The Jug Shop gets it done with their beer tastings...

This time it was Deschutes. You can't really ever go wrong with Deschutes, especially with their heavier beers like the Abyss, Mirror Mirror and the Black Butte XXI, which the whole point of the tasting was the unveiling of the 2009 Abyss....all you can basically drink out of a jockey box....

And you can't ever go wrong with The Jug Shop. Their prices are good, their staff is extremely knowledgeable,  friendly and they are always way less crowed than Toronado or City Beer and usually offer the same special release tastings (now that our secret is out).

There tasting was last Friday Nov 13th from 6:30-8:30pm. It was nice to try the whole line up that was offered- Green Lakes Organic Ale 5.2%, Mirror Pond Pale Ale 5%, Jubelale 6.7%, Hop Trip (Bond Street Series) 5.5%, Black Butte Porter 5.2%, Obsidian Stout 6.4%, Inversion IPA 6.8%, Red Chair (Bond Street Series) 6.4%, Mirror Mirror (2009) 11%, Black Butte XXI 11%,  and last but not least, the Abyss (2009) 11%.

It was nice to try the lineup as we usually tend to go for their heavier beers. My favorites of the lighter bunch were the Jubeale (fantastic for a Holiday brew- malty hoppy goodness), The Hop Trip (for a fresh hopped beer this beer is one of my favorites- hoppy, floral, fresh, bitter, everything you would want in a beer that uses freshly harvested hops) and the Red Chair IPA (a less bitter copper beer with a hint of citrus).

Now for the Reserve Series sippers (or gulpers depending on you like it):
Mirror Mirror 2009 is pretty damn freaking good right now, considering it has already aged 7 months...my favorite to drink right now personally...
Black Butte XXI- very cocoa, coffee, large whiskey nose and taste (due to it being aged in whiskey barrels), very go get some right now to try and cellar.
Abyss 2009-  heavy coffee, a hint of anise, bourbon, vanilla...yum!
wow, on draft? Are you kidding me? For $20 tasting and 2009 Abyss on draft? I feel sorry for those of you that couldn't make it...not to mention 5% off bottles and 10% of a case...

Mirror Mirror on the wall- whose the fairest of them all?

Ah, Deschutes. How you have been such a part of my life...You know how to make fantastic beers that are high in alcohol and full of flavor. You don't mess around. The same goes for their 2009 release of the Mirror Mirror. It's a oak- aged barleywine that is taken from their Mirror Pond Pale Ale and doubled to be a barleywine (11%).  They say to cellar and age this beer until April 2010 (the best after date on the bottle). But we cracked this one open now...The 2009 has the traditional dense malt/high alcohol flavor but you get a lot of hoppy nose flavor and a bitter finish...It's definitely a sipper-after dinner or beforehand as an aperitif.... Usually when you age a beer that has such a high alchohol content, the flavors mellow and interact. It's definitely worth buying 2- 1 to try now and one to store and compare when you open it.