Sixpoint distributing to Portland

I like them all for their own specific reasons. I was talking with a beer dude out in PDX and he told me that RPM is a shadow of what it once used to be. He said it was 7%+ and a more aggressive beer. Honestly, I'm glad they changed the recipe because right now I think its perfect. So many people fell in line over the past 5-10 years and made their single IPA in the 7-7.5% range which I think is a mistake.

Pallet Jack though is in that range and has a really lovely flavor; almost garlicky and herbal and just enough stinging hop bitterness to keep your attention, without crossing the line. I crush them whenever I can.

Bengali, well, I have a bias about that beer of course! As far as a single IPA in the 6-7% range I think its hard to do better. Unlike a lot of IPA we actually back that with quite a bit of malt depth, so its a bit darker than your typical IPA. And if you're into the modern citrus flavor with some of that classic pine element, this is the one for you.

How about we do a "super tasting" where maybe we line up 10 of the freshest IPAs we can get our hands on, and get a big group together, and do a tasting then?

 

Blind super tasting? Love the idea.

 

great, we'll have to do it the next time I'm in town, which is going to be at this event:

 

Can't wait! Loved the super fresh overnight Bengali that Belmont got. It went fast too!

 

I know this concept excludes Sixpoint, but the 12 OR IPA blind taste going on all month at both Hophouse locations challenged the heck out of my predispositions. If you're itching to test yourself, I'd urge you to do it. I do know this: we are so. fucking. spoiled.

 

Yup. Might even use the word "blessed"

 

Before I left PDX I had a pint of Pallet Jack, some Breakside, and also an RPM. It really is an honor just to be mentioned in the same breath as these folks. I have true respect and admiration for the quality of the brews coming out of OR right now, its in a cyclical renaissance no doubt. And the excellence goes beyond IPAs as well, I have had some amazing sours and dark beers too. OR brew scene runs deep!

I met the folks over at Barley Browns a while back during the hop harvest - they are top class people. The folks at Boneyard were kind enough to provide a couple of my staff members with a solid tour of their facility last year. And I hope to meet some more of the local beer folks soon.

cheers

 

Please sign me up for this as well!

I was living in metro NYC prior to coming to Portland in August. Sixpoint was obviously on top of the local beer game there (although you need to keep an eye on those guys at Other Half), although I've always enjoyed their non-hoppy beers more than the hoppy ones for whatever reason.

It sounds like the IPA lineup has been improved significantly recently, though, if people are speaking of Bengali in the same breath as Oregon's best. I'm really hoping that my palate agrees as I'll be heading back east at the end of the month and am already in mourning over my loss of easy access to Breakside/RPM/Pallet Jack.

 

Sorry for the tangent, but have you had much from Grimm or know anything about them? My wife is bringing back their Color Field wild ale from Boston and I know nothing about the brewery aside from their cool artwork and an impression that they're hipster nomad brewers.

 

Given the fact that Lagunitas just tried to sue Sierra Nevada about the placement of the letters "IPA" on a sixpack holder, I am very surprised that Grimm Artisanal Ales hasn't heard from these gents yet:

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/23076/

 

The one that always gets me is the two Alpines. One is located in an actual alpine setting, the other in SoCal. They seem to getting along well enough. Although, now that Stone is involved with the "Southern" Alpine, maybe we'll see some lawyer action?

 

Good call. I forgot about the 2 Alpines.

 

Thanks. All those SoCal breweries look alike to me.