Portland Cheers To Belgian Beers
If you’re like us, you’re probably fired up about this coming weekend’s Portland Cheers To Belgian Beers (PCTBB). Now in its fifth year, the annual showcase of a specifically selected yeast strain will serve as both an educational and delicious experiment. In addition the proliferation of interest in Belgian-styled ales is becoming more and more evident. The emergence and popularity of area breweries such as Upright, Beetje, Block 15, Cascade, Double Mountain, and Logsdon Farmhouse illustrates our fascination with Belgian social culture as well as its yeast culture. And, nowadays it seems you can find a Belgian offering on tap, at least seasonally, at just about every craft brewhouse in the Pacific Northwest.
![The 4 Bens of the Apocalypse at the PCTBB dart throw (Lucky Lab's Ben Flerchinger [left], Hopworks' Ben Love [center bottom], Breakside's Ben Edmunds [center top], and Widmer's Ben Dobler [right])](http://brewpublic.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/20110111_PCTBB-Dart-Throw_1297.jpg "The 4 Bens of the Apocalypse at the PCTBB dart throw (Lucky Lab's Ben Flerchinger [left], Hopworks' Ben Love [center bottom], Breakside's Ben Edmunds [center top], and Widmer's Ben Dobler [right])")
Since its humble beginnings at the now defunct Roots Organic Brewery, PCTBB has grown into a favorite amongst an ocean of yearly Oregon brew festivals. Previous year’s winners, as chosen by festival attendees, decide which yeast strain will be used by all qualified participants. In order to distinguish some parameters regarding beer styles, a dart toss by brewers and their representatives loosely determines general Lovibond/SRM (how dark or light the beer is) and alcohol strength. Hitting a high number on the board means the brewery must produce a higher ABV (alcohol by volume) offering. The opposite is true of a lower number. Hitting a black portion of the board means a higher ABV brew will be produced. Vice versa for landing a red portion. All of this was decided months prior at the world famous Horse Brass pub. In years past, the winning brewery would serve as host for the following year’s PCTBB. However, the winner was Block 15 of Corvallis. Therefor, a neutral Portland location, Metalcraft Fabrication (723 N Tillamook St., Portland, OR), will host the event.
Here is what will be served at the April 20, 2011 event:
| Brewers | Beer | Color | ABV | Style/Info |
| Alameda Brewing Co. | “Say What?” | Dark | 8.2% | Belgian-Style Strong Dark |
| Ambacht Brewing | Honey Triple | Light | 9.0% | Belgian-Style Triple |
| Beetje Brewery | Eleanor | Light | 8.0% | Belgian-Style Tripel-sort of |
| Big Horse | Bear’s Choice | Dark | 7.8% | Oak Aged Sour |
| Block 15 Brewing Co. | St. Macarius | Dark | 5.9% | Belgian-Style Dark Chocolate |
| Burnside Brewing Co. | Le Bas et Lumiere | Light | 4.7% | Belgian-Style Table Beer w/oats |
| Breakside Brewery | Brewers Bramble | Dark | 5.1% | Barrel-Aged Cocktail Beer w/Botanicals |
| Buckman Village Brewing | Le Petite Mort | Dark | 5.0% | Dark Saison |
| Caldera Brewing | Vas Deferens | Dark | 8.1% | Made with Orange Bitters + Blood Orange Zest |
| Coalition Brewing | Dark | Soured with Brett | ||
| Columbia River Brewing Co. | Silent Monk | Dark | 8.0% | Belgian-Style Dubbel |
| Deschutes – Bend Pub | Mathilda’s Ring | Light | 6.0% | |
| Deschutes – PDX Pub | Light | ?% | ||
| Double Mountain Brewery | Wooden Nipel | Light | 9.0% | Belgian-Style Tripel aged on oak |
| Fort George | Hellcat Pepper Pale | Light | 8.6% | Belgian-Style pale w/4 types of peppers |
| Full Sail Brewing Co. | Sanctuary | Dark | 7.6% | Belgian-Style Dubbel |
| Hopworks Urban Brewery | Muscles from Brussels | Dark | 8.1% | Belgian-Style Strong Dark |
| Logsdon Farmhouse Ales | Seizoen Bretta | Dark | 8.0% | Farmhouse Ale with Brett |
| Lompoc Brewing – 5Q | Living Proof Ale | Dark | 7.6% | Belgian-Style US Colonial Ale |
| Lompoc Brewing – New Old Lompoc | Alpha Blonde | Light | 6.7% | Belgian-Style Golden Ale |
| Laurelwood Brewing Co. | Biere Au Printemps | Light | 4.7% | Saison |
| Lucky Labrador Brewing – Beer Hall | Petit Baiser | Light | 3.2% | Belgian-Style Norse-American Table Beer |
| Lucky Labrador Brewing – Brewpub | Belgian Canine Style Triple | Light | 7.7% | Abbey Style Triple |
| Max’s Fanno Creek | Nit Wit | Light | 5.2% | Belgian-Style Witbier |
| McMenamins Crystal | Le Bruxelles Bombadier | Dark | 8.4% | |
| McMenamins John Barleycorn | Slow and Low | Dark | 5.0% | Oud Bruin |
| Migration Brewing | Charlemagne | Dark | 5.1% | |
| Oakshire Brewing | Mountain Rose Gruit | Dark | 7.0% | Belgian-Style Gruit w/9 botanicals |
| Old Market Pub & Brewery | Trappist Le Blonde Inlenet | Light | 8.2% | Belgian-Style Golden |
| Philadelphias | Flemish Amber | Light | 4.7% | Flemish Barrel Fermented Amber |
| Rock Bottom | Darqhammer | Dark | 6.9% | |
| Rogue Ales | Tripoli Tripel | Light | 8.8% | Belgian-Style Tripel |
| Silver Moon | Andre’ le Geant | Light | 9.4% | Belgian-Style Tripel |
| Track Town Ales | Dubbel Date | Dark | 5.8% | Belgian-Style Dubbel |
| Upright Brewing Co. | Monk and Mingus | Light | 5.8% | Belgian-Style Pale Ale |
| Widmer Brothers Collaborator | Trubbel | Dark | 8.6% | Belgian-Style Strong Dubbel with Coriander |
| Widmer Brothers Brewing | Dubbel Cross | Dark | 5.5% | Belgian-Style Dubbel with Figs+Italian Plum Puree |
In addition to all of these unique one-off brews, PCTBB will host a special dinner pairing the night before the event. During the event, attendees will have the opportunity to meet several brewers throughout the day while brewer disc jockeys provide music for the day. Further, there will be a homebrewing competition in which awards will be given.
For complete details on this weekend’s PCTBB, visit the Oregon Brewers Guild official website here.
Cheers!
About The Author
Angelo
Angelo grew up in Maine and is proud to call New England his original home. Cascadia is now his home. He fell in love with great beer in Oregon, Washington, and Northern California. He has been a correspondent for the Portland Tribune's Guest on Tap column, LivePDX.com, and has been featured in publications such as Beer Northwest and PDX Magazine. Angelo also has a great interest in independent music, and has been a booker and organizer for shows around the Portland under the name Pop Tomorrow! Angelo garnered much knowledge regarding beer from his experiences homebrewing, working at Belmont Station, Pyramid Brewing, Upright Brewing, By the Bottle, Beer Revolution, Olde Depot Public House, Falling Sky Brewing, Cascade Brewing, and from many many knowledgeable, passionate, and loving people along the way. It is Angelo's mission to bring "infotainment" and "edumation" to the readers of this website. If you have any questions or comments, or would like to contribute, please contact me at angelo@brewpublic.com
PCTBB started at Rock Bottom, not roots. It was on the Mezz and there were only like 40 people there. Roots won peoples choice and hosted the folloeing year, the second year.
That’s right. We forgot about the Rock Bottom beginnings. And thank you for the correction, Vasili