Welcome to another week of Oregon beer news, wrapping up April and kicking off May! I will be periodically updating this post with the latest news in Oregon beer throughout the week, organized by general news first and then by day. If you have news to share please contact me and I can get that updated as well.

Standing Stone Brewing (Ashland) has a new specialty beer on tap now: Dear Abbey. “This Belgian Trappist-style ale is reddish-brown in color and has an enticing bubblegum aroma. A mildly dry finish follows the light mouthfeel and up-front fruitiness. 6.3% abv, 15 IBU”

Over in Salem this weekend, starting Friday, the third annual Cinco de Micro Brewfest is taking place at the Salem Convention Center! It takes place from 4 to 10pm on Friday the 2nd and from noon to 10pm on Saturday the 3rd, with $10 entry fee which gets you 2 tasting tokens and the mug. They have some 52 breweries, with what looks like at least two beers per brewery, not to mention cider, mead, and spirits. This looks like it could be a fun fest and it’s nice to see Salem representing!

Monday, 4/28

Deschutes Brewery (Bend): Today is the release day for their latest Reserve Series beer, Not The Stoic, and they are celebrating all day long at the Bend and Portland Pubs! Not The Stoic is a Belgian-styled Quadrupel brewed with rye and pomegranate molasses, aged in oak barrels—15% in Pinot Noir barrels and 15% in rye whiskey barrels for 11 months. In addition to getting it on draft and being able to buy bottles at the Pubs today, there will be artisan cheese pairings and other specials.

Belmont Station (Portland) has a tasting and meet the brewer tonight from 5 to 8pm with Trinity Brewing out of Colorado: “Colorado’s Trinity Brewing made its first appearance in Portland at Belmont Station last year for our Colorado Day during Portland Beer Week. And they liked us enough, they are coming here “for reals.” We couldn’t be happier and are looking forward to enjoying many of their amazing beers. To help celebrate, founder Jason “Saison Man” Yester will be in house and we will be tasting the following bottled offerings: TPS Report, Damn It Feels Good to be a Gangster, Blow Up Your TV, Saison Man, 7 Day and Old Growth. We also will have a couple of extremely rare Trinity beers on draft: Passed Stout Imperial Stout aged on fresh Madagascar Vanilla Beans, Dagoba Cacao Nibbs, and French Oak; and Farmoya Melange Farmhouse Ale, made with cherimoya fruit and four different types of peppercorns.

Tuesday, 4/29

The Bier Stein (Eugene) is hosting Portland’s Base Camp Brewing for a tasting from 6 to 9pm: “Welcome to Base Camp from Portland! They’ll have free samples and goodies to give away. We’re tapping: Alpenglow Session Ale – with Golden Promise malt and Meridian hops Celestial Meridian Cascadian Dark Lager – toasty & roasty, clean lager character, & Meridian hops Gold Rush India Oat Common – hopped with Summit, Meridian, Santiam, Cascade, and US Fuggle Smith Rock Red Lager – brewed with Oregon sage & Juniper.”

Belmont Station has Washington’s Schooner Exact in for a special beer tapping starting at 5pm: “A very special night is planned in the biercafe, when Schooner Exact brings two pins of special beers for us to tap on the bar top and enjoy as fresh as can be. We will feature the seasonal Hop Vine IPA and, exclusively in all of Oregon, a pin of Asleep at the Wheel IPA, which is usually only available in Seattle. In the bottle shop, we will be tasting a full lineup of Schooner Exact’s bottled beers as well.”

Cascade Brewing (Portland): Tonight’s Tap It Tuesday at the Barrel House at 6pm is featuring “Live” Marzipan: “This NW style Blond Ale was barrel aged for nine months and then aged on Noyaux. You’ll notice aromas of marzipan-like notes of almonds and hints of maraschino cherry as you draw the glass near. Sweet toasted almonds and candy dance on the palate and lead to a slightly nutty almond note with a lingering note of sweet candied cherries. 7.5% | $8 Glass | $3 Taster”

Wednesday, 4/30

McMenamins Old St. Francis School (Bend) has their O’Kanes Cask Series Release kicking off at 5pm, featuring Isle of The Unicorn Scotch Ale: “A magical creature runs about a green isle with whimsy and grace. This Scotch Ale was named after the Unicorn for its very own unique and graceful presence. A highly malt-based beer, the Unicorn starts out with a sweet ease and rounds with a full flavor. Slight caramel and hints of roasted malts dominate the quaff. A low hop flavor counters the malt but does not overcome the malt character of this beer. A full-bodied drink gives way to the magical finish that you wish could be an all-day experience. To make this drink even more special we have added a few gallons to our Firkin keg and let it finish up. This lower-carbonated version of the Isle of the Unicorn enhances the malt body and sweet finish of the beer. Come enjoy a pint while you can, because when its gone its gone!”

Belmont Station is hosting Heathen Brewing from 5 to 8pm for a beer release and tasting: “Vancouver, Washington’s Heathen Brewing is releasing its first bottled beers! The dynamic duo, Sunny Parsons and Rodney Styker will be in the house, providing tastes of some of their bottled beers:  Transcend IPA, RIP Porter, Transgression IPA, Son of Malice DIPA, Vantucky Pale Ale, and Promiscuous Blonde.”

McMenamins Crystal Ballroom (Portland) has a special beer tasting running from 5 to 9pm, featuring Das Boot: “This light and easy going Belgian session ale has all the traditional yeast characteristics you would expect. It pours clear golden with a nice effervescent spirit and thick white lacing foam while pepper, spice and bubble-gum greet you on the nose. The flavor is put together well by the earthy mint characteristics of Brewers Gold hops and the creamy biscuit notes of Vienna to back it up. Rye accentuates the spicy yeast character and provides some further backbone for the beer.”

McMenamins Cornelius Pass Roadhouse (Hillsboro) is holding a special four-part tasting of a “dosed” beer, Mozart’s Golden, with a homebrew tie-in: “Come try four different incarnations of our Mozart’s Golden as we serve creatively “dosed” kegs. Each recipe will come from the minds of local homebrewing groups with a prize going to the club behind the best-selling pint. Collaborators include PDX Brewers, Boarfish, and Mugbuddies.” It starts at 6pm and lasts until the beer is gone.

Thursday, 5/1

McMenamins Old Church & Pub (Wilsonville) has a special beer tasting and meet the brewer starting at 5pm, featuring New Bines IPA: “This month we are releasing a dry-hopped, cask-conditioned version of our New Bines IPA. Unlike our regular beers, this beer is dispensed directly from a special British keg called a “Firkin.” Firkins allow pubs without beer engines to serve beer in the British tradition of “Real Ale” where beers are served at cellar temperature and under their own pressure. The result is a slightly warmer and less carbonated beer with a more aromatic bouquet and deeper flavor. For a fun experiment try our cask-conditioned version against our draft version. You’ll be surprised how such a simple change can result in such distinct beers!”

McMenamins Fulton Pub & Brewery (Portland) has a limited-edition beer tasting at 5pm featuring Jalapa: “Jalapa has been a Fulton Pub tradition for going on 25 years. Jalapa is a crisp refreshing golden ale with, you guessed it, jalapeño peppers! The flavor of these popular peppers comes through loud and clear followed by a lingering spiciness and heat.”

Saturday, 5/3

De Garde Brewing (Tillamook) is celebrating their first anniversary! “To celebrate, we’re kicking off the next year with a number of bottle releases and a fantastic selection of taps, both our own and some limited releases from other favorite breweries. Public admission for draft will be $15/person (this includes your very own glassware to take with you, and 3 beer tickets). Additional tickets will be $4 each – 1 ticket per pour (approximate pours will be 10oz, some less/some more depending on ABV & cost). No entry cost for bottle purchases only.” The party runs at their Tillamook brewery from 2 to 6pm, and they will have a number of good guest taps as well.

16 Tons (Eugene) is holding their Wild Ale Fest & 4th Anniversary Beer Release all day long starting at noon! Their anniversary beer was brewed in collaboration with Portland’s Breakside Brewery and is “A Saison in Hell”—a Wallonian-Style Dry Hopped Wild Rye Saison. “We will be pouring ales ranging from Farmhouse to Funky, from Tart to Tooth-Achingly-Acidic. Rustic, Sour, Barrel Aged, Spontaneously Fermented, and simply Wild ales. The Wild Ale Fest will be running 12-10PM on May 3rd at 16 Tons Taphouse. We will be pouring 70 different Wild Ales! No entry fee, and cash only. The Fest will also mark our 4th Anniversary.”

Rogue Ales (Eugene Public House): Today at Rogue’s Eugene Public House is their annual Bacon Fest! “Bacon Fest is a celebration of everything Pork! Bring your family and friends to the Rogue Ales Public House in Eugene for our 3rd Annual Bacon Fest. Enjoy Pig in the box taster, Live Music, Craft Beers, Pin the Tail on the Pig, Bung Hole, and more! Proceeds to benefit the Eugene YMCA Summer Youth Camps & the Greenhill Humane Society.” It runs from 2 to 8pm today and only costs $5 for admission.