Our
penultimate stop during Zwickelmania 2014 was at Baerlic Brewing Co., located
in the same general area as Apex, Beer Mongers, and The Commons Brewery
The name of
this brewery is an Old English word (bærlīċ), meaning “barley-like” or “pertaining
to barley.” Open for less than a year (June 2014), they have a respectable list
of five year-round beers, six seasonal/experimental ones, and have already retired
21 brews.
The taproom
was crowded but a lot of fun. A long line of patrons snaked out the door and down
the street, perhaps half of them waiting for the tour. We avoided that group
and somehow managed to get a table. Service was surprisingly fast and also friendly.
They had 10 taps on, including a few new special brews. An interesting mix of
styles, too.
We focused
mostly on their seasonals and experimental beers. Here are a few:
Baerlic
Cowabunga! (6.2%) 3.6
A smooth chocolaty
nose, a bit tangy, with some lactic notes. Dark brown color with a tan head.
Mild buzzing sweetish initial, and then mild bittering throughout the palate.
Medium body. Sweet but a bit fizzed up, too.
Baerlic Doug
E Fresh IPA (6.7%) 3.5
A nice juicy
hop nose, quite citrusy and zesty. Moderate malty flavors, with a substantial
citrus/pine hop mix. Medium-light body. Very smooth. A lighter sort of IPA, but
quite flavorful
Baerlic
Invincible IPA (6.8%) 3.5
The only
year-round beer we had here. Smooth, fruity nose with a backing of moderate caramel.
Muddy amber/orange color. Well balanced from the start, with good lip-smacking
hops, and long hop tracks in the finish. Medium body, and actually a bit
underdone, really. Middle of the road IPA. Tasty enough
Baerlic
Filbert Reynolds Hazelnut Porter (6.8%)
3.4
Sweet, coffee-ish
nose. Flavors of coffee, dark roast, sugar, light hazelnuts, and minimal
hopping. The hazelnuts add an extra dimension. Well-balanced finish.
Baerlic Wildcat
(5.3%) 3.3.
Very fresh
citrusy nose, lemon, bit of funk, yeast. Cloudy bright yellow. Small fruity
tang in initial, mild bittering, and then goes weak in mid and final. Thin
body. Very nice initially, but kind of gives up halfway through.
2235 SE 11th
Avenue
Portland,
Oregon, USA 97214
503 477-9418
Mon: Closed
Tues-Thu: 4
- 10 pm
Fri: 2 - 11
pm
Sat: 12 - 11
pm
Sun: 12 - 9
pm
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