Beer Release: NW: Get It Now (Finally) … Deschutes
I have only one thing to say about this announcement, wow!
What started out as a rumor, turned into a collaboration, before finally being bottled up. For this writer we are happy that I can finally say we have tried both No. 1 and No. 2 in the Conflux series from Deschutes.
This time around the brewery has collaborated with none other than Hair of the Dog and Alan Sprints. Whether you are a lover of Adam, Fred, Ruth, or Blue Dot; you will be rushing out to get your hands on this beer.
Making of the beer …
In the spring of 2010, four world-class beers were brewed: Deschutes Brewery’s The Stoic and The Dissident and Hair of The Dog’s Fred and Adam. These four classics continued their courtship for the next 24 months aging in a variety of cask barrels, including rye whiskey, cognac, sherry, pinot noir, bourbon, new American Oak, and new Oregon Oak.
In fact, more than 100 distinct barrel-aged rounds were sampled to identify prominent flavors and subtle nuances. Gary, Alan and the Deschutes Brewery brewmasters then began the fun and challenging task of determining the perfect blend. In the end, Gary Fish declared, “We expected something really good. What we got is really great.”
Fish continued, “It’s an industry where we can do things because it’s fun, because it’s interesting and intellectually stimulating. We’re lucky we have a group of consumers that are passionate about what we’re doing.”
The result is a virtual “collage” of patience, time and collective curiosity. The final blend has so many flavors and gradations; it is unlike any other tasting experience imaginable. Alan Sprints marveled, “It was amazing how we blended all those different barrels together and you can still pick out individual characteristics from each barrel.”
And with that the announcement is finally made. Collage is (or has been) on the shelves right now. If you haven’t purchased your one or two bottles, you might soon be out of luck. Collage will be available in extremely limited quantities in 12-ounce bottles only starting May 15th at Deschutes Brewery’s Bend & Portland brew pubs.
Congrats to Alan Sprints & Deschutes Brewery on their recent release / collaboration.
Cheers
About Deschutes Brewery
Located in beautiful Bend, Oregon, Deschutes Brewery is in the business of daring people to expect more from their beer. That's why we started off in 1988, on the banks of the Deschutes River here in Bend, Oregon, by selling Black Butte Porter at a time when others were sure a dark beer would never catch on. Our brewers love to push the envelope, especially if it makes someone nervous. But for us, the highest praise is a raised glass and a toast of "Bravely Done!" For more information about Deschutes Brewery and its courageously crafted beers, please visit www.DeschutesBrewery.com.
About Hair of the Dog Brewing Company
Hair of the Dog Brewing Company is located in Portland, Oregon and was created to produce bottle-conditioned beers that improve with age. The main focus is to provide the beer lover with new and unusual beer styles, and is known for its barrel aged and high alcohol beers. Hair of the Dog is one of the world’s smallest Breweries, producing a mere 120 gallons per brew, last year’s production was about 15,000 gallons. For more information about the brewery and our beers, check out hairofthedog.com
About the photo’s author
"Matt Wiater is a photographer covering the Portland beer scene for portlandbeer.org."