Full Sail Releases Brewer’s Share Experimental Beer: Lord of Darkness

Gavin’s beer is a Cascadian Dark Ale brewed with Midnight Wheat, Flaked Oats, Crystal Malts, and 2-Row Pale. Lord of Darkness pours a devilishly dark ruby and wears a lacy white crown.  Beware His Amarillos!  Beware His Mosaics! While they may lend the sweet scent of blueberry and lemon, of spice and of pine, they will only lead to the bitter end He’s always held in store for you.  But fear not!  For only if you place your trust in His Darkliness, may He lead you to Enlightenment. 7.0% ABV 70 IBU.

According to Gavin his inspiration for this beer came six years ago when he found light in darkness. “At the time, I was a struggling artist in a prosperous city—one of seven kindred spirits sharing a two bedroom apartment and a feeling of unrealized ambition in the Outer Richmond district of San Francisco. We trudged through our days and danced through our nights, only to wake in an unsatisfied fog. One foggy afternoon, inspired by chance, we visited a homebrew shop. It was far and away the best $150 I ever spent. By my current standards, the unorthodox libations that poured from that tiny kitchen in the following months were probably terrible. I remember them as the best fermented beverages ever produced by mortals. We designed labels for every beer and chose our crown colors with great care. We sang with triumph at our every victory and grieved inconsolably over every lost ounce. In that crowded Victorian flat, among my over-educated and under-employed family of friends, in a dark, bubbling carboy of hazy suds, I found light.”

“Shortly thereafter, I quit my job and convinced the love of my life to do the same. We packed a U-Haul and set off for home: the Willamette Valley hop country. I began studying physics, microbiology and organic chemistry. I landed an internship at a local brewery, and later, a job with a mobile beer bottling outfit. I homebrewed religiously and was accepted into the UC Davis Master Brewer’s program. I worked harder than I ever had academically and passed the grueling, nine-hour, Institute of Brewing and Distilling examination by the skin of my teeth. I had dedicated my life to chasing the light I’d found in fermentation, and as luck would have it, Full Sail gave me a shot. I am overwhelmingly grateful to everyone who has made this possible. To my family, to my friends, to my professors, to Full Sail, and most of all, to my fiancé, Giselle, thank you.”

“In Lord of Darkness, I hope you find the smooth self-assertion of the Flaked Oats and the coy confidence of the Midnight Wheat.  I hope you find the supple sweetness of the Crystal Malts. I hope you find the cool citrus backbone of the Amarillos and the warm tropical flesh of the Mosaics. Above all, in the Lord of Darkness, I hope you find light,” said Lord.

Full Sail has scheduled two “Meet the Brewer and the Beer” events to showcase this new beer. The first Meet Brewer and the Beer event will be at Full Sail at Riverplace in Portland, Tuesday, December 4th from 5:00 – 6:30PM. The second is at the Full Sail Tasting Room and Pub in Hood River, on Thursday, December 6th from 5:00 to 6:30PM. Join the Full Sail crew to celebrate and toast a pint of the new brew. 

With each Brewer’s Share series beer, Full Sail picks a local charity to receive a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the beer. Gavin has chosen to support the Groundwork Portland so every keg of Gavin’s beer benefits this organization. Groundwork Portland is the primary non-profit in the Portland metro area focused on brownfields redevelopment and conversion of such land into greenspace, parks, community gardens, and multi-purpose sites.

The Brewer’s Share series is a line-up of small batch draft beers where each Full Sailor takes a turn hand-crafting their own single batch recipe and a portion of the proceeds benefit a local charity of their choosing. Full Sail’s Brewer’s Share Experimental beers will only be available on tap at Full Sail’s Tasting Room and Pub in Hood River, Oregon, and at Full Sail’s Brewery at Riverplace, in Portland, Oregon. Growlers to go are available. The next Brewer’s Share Experimental will be a collaboration beer brewed by Leo Torres, package technician and Eduardo Bello, maintenance supervisor and is expected in February.
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