Widmer Brothers and Logsdon Farmhouse Collaborate on Ensemble Pale Ale
Recently Widmer Brothers and Logsdon Farmhouse Ales collaborated on a Belgian-style Pale Ale. The collaboration, Ensemble Pale Ale, is the result of Logsdon Farmhouse Ales winning Brewbound’s Startup Brewery Challenge held in Portland this past August. For this draft only release the two breweries are having a launch party next Friday, January 31st at the Tin Bucket in North Portland.
Ensemble Pale Ale is a Belgian-style pale ale that brings together two pioneers of the craft brewing industry in Oregon. Dave Logsdon, founder of Logsdon Farmhouse Ales, also founded the critically important Wyeast Laboratories in his Northeast Portland basement in 1984; Kurt and Rob Widmer were Wyeast’s first customer when they opened their brewery later that year. Wyeast Laboratories is one of the country’s leading suppliers of yeasts for brewing and winemaking, and Logsdon Farmhouse Ales is on the leading edge of fermentation science. The Ensemble recipe was designed to highlight Logsdon’s expertise with yeasts and Belgian styles, along with Widmer Brothers’ extensive experience with hops.
As part of the August 2013 Brewbound Startup Brewery Challenge, four Oregon-based breweries presented their brewery plans and beers to a panel of industry experts. Logsdon Farmhouse Ales won the challenge, which resulted in its collaborating with Widmer Brothers to brew Ensemble. This special release was brewed with organic ingredients, has a floral, fruity nose and a complex ester profile from multiple Belgian yeast strains.
The breweries are holding a launch party for Ensemble Pale Ale at the Tin Bucket in Portland on Friday, January 31, 2014, beginning at 5:00 p.m. Brewers from both breweries will be on hand to talk about the beer and the Startup Brewery Challenge.
About Ensemble Pale Ale:
Ensemble Pale Ale is a collaboration beer between Logsdon Farmhouse Ales and Widmer Brothers Brewing. This complex Belgian-style Pale Ale is brewed with organic ingredients and fermented with several different Belgian yeast strains that offer a unique tropical fruit and slightly phenolic ester profile. Pilsner and caramel malts, along with whole raw oats from Bob’s Red Mill lend a slightly malty character, and a layered hopping schedule that includes Hallertau, Sterling, and Cascade hops creates a floral, citrusy nose that really complements the Belgian yeast.
MALTS: Pilsner, C-40, Oats
HOPS: Bittering – Hallertau; Flavor – Hallertau, Sterling; Aroma – Hallertau, Sterling, Cascade
ABV: 5.8%
IBU: 25
OG: 13.6 P
AE: 2.8 P
Tin Bucket
3520 N Williams Ave
Portland, OR
About The Author
DJ
D.J. is a Portland, Oregon based writer that spent his formative years in the Midwest. With over 25 years under his belt of drinking beer at festivals across America and the world, he has developed a strong appreciation and understanding of craft beer and the industry that surrounds it. He can be found in any of the great breweries or beer bars that make Portland the best beer city in the world. His writing can also be found in the archives of Northwest Brewing News and can be followed on Twitter and Instagram at @hopapalooza.