The first Jubelales of the season from Deschutes Brewery arrived yesterday, heralding the onset of winter seasonal ales:

(At least they didn’t arrive in August like they have in years past!)

This is a classic and one of my all-time favorite beers from Deschutes. As the accompanying info sheet notes, this is the 27th bottling of this beer—and it was the first beer ever bottled by the brewery, way back in 1988. They bottled in used 750ml champagne bottles, directly from the taps.

The label is a work of fabric layering by Lubbesmeyer Studios here in Bend, definitely a unique process. Deschutes has a paragraph about it on their site:

This year’s label by Lisa and Lori Lubbesmeyer features original fiber artwork showing two people sledding in a playful winter landscape. The twins’ artwork was created through their unique method of layering and overstitching with fabrics. During their artistic process, they exchange the pieces, allowing the imagery to emerge spontaneously. The fracturing of shape and saturation of color occur layer by layer – allowing the texture of the fiber to build the imagery as they’ve responded to each other’s work. The final piece was meant to capture the essence of the lifestyle we all enjoy here in Central Oregon.

Keep an eye out for Jubelale hitting the shelves this month.