Beer Release: OR: Get It Now … Block 15 Barrel Matured Quadruple, Petit Verdot Wild Ale, & Sticky Hands, High Five

For most of the country 2008 holds a certain significance.

For the people of Corvallis (Oregon) it’s the birth of a brewery. Obviously this isn’t just any brewery. In fact some would say that Block 15 has been one of the more overlooked breweries, when compared to the likes of Cascade Brewing or Logsdon’s Farmhouse.

Began in 2008, Block 15 Brewing (and restaurant) signed their food & brewery application on 300 SW Jefferson Avenue in  Corvallis. With an attention to feeding customers with “… locally sourced casual food and premium, from the source, craft brews” the brewery was soon the talk of Corvallis.

Starting with six brewery tanks and one oak barrel (in their cellar) the brewery started producing a modest amount of beer for the locals in Benton County.

From those humble years through today, the brewery has managed produced an astonishing 964 batches of beer and over 100 different styles.

In fact brewery as of data has produced a several India Pale Ales, several low-gravity ales, multiple strong ales, interpretation on stouts, and a few lagers of different tastes and backgrounds. And even if you sat down and recalled the characteristics in one of their IPAs, it would only scratch the surface when you consider that over 20 varieties of hops were used in combination with 50 malt types.

Then again this is Block 15 Brewing so you can’t forget the many beers released with one of a dozen different fruits.

Today the brewery is spread across 26 tanks and over 150 oak barrels. The end result during this past 1,825 days has been a mature 50% growth, while maintaining their commitment to the restaurant and select bars throughout Oregon.

Which makes this writer all the more jealous when head brewer Nick Arzner announces the breweries three (3) limited edition bottles, coinciding with their 5th year.

Barrel Matured Quadruple

Brewed 11/1/2009 this Belgian style quadruple matured over three years with British brettanomyces in a single French Oak barrel. This is the second oldest barrel in our cellar. In 2009 we began our wild program and decided to inoculate this quadruple with low intensity brettanomyces. This is the same type found in many old ales and barley wines. Part of the inspiration came from a vintage ale tasting I was invited to in 2008. We sampled beers, up to 100 years old. Many of the older English ales were wonderfully complex resembling a nice port with a tart finish.

This quad is rare single barrel example from our cellar, intentionally bottled flat, as if you are sampling straight from the barrel. Notes of port, dried fruit leather, tobacco, and rich honey with an acidic cherry finish. 384 bottles, 15.16 %alc/vol 40 BU.

Petit Verdot Wild Ale

Brewed February of 2012 this blonde ale was 100% fermented with two Brettanomyces strains and then matured in oak barrels. Last fall we added fresh petit verdot grapes to the barrels and further aged the beer four months. This is our first 100% brett fermented beer and the first time we have added whole grapes to the barrels. We enjoy this beer style so much that I have decided to make it a yearly production with a different grape varietal each year.

The beer pours a striking magenta color with notes of ripe verdot grapes, oak, creamy brettanomyces and a wonderfully tart finish. A two-barrel blend, 480 bottles, 7%alc/vol 15BU

Sticky Hands, High Five

Our fist bottle release that is not bottle conditioned or intended for aging. Inspired by a few amazing hop forward ales from my travels, the goal is to offer a hoppy beer unlike any other in Oregon. A hop balanced experience from aroma, to flavor, to bitterness with just enough supporting malt to complement the beer.

High Five is brewed with our five favorite: Amarillo, Columbus, Citra, Centennial, & Simcoe. Small amounts of bottles will be available the first of each month.
8.25% alc/vol 110 Theoretical BU

The brewery has emphasized that these three beers will be available for a limited time, with a limit per customer. So we advise getting down to the brewery today.

Congrats Nick Arzner and the entire crew at Block 15 Restaurant & Brewery.

Cheers