Deschutes 2012 Seasonals Calendar

Deschutes sent out an update today for their seasonal offerings.  The list includes many old favorites like Black Butte (updated for XXIV), but also the re-release of Dissident & a new one called

Chasin’ Freshies Fresh Hop IPA.  Full details…

Black Butte XXIV

WHEN: Available end of July

WHAT: Reserve Series (22-ounce wax-dipped bottles and draft)

Every June, Deschutes Brewery fans look forward to an anniversary celebration brew that is an annual exercise in experimentation. Our brewers tinker with the recipe by throwing in some crazy ingredients (this year it’s dates and figs to replace last year’s orange and chilies) in order to meaningfully commemorate the brewery’s birthday. Black Butte XXIV, an imperial porter which doubles up the brewery’s signature Black Butte Porter recipe, is bourbon barrel aged with some wild ingredient additions to ensure that this anniversary brew stands alone. Like all of our Reserve Series beers, we encourage you to drink one upon its release and put some away for later. Some things just get better with age! First chance to try this beer will be on draft in our pubs on July 25^th, bottles will be available soon after!

~11% Alcohol by Volume (ABV)

The Dissident

Two years between releases is just simply excruciating for lovers of Deschutes Brewery’s magnificent sour ale, The Dissident. Don’t despair! It’s coming again this fall. Eighteen plus months in isolation, The Dissident is a distinctive Flanders-style sour brown ale, with a fruity aroma and flavor. The brewery’s only wild yeast beer, brettanomyces and lactobacillus impart its characteristic sour taste and a lavish amount of Oregon cherries – pits, stems and all – creates balanced perfection. It’s our wildest, most pampered beer.

10.5% Alcohol by Volume (ABV)

Jubelale

WHEN: September-December

WHAT: Winter Seasonal (6-packs, 12-packs and draft)

Over the years, many people have fallen in love with the help of Jubelale – fallen in love with craft beer, the crisp air of the season, and even other craft beer fans with whom they’re sharing a pint. Jubelale is the inspiration for all this love – its dark crystal malt creating a luscious holiday note with bountiful hops, making a perfect complement for those lengthening winter evenings. Almost as anticipated as the beer itself is the beautiful labeling and packaging artwork, which features the creations of a different local artist each year.

The 2012 label is literally “layered” with meaning –the artwork was created through a complex collaging process by Bend, Oregon artist Kaycee Anseth Townsend. She uses small scraps of paper to create designs, and she comprised this year’s Jubelale packaging entirely from pieces of past year’s Jubelale labels. Maybe you’ll see a piece you recognize, but don’t count on it – the final design is incredibly intricate. Just another reason to look forward to Jubelale’s annual arrival!

6.7% Alcohol by Volume (ABV)

60 IBUs

Chasin’ Freshies Fresh Hop IPA

Born in a ski town, Deschutes Brewery knows what it’s like to be endlessly in pursuit of untouched perfection – chasing pristine powder slopes on mountain flanks. In similar fashion, Deschutes’ chased the perfect hops for this new beer – growing heirloom Cascade hops from the original plant strain at Willamette Valley’s Goschie Farms. Chasin’ Freshies, which first appeared in the Bend pub, is a nod to the snow enthusiasts we’ve entertained for the last two-plus decades at our downtown gathering spot. A beautiful IPA that is packed full of fresh specially-grown Cascade hops, this ale is perfect for those who like it bright, deep and fresh. There aren’t any groomers mucking it up around here – just unblemished flavor.

7.2% Alcohol by Volume (ABV)

65 IBUs

While the trip to gather the hops is relatively short, the beer that ensues is big and bold. Each year, when the bounty of hops has ripened on the vine on the west side of Oregon’s Cascade Mountains, a team from Deschutes Brewery travels over for the hop harvest. They pick ‘em, bag ‘em, load ‘em and hightail it home to immediately dump these freshly harvested aromatic jewels into the brew kettles to create the masterpiece that is Hop Trip. The results of this hurried journey? A pale ale with a uniquely bright citrus punch to the nose. Worth the trip, every time.