Part I of today’s beer notes…
Laurelwood Brewing: Just in from this evening’s newsletter, “As many have heard Laurelwood Brewmaster Chad Kennedy is leaving to open his own brewery in Bend Oregon. Chad has been with Laurelwood for 8 years and has been a great asset to the company. With Chad’s at the helm Laurelwood has become recognized as one of the great craft breweries not only in the Northwest but in the country. We are sad that Chad is leaving, but very proud of his new adventure! Bend is very fortunate to have one of Oregon’s best brewers coming to their town to bring yet another great brewery to our state! We are very excited for him and wish him the best of luck!”
Kern River Brewing: Per today’s newsletter, “Our Citra Label was officially approved by the TTB. For those that don’t know, we have to go through a label approval process for all of our beers. The government wants to make sure we don’t do stuff like show babies drinking beer or talk about how drunk our beers will get you; of course some companies have fun with the process , Lagunitas’ Wilco Tango Foxtrot for example (you can’t put Whiskey on a beer that does not contain Whiskey). This is also one reason why we don’t bottle many of our seasonal beers, but after so much positive response to Citra, we decided to go ahead an get the label process going. Since our artist for our flagship beers has passed away, our newer labels have gone in a different direction. We plan on releasing Citra later this year and releasing it multiple times every year.”
Rockyard Brewing: Per Facebook, 1,700 bottles of Buddha Nuvo will be packaged next week. Per the Colorado Craft Beer Examiner, “Buddha Nuvo’s malt bill consists of a complex blend of Weyerman Pilsen, Vienna, Rye, and spelt for a golden color. Pumpkin is added during the boil for a smooth texture; several varieties of whole peppercorns are also added to reinforce this 12% ABV saison’s spiciness. During the fermentation process five distinct yeasts will be dropped in to create a spicy and fruity ester profile. After all is said and done the entire batch will be aged on American Oak Chardonnay barrels, six varieties of Brettanomyces, and the rare, alien-looking, fruit known as Buddha’s Hand.” H/T to The Beer Spot.
Port Brewing: Saturday July 16th beer release and party… “2011 Bourbon Barrel-aged Santa’s Little Helper – 22oz bottles; $12 ea; 6 bottle limit”
Great Divide Brewing: Debut of the Belgian Style Yeti takes place on July 1st
Notch Session Ale: Another Brewbound special… “Chris Lohring, the Founder of Notch Session, is releasing his newest beer in bottles since the launch of the brand at the beginning of March. For the first time ever, Notch will package a Saison in 22oz bottles. According to Lohring, he is using the 220z packaging as a market test to see how well recieved the beer is.”
Midnight Sun Brewing: Swan song for Good Mojo…”MON 11.11 – GOOD MOJO ONE DAY ONLY. Good Mojo Belgian Sour Brown Ale is over 10 years old. This IS the last keg of Good Mojo. It’s BTG only – no growlers, no 22s”
Bonus I: Wait, Deschutes sold beer in 40’s at one point?