The wine industry is fond of speaking about the individual flavor characteristics that it takes from its environment. This terroir is present in all growing things that are tended with passion and care. The environment that builds flavor is more than simply the soil or the climate: it is also the passion and commitment of the grower. Craft beer believes in the same values. The “estate” brewery concept stems from European origin, in which beer was brewed at individual farmhouses with ingredients grown onsite and fermented with naturally occurring, airborne yeast. Many modern-day breweries are making an effort to return to these roots — they’re growing their own hops, using fruit from the orchards on their properties, and fermenting their beers with wild yeast. Our beer flight today, Craft Beer Crosscut 10.26.17: A Flight of Estate Breweries, features five brewers who prefer overalls.
Atwood Ales Fresh Hop Mo’s Saison
4.2% ABV
Located just 18 miles north of the burgeoning Bellingham brewery scene, on the outskirts of a scenic seaside town, is Blaine, Washington’s first, and oldest, brewery — Atwood Ales. The unique setting provided by a 100 year old farmhouse and barn and the surrounding acreage is not only visually compelling, but also provides countless opportunities to directly incorporate estate and locally grown agricultural and natural ingredients into Atwood’s small batch beers. It’s a family-operated farm and brewery. Josh brews the beer. Monica takes care of sales, marketing and distribution. Josh’s parents, Stephen and Leslee Smith, co-own the brewery, and Monica’s parents (Steve and Nancy) are involved as well. Josh brewed Mo’s Saison “for my beauty wife, who likes to keep light and refreshing saisons with mild spice and fruit character stocked in our fridge. This seasonally influenced saison features rotating ingredients grown here on our farm.” The fresh hop version features 2-row barley and Tettnang hops grown at the brewery.
de Garde Autre Grand Rouge
6.3% ABV
When Trevor Rogers of Pelican Brewing met Linsey Hamacher of Tillamook Cheese Factory they knew it would be a cool ship marriage. Trevor traveled up and down the Oregon Coast searching for the best location for spontaneous fermentation; Tillamook won. The couple launched de Garde Brewing in their garage using wild yeasts to create singular sour flavor with an earthy funk that plays beautifully with fresh fruit that becomes even better after a few months in the barrel. de Garde has since racked up awards and won dedicated fans, who buy up sought-after beers in a matter of hours, so that the brewery now strictly limits which bottles it lets out of the taproom in order to keep them in stock. Peaks and Pints feels fortunate to carry their Autre Grand Rouge, a delicious oak aged wild red ale with Zinfandel grapes.
Logsdon Oak-Aged Bretta
8% ABV
Logsdon Farmhouse Ales was started by Full Sail founding brewer and yeast master Dave Logsdon who has a special affinity for traditional Belgian-style farmhouse ales. When he launched the brewery, he planted an orchard on the property with Belgium-imported Schaerbeekse trees. These trees grow the sour cherries necessary to craft authentic kriek beers. With new brewers like Shilpi Halemane (Widmer) and Eric Ponce (Goose Island) working alongside veteran Curtis Bane (Cascade), a new accomplished and inspired group has taken Logsdon with a plan to continue experimentation of new yeasts, bacteria, fruits and barrels that made the brewery famous. Logsdon’s Oak Aged Brett is made with the Hood River, Oregon brewery’s Seizoen Bretta that is aged for a period of time to develop the wood aged character in the beer. Oak Tannins, vanilla notes and subtle smoky spiciness soften and mellow this beer over time. The aged unfiltered beer is refermented and carbonated in the bottle with select yeast strains to provide added dryness and complexity.
Rogue Double Dead Guy
9% ABV, 60 IBU
Over the last 29 years, Rogue Ales has been helping lead the craft beer revolution with ingredients sourced directly from Rogue Farms. The brewery is known for its Dead Guy Ale, considered by many to be the original, Halloween-themed craft beer. Originally brewed to celebrate the “Mayan Day of the Dead” back in the early 1990s, Rogue Dead Guy Ale is a delicious German-style maibock. On Halloween, the Oregon brewery freaks with a stronger, hoppier lesser-known version: Double Dead Guy Ale. This American strong ale incorporates Rogue’s own malts and hops, specifically Revolution and Independent hops, plus an amazing mid-palette richness of toffee and caramel.
Bale Breaker Bottomcutter IIPA
8.2% ABV, 100 IBU
Hops have long defined life at B.T. Loftus Ranches in the Yakima Valley. Back in 1932, Kevin Smith and Meghann Quinn’s great-grandparents founded the family hop farm that’s now run by their older brother, Patrick. Meghann and her husband, Kevin Quinn, and younger brother were keen homebrewers. Wouldn’t it be natural to start a brewery on the farm? The trio took down three acres of the farm’s Field 41 and built Bale Breaker Brewing Company, which is surrounded by fields of hops. Bale Breaker’s Bottomcutter IIPA is a supremely drinkable double IPA with pine, honey, orange and grapefruit swirling around a bunch of caramel. Bonus: solid bitterness.
