Internal Brewsletter - December 10th, 2025
General
Employee Provision - Submissions Needed!
A weekly special served at the Pub, the idea of which comes primarily from Block 15 employees.
This week’s Employee Provision will be brought to you by Ian! Swing by the Pub this Thursday for a Chicken Focaccia Sandwich!
We’re always looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas! Remember, if your provision gets selected, you can order one for free!
This Week’s Releases
Hoppy New Year // Imperial IPA // 8.80%
Welcome in 2026 with a bang of the finest Northwest-grown hops, a crisp body orchestrated by a dance of specialty malts, and a bubbly finish. Hoppy New Year from Block 15!
What are some highlights or changes for this beer?
Ring in the new year with an ipa that pairs the citrus character of Amarillo, citra and Bravo with the tropical and herbal character of Talus and Nelson Sauvin.
Tasting Notes:
Grapefruit • Papaya • Booming
Availability: On draft and cans to-go + Distributed to our network in Oregon & SW Washington
Series: Orbital
This beer will be around a month or less.
What is an Imperial IPA?
Imperial IPAs (often called Double IPAs) feature a more robust profile of malts and hops. Significant factors that set Imperial IPAs apart from regular IPAs are their alcohol content and bitterness levels. An Imperial IPA can range from 7.5%-10% ABV. Due to the increased malt load it takes to create the additional alcohol, more hops are required to balance out the beer and keep the malt in check. An Imperial IPA should be intensely hoppy, medium-light to medium-bodied, and have balanced hop characteristics. There can be Imperial versions of virtually any IPA style or sub-style.
Upcoming Releases
*This list is subject to change based on the production schedule. Please keep that in mind!
The Prophecies // Belgian Quadrupel
Series: Orbital
Releases: December 19th at Block 15
Availability: On draft and cans to-go + Distributed to our network in Oregon & SW Washington
Crowler/Package Sale for Sippin’ Sunday
20% off all packaged beer to-go, $5 Crowlers, and $10 Growler fills all-day Sunday of a specific beer.
This week’s beers are:
Pub: Hoppy Holidays
TR: Squirrel Stash and Highland Hymn
Beer Education
Barrel Room Roundtable - Thursdays 4 pm
Topic: Off-flavor workshop: Ethyl Hexanoate
BEER 101: Belgian Quadrupel Ales and The Prophecies
By Garrison Schmidt, Head Brewer
Next week, we’re releasing The Prophecies, our take on the Belgian Quadrupel Ale. Topping the list of Belgian Abbey-style ales, the Quad is the strongest and darkest of them all.
Not an official, traditional style, the Quad was popularized by La Trappe brewery in the Netherlands around 1991 to showcase their ability to brew strong, dark ale.
Usually 9-12%, Quads are characterized by malt-forward profiles. Dark fruit like raisins and plums, caramel, toffee, and burnt sugar are accompanied by Belgian yeast phenolics. Quads emphasize sweetness, partially from the ethanol present, but should be balanced by the carbonation and attenuation.
We work hard to carefully select the best ingredients from at home and abroad. Certain ingredients from the continent cannot be replicated stateside. These styles also require careful management of fermentation schedules. Additions of dark candi sugar drive up the ABV without adding weight, but added at the wrong time can weaken yeast and stall ferments, leaving cloying sweetness and heavy mouthfeel. Done properly, it allows for the zippy and light natural carbonation that the style is famous for.
It’s a complicated and delicate art, but Belgian Abbey ales, and Quads in particular, are a great addition to a tap list during the cold days and long nights of winter. Crack a Prophecies and let me know what you think. Share one with a friend and cheers the Belgian way - Proost!
Marketing Updates
By Holly Amlin, Marketing & Creative Manager
Events
From the Executive Chef
By Sarah Farey, Executive Chef
Bakery
Notes from Lindsey Henriksen, Bakery Manager
Pub Updates
By Kira Sciarrotta, General Manager
Oh What Fun is the Holiday Season! As many of you have probably noticed, this can be a slow time of year for restaurants as a whole. Please don’t be surprised if shifts get a little shorter/change a little bit as managers adjust in-times and phasing patterns.
This also means it's a wonderful time for cleaning! Block 15 lives lovingly in a 100 year-old building, and I am willing to bet there are corners that haven’t been touched in all those 100 years 🙈 Find them! The last one to clean something is a rotten egg (and remember: Santa is always watching).
On a serious note, there has been an uptick in downtime and that means an uptick in some very naughty behaviors: crowding around the host stand, backs to the front door, and chatting in the kitchen. Please be conscious and considerate of the time spent chatting and ensure any necessary conversations are brief and efficient. You don’t want to make the Naughty List!
Tap Room Updates
With Hoppy New Year releasing on Friday, and Hoppy Holidays still on draft and in cans, please be diligent in ringing in these two beers correctly – they can look similar in the system if you’re going fast!
Caves Updates
By Aidan Welch, General Manager
High Fives
Makenna - Thank you for doing such a beautiful job decorating the Taproom for the holidays!
Sophia K - Sophia is always so awesome and gets things done! I think that she is diligent, down to earth, and approachable and adaptable! You slay girl.
If you have kudos or kind words you want to share about your co-worker anonymously in the Brewsletter, use the button below!
Staff Section
Check back next week!
Charitable Programs
Drum roll please…
Our 2026 Charitable Partner selections are (in order of most votes):
South Corvallis Food Bank
Oregon Sexual Assault Task Force
Ocean Blue Project
Corvallis High School Robotics Team
Forestry Club at OSU and the College of Forestry Logging Sports Team
Old Mill Center for Children & Families
Benton County Historical Society / Corvallis Museum
4 Spirits Foundation
Corvallis Youth Symphony
Thank you to those who voted this year! Your opinion of who we support each year is valuable.