Double Mountain Brewery is one of the most solidly reliable breweries in Oregon, offering well-brewed beers in its standard lineup as well as its seasonals and specialties. Two of the late winter, early spring seasonals are out now, with Westerly Pilsner and Bullwheel IPA, both of which I’d received samples of. I found both of these beers to be highly drinkable and worth seeking out, and offer up my full reviews below.

Westerly Pilsner

The brewery sent me a bottle of this last month, for its early spring seasonal release. Here are the details from the press release that accompanied the beer:

We may be in the midst of winter, but Spring will be here before we know it. Wanting an easy-drinking beer with some hop character for our next six-pack, we decided on a hoppy pilsner. This light, crisp lager is refreshing but has the hops to quench our bitter desires. In the spirit of going west to find new territory, this is an experiment of blending traditions, old and new, creating the perfect complement to our lineup of six-packs. Westerly Pilsner is available in OBRC refillable 12oz bottles and on draft at our Hood River Taproom, SE Portland Taproom in the Woodstock neighborhood, and at fine establishments throughout the Northwest.

Goin’ out west, where they appreciate a lager with some extra hops. This Northwest-inspired Pilsner is crisp and dry with a hint of spice from the addition of rye, and just bitter enough to remind you that you’re not in Bohemia anymore. Go west!

Westerly Pilsner is 5.2% ABV with 25 IBUs, and is billed as a “hoppy pilsner” though there’s no mention of what hops were used.

Appearance: Crystal clear golden color, good carbonation feeding a fine and dense white head.

Smell: Doughy, grainy maltiness that’s rich and toasty, with a hint of crusty spice. Delicate earthy hop aroma that’s got a bit of spiciness of its own, green peppercorn, with a touch of dandelion greens.

Taste: There is a mustard-green-spicy, herbal hop bitterness that’s got some forest floor, dried leaves, nettles going on. Rustic bread, bread crust malts, flour-dusted cracked grains, with a crisp snap. That hop bitterness lingers, earthy but clean, restrained. It’s quite nice.

Mouthfeel: Light-bodied, crisp and dry with a lingering bitterness.

Overall: It’s a tasty pils with some nice bite to it, worth picking up if you’re looking to stock up on a good craft lager.

Bullwheel IPA

This is a collaboration brew with Mt. Hood Meadows ski resort to craft an après ski IPA that lands somewhere in the middle of  the “juicy” and “northwest” IPA dialects. The brewery sent me a bottle late last month. Details:

This winter, Double Mountain and Mt Hood Meadows have collaborated in celebration of the new lodge and many years of friendship. This seasonal release is the perfect complement to a good day at the mountain. Perfect for après, this IPA that is highly aromatic, has a balanced bitterness, is super crushable, and borders the line between juicy and classic PNW. Take a few laps and meet at the Mazot for a couple! Bullwheel IPA is available in OBRC refillable 500ML bottles and on draft at our Hood River Taproom, SE Portland Taproom in the Woodstock neighborhood, and at fine establishments throughout the Northwest, including Mt. Hood Meadows.

A steady lift of bright citrus and pineapple point the tips downhill, carving their way through pillowy evergreen while balancing minimal bitterness. Brewed with our friends at Mt. Hood Meadows, this après IPA keeps it smooth and easy to knockback.

It’s a bigger beer than Westerly, with 6.3% ABV and 45 IBUs. It’s a bigger bottle, too, 500ml vs 12-ounces.

Appearance: Golden copper color, mostly clear, bright, ample and finely-dense off-white head with great lacing.

Smell: Fruity, juicy aromatics—tangerine, sweet citrus, canned pineapple juice. Touch of oily hop resin, clean biscuit malt.

Taste: Just enough spicy-pine bitterness (with a hint of allium/garlic greens) to take notice and be satisfying. Some pineapple rind, citrus pith, chives, minty notes. Light grain character is a touch cereal-like and nicely dry (rye cracker). Well-balanced and satisfying interplay of fruit, spicy hops, clean malt.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with a nice bit of chewiness; pleasantly bitter aftertaste and a dry finish.

Overall: Quite enjoyable, this is a well-brewed IPA that balances the various elements well.