Photos: Camping & Beer
Sierra Nevada Southern Hemisphere Harvest at Scott Lake, OR
Deschutes Hop in the Dark at Scott Lake
Silver Moon Hop Knob IPA at Natural Bridge, Rogue River
Taster Trays
Tasters at Bend Brewing
They're not for everyone, but when I'm checking out a brewery for the first time, I'll usually inquire about getting a taster tray. I like the fact that a taster tray gives you the opportunity to try a variety of a brewery's beers. It gives you a sense of a brewery's style and consistency across its offerings. Taster trays help guide decisions about subsequent beer orders, and they give you an opportunity to try beers you might not otherwise typically order.
While out of town last week, I had two different experiences that prompted me to think more (or perhaps a little too much) about taster trays. The first was at Bend Brewing. I had never been to the brewery and wasn't familiar with many of the brewery's beers. I inquired about a taster tray, and the bartender asked me if I wanted to try all ten beers. Some quick math (ten beers x 5 oz pours = 50 oz of beer before lunch, by myself) led me to explore other options. Here, it was easy. "Or, tasters are a buck a piece," said the bartender. I wish more places offered the same deal. I ordered a more manageable four 5-ounce pours.
Catching Up: bits & pieces from the last couple weeks
It's been a bit since my last post. I've been out of town camping with my dogs for most of the last week. While I was away, I tried to get away from the Internet, email, Twitter, blogging, etc., which was really refreshing. I did not try, however, to get away from drinking beer. Instead, I was reminded of this post as I tried some new beers. For most, there were no notes, reviews, or plans for blog posts. There was no conversation about flavor profiles. Rather, it was time to simply enjoy some good beer. It was great.
I wanted to share a few random thoughts from the past couple weeks:
- Before I headed out of town, I didn't have time to share my thoughts about the North American Organic Brewers Festival. While it's a bit late for a full review, I did want to share my two favorite beers from the festival - especially because I didn't hear much about these beers from other attendees or in the reviews I read about the festival. The two beers were: Widmer Brothers Teaser XPA Extra Pale Ale and McMenamins Ryenoceros Rye IPA. For different reasons, these two surprised me. They were great beers for a hot weekend, and were perfect for the event.
- I don't want my beer served with fruit. I stopped at Bend Brewing while I was out of town, where I was served Black Diamond Dark Lager with a lime. While the bartender told me the lime makes the beer taste better, I wish he would have asked if I wanted the lime. I found it hard to taste much of the beer through the overpowering lime taste and aroma. I'd be curious to know what others think about beers served with fruit.
- My favorite beer I've had in a while is Great Divide 16th Anniversary Wood Aged Double IPA. The beer is awesome. Get some while It's still available.
