Bailey’s Taproom 7th Anniversary Barrel-Aged BeerFest

With the end of July and Oregon Craft Beer Month coming to a close one event that we always look forward to is Bailey’s Taproom 7th Anniversary Barrel-Aged BeerFest. The annual anniversary celebration will take place this Saturday, August 2nd, from Noon to Midnight.

The beer list that Bailey’s has put together for their anniversary is quite amazing and varied. There will be 21 different beers and one cider being poured on Saturday. There are enough choices that will entice your palate.

And if you want a true VIP experience Bailey’s will once gain be offering this option for those who want to indulge a little bit. Bailey’s will offer their 7th Anniversary VIP Room at The Upper Lip, their new beer bar located above Bailey’s with its entrance on SW Ankeny St.

There are a limited number of tickets available for each of the two sessions. Session 1 will run from 1pm-3:30pm and Session 2 will be 5pm-7:30pm. Tickets cost $25 and must be purchased in advance here. This VIP experience will allow one to have six, four ounce pours of Against the Grain 70K, Block 15 2013 Super Nebula, Firestone Walker 2013 Agrestic, Nebraska Apricot Au Poivre, North Coast Old Stock Ale 2011 Cellar Reserve, and De Struise 2011 Pannepot. Just make sure to order your tickets now.

The extraordinary beer list for the main event at Bailey’s Taproom is as follows:

2 Towns Bourbon Barrel Bad Apple – The Bad Apple is a semi-dry, bold cider. The infamous Bad Apple aged for one year in bourbon barrels. Malo-lactic fermentation during aging, fermented bone-dry and served unfiltered. 11%

10 Barrel Old Pumpkin Pucker – The first pumpkin beer we ever brewed, soured with Brett Lambicus in a single red wine barrel since November 2011. One of the coolest and rarest beers we’ve ever made. 7.5%

Against the Grain Kentucky Ryed Chiquen – Our first barrel aged beer here at Against the Grain is the Kentucky Ryed Chiquen. Named so because: 1. It was made in Kentucky. 2. It has a lot of Rye in it and was aged in rye barrels. and 3. It is not Chicken, and as we all know (or should know) Chiquen refers to anything that is not chicken. Brewed with Maris Otter, rye malt and caramel rye, imparting a spicy, fruity and dry flavor. Then hopped with enough English Nugget and Kent Goldings just to balance and fermented with our house ale yeast. After fermentation we moved the entire batch into the AtG private dining room and into used Redemption Rye barrels from our good friends at Strong’s Spirits. There it aged for 5 weeks until we felt it had picked up the right amount of residual bourbon character and oak flavors. We then transferred it to our serving tank, carbonated it and the end result is on tap now, a balanced drinkable and complex barrel aged beer. 8.6%

Block 15 Golden Canary with red currants (firkin) – A blend of sour Golden ales from our Wild cellar. Matured 4, 9, 14, & 20 months in Pinot Noir Oak Barrels with various strains of Brettanomyces (wild yeast), and acid producing bacteria’s Lactobacillus & Pediococcus. Pours a hazy gold notes of citrus, tropical fruit, barnyard, oak barrel and grapes. Wonderfully sour with a puckering finish. Locally grown red currants added. 7%

Breakside Aquavit Barrel-Aged Saison a Fleurs – Barrel-aged version of the collaboration beer with Widmer, Saison a Fleurs. the base saison is made with jasmine, chrysanthemum, and Szechuan peppercorn. the beer was then aged for five months in Krogstad Aquavit barrels from House Spirits. notes of licorice and caraway fold into the base beer’s spice profile, and soft oak notes round out the finish. 9.7%

The Bruery Sour in the Rye – This American Wild Rye Ale was brewed with a substantial portion of rye malt, and the spicy character of the grain asserts itself with clove and pepper in the aroma and flavor. Add in sour cherry notes from our special blend of micro-organisms and vanilla from the red wine barrels and you’ve got a mouthful! 7.8%

The Commons Trillium – A dry hopped blend of wine barrel aged farmhouse ales fermented with the brewery’s house farmhouse yeast, multiple strains of Brettanomyces and their house lactobacillus culture. The 50/50 blend is composed of a version of Urban Farmhouse ale in barrels with Brettanomyces Bruxellensis and multiple house grown cultures and a kettle soured farmhouse ale aged in barrels with Brettanomyces Bruxellensis and Brettanomyces Lambicus. The blend was then dry hopped with whole leaf meridian hops. 6%

Crux Fermentation Project Doublecross – Aged for a year in Oregon pinot noir barrels, our dark Belgian-style ale develops complex flavors reminiscent of dried fruit, vanilla and sherry. The French oak provides tannic counterbalance to the syrupy dark candi sugar. And like its unaged counterpart, its vibrant reddish-black hue, substantial body and pleasant headiness give it an alluring first impression—but watch your back. This beer has done hard time. 12%

de Garde Cherry Bu – A Berliner Weiss style brew aged in oak barrels with Montmorency cherries. 4.2%

Deschutes Raspberry Sour Wit – A traditional wit beer recipe which was combined with 40 lbs of raspberry puree and aged in Oregon Pinot barrels for 17 months. A secondary fermentation with two strains of Brettanomyces adds additional complexity to this delicious brew. 5.5%

Firestone Parabola – Parabola has been a major component of past anniversary blends and is one of our most aggressive offerings. This beer features bold bourbon and tobacco aromas and a rich dark chocolate, charred oak flavor. Parabola is best enjoyed in moderation and is a perfect beer to pair with those chocolate dessert favs. An extension of Quercus Alba —the Firestone Walker Barrel aged program. Russian Imperial Stout Aged in Bourbon Barrels. 12.5%

Fish 2012 10 Squared (Dryfly Whiskey) – The Mighty Fish Brewers first produced 10² Barley Wine Ale to celebrate Fish Brewing Company’s tenth anniversary. The ale was so good and the response to it so overwhelmingly positive that it has become the crown jewel of our new RELEASES line. Ten different hops – Horizon, Chinook, Columbus, Willamette, Tradition, Northern Brewer, Santiam, Tettmanger, Cascade and Golding, in the order of their use – give Ten Squared a unique hop character which has to be tasted to be believed. Even with 100 IBUs, this brew sports a strong malt backbone. Two-row Pale, Caramel 40, Caramel 75, Special B and Aromatic malts impart remarkable balance for such a hop monster. 10%

Flat Tail Wild from the Vine – Brewed with locally grown unmalted wheat, and turbidly mashed , this 100% spontaneously fermented brew gets its deep purple color from over 26 pounds per barrel of southern Oregon Syrah wine grapes. 11%

Fort George North VII – A tractor-trailer sped 2400 miles through the night to deliver American Oak barrels to the Fort George Brewery, staves still engorged with Kentucky Bourbon. Seventy-two hours after being emptied at the distillery these barrels were harboring a winter wonder, working their alchemy on the hop and barley elixir nestled within. With the addition of more hops as the beer left the barrels, North VII was born – fully aromatic and pungent with vanilla, bourbon, oak and flowery lupulin magic. 9%

Great Divide Barrel Aged Yeti – aged for 20 months in used Fireside Whiskey barrels. The rich and robustly roasted beer of 12.2% ABV picks up flavors of oak, vanilla and whiskey through the extended aging process. These flavors add greater complexity to the already rich beer, while tempering its assertive nature.

Laurelwood The Fauves – This beer was blended, with the assistance of Preston Weesner, from barrel aged Wit beer and Quad that had been  aged several years in wine and gin barrels. The name is taken from the french art movement (the wild beasts) of the beginning of the 20th century. These painters emphasized the physicality of paint and aggressive color over representation. I likewise feel the beer expresses better the physicality of sour beer, rather then it’s categorization. The suggestion of ‘wild beasts’ also plays well into the wild aspect of barrels souring. 6.2%

Nebraska Sexy Betty – A sweet nose greets the adventurous in this marriage of our Black Betty Russian Imperial Stout and 50 year old American Brandy barrels. An elegantly pleasant surprise wakes the palate which migrates from a hint of Brandy into the wonderfully lingering roasted malt character. 11%

New Belgium Transatlantique Kriek – In a never-ending quest to create new beers and defy category, New Belgium Brewing and Brewerij Boon of Belgium have partnered together again to create Transatlantique Kriek – a spontaneously fermented lambic ale made with Polish cherries. This authentic kriek beer began life in the oaken vessels at Frank Boon’s brewery in the Lembeek region of Belgium.  After more than two years aging, Boon’s offering shipped across the Atlantic and found its way to the intuitive palate of New Belgium’s Brewmaster Peter Bouckaert.  After much sampling and internal consultation, Peter and his brew staff created a full-bodied golden lager to round out the light-bodied kriek. The cherry nose gives way to a pleasingly sour flash across the palate that rolls gently into a slightly sweet finish.  Crisp, effervescent carbonation keeps the mouthfeel bright and delightfully tingly. 8%

Oakshire Hermanne-1882 – Oakshire joined forces with the wine makers at Oregon’s Anne Amie Vineyards to create this beer/wine hybrid. We used Anne Amie’s classic Muller Thurgau grape and artfully blended it with a Belgian golden ale and matured it with Brettanomyces in Anne Amie’s Pinot Noir Barrel for a year. Hermanne is light and crisp with a complex fruity middle and a dry tannic finish. Base Malts: Rahr 2-row Specialty Malts: Wheat, Weyerman Acidulated Malt. Bittering Hops: Nugget. Flavor/Aroma Hops: Saaz, Willamette. Yeast Strain: BSI Belgian Ale 1 and Brettanomyces Bruxellensis and Lambicus. 6.6%

Russian River Supplication – Brown ale aged in Pinot Noir wine barrels for one year with sour cherries, Brettanomyces yeast, and Lactobacillus & Pedicoccus bacteria. 7%

Stone The Tiger Cub – aged in White Wine Barrels with Sour Cherries 8%

Upright Bailey’s Seventh Anniversary Beer – Single cask Six aged in a pinot barrel we’ve had since the very beginning. It was originally inoculated with brett lambicus and has had various fruits added like currants and cherries, so there’s a distinct fruity undertone. This batch was in there for 12 months. 7%

For those of you taking in the full VIP experience there will be six additional beers for you. Remember, you must purchase tickets in advance to be a Bailey’s VIP.

Here are complete descriptions for these gems:

Against the Grain 70K – Taking awesome and doubling it can only be double awesome. It’s math. This is essentially the 35K recipe doubled. Double roasty, double chocolaty, double creamy, double delicious. Then we decided to make it 2.5X awesome by aging it in Angel’s Envy barrels for a really, really long time. The bourbon and oak flavors perfectly compliment the massive flavors in the double mega imperial milk stout. You don’t swim in this beer, it swims in you! 13.1%

Block 15 2013 Super Nebula – Each year we mature Super Nebula, our Imperial version of Nebula Stout, in unique Bourbon casks before selecting an origin-specific cocoa nib to complement the blend. Every vintage is a unique blend, never to be duplicated. 11%

Firestone Walker 2013 Agrestic – This liberation begins its journey as DBA then continues through a “chrysalis” process involving 87% French and 13% American Oak barrels, and our proprietary collection of micro flora.  To blend, we selected beer matured eight to 24 months in barrels, creating a synergistic beer. Immediately, toasted oak and lemon pith swirl on the nose and palate, followed by an amazing harmony of vanilla, coconut, Earl Grey tea and spice. The finish is crisp, with mouth-watering acidity and chewy tannins. Since we age, blend and bottle these beers once a year, there will be slight variation with each release.  A santé! 6.6%

Nebraska Apricot Au Poivre – An artful interpretation of a Belgian-style Saison created with Apricot Puree and Black Pepper. Aged for 6 months in third-use French Oak Chardonnay barrels. Delicate flavors and aromas of oak, apricot, chardonnay, and pepper intertwined in the barrel to achieve a flavor profile that is simultaneously complex and delightful. 6.8%

North Coast Old Stock Ale 2011 Cellar Reserve is a small batch, limited release that has been aged in brandy barrels. The aging process gives this world-class beer added layers of complexity and flavor. This is the third in a series of the Old Stock Ale Cellar Reserves.  15.2%

De Struise 2011 Pannepot – In the early 1900s, the village of De Panne, close to the French border, was famous for two things — the ‘Pannepots,’ or fishing boats, that could be seen along the coast, and the unique dark ale enjoyed by the local fishermen. Our Old Fisherman’s Ale is a tribute to these hardy sailors and their rich, flavorful brew. Unfiltered. Unpasteurized. 10%

So whatever you decide to do on Saturday make sure to fit in some time to swing by Bailey’s during the 12 hours that they’ll be pouring some phenomenal beers. Also make sure to wish them another successful year serving up some of the best beer in Portland. Congratulations!

Bailey’s Taproom
213 SW Broadway
Portland, OR