Here’s the news in Oregon beer for Thursday, the 12th of December. As usual, I’ll be periodically updating this post throughout the day, so check back often. And if you have news to share, please contact me and I can get that posted as well.

Deschutes Brewery (Bend): Today is the release of the final Class of 88 collaboration beer series, their Belgian Style Ale, taking place at both the Bend Pub and Portland Pub all day long. This strong Belgian-style ale is 10.1% alcohol and was brewed with Michigan Riesling and Oregon Pinot Noir grapes, and then 100% barrel aged in decade-old Muscat oak barrels for nine months(!). The Brewery will be celebrating the release with draft and bottle sales (including bottles of the previous Class of 88 beers), and I would imagine food specials as well. Don’t miss out on this beer—grab a few bottles today!

The Commons Brewery (Portland) is celebrating their 2nd anniversary tomorrow (Friday the 13th) and tonight they’re kicking off the festivities with a bottle share and potluck event from 5 to 9pm: “Bring a bottle of a special beer or a side dish to share with everyone. This is a great way to try lots of beers and meet new friends.” A great way to prep for their anniversary party tonight and try some great beers you might otherwise miss out on.

McMenamins Edgefield (Troutdale) has a limited-edition beer tasting today starting at 5pm, featuring  the first anniversary release of their Barley Legal Barleywine: “This powerful ale is turning one year old, and in that year span it has changed quite a bit. This ale is still quite hoppy, considering its age, but time has rounded off its sharp edges and turned it in to something with notes of sweet toffee and caramel that much more closely resembles its traditional British barleywine ancestry than its heavy-load American hop original incarnation.” Yes, please. 9.03% abv.

McMenamins Roseburg Station (Roseburg) has a big beer special release of their own today at 5: Black Hole Imperial Stout. “Deep, dark, thick and rich: beware the Black Hole. Gravitational forces and a rotating mash paddle work to concentrate this great mass of beer atoms into a glass of beer so strong and so dark that not even light can escape. The Black Hole is an Imperial Stout weighing in at a massive 7.61% alcohol by volume. Dark matter in the form of Dark Crystal, Brown, Chocolate, Blackprinz, Roasted Rye malts and Roast Barley, along with 2-Row Pale and NW Pale Ale malts, combine with the lupulin, alpha acids, beta acids and essential oils of Nugget and Goldings hops, to warp space and time into a singularity of intense strength and flavor that will tear your atoms apart from the inside out.”

Cascade Brewing (Portland) has an intriguing new beer (very limited) on tap at their Barrel House: “Peppermint Mocha Stout. Just two kegs were produced! Sweet mint, roasted coffee and dark chocolate climb from the glass as you draw it near. Rich, rewarding roasted malts and sweet mint notes on the palate lead to a lingering finish of candy canes and roasted malts. Available at the Barrel house only (this product does contain milk sugar, or llactose). 5.2%, $5.5 Imperial Pint, $3.5 Glass, $2 Taster, $10 Grenade, $17 Growler”

Worthy Brewing (Bend): Their beers are now available in Tokyo, Japan! Can of their Pale, IPA, and Lights Out Stout are available now at The Hangover Craft Beer & Bar in Tokyo. I’m not sure if this will be a regular distribution outlet or if it’s a one-time thing, but that’s pretty amazing.

The Bier Stein (Eugene) is hosting a tap takeover tonight featuring two of Bend’s breweries, GoodLife Brewing and Bend Brewing, from 6 to 9pm. Part of the event commemorates the collaboration brew Scottish Heart between the two breweries, and there will be a ton of other beers on tap including: Descender IPA, Sweet As, Pass Stout, Mountain Rescue Pale Ale, and the new Yukon Cornelius winter ale from GoodLife; and Ching Ching, Pollen Oates, Daywalker Winter Warmer, Big Eddy Bitter, and Big Bad Russian Imperial Stout from Bend Brewing. Be there!