I wanted to fit at least one actual sesquicentennial-themed beer in to Oregon Beer Week, so I went down to Deschutes Brewery yesterday with a to-go container (a 20-ounce plastic water bottle, basically), hoping to score some of their Oregon 150.

Sadly, they were tapped out of that beer, but—lucky!—they had the Maiden Oregon Ale that the Portland Pub brewed on tap in its place. So I was able to get a special beer, after all.

(Haven’t seen the Rogue Sesquicentennial here yet.)

Here’s what Deschutes wrote about Maiden Oregon:

Maiden Oregon Ale, brewed at our Portland Brew Pub by Cam O’Connor, is a Belgian amber ale that was brewed using Crystal hops from the Willamette valley, organic 2-row barley from Klamath Falls, water from Mt. Hood, Oregon beet sugar from Nyssa, and yeast from Wyeast labs in Hood River. At 8.0% alcohol by volume, this one will be best enjoyed sipped out of a snifter glass.

After drinking bottled beers all week, it’s quite refreshing to have beer fresh from the tap. Even if I did have to bring it home and keep it in the fridge until after work.

Appearance: Lightly hazy, amber in color, a fine-bubbled head that’s off-bone-white.

Smell: Sweet, like a Belgian Dubbel or Tripel (from memory)—candi sugar, almost cloying. Vegetable notes typical of the style. Fragrant.

Taste: Very pleasantly-sweet and malty, with a nice spiciness similar to coriander (white pepper, radish greens). Not cloying or syrupy sweet at all; more of a darker, richer, more complex sugar. Sticky; dark honey and some sort of floral note.

Mouthfeel: Beautiful presence in the mouth—thick, not quite full-bodied, it opens up when it hits the tongue and leaves a nice sticky-sweet aftertaste.

Overall: Excellent, very drinkable and tasty. If you can get this on tap—do so.

No BeerAdvocate or RateBeer ratings for this one; it’s new and fleeting.

Jeff over at Beervana posted a short review of the two Deschutes sesquicentennial beers; makes me wish all the more that I had a chance to try some of the Oregon 150. But Maiden is no slouch, rest assured.