The beer scene is always changing. Twenty years ago, there were very few microbreweries to be heard of, and you surely weren’t stopping by the local tap room for a pint or your constitutional three. Recently (and this may just be a Montana phenomenon) we have seen a lot of new, experimental, high octane brews. The latest craze, however, hasn’t seem to hit Montana: the Black IPA. There have been a few, I remember a great one from Blacksmith Brewing Company at the MBA Oktoberfest.

Luckily for us, the bandwagon has come, sort of. Deschutes Brewery has released the latest installment in their Bond Street Series: Hop in the Dark C.D.A. The “C.D.A.” stands for Cascadian Dark Ale, which is apparently a preferred nomenclature (instead of Black IPA) by many brewers in the Pacific Northwest. I really don’t care what they call it, just as long as it is available in Montana and delicious, which by all accounts it should be. Deschutes has been experimenting for over a year and brewed over 22 batches to get the perfect taste for this new addition.

“We’ve been serving renditions of this beer in both our Bend and Portland pubs for over a year, experimenting on our customers as we perfected the recipe,” said Brewmaster Larry Sidor. “This beer has subtle coffee undertones born from a blend of oats with dark, Munich and crystal malts. Classic IPA flavors and aromas are due to courageous additions of various hops.”

Hop in the Dark was just recently released so there is no telling when it will make it out east to Montana, but we can only hope it is soon.

Deschutes Brewery Company in Bend, Oregon

So at some point (I apparently missed the memo), Deschutes Brewery changed its Red Chair IPA to its Red Chair NWPA. I believe it is the same brew simply under a new name. I saw a bottle of it the other day I picked it up, figuring it would make for a good review, especially since we are starting to see the first glimpses of spring/summer here. Later I discovered it was in fact the same beer, and our first review ever was the Red Chair IPA. I decided to go ahead and give it a re-review since it has a new name, and well I technically haven’t reviewed it before. I was pretty giddy about drinking and reviewing this beer because it has been a while since I’ve delved into some new IPA’s or at least anything outside the regulars: Blackfoot and whatever is on tap at the Red Atlas.

We had the Red Chair Northwest Pale Ale out of a little 12 oz. bottle which resulted in small, murky yet transparent orange zest colored samples. Despite the small portions, it packed quite an aroma, with a heavy citrus fruit nose and a floral piny backdrop. Given the refreshing summer smell, I expected a fairly mild bitterness with a lot of orange and grapefruit going on in this brew. To my surprise, it began creamy and smooth with light pine flavoring over a citrus burst, culminating in an intense bitterness that stuck on the back of the tongue.  A delightful little IPA that keeps you drinking. The bitter finish almost left the mouth dry, needing another dose of the Red Chair.

I’m excited to see this out in six pack as opposed to the bombers which we saw of the old Red Chair IPA last summer. The bomber wasn’t quite enough, though a figure a six pack of this would be sufficient for a few people to enjoy in the early afternoon. You’ll definitely want to be careful after a few of these since it weighs in at a nice 6.4% ABV.

Deschutes Brewery, the fabled maker of Black Butte Porter and Mirror Pond Pale Ale, has decided to expand its distribution of those to beers to include Minnesota. Beginning the week of March 29th, J.J. Taylor Distributing Company will begin selling Mirror Pond and Black Butte in the Twin Cities area.

“Minnesota is a place where people are passionate about their beer,” said Gary Fish, president and founder of Deschutes Brewery. “Getting our beer to more people who want it and are passionate about it has been part of our plan for quite a while, and we are looking forward to developing that relationship in Minnesota, starting with our two most popular beers. The response so far has been outstanding.”

Oh, who can forget a time just ten years ago, when Y2K was still something people were hiding in the basement and trying to get away from. A year that saw the freakin’ St. Louis Rams win the Super Bowl. A year that saw poor little Elian Gonzalez returned to his Cuban home. And a year that everyone remembers because of the wonderful Jubel 2000, Deschutes‘s special release brew. Oh, right, I was 13. So maybe I don’t remember it because I didn’t even know what a craft brewery was, but maybe some of you were able to sample the once-a-decade gem. And now comes word from Deschutes that it’s time once again for this beer to arrive in stores.

Jubel was discovered by accident two decades ago when a clumsy burglar didn’t realize the weight of his stolen keg of Jubelale. He dropped it outside to freeze in the season’s sub-zero temperatures – only to be discovered the next morning by Gary Fish, Deschutes Brewery owner. More than half the liquid in the keg had frozen and the remaining beer was a very cold, highly concentrated “Jubelale on steroids.” It was so good that the brewers set about recreating it, coming up with an annual “Super Jubel” that is aged in Oregon oak pinot barrels.

A limited amount of Jubel 2010 will be available in 22 ounce wax-dipped bottles and on draft all over the west this February.

Be on the lookout for this Jubel 2010 soon for all you western friends. It promises to be a real winner. Hit the jump for the full version of the press release from Deschutes.

BEND, Ore. – Deschutes Brewery, the sixth largest craft brewery in the nation, announces the release of its first Reserve Series beer for the New Year and decade, Jubel 2010. Jubel 2010 is a deeply dynamic presentation of the flavors found in its festive winter seasonal, Jubelale. Available on tap around the holidays at its pubs as “Super Jubel,” February 2010 marks only the second time the Brewery has ever bottled this immortal libation. The first and only other time this special brew was bottled was to celebrate the new millennium as Jubel 2000.

Jubel was discovered by accident two decades ago when a clumsy burglar didn’t realize the weight of his stolen keg of Jubelale. He dropped it outside to freeze in the season’s sub-zero temperatures – only to be discovered the next morning by Gary Fish, Deschutes Brewery owner. More than half the liquid in the keg had frozen and the remaining beer was a very cold, highly concentrated “Jubelale on steroids.” It was so good that the brewers set about recreating it, coming up with an annual “Super Jubel” that is aged in Oregon oak pinot barrels.

A limited amount of Jubel 2010 will be available in 22 ounce wax-dipped bottles and on draft all over the west this February.

Beer Geek Information:
* 10% Alcohol by Volume (ABV)
* 55 International Bittering Units (IBUs)
* Serving Temperature: 50-55 degrees F
* Glassware: Snifter or Goblet
* Drink one now and cellar one to enjoy a year from now.

About Deschutes Brewery
Located in beautiful Bend, Oregon, Deschutes Brewery is in the business of daring people to expect more from their beer. That’s why we started off in 1988, on the banks of the Deschutes River here in Bend, Oregon, by selling Black Butte Porter at a time when others were sure a dark beer would never catch on. Our brewers love to push the envelope, especially if it makes someone nervous. But for us, the highest praise is a raised glass and a toast of “Bravely Done!” For more information about Deschutes Brewery and its courageously crafted beers, please visit  http://www.DeschutesBrewery.com.

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Deschutes Brewery in Bend, OR

It’s been a little while since we’ve visited the Deschutes Brewery in a review, which rather surprised me. I’ve always been a big fan of Deschutes. Their darker beers are all absolutely delicious and abundantly available here in the state. Even their lighter fare like their Inversion IPA or their Mirror Pond are all beers I’ve brought six-packs of to parties in the past. But when I saw their Green Lakes Organic Ale, I was put into a bind. I have to admit that I’m not a huge organic food and drink junkie. Yes, I know making beer certainly can’t be the most environmentally friendly thing in the world, but there are good breweries out there doing their part. And so when I see a beer labeled as organic, I cringe just a little bit. It probably does help the environment to use all organic products, but it also screams WHOLE FOODS! and BUY THIS AND IT WILL MAKE YOU LOOK LIKE YOU’VE SAVING DOLPHINS AND POLAR BEARS! Maybe I’m overly cynical, but a beer labeled organic is probably more about marketability than taste. But with Green Lakes Organic Ale, you get a healthy helping of both.

Before I get too far ahead of myself, Green Lakes isn’t a fancy organic breed of an ale. Rather, it’s an amber ale that just happens to be organic. The color was certainly an invitation to drink as a light-orange cream color filled the glass with a hefty dose of light creme-colored head. The smell was also rather inviting, with a hefty dose of malt and maybe some apple. And there weren’t any hints of butterflies or organic tofu or vegan black bean artificial chicken paste. So that was a plus. The taste was amazingly refreshing, with an upfront bitterness being quickly quashed by a peculiar creamy taste before blending into a solid foundation of malt and wet hops. The refreshing qualities of this beer were really remarkable, and all I could think was that this might be the first beer I could enjoy after a long run. Further sips revealed a heavier tail end than I had initially noticed, but this was certainly a good quality considering the lighter frontnotes. I still couldn’t really place a finger on the tastes I encountered right upon sipping the beer, but it didn’t really matter–the refreshing features of this beer were more than enough to satisfy me.

Though Green Lakes might not be able to rival Bayern Brewing in terms of pure and refreshing tastes, Deschutes’s organic ale certainly surprised me considering its organic slogan. This is a quality amber that finds a great middle ground between being a super drinkable and thirst-quenching beer while still maintaining a great hop and malt backbone that will leave any seasoned amber drinker with a smile of their face. I’ll give the organic ale title a pass this time, and I can certainly get behind this movement in beer even more if every amber tastes like this.

Wine Enthusiast has handed out its picks for the best 25 beers of 2009. This is a tremendous undertaking, and I think it would be awfully tough to rank beers on any scale, but I have to hand it to Lauren Buzzeo for giving the top 25 a go and coming up with quite a fair list. Turns out, only one beer we’ve reviewed, Deschutes Jubelale, shows up here. Guess we have some work to do.

I obviously have some qualms with the selections (Eliot Ness shouldn’t be anywhere near the top ten; any beer I’ve had from Southern Tier has been a little overblown in my opinion; Sierra Nevada Summerfest?!?), but I do agree with a number of the picks (Sam Adams’s Boston Lager has always been an incredibly underrated beer for what it is, and tastes marvelous out of a tap; love seeing the Jolly Pumpkin folks, and a fellow Michigan graduate, getting some respect) and I also love the diversity in brews selected. But really, what would a list be without a little debate? Be sure to check out Wine Enthusiast Magazine’s December issue for the full list, and also check out its Beer Buying Guide which ran back in June. Both are great reads.

I challenge everyone to make their own list of favorite brews before New Years. We’d love to have your take on the best beers in your eyes, er, tongues.

Wine Enthusiast Top 25 Beer Selections 2009:

25.  Victory Festbier (Marzen/Oktoberfest; Victory Brewing Company, PA; 5.6% ABV)

24.  Nuova Mattina (Saison/Farmhouse Ale; Birrificio Del Ducato, Italy; 5.8% ABV)

23.  Dogfish Head Festina Peche (Berliner Weissbier; Dogfish Head Craft Brewery Inc., DE; 4.5% ABV)

22.  Left Hand Oktoberfest Marzen Lager (Marzen/Oktoberfest; Left Hand Brewing Company, CO; 6.0% ABV)

21.  Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale (Pumpkin Ale; Smuttynose Brewing Co., NH; 6.0% ABV)

20.  Sierra Nevada Summerfest (Czech Pilsener, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., CA; 5.0% ABV)

19.  Nostradamus (Belgian Dark Strong Ale; Brasserie Caracole, Belgium; 9.0% ABV)

18.  Samuel Adams Boston Lager (Vienna Lager; The Boston Beer Co., MA; 4.7% ABV)

17.  Bam Biere Farmhouse Ale (Saison/Farmhouse Ale; Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales, MI; 4.5%)

16.  Allagash White (Witbier; Allagash Brewing Company, ME; 5.2% ABV)

15.  Stone Vertical Epic 09.09.09 (Belgian Dark Strong Ale; Stone Brewing Co., CA; 8.9% ABV)

14.  Deschutes Jubelale (Winter Warmer; Deschutes Brewery, OR; 6.7% ABV)

13.  St. Bernardus Wit (Witbier, Brouwerij St. Bernardus, Belgium; 5.5%)

12.  The Lost Abbery Duck-Duck-Gooze Ale (American Wild Ale; The Lost Abbey, CA; 7.0% ABV)

11.  La Moneuse Saison (Saison/Farmhouse Ale; Brasserie de Blaugies, Belgium; 8.0% ABV)

Check below the jump for Wine Enthusiast’s top ten beers of 2009.

10.  Russian River Beatification (American Wild Ale; Russian Brewing Co., CA; 5.75% ABV)

9.  Nøgne-Ø-Jolly Pumpkin-Stone Special Holiday Ale (Winter Warmer; Nøgne-Ø, Norway; 8.5% ABV

8.  The Lost Abbey Cuvee de Tomme (Belgian Dark Strong Ale; The Lost Abbey, CA; 11.0% ABV)

7.  Eliot Ness Lager (Vienna Lager; Great Lakes Brewing Co., OH; 6.2%)

6.  Trappistes Rochefort 8 (Belgian Dark Strong Ale; Brasserie de Rochefort, Belgium; 9.2% ABV)

5.  Southern Tier Imperial Pumking (Pumpkin Ale; Southern Tier Brewing Co., NY; 9.0% ABV)

4.  Avery the Maharaja (American Double/Imperial IPA; Avery Brewing Company, CO; 10.27% ABV)

3.  Orchard White (Witbier; The Bruery, CA; 5.7% ABV)

2.  Unibroue Maudite (Belgian Dark Strong Ale; Unibroue, Canada; 8.0% ABV)

1.  Captain Lawrence Rosso e Marrone (American Wild Ale; Captain Lawrence Brewing Co., NY; 10.0% ABV)

Top 25 Beers of 2009 from Wine Enthusiast

There are some Breweries that just get it. Deschutes Brewery out of Bend, OR is one such brewery. Their Black Butte Porter is always solid, and their Obsidian Stout is one of my favorite used motor oil-looking beers. Deschutes’ Red Chair IPA is another strong effort from the boys in Bend. Clocking in at just 6.4% ABV and 55 IBUs, Red Chair doesn’t quite have the bite and snap that I look for in an IPA, but makes up for it with a smooth and taste and finish that isn’t one bit surprising from such a solid Brewery.

Pouring a smooth amber color that is rather transparent for an IPA, the Red Chair formed a good two-finger head that lingered for quite awhile. Even the smell of red chair somehow meets this beer. The fruit comes right to the front, and though the bottle says it’s a “Courageous take on the traditional IPA,” Red Chair’s initial short-blast of hops gets rounded out quickly by the flourish of fruit. But come now, no IPA should be settling for such a low ABV and IBU count. I want hops and a solid slap on first taste. Again, as the bottle notes, they replaced the bitterness present with something like Bell’s Two Hearted and kicked it to the curb in favor of a flowery and slippery finish.

Is this a particularly courageous beer? Not particularly. But for $4 in a 1 pint, 6 oz. bottle, this tame IPA makes for a fairly decent session beer for anyone looking to jump from amber ale territory to something a bit crisper. Settle into that red chair out back and take in the Oregon sunset. Or the Alabama. Or wherever. Red Chair will fit the mood.

Here is what Deschutes has to say about Red Chair

Red Chair IPA is named after the oldest operating lift at Mt. Bachelor, a classic old school double that locals flock to on fresh powder mornings. This beer has been wildly popular with our pub regulars, who always seem to know when we have hit on something special.

This IPA is a bright copper beauty with a solid head and perfect lacing that typifies Deschutes ales. It has a plush body with satiny caramel flavors derived from seven varieties of malt. Despite all of this, Red Chair is still a hop forward ale, but not in the way many have gotten used to. You will find no cloying, mouth puckering bitterness here. In its place a straight up succulent citrus punch to the nose.