Welcome to back Sip Northwest’s Bar Tab, a weekly selection of what to drink in the Northwest now. This week we recap some favorites from last weekend’s second annual Portland Craft Beer Festival (PCBF). The three-day event gathered 50 Portland-based breweries, cideries, wineries and meaderies at Fields Neighborhood Park to pour their prized products for festival-goers. Amid 100+ beers, ciders, wines and meads — along with the five delicious food trucks — these five bevvies stood out.
Lompoc Brewing || Saison de L’Evolution
Golden in color, this is a slightly spicy and outwardly fruit-forward saison is a light, slightly-hoppy beer. Named for the “evolution of the season,” this Belgian-style farmhouse ale is the spring release for this growing brewery. The beer is rounded out at the end by notes of candied ginger, citrus and a slight taste of coriander.
Ecliptic Brewing || Ultraviolet Blackberry Sour Ale
Brewed with Oregon blackberries and Belgian yeast, this vigorous sour ale is bursting with the taste of blackberries. Tart, but not so much as to deter those unaccustomed to sour ales, this would be a perfect entry level beer for anyone looking to expand their hop horizons with a sour. Pours a deep raven color with a very light head.
The Commons Brewery || Fleur de Blanc
This farmhouse ale from relative newcomer The Commons Brewery is, as the name would imply, is a floral white ale. Fleur de Blanc is brewed with roses and elderflowers, resulting in a sipper with a vibrant floral flavor profile that also results in a pleasant aroma that will remind you of a flower garden. Pours almost white in hue with a solid head.
Fringe Meadery || Orange Cardamom Mead
One of the only meads present at the PCBF, this fermented honey potable is full-bodied, with strong notes of orange from start to finish. Although the cardamom flavors do not come through quite as much as one would hope, the heady drink colorful in its flavors and voluptuous palate. This is not for the faint of mead-heart but for those strong-willed at learning and appreciating beverage.
Burnside Brewing Co. || Lime Kölsch
A lighter beer with pilsner malts and Tettnanger hops, Burnside Brewing Co.’s Lime Kölsch is brewed with lime zest, lime leaves and lemongrass. All of the ingredients combine to create an incredibly refreshing beer, which is especially welcome on a hot summer day, with a finish that tastes almost like spearmint.
