Catching Up with an Old Friend: Deschutes Brewery

There are so many breweries out there that sometimes you forget to pay enough attention to old friends. It has nothing to do with the quality of their beers, maybe one too many nights ended with you on a strange couch clutching onto their bottle. Whatever the circumstances, it’s a good idea to go back every now and then and get to to know these old friends. Time’s passed, you’ve grown, moved on with your life, and in most cases so have they. It’s time to sit down and remember the good times.

Back when I lived in Oregon, Mirror Pond Pale Ale was the Sierra Nevada of the Willamette Valley. Everywhere you went, Mirror Pond was on tap. What I remember was a wonderfully hoppy pale ale that always hit the spot. Then one day the label changed, and that huge hop flavor seemed to fade back a little. I have no idea why. I won’t make any assumptions, but something seemed to be different. Basically, Deschutes got a new wardrobe, met some new friends, and our relationship changed.

So, I’ve compiled a selection of Deschutes to get to know the company again. I drank these over the course of the weekend, and in no particular order, so let’s get started. Bachelor E.S.B. was the first I tasted. Fantastic. Nice and balanced but with a northwest twist. I definitely need to stay in touch with this beer.

Next I went with the Mirror Pond. I have to say, it just doesn’t do it for me. A very decent beer, but of the beers I tried from Deschutes, probably my least favorite.

It was time to get to the stout. The Obsidian Stout poured dark as night and I had to hold my glass up to the setting sun to see a deep ruby red. The aroma was sweet and hoppy, but the flavor was dry and roasted bitter. Great stout, all around.

Now I know Christmas is over, but you can still find Jubelale on the shelves. Lots of people go crazy over Jubelale and I can see why. This beer falls into the category of holiday beer that I like to call fruit cake. Now, I’ve never eaten fruit cake, it scares me, but I imagine it’s sweet, spicy, and very much a Christmas treat. This bottle went quickly and I may have to look for another before it’s gone til next Christmas.

So now that I’ve finished the brews I’ve already known, time for something new, Hop Trip Fresh Hop Pale Ale. This is what I had hoped to taste when I tried Sierra Nevada’s Harvest Ale. The hops are incredible. This reminded me of the Mirror Pond I remembered more than anything. This was the only bomber I purchased, but it was not a problem.

So, I’ve caught up with Deschutes and it was a good time. I would say the Hop Trip was my favorite beer, but Jubelale, Obsidian and Bachelor were up there as well. Unfortunately I couldn’t find a bottle of Black Butte Porter, but I will keep looking. Odd considering many think of Black Butte as their flagship.

Hopefully this will be a theme I continue in the future. We all like trying new beers and reading about new experiences, but some people are just getting into the craft beer scene and may need a primer for some of the breweries that may seem old hat to the rest of us.