Natian Meet The Brewer & Tasting at Belmont Station

Believe it or not, I was in Southeast again last night for a ‘Meet The Brewer & Tasting’ event at the place I wish I lived next door to, Belmont Station. Ian McGuinness, Owner and Brewmaster at Natian Brewery was on hand pouring cans of Old Grogham IIPA, Undun Blonde, and CuDA Cascadian Dark Ale to a constant flow of folks wanting a taste. For a solid 3 hours Ian answered questions about his beer; something you can tell he enjoys doing. Meanwhile, in Belmont’s Biercafé I enjoyed Natian’s draft selections, Lumberjane Imperial Stout and Elephante India Red Ale. I’ve tried most of Natian’s standard brew, but tonight I was treated to a new-ish release, the Elephante IRA. I will say, IRAs haven’t caught on with my taste buds, but they did enjoy the 8.45350568 ounces of Elephante. It was dry, hoppy, not real sweet, and had a pleasant bitterness brought on by the use of Zythos Hops. If you’re a fan of this style of beer I think you’d be pleased. After the IRA I went on to Natian’s Lumberjane; an imperial stout that ranks up there with the best. It has incredible sex appeal. You’ll want to gaze at it for a few minutes in the glass before you wet your tongue with its smooth, smoky, coffee roast flavor. I’ve had Lumberjane before, but I forgot how much I enjoyed it. Lumberjane made my Monday. Of course, it was also a pleasure to catch-up with the Natian crew, see my friends and fellow band mates, Ross and Teresa, and speak with Carl, who introduced me to former, long-term Full Sail Brewmaster, John Harris.

Photo Gallery 

(Taken with my Hasselblad H4D-200MS)

Temple 

Ian in action 

Natian's Elephante India Red Ale 

David and Ian of Natian, Nameless Gent, and
Belmont's CBO, Carl Singmaster 

Always a great draft selection at
Belmont Station

Note:  All spelling and grammatical errors are intentional.

Recap: Belmont Station's 15th Anniversary Celebration

On March 15^th, Portland had (2) reasons to celebrate. For one, it was my Birthday, but more importantly it was Belmont Station’s 15^th Year Anniversary. Belmont Station opened its doors in 1997. I don’t know the entire history behind the joint, but it was originally founded by the late, great Don Younger and Joy Campbell. I believe Joy is still involved with the Station, but I’m not entirely sure. I know Carl Signmaster, whose title is CBO (Chief Beer Officer) is entrenched with daily operations and I believe he's an owner. One day, I would love to sit down with Carl and hear how he became part of such a great place.

Belmont’s 15^th Anniversary celebration began at 3pm, but that darn work thing always gets in the way, so we didn’t end up getting there until around 7. Fortunately, there were still lots of great beer to be had. Ted Sobel of Brewers Union Local 180 brought his 4% Wotcha a La Citra Bitter and a special brew for the Station’s big day named 15-15-15, aka The Ides of Belmont Station. I had the 15-15-15; a cask conditioned beer. I’m not a huge Cask fan, but I had to try a beer that incorporates 15 malts and several hops. It turned out to be a winner. It had a nice dark, rich color similar to a stout and was definitely very malty. It went down the pipes easily. The other beer that I really favored from the evening was Barley Brown’s Tank Slapper. This Double IPA kicks Pliny’s ass. ‘Nough said. Shawn Kelso of 10 Barrel (former brewmaster for Barley Brown's) arranged for the Tank Slapper and Speed Wobble to be present on this special day. My cohort and fiancée favored the India Red Ale, Speed Wobble, which I read has never made it west of Baker City.

Ben Edmunds, Breakside's Brewer, Carl Signmaster, CBO of
Belmont Station and Shawn Kelso, 10 Barrel's Brewer

Belmont Station: 15th Anniversary Vintage Beer Sale & Party

An event not to missed tomorrow at Belmont Station!  This update just arrived in my inbox minutes ago:

We begin our 15th Anniversary celebration at 3PM tomorrow (Thursday March 15) with the tapping of 2 Firkins of Brewers Union beers and a fresh keg of Barley Brown's Speed Wobble India Red Ale. Also at 3PM we will sell a limited number of the following vintage beers, culled from our cold storage unit:

Alaskan Barleywine 2008 22oz
Deschutes Abyss 2007 22oz
Deschutes Abyss 2009 22oz
Deschutes Abyss 2010 22oz
Dogfish Head Bitches Brew 2010 750ml
Full Sail Black Gold 2009 22oz
Full Sail Top Sail 2010 & Imperial Porter 2011 2Pack 22 oz
Lompoc Bourbon Barrel LSD 2009 22oz
Oregon Trail Bourbon Porter #6 2011 22oz
Roots Epic Ale 2008 (signed & numbered #2 - #8!)
Russian River Consecration 2009 750ml
Stone Oaked Bastard 2006 12oz
Stone Oaked Bastard 2007 12oz
Stone Old Guardian 2007 22oz
Stone Vertical Epic 2007 22oz
Stone Vertical Epic 2009 22oz
Stone Vertical Epic 2010 22oz

Twas The Night Before Christmas

Okay, so last night wasn’t the night before Christmas, but there was a very special occasion at Belmont Station. It was a total surprise to us. It was Carl Singmaster’s Birthday. Carl is the owner of the Station, is a regular guest on Beer O’Clock Radio, a huge Motorhead fan, and an all around great guy. Thanks to Holly, the amiable manager of the Biercafé for making this happen. It was the first time in the 26 years of Carl’s career in retail that he enjoyed some beers instead of working. On hand was a 2005, (3) Liter bottle of Stone Oaked Arrogant Bastard that Carl purchased at the Station before becoming the owner, as well as a variety of tasty cupcakes. It was a nice celebration right before the Holidays. Happy Birthday Carl!

Random dude, Beer Goddess, Lisa Morrison and
 the man himself, Carl Singmaster.