DESCHUTES BREWERY

I make no apologies for my love of Deschutes Brewery. I simply believe that they make some of the best and most interesting beers.

I have stated in the past (and will state again) that they have the best "stable" of basic beers. On top of that, they are constantly experimenting with styles and ingredients, all the while maintaining the quality of what they produce.

Therefore, I try to visit their Public House every time I am in Portland, Oregon.

---


Black Butte XXVIII, a Porter by Deschutes Brewery.

2 ounce sample, served in a Deschutes taster glass.

11.5% abv.

The nose is "powdery" cream and dark chocolate.

The tongue is dark chocolate and vanilla and orange peel, with hints of licorice and dark fruits, all followed by a cocoa powder finish.

The mouthfeel is thick and oily and pleasant upon the tongue.

+

The Descendant, a Flanders Oud Bruin by Deschutes Brewery.

1/3 liter, served in a Deschutes snifter glass.

11.6% abv.

The pour delivers a beautiful to behold reddish-orange body topped with a thin white ring.

The nose is tart (cranberry) + yeasty + lightly lemony.

The tongue follows the nose.

The mouthfeel is medium.

This is a beer that even The Wife could drink. I know this because I had her try it. The Wife doesn't like "beer," but she can drink lambics and other fruit-style beers. I think she could handle this "sour" beer because the tartness, while still present in The Descendant is not quite as sour as that found in its bigger brother The Dissident.

---



Both of these beers paired well with my entree, which was "smoked Carleton Farms pork shoulder, Armory XPA BBQ sauce, corn salad, and white cheddar cornbread with honey butter." Setting aside the pork for a moment, the corn salad nearly stole the plate! And the honey-buttered cornbread was likewise excellent.

The pork was just right. Not too dry. Not too juicy. Just right. And the flavor was perfect as well: a light tanginess that pulled particular notes forward in each beer.

---

After dinner, it was time for dessert (shared with The Wife and The Child) and enjoying another beer not available in a bottle.

---

Sagefight IPA, an American IPA by Deschutes Brewery.

1/4 liter, served in a Deschutes "mini" pint glass.

7.3% abv.

The pour is deep orange with 1/8" of bright white head.

The nose is sage and pine* and citrus galore. (*What I'm calling pine was listed as juniper in the menu.)

The tongue is Deschutes Pinedrops IPA on steroids. The sage is at the forefront, with pine backing it up, and a "buzzy bite" beneath all of that.

I find this to be spectacular. If you don't like sage, pine, or the bitterness of some IPAs, I would recommend that you avoid this. But if you like all of those (or even just 2 of the 3, and are adventurous), then I highly recommend a glass or two.

---

Thank you, Deschutes Brewery, for being one of the highlights of another trip to Portland!

STRAWBERRY MILKSHAKE IPA

Strawberry Milkshake IPA, an American IPA by the Powerhouse Brewery.

On tap, served in Powerhouse pint glass.

6.2% abv.

---

The pour is a body of rich and hazy butterscotch yellow, with a thin skin of white head.

The nose smells of strawberry, banana, citrus.

The initial notes on the tongue are strawberry, vanilla, light citrus, lightly bitter. As it warms, more milk and cereal notes emerge. (Am I reminded of Frankenberry? Fruity Pebbles? There is some fruity, sugary cereal in my nostalgia memory banks that keeps trying to come forward, but I can't quite identify it.)

The mouthfeel is silky and smooth.

I’d be hard-pressed to describe this as an IPA if I didn’t know better.

This is excellent. It is about as close as I’ve tasted to a beer-as-milkshake in something other than a milk stout. I could drink this every day.

---

I had this paired with the Sriracha Burger and it cut the heat of the burger perfectly. 

INDIAN TACO

Indian taco from Gateway to India at the Puyallup Farmer's Market.

Chicken, curry, onions, cilantro, sauce, and spices on naan bread.

---

Nom nom nom. "Street food" doesn't get much better than this.

ALL the STARS THERE ARE

“All the Stars There Are” by Troy’s Work Table. Frost Park Chalk Off for Friday 01 July 2016.

Sidewalk chalk, charcoal, chalk pastels.

---

The Cosmic Octopus drifts between the realms, adapting to her background, transforming within the context of where she finds her Self.

SUNGAZER

Sungazer. Puyallup Valley. Evening.

ITALIAN SUN

"The burned-out town—broken columns and the hooks of evil old women's fingers dug into the earth—seemed to me raised into the air, comfortable and unreal like a dream. The naked shine of the moon poured over the town with unquenchable strength. The damp mold of the ruins blossomed like a marble bench on the opera stage. And I waited with anxious soul for Romeo to descend from the clouds, a satin Romeo singing of love, while backstage a dejected electrician waits with his finger on the button to turn off the moon."

—from "Italian Sun," one of The Red Cavalry Stories, as found in The Complete Works of Isaac Babel, page 231, translated by Peter Constantine

IMPERFECTLY DIAPHANOUS

Can something be diaphanous without being translucent enough?

What defines the ephemeral? The fleeting?

HAT TRICK

Today was a Troy's Work Table "hat trick"—Books. Art. Beer.

---

BOOKS

The Complete Works of Isaac Babel was this morning's find at the Friends of the Library book store. From the condition it is in, as a book withdrawn from the library's collection, it appears likely that I am the only person who had checked it out in the past. I am especially looking forward to reading Babel's The Red Cavalry Stories once more.

---

ART

The art portion of the day was visiting the Pacific Bonsai Museum's "Decked Out" exhibit once again, this time with The Child. I enjoyed the play on the traditional tokonama, with it outside in the elements rather than outside and with painted skateboard decks in the place of scrolls. I will be visiting again.

---

BEER

It had been some time since I had been to a beer tasting at 99 Bottles. Once I knew that Puyallup River Brewing was going to be there with six beers to taste, and one that was especially intriguing, I made sure to grab my pen and get ready to taste and take notes. And then, surprise, they brought along a couple bottles of a seventh beer to try. Bonus!

---

Cream Ale by Puyallup River Brewing • 5% abv
The pour is a mostly clear, pale yellow. The nose is "clean" and yeasty. The tongue is grassiness and creaminess, with a bit of chemical note. The latter isn't harsh, but bends the flavor profile a bit.

Pineapple Cream Ale by Puyallup River Brewing • 5% abv
The pour is the same color as the cream ale, albeit a bit more hazy. The nose and tongue are likewise mostly the same. The difference here is a slight pineapple note, but its very subtle. The pineapple is enough of a change, though, to make this preferable to the cream ale. (And I'm usually not that big of a fan of pineapple.)

Springtime Brown Ale by Puyallup River Brewing • 5.8% abv
This was the surprise bonus beer. The pour is clear, dark red. The nose is strong of wood and bark. The tongue is likewise strong of wood and heavy on bark notes. There is a also a bit of a coffee ground note lurking in the background. The mouthfeel is a bit watery, but, all in all, its a good brown ale.

South Hill Pale Ale by Puyallup River Brewing • 5.2% abv
I've had this before, but it is hoppier that I remember. It reminds me more of an orange-leaning IPA than a pale ale, and that is fine by me.

Electron IPA by Puyallup River Brewing • 6.5% abv
I've had this one before, too. It is excellently and strongly hoppy. It's primary flavors are bitter orange, orange peel, and pine resin.

Mud Mountain Milk Stout by Puyallup River Brewing • 7% abv
This is definitely a milk stout. The main flavors are coffee and cream. It is good, but it is too much coffee flavor for me.

Ghost Pepper Pineapple Cream Ale by Puyallup River Brewing • 5% abv
This is the best cream ale of the three I tasted. Upon drinking, the initial flavors are fruity and flowery, with a little burst of pineapple in the middle. These are quickly replaced by a bite of peppery heat. And then that bite becomes a slow, lingering burn. The finish lasts and lasts and lasts and lingers. It is pleasurable in the burn that it brings. This was definitely my favorite beer of the tasting and well worth the visit. I even picked up a bottle of Ghost Pepper Pineapple Cream so I could enjoy it in the comfort of my own home.

PRIME 7 • MIDDEN

"Prime 7 (Midden)" by Troy's Work Table. Chalkboard chalk art for Friday 03 June 2016.

Tempera paint, sidewalk chalk, chalk pastels.

---

The midden is the home. The midden is the cosmic furnace. The midden is the nest of eggs.

---

Mother tends the midden. Mother knows these blossoms and blooms.

---

View more photographs of "Prime 7 (Midden)" HERE.

PRIME 7 • MOTHER

"Prime 7 (Mother)" by Troy's Work Table. Chalkboard chalk art for Thursday 02 June 2016.

Tempera paint, metallic/glitter tempera paint, sidewalk chalk, chalk pastels.

---

Mother, the Cosmic Octopus, is bound into the fabric of the universe. Mother is mathematics. Mother is prime.

---

Mother is an abstract comic. Mother is panels.

---

View more photographs of "Prime 7 (Mother)" HERE.