A unique concept in the world of collaboration beers: Use the exact same recipe but brew it in two different places. In this case, both Deschutes Brewery and Boulevard Brewing made a batch of White IPA. Larry Sidor of Deschutes and Steven Pauwels of Boulevard traveled to each other’s breweries to oversee the making of these two, similar but different, beers.
Conflux No. 2, the offering from Deschutes, pours with a thick, white head. Spicy notes of coriander and banana bread. A bubblegum-meets-pine mouthfeel followed by a buttery, dry finish. The hops tend to hold prominence making this beer more IPA than wit. This limited release beer comes packaged in 22 oz bottles and is available in 17 states (in kegs as well).
Collaboration No. 2 is the offering from Boulevard Brewing and pours with a bigger, yet quickly dissipating, head. A prickly entry with earthy, spicy notes. A more traditionally balanced wit beer with a very clean, crisp finish. Ironically, these beers have very different flavor profiles despite the fact they are essentially the same recipe. This beer comes caged-and-corked in 750 ml bottles (and kegs) and distributed throughout the brewery’s 20-state region.
Both beers do one thing: They highlight the flagship style of their brewers. Boulevard’s showcases their yeasty, bottle fermented style while Deschutes’ embraces the hoppy backbone their beers have come to be known for in the Pacific Northwest and beyond.
