooth, pleasing taste and body. Visit them at 1922 United Way in Medford, behind Lava Lanes and tell them Chris sent you!
The Porter tasting/competition is a local and informal homebrew competition being hosted by RVHB with help from Southern Oregon Brewing. RVHB meets once a month officially, and several times a quarter unofficially and always warmly welcomes new members.
Southern Oregon Brewing is the Rouge Vally's newest brewery. SOB is doing some really interesting work. All their ales are fermented with a hybrid ale/lager yeast, giving their brews a very smooth, pleasing taste and body. Visit them at 1922 United Way in Medford, behind Lava Lanes and tell them Chris sent you!
Friday, May 23, 2008
DESCHUTES BREWERY CELEBRATES 20TH ANNIVERSARY!
DESCHUTES BREWERY CELEBRATES 20TH ANNIVERSARY!
(Press Release from Deschutes Brewery)
Introducing Black Butte XX & 20th Anniversary Wit
(May 22, 2008 – Bend, OR) Happy birthday! To celebrate Deschutes Brewery’s 20th anniversary this June, enjoy the release of two very special commemorative seasonal beers. Deschutes is proud to present Black Butte XX and the 20th Anniversary Wit, two seasonal beers that acknowledge both the brewery’s roots and its continuing innovation in the world of high quality craft brewing.
Black Butte XX is a tribute to Black Butte Porter, the revolutionary Deschutes Brewery beer that has excited beer enthusiasts since its release in 1988. This special Reserve Series brew is an extreme version of Black Butte Porter that the Deschutes brewers enhanced with several pounds Bellatazza coffee, Theo’s Chocolate cocoa nibs and by aging parts in Stranahan’s whiskey barrels. These regional partners from Bend, Seattle and Denver, respectively, each provide quality artisan ingredients that give this commemorative beer a truly handcrafted complexity.
Available for the first time outside the Bend public house, a limited amount of Black Butte XX will be released in hand-waxed 22-ounce bottles and on tap at select establishments as part of the Reserve Series. Black Butte XX is perfect served with flank steak and chimichurri sauce, crème brulée, cherries jubilee and strong bleu cheeses.
20th Anniversary Wit, Deschutes Brewery’s summer Bond Street Series edition, offers yet another refreshing, hot weather quencher to complement Twilight Ale. This unique Belgian-style wheat beer was brewed with zested Curacao orange peel and just enough spices to keep your taste buds guessing. The Deschutes brewers tinkered with the recipe for months at the original Deschutes Brewery and Public House in Bend, Oregon, before perfecting what will arrive on shelves in 22-ounce bottles this June. A test batch of the Wit was sampled at Portland’s Spring Beer and Wine Festival in March where it won a gold medal.
With its slightly citrus taste and spices, the 20th Anniversary Wit pairs well with spicy Thai dishes like Pad Thai, garlicky Caesar salad, rosemary chicken or smoked cheeses such as Gouda.
We hope you will lift a pint and toast Deschutes this June, celebrating 20 years of good times, great beer and more memories to come.
About Deschutes Brewery:
Deschutes Brewery was founded in 1988 by Gary Fish as the Deschutes Brewery and Public House. Over the years, Deschutes has maintained its commitment to innovation and exceptional quality with flagship beers such as Mirror Pond Pale Ale and Black Butte Porter, as well as new additions like The Abyss and Hop Trip. This year, Deschutes Brewery celebrates their 20th Anniversary, along with the opening of their new Portland Brewery and Public House. For more information about Deschutes Brewery and their award-winning beers, please visit www.deschutesbrewery.com.
(Press Release from Deschutes Brewery)
Introducing Black Butte XX & 20th Anniversary Wit
(May 22, 2008 – Bend, OR) Happy birthday! To celebrate Deschutes Brewery’s 20th anniversary this June, enjoy the release of two very special commemorative seasonal beers. Deschutes is proud to present Black Butte XX and the 20th Anniversary Wit, two seasonal beers that acknowledge both the brewery’s roots and its continuing innovation in the world of high quality craft brewing.
Black Butte XX is a tribute to Black Butte Porter, the revolutionary Deschutes Brewery beer that has excited beer enthusiasts since its release in 1988. This special Reserve Series brew is an extreme version of Black Butte Porter that the Deschutes brewers enhanced with several pounds Bellatazza coffee, Theo’s Chocolate cocoa nibs and by aging parts in Stranahan’s whiskey barrels. These regional partners from Bend, Seattle and Denver, respectively, each provide quality artisan ingredients that give this commemorative beer a truly handcrafted complexity.
Available for the first time outside the Bend public house, a limited amount of Black Butte XX will be released in hand-waxed 22-ounce bottles and on tap at select establishments as part of the Reserve Series. Black Butte XX is perfect served with flank steak and chimichurri sauce, crème brulée, cherries jubilee and strong bleu cheeses.
20th Anniversary Wit, Deschutes Brewery’s summer Bond Street Series edition, offers yet another refreshing, hot weather quencher to complement Twilight Ale. This unique Belgian-style wheat beer was brewed with zested Curacao orange peel and just enough spices to keep your taste buds guessing. The Deschutes brewers tinkered with the recipe for months at the original Deschutes Brewery and Public House in Bend, Oregon, before perfecting what will arrive on shelves in 22-ounce bottles this June. A test batch of the Wit was sampled at Portland’s Spring Beer and Wine Festival in March where it won a gold medal.
With its slightly citrus taste and spices, the 20th Anniversary Wit pairs well with spicy Thai dishes like Pad Thai, garlicky Caesar salad, rosemary chicken or smoked cheeses such as Gouda.
We hope you will lift a pint and toast Deschutes this June, celebrating 20 years of good times, great beer and more memories to come.
About Deschutes Brewery:
Deschutes Brewery was founded in 1988 by Gary Fish as the Deschutes Brewery and Public House. Over the years, Deschutes has maintained its commitment to innovation and exceptional quality with flagship beers such as Mirror Pond Pale Ale and Black Butte Porter, as well as new additions like The Abyss and Hop Trip. This year, Deschutes Brewery celebrates their 20th Anniversary, along with the opening of their new Portland Brewery and Public House. For more information about Deschutes Brewery and their award-winning beers, please visit www.deschutesbrewery.com.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Southern Oregon Brewing Weekly Newsletter
SOUTHERN OREGON BREWING COMPANY NEWSLETTER
S.O.B. ECONOMIC STYMULUS PACKAGE!
You’ve heard of what the I.R.S. is doing for you and if you are lucky you already have a hot little government check in your hands. Well S.O.B. has its own version of this wonderful plan designed to jump start our economy! KEG BEER!
Lets consider the economic impact of keg beer.
It costs about a $1.10 a pint or $0.07 per ounce. That’s cheaper and fresher than bottled craft beer!
It supports your local brewery….that would be us! Southern Oregon Brewing Company is trying to create family wage jobs with benefits and plans to return at least 5% of our profits to this community. Help us support Southern Oregon.
No bottles or cans to worry about recycling.
Let’s see our government do that for you!
Just in case you forgot, we have kegs of our three flagship beers (Gold, Pale and Porter) as well as our increasingly popular IPA in our cooler waiting to be adopted by a loving home like yours! Our kegs hold 13.2 gallons of fresh handcrafted draft beer which is approximately 100 pints. If you have a kegerator, it will stay fresh for several months...if it lasts that long! You know you want one!
Beer Tasting tonight at Chadwick’s Pub and Sports Bar/Rogue Regency Grill
Tonight from 5:00 pm to 8:00 S.O.B. will be serving samples of three of our fine hand crafted beers on the Regency Terrace at Chadwick’s Pub and Sports Bar/Rogue Regency Grill. They will be serving Tri-Tip steak and Oysters and we will be pouring some cool refreshing adult malt beverages to help cool you off. Julie Tolar, Pub/Restaurant Manager at the Rogue Regency would love to hear what you think about our beers! Drop by and have a dinner and a beer at Chadwick’s Pub and Sports Bar/Rogue Regency Grill tonight.
Multiple Beers in Multiple Places!
This week we have several of our favorite beer spots serving two S.O.B. beers. Joe’s Bar and Grill is pouring both our Porter and our Gold while the 4 Daughters Irish Pub is pouring our Gold as well as our Porter. These two fine establishments join The Brewery Restaurant in Grants Pass as places that offer you a choice of fine S.O.B. beers. Thanks to everyone who supports local beer. Remember, eat local and drink local!
Picking a Distributor!
The meetings in Portland went very well and we are moving in the right direction. We hope to make a decision in the near future.
THE GROWLERS ARE IN!
We now have 70 S.O.B. Growlers in stock for your buying pleasure! If you don’t have one yet, now is the time to come in to the tap room and get yours. We sold our last shipment in 5 weeks and this set is going quickly. If you like to have fresh hand crafted draft beer in your refrigerator then an S.O.B. Growler is the way to do it!
Tasting Room Hours Change:
From now on….Saturday 3:00-9:00 Come out on Saturday and support our later hours. If we get the crowds, we will push it to 10:00. Make the S.O.B. Tap Room part of your Saturday Night fun.
T-SHIRTS: New Colors and New Styles and more sizes
We have our latest shipment of S.O.B. T-shirts in stock now. We have a full supply of shirts in many colors including Prairie Dust and Stone Blue. A new style of women’s shirts is also available. Drop by and get your shirts before we run out of your size again.
BREWERY TOURS
Southern Oregon Brewing Company will continue to host scheduled tours on Saturday afternoons. If you haven’t had a chance to check out how we make beer and look at our shiny stainless steel up close and personal, this is your opportunity. This week, your tour guide will be our Head Brewer, Anders Johansen! Come get the brewer’s perspective on how the brewery operates. The tour begins at 4:00 pm and will last approximately 30 minutes. It will finish in the Tap Room where you will receive a complementary pint or sampler tray of our refreshing malt beverages or a soft drink. Kids are welcome.
TAP ROOM HOURS
Thursday 4:00-10:00
Friday 4:00-10:00
Saturday 3:00-9:00 (change)
Places to get Southern Oregon Brewing Company Beer (30+ locations and growing)
*The Wild Goose in Ashland is our newest account.
38 on Central: GOLD
4 Daughters: PORTER and GOLD
Arthur’s/Eagle Point GC: PORTER
Avalon Bar and Grille: PALE
The Beau Club: IPA
Bel Ami (Eugene): PORTER
Bella Union: IPA
The Bier Stein (Eugene): PORTER and IPA
The Blacksheep: IPA
Bruno’s Pizzeria: PORTER
Chadwick’s: PORTER
Elements Tapas Bar and Lounge: GOLD
Habaneros: PORTER- soon to have GOLD
Joe’s Bar and Grill: GOLD and PORTER
Kaleidoscope Pizzeria: PORTER
Little Brown Jug: PORTER
Louie’s: PORTER
Porters: PORTER
Red Robin: PORTER
Red Rock Pizzeria: PORTER
Rostels: IPA
Siskiyou Brew Pub: PORTER
Stagecoach Saloon: PORTER
Tabu: PALE
The Break Room Pool Hall: PORTER
The Brewery (Grants Pass): PALE and IPA
Centennial Golf Club: IPA
The Sport Zone: PORTER
The Wharf: PORTER
The Wild Goose: PORTER
More locations to come soon!
Do you have a favorite bar or restaurant that doesn’t serve your favorite S.O.B. beer? Let us know where you want your beer. Talk to the bar manager and tell them to get it. Together we can make it happen.
If you do not wish to receive these emails, please let me know and I will remove you from the list. If you have friends who like great beer or think a local brewery is a cool thing, please pass these emails on to them and ask them to contact me so that I can put them on the list. The list is confidential and I will not share your email address with other entities.
President/Founder
Southern Oregon Brewing Co.
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