Deschutes Brewery
Bend, OR
Available: OR, WA, ID, MT, AK, CO, CA
After working with Oregon Tilth for nearly six months, Deschutes Brewery received organic certification for its 50-barrel brew house.
Alcohol (vol): 5.2
Alcohol (wt): 4.1
Color: 25
Bitterness: 45
Original gravity: 1055
Many of my past experiences with organic beers have been disappointing. The quality of the ingredients — and ultimately the beers — were inferior. But not this beer. Nice fluffy head and reddish amber color. Notes of nutty toffee, nougat, delicate citrus, along with a hint of pine needles and fresh cut grass. Grapefruit rind finish. Great balance and drinkability. It tastes good and it’s good for the environment. All is one with the world.
I’ve been around long enough to remember when “organic” in beer was synonymous with “bland,” “boring” and occasionally “dreadful.” Thankfully, those days are long past, as is evidenced by this fine, moderately hoppy light brown ale. The aroma is quite nutty with faint hints of cocoa in the background, while the round and flavorful body brings sweet caramel up front, with perhaps a touch of buckwheat honey, followed by toasty malt and nutty hop flavors. The off-dry finish offers just enough bitterness to suit this to a deliciously greasy burger or long-braised lamb shank.
John Hansell is an equal-opportunity drinker. He writes about beer, wine and spirits. He is the creator, publisher & editor of Malt Advocate, a magazine for the whisky enthusiast.
Stephen Beaumont boarded his first plane at the age of 15 and hasn’t looked back since, obsessing about travel to the point that he gets nervous if he doesn’t have a ticket or two stacked on the corner of his desk. When he’s not running around in search of new taste experiences, he makes his home in Toronto, where a new cultural experience is only as far away as the next neighborhood.
Sat Aug 28th, 2010
Birth of a Brewery
It’s rare that a beer lover gets to watch a brewery being born. However, years ago I offered a young man a job at the magazine for no apparent reason...
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