Beer Valley Brewing Co.
Ontario, OR
Available: AZ, CA, ID, OR, WA
Beer Valley Brewing is located on the border of Oregon and Idaho. The brewery is known for strong ales like Black Flag Imperial Stout and Leafer Madness, but also produces session beers like Gone Fishin Mild Ale and Owyhee Amber Ale.
ABV: 4
ABW: 3.2
Bitterness: 8
Original gravity: 1040
Gone Fishin’s malt character is interesting ― bready, some light fruitiness, and a hint of baked-crisp rusk ― it’s dry, and crimps to a good finish. Good thing, too: hops are only here to balance, and the body’s light. Is it enough? Well, the sun’s shining on my deck and the spring leaves are popping out: I’d say it’s perfect for contemplation of a cool evening. At 4.0%, I can drink it well into midnight.
I don’t know how savvy the folks at Beer Valley are when it comes to British brewing history, but there is evidence that mild ales prior to the twentieth century were often pale in colour, much like this one. (Most modern British milds are quite dark.) The malty-fruity front with notes of red apple and cinnamon stick works, too, and the slightly-oversweet toffee apple body satisfies, as well. The only real problem I find, in fact, is a thinness in the finish, which leaves me feeling vaguely unsatisfied.
Lew Bryson writes about beer and whiskey from his home in southeast Pennsylvania. He has a family and two dogs. That's all you need to know.
Once described as “beerdom's Brillat-Savarin,” Stephen Beaumont is the author of five books and countless articles on beer, spirits, food, travel, and how it all goes together.
