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114. Full Sail Brewing – Saison a Pleine Voile Draft
Jul21

114. Full Sail Brewing – Saison a Pleine Voile Draft

After a long day brewing, and a fun day at the Oregon Brewers Festival Brewmasters Dinner, one of the guys from Full Sail took me to the EastBurn, a pub there in Portland.  It was a cool place with some nice Oregon beers on tap, and after trying the Deschutes Miss Spelt, I was brought a Full Sail Saison a Pleine Voile.  I was told it meant, Saison of Full Sail in French.  Since I thought the Miss Spelt tasted a bit like a Saison, I...

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113. Deschutes Brewery – Miss Spelt Hefeweizen Draft
Jul21

113. Deschutes Brewery – Miss Spelt Hefeweizen Draft

After a long day brewing, and a fun day at the Oregon Brewers Festival Brewmasters Dinner, it was time to unwind.  One of the guys from Full Sail took me to the EastBurn, a pub there in Portland.  It was a cool place with some nice Oregon beers on tap.  The back patio was interesting, with tables and seats which were suspended from ropes from the ceiling.  That night, there was a small event being put on by reps from Deschutes, so I...

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112. Oakshire Brewing – 2010 Collaborative Evil Imperial Porter Draft
Jul21

112. Oakshire Brewing – 2010 Collaborative Evil Imperial Porter Draft

I was having an incredible time at the Oregon Brewers Festival Brewmasters’ Dinner, and got to meet some awesome brewers and other folks who were passionate about beer and brewing.  However, I didn’t realize that the dinner was coming to a close and I still had one more beer sample ticket in my pocket.  So, as things were wrapping up I found the nearest Oregon Brewery to grab a beer from – which turned out to be...

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111. Bridgeport Brewing – Hop Czar Imperial IPA Draft
Jul21

111. Bridgeport Brewing – Hop Czar Imperial IPA Draft

Although I was not very impressed with Pelican Brewery’s Guillotine Strong Ale, I thought I’d check back in with Jamie to see if he had enjoyed anything he had tried.  He was drinking Bridgeport’s Hop Czar Imperial IPA and said it was pretty good, so I thought I would give it a try.  It was the only beer at the Brewmasters’ Dinner which was being served from a firkin with some recently added fresh dry hops.  I...

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110. Pelican Brewery – The Guillotine Strong Ale Draft
Jul21

110. Pelican Brewery – The Guillotine Strong Ale Draft

I wanted to try as many local and interesting brews as I could while I was at the Oregon Brewers’ Festival Brewmasters’ Dinner – and after being less than pleased with my previous choice of the Spruce Budd beer from Fort George Brewery – I thought I’d ask my Cuisinternship Brewmaster mentor, Jamie Emmerson, what he might suggest.  He mentioned that Pelican Brewery had a reputation locally for brewing very...

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109. Fort George Brewery – Spruce Budd Specialty Ale Draft
Jul21

109. Fort George Brewery – Spruce Budd Specialty Ale Draft

One of the reasons I asked if I could participate in my Brewmaster Cuisinternship during the Oregon Brewers Festival was so that I could experience beers from some breweries that I’ve never heard of, or (unless I’m able to get back to Oregon again) may never be able to try again.  One of the more interesting selections from the Brewmasters’ dinner was this spruce bud beer from Fort George Brewery in Astoria, OR.  As...

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108. Ninkasi Brewing – Dry Hopped Imperial IPA Draft
Jul21

108. Ninkasi Brewing – Dry Hopped Imperial IPA Draft

Jamie Floyd, Ninkasi Brewmaster, and me at the Brewmasters’ Dinner One of the nice thing about attending the Brewmasters’ Dinner at the Oregon Brewers Festiva – aside from meeting the owners and brewmasters of some of the coolest breweries – was the beers there to try.  Many of the brewers brought out their biggest/best stuff to show off to the other brewmasters in attendance.  A lot of the beers were Imperial...

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107. Hopworks Urban Brewery – Velvet Underground Imperial Black ESB Draft
Jul21

107. Hopworks Urban Brewery – Velvet Underground Imperial Black ESB Draft

After brewing all day at Full Sail’s Riverplace location, recording a segment for the Beer Goddess, navigating Portland rush hour, checking into my hotel out by the airport, then navigating Portland’s MAX, I finally made it back down to the riverfront for the Oregon Brewers Festival Brewmasters’ dinner.  They were serving beers that weren’t on the Oregon Brewers Festival list, so I thought I’d jump right...

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106. Everybody’s Brewing – Hoedown Brown Draft
Jul20

106. Everybody’s Brewing – Hoedown Brown Draft

After enjoying my Full Sail Session Black on the banks of the Columbia River Gorge and watching the sun set, I decided to head inside to the hotel bar to see if I could get yet another Oregon brew that I couldn’t get at home.  I had heard that Everybody’s Brewing (that’s the name of the brewery) was right across the toll bridge, but figured it was easier (and less risky after a few drinks) to have one here. The...

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105. Full Sail Bewing – Session Black Lager
Jul20

105. Full Sail Bewing – Session Black Lager

It’s my last night in Hood River, and very, very early tomorrow morning I head to Portland to brew at Full Sail’s Riverplace location.  So, before I left Hood River, I thought I’d step right behind my hotel and enjoy a Full Sail Session Black Lager while the sun set over the Columbia River Gorge.  This is a beautiful place that I’ll always remember and I couldn’t think of a better place to do this review....

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104. Double Mountain – Hop Lava Draft
Jul20

104. Double Mountain – Hop Lava Draft

As I mentioned in my last post, I stopped at Double Mountain Brew Pub around the corner from Full Sail to have some dinner.  I was told they had the best pizza in town, so that’s what I ordered.  When my food arrived, it was also time for another drink.  I was debating between a couple of their beers, but a local sitting next to me recommended the Hop Lava.  The menu says, “This big, glowing, powerful IPA is packed with...

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103. Double Mountain – Dapper Dan Nitro Brown Ale Draft
Jul20

103. Double Mountain – Dapper Dan Nitro Brown Ale Draft

After another great day of brewing at Full Sail Brewing, it was time for dinner.  Since I hadn’t explored Hood River much outside of Full Sail, a few people had recommended I walk down to Double Mountain for dinner.  I was told they had some of the best pizza in town, and some pretty good beers.  I was looking for something with some flavor, but also nice, light, and smooth.  The menu says, “Dapper Dan is a true session...

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102. Full Sail Brewing – Spotless IPA
Jul20

102. Full Sail Brewing – Spotless IPA

I enjoyed a few very good beers there in the tasting room and pub at Full Sail.  Before heading out to grab a bite of dinner, I wanted to try a sample of the Spotless, a double IPA brewed by Full Sail.  Jamie had mentioned it during our tasting the previous day, but there wasn’t room enough on the tray to include it (and it’s a pretty big beer to try along with so many other samples).  Jamie had warned me though, it has an...

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101. Full Sail Brewing – Dunkopple Draft
Jul20

101. Full Sail Brewing – Dunkopple Draft

It was another incredible day at Full Sail Brewing. Today I helped out in the cellar area, cleaning, moving hoses, transferring beer, transferring yeast, etc. Then I got to move back up to the brew deck to help brew the IPA – including dumping in over 260 lbs of hops (and those were just the hops added at the end of the boil). Since brewmaster Jamie Emmerson had sat down with me yesterday and gone over all of Full Sail’s...

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100. Double Mountain Brewery – Devils Kriek Draft
Jul20

100. Double Mountain Brewery – Devils Kriek Draft

After spending the afternoon enjoying all of the great beers that Full Sail had, I was almost ready to call it a night.  However, I wanted to try as many different beers as I could on this trip.  So, I stopped at Double Mountain brewery, which was literally right around the corner, and was actually started by a former brewer from Full Sail.  The brewmaster and one of the owners, Matt Swihart, also owns a cherry orchard, and uses some...

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99. Full Sail Brewing – Amber Ale Draft
Jul19

99. Full Sail Brewing – Amber Ale Draft

I’ve arrived at my Travel Oregon, Oregon Bounty Cuisinternship, as a Brewmaster intern at Full Sail Brewing in Hood River Oregon.  So far, it has been an incredible day.  I have been working on the brew deck all day helping the brewers.  We’ve been brewing up a few beers today, including the Full Sail Amber.  So, when I finally got a chance to rest, relax, and grab a beer to drink – instead of brew – I went for...

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98. McMenamins Edgefield – Hammerhead Draft
Jul18

98. McMenamins Edgefield – Hammerhead Draft

I arrived in Portland, Oregon for my Travel Oregon Brewmaster Cuisinternship at Full Sail Brewing, and got a recommendation from a friend that lives in the area.  She recommended stopping at McMenamin’s Edgefield Brewery.  Now, if you’ve never been to the area, and/or search on McMenamins, you won’t be entirely sure what it’s all about.  Well, the McMenamins fix up old areas and turn them into tourist spots. ...

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97. Goose Island – Matilda Draft
Jul18

97. Goose Island – Matilda Draft

I’m in the Chicago airport before heading to my Cuisinternship and thought I’d grab a beer at the Fox sports bar and grill in terminal 3 at O’Hare (where I had the Molson Canadian). To my surprise, it had been converted to a Goose Island bar/restaurant. So, I thought I’d enjoy one more taste of home before catching my flight west. The menu says Matilda is a Belgian style Pale Ale fermented with wild yeast for a...

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96. Lagunitas Brewing – Limited Release Wilco Tango Foxtrot Ale (WTF)
Jul17

96. Lagunitas Brewing – Limited Release Wilco Tango Foxtrot Ale (WTF)

Well tomorrow I leave to go on my Cuisinternship, and I only wish I could spend more of today preparing for my trip. Instead, I’m trying to get some last minute work done for my job. I’m having some difficulties, and so, since I’ve found myself saying WTF all day long, I decided to break open a Lagunitas Limited Release named Wilco Tango Foxtrot Ale, or WTF. The 22oz bottle says that it is “A Malty, Robust,...

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95. Avery Brewing – The Maharaja Imperial India Pale Ale
Jul14

95. Avery Brewing – The Maharaja Imperial India Pale Ale

Things are becoming a bit overwhelming at home and at work, and, more than ever, I’m looking forward to my trip to Beervana next week. Usually after a day like I’ve had today, I reach for a nice stiff glass of bourbon, but instead, I decided it was time to crack open one of my bottles of Avery’s Maharaja Imperial IPA. The bottle says, “Maharaja is derived from the Sanskrit mahat, “great” and rajan...

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