Bend

I came down to Bend on a short excursion with Kelli. She had a Salvation Army work thing going on so I tagged along (I was her chauffeur). The thing about Bend is that it has about 7-8 breweries so we had to stop in a few so I could check out the beer scene down here.

Deschutes Brewery

I was surprised by how small the Deschutes Brewery was in Bend. After seeing the enormous space in Portland I was expecting huge things but it was rather small and quaint and I actually liked it all the more for that reason. With my sampler tray at Deschutes I basically tried all of the seasonals which you can see listed out.

This was very good stuff. My favorites were the Saison and the Mirror Mirror Barleywine. I've seen the Barleywine in 22 ounce bottles but it is fairly pricey so I've avoided it. But this was aged for 8 months in a variety of barrels (including Oak, Port, Pinot Noir, and Bourbon) which gives it a very complex and warm taste. I may buy a bottle and save it for the dead of winner. The Miss Spelt was also good, having a rich banana, clove flavor that is uniquely German.











This may be hard to see with this picture, but the guy in the picture in the front patio is at Deschutes, but he decided to order a St. Pauli Girl in the bottle! Uh, ok.
















Cascade Lakes Brewery





















This was the first brewery we visited. They had the largest sized samples I've ever seen! These are samples? Yikes.

Most of the people there were ordering the Blonde Bombshell which, for a Blonde Ale was nice and refreshing. But I think like most blonde ales' or pilsners it's more a beer for people who aren't beer drinkers.

My favorite here was the IPA which was unique in the fact that it has much more of a grain profile than most IPA's. The IBU's were really low, at 50, which I'm not even sure falls in the Northwest IPA range, but it was nice to drink regardless.

Enjoyed the food as well.























Bend Brewing Co.

I think that was probably my favorite brewery in Bend. Lots of variety, and the sampler they give you is RIDICULOUSLY huge. Seriously, they give you a sample of everything they have on tap!

The best beers here were the Wild Blue Yonder Oregon Amber. Very sweet, enjoyed it more than Drop Top. The Elk Lake IPA was quality as well. They have a Hop Head Imperial IPA in the 22 ounce bottle that won a Gold Medal back in 2006, and a bronze in 2008. I grabbed a bottle on my way out and am excited for an upcoming occasion to break it out. This was a really nice local brew pub. I highly recommend checking it out.






























A few other beers I got to try at lunch and dinner were:

10 Barrell Brewing Co. Summer Ale - If you're into Coors, you'll probably like this. :( I truly have very little appreciation for wimpy beers.

Three Creeks Brewery IPA - Dave Fleming, the guy who was the brewmaster at the Lucky Lab now works for Three Creeks. Definitely tastes like a Dave Fleming beer!



Don't worry everyone, the pregnant one among us just had milk! Seriously.


















This is just a random pic of a strange bush that I thought may attack. Seriously, doesn't that look creepy?

Also, on a final note, it probably looks like all I've done is drink beer in the last few days. Let's keep in mind that these were all just little sampler trays! Ok, I feel better.