Deschutes Brewery’s The Dissident returns for 2023, and the brewery sent me two bottles recently—one of this year’s vintage, and one of the 2019 vintage. Why 2019? Because that was when Deschutes last released a version of The Dissident brewed to its original recipe, with cherries, until this year. In the intervening years, different fruited variants of the Oud Bruin-styled sour ale were brewed.

Here’s the press release detailing this year’s release:

Deschutes Brewery’s The Dissident has been a staple of the Reserve Series and a popular pick for craft beer collectors since 2008. Up until 2019, this barrel-aged Flanders style brown ale included the traditional addition of fresh cherries. After experimenting with non-traditional variants that included Marionberry, Raspberry, & Peach, The Dissident is returning to its classic recipe as it celebrates 15 years.

The Dissident is a distinctive barrel-aged Belgian-style sour brown ale brewed with fresh Oregon cherries, fermented with wild yeast and matured in oak. This special ale reveals unmatched complexity of flavor with a pleasant, bright acidity. It is unlike anything else Deschutes Brewery brews, worthy of the name, The Dissident. 9.6% ABV | 15 IBUs

For a truly unique tasting experience, try the last classic release of The Dissident with cherries from 2019 side-by-side with this year’s vintage. The Dissident is available everywhere Deschutes beer is sold in 500ml bottles and draft.

Of course a side-by-side review is in order, and I need to dig around in my stash but I should have at least a bottle or two of earlier vintages.