Other Releases
All this diving into Abyssomania shouldn't conceal the fact that other great beers are debuting now, too. Our man Foyston is on it:
Full Sail Bourbon-aged TopsailThis year's Knucklehead, which for some reason wasn't in John's piece, is John DeBenedetti owner of the homebrew store FH Steinbart's (and spiritual hub of the Portland brewing scene). The Topsail is already out. I'll put something up when I hear about Old Knucklehead.
John Harris starts getting calls about his bourbon-barrel-aged Topsail Imperial Porter weeks before Full Sail releases the beer -- which up to now was only every other year. Expect to see barrel-aged porters or stouts to be released annually from here on, and sample the first three examples at Thursday's Three Years of Bourbon Beers, where they'll be pouring bourbon-barrel-aged 2004 Imperial Porter, 2006 Black Gold Imperial Stout and this year's edition of Topsail Imperial Porter. 5 p.m. Thursday: McCormick & Schmick's Harborside Pilsner Room, 0309 S.W. Montgomery St., and Full Sail Tasting Room & Pub, 506 Columbia St., Hood River.
Bourbon-Aged Old Knucklehead
BridgePort is bringing out 22-ounce bottles of its barrel-aged beer, too -- the excellent Old Knucklehead barleywine. It's the 12th such bottling and part of the beer was aged in Jack Daniels bourbon barrels for three months, said brewmaster Karl Ockert. The beer is 10 percent alcohol and the brewery plans to celebrate by tapping a cask-conditioned Old Knucklehead firkin and holding the Knuckling-In ceremony.... 6 p.m. Tuesday BridgePort Brewpub & Bakery, 1313 N.W. Marshall St.