We went to 10 Barrel Brewpub on a warm Sunday in mid August.
It was really busy, but the server quickly found us a place at a large island table in the middle of the restaurant section. The place has a friendly, open,
and welcoming atmosphere. A wide variety of customers: old, young, couples,
families with lots of kids, and (of course) dogs, too. Folk music playing low
on the sound system. The food was great. We had a huge Greek salad and
sandwiches to go with our beers. The pizzas looked very good; the large ones
seemed to be the size of a car tire
I was familiar with several of 10 Barrel’s more widely
available beers, including Apocalypse IPA, Sinistor Black Ale, and ISA – so I
focused on several that don’t often make it into beer bars or bottle shops.
10 Barrel Power to the People Stout
Listed as “P2P American Stout," it had a rich chocolate
nose with slight alcohol fumes rising. A massive chocolate initial, which
fizzed up into a great coffee/chocolate mid palate, and finished slow and
deeply satisfying. Smooth and creamy, it packs a lot of flavor.
10 Barrel OG Wheat India Pale Ale
Deep citrusy nose. Hazy bright straw color, with funny
little streams of carbonation from the sides of the glass. Balanced with dark
hops and big malt. Wheat fruitiness was pronounced. Very tasty stuff.
10 Barrel Red Faucher
This one is named for a cook at 10 Barrel’s Boise brewpub.
Good, scratchy and roasty malt aroma. Rather heavy roast malt initial. Mildly
hoppy in mid palate, with some buttery or even umami notes. The finish was
pleasant and balanced. Very satisfying mouthfeel. Seems more like an amber than
an Irish red ale.
10 Barrel Swill Beer
This Berliner Weisse is one of 10 Barrel’s most popular seasonal
brews. But I found it a little too thin and quite spritzy. Too sweet,
candy-juicy for a Berliner.
The beer sampler set was comprehensive and inexpensive: ten
3-oz. glasses for $10. This really is one of the best places in Bend.
I am certain you now know that 10 Barrel became another formerly independent craft brewery to capitulate to Anheuser-Busch inBev, and as such, their brews are anathema to discerning craft beer consumers.
ReplyDeleteCould you foresee that its brews would appeal to the bean-counters at ABiB? Was there something slightly different in their flavor profile(s)? Or, was it that ABiB sent buyout offers to a number of Oregon breweries, and 10 Barrel was the one which responded "Yes"? {Background music - Steve Miller {oops} Band, "Take The Money And Run"}