Internal Brewsletter - February 12th, 2025
General
Special Monday Bourbons - February 17th
Pub - Redwood Empire ‘Screaming Titan’ Wheated Bourbon, 96 Proof
Redwood Empire is a distillery in Sonoma County, CA that has been producing some very solid bourbons and whiskeys through the last handful of years. They name each of their bourbons/whiskeys after either redwood trees in California, or the rivers that run through these groves. They have partnered with Trees for the Future which is an NGO (non-governmental organization aka non-profit free of governmental influence) responsible for planting over 250 million trees since 1989, as well as One Tree Planted (NGO that has planted 40 million trees since 2014, and Redwood has committed to one tree planted per bottle sold and has planted about 1.7 million trees.
Screaming Titan is the name of a multi-stem coastal redwood rising over 323-feet from the ancient forest floor.
Nose: Nectarine, Sweet Tea, Apple Blossoms
Palate: Honeycomb, Pastry, Oak
Finish: Medium, Sweet, Spicy
Tap Room - Wilderness Trail Family Reserve Cask Strength Rye Whiskey, 104.82 Proof
“Our Small Batch Kentucky straight rye is crafted from a custom bill of 56 percent rye, 33 percent corn and 11 percent malted barley, created for a broader balance of flavor that offsets the spice of the typical high ryes. The result is a Kentucky Straight rye whiskey that is packed with herbaceous flavor and a long, succulent finish reminiscent of florals and spearmint sweetness. Our rye also enters the barrel among the lowest entry proof in Kentucky, highlighting the distillate’s nuance.”
Nose: Butterscotch, Rye, Vanilla
Palate: Rye Spice, Honey, Caramel
Finish: Warming, Leather, Citrus
Employee Provision
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 Lindsey! Swing by the Pub this Thursday for a Beef Kofta!
We’re always looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas!
This Week’s Releases
Releasing Friday, February 14th
Charmed Life // 5.00%
Description: Fortune favors the bold - and this lucky Irish Red Ale proves it. With a deep ruby hue and velvety malt backbone, Charmed Life delivers a taste of Irish brewing tradition in every blessed drop.
Key Takeaway: A true representation of a classic Irish Red, brewed with tradition in mind and respect for one of our favorite styles.
Tasting Notes: Bread Crust • Burnt Sugar • Jig Inducing
Format: Draft & Cans
Series: Perennial
Beer Style: Irish Red Ale
This classic style of amber ale has its roots in Ireland, though not under the name Irish Red Ale. That name originates from Coors and their iconic brand, Killian’s Irish Red, which is, in fact, a lager, not an ale. The tradition of making amber ales in Ireland goes back many centuries, always featuring a caramel and toffee-like malt flavor with a mild bitterness and very little hop flavor.
Rocky Shores // 6.80%
Description: As rugged and unique as the rocky shorelands of the Oregon Coast, this bright and flavorful IPA showcases both southern hemisphere and PNW hops with a blend of citrus, stonefruit, and herbaceous notes.
Key Takeaway: We used biscuit malt in this brew, creating a dynamic combination of malts and hops. Enigma, Simcoe, Chinook, and Nelson Sauvin showcase the very best of both the Pacific Northwest and the Southern Hemisphere, making this IPA a focus on balanced hop and malt aromas.
Tasting Notes: Grapefruit Peel • Spring Pine • Squall
Format: Draft & Cans
Series: Emerging
Beer Style: American IPA
The classic IPA style originating in America has evolved less than other substyles. Moderate to heavy malt presence with a balance of citrus, herbal, pine, and floral hop flavors and aromas most commonly. It is fuller-bodied than West Coast IPAs and has an assertive bitterness that balances malt sweetness. The Variations of IPAs have become America’s primary contribution to the pantheon of world beer styles.
Upcoming Releases
*This list is subject to change based on the production schedule, so please keep that in mind!
Liquid Opulence // Hazy IPA
Series: Emerging
Releases: February 21st
Format: Draft & Cans
Description: Highlighting El Dorado hops grown here in the PNW, this juicy concoction features bright tropical, citrus, and pine notes with a lush and inviting finish. Call it liquid gold.
Ocean Man // Baltic Porter
Series: Orbital
Releases: February 21st
Format: Draft & Cans
Description: Originating from the lands surrounding the Baltic Sea. This bold, rich, and highly drinkable lager pairs notes of coffee, dried plums, and dark chocolate with a clean, but decadent finish.
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 beer is: Love Potion #9, Fresca Pils (TR ONLY)
Change of discount rule across all locations: All Super Nebula and Kriek 2025 release bottles will NOT be available for the Sunday 20% off discount until mid March.
Beer Education
2:30 pm Tuesdays @ the Tap Room
Join us at the Tap Room every week for an educational session where you can taste and learn about the week’s releases. All are welcome!
4:00 pm Every Other Thursday @ the Pub
The next Happy Hour is this Thursday, 2/20!
Join us every other Thursday in the Game Room at the Pub to taste through beers, discuss our beers, brewing, or any other related topics you have questions about. This is a casual session, and anyone is welcome to attend. If you have an interesting bottle of beer you would like to taste/share with the group, bring it in. Your first beer is on us if you attend.
Beer 101 - Irish Red Ale
Written by Head Brewer Garrison Schmidt
An iconic beer style, Irish Red is defined by a lower ABV and a dry finish, but with little to no perceived bitterness. Instead, a delicate layer of caramel and toffee flavor gives Irish Red its distinct appeal. “Irish Red Ale”, while an iconic style name in the U.S., is not recognized by the same name in Ireland. Smithwicks’s, the most popular Irish red in Ireland, is simply called Irish ale as are most beers of this style. The term red comes from Killian’s Irish Red, a lager, not an ale, and is made by Miller-Coors. Killian’s was originally called “Enniscorthy Ruby Ale” and was brewed by Lett’s brewery in Ireland before they closed. The rights to the beer were sold to a French brewery, later Coors, who began brewing it in the 1980s.
The rise in popularity of Killian’s in the U.S. just before the craft beer boom led to the style being widely adopted by craft brewers, though its popularity has waned somewhat in the past decade. This is all a very complicated way of saying that Irish Red Ale is an authentic and iconic Irish style, but Americans’ perception of it is dominated by a sub-par American-Macro knockoff. As the consolidation and monopolization of brewing enterprises continue at the hands of fewer and fewer mega breweries, the lines between authentic national and generic globalized products continue to blur. This continues to be an issue within the craft beer community, as well. That is why the act of being genuine in what we do is so important to making Block 15 what it is.
Look for Charmed Life in its gold and green can, sporting all sorts of lucky symbols, and experience a real representation of style.
From the Executive Chef
March Monthly Specials are set to come out Wednesday, March 5th at both locations! Here is a sneak peak at our offerings! I will be finalizing and including procedures and more info in the next 2 brewsletters, so look for that and let me know if you have any questions! XO
PUB
Japanese Pork Katsu & Rice Bowl Panko breaded and fried pork cutlet served over a bed of steamed basmati rice with our Japanese curry sauce, shredded cabbage, and quick citrus pickled cucumbers. $16.99
Honey-Chili Shrimp Po Boy Sweet & spicy grilled wild Gulf shrimp, shredded lettuce, sweet onion, fresh tomato & chipotle-lime aioli on a house baked baguette. $15.99
Sweet Potato & Romesco Dip Creamy sweet potatoes, romesco, almonds & cream cheese dip served chilled with veggies and toasted bread. $11.99
TAPROOM
Honey Mustard Asparagus Dog (workshopping the name still) Zenners all beef hot dog, shaved asparagus & cabbage slaw, creamy honey mustard vinaigrette and pickled jalapenos on a house baked roll. $14.99
Irish Stout Sausage & Potato Rolls 3 crispy pastries filled with stout sausage & creamy cheddar potatoes. Served with house pickles and pub mustard. $9.99
Pub Updates
Tap Room Updates
Caves Updates
Bourbon Dinner - February 18th
As part of our Bourbon Month events, we’re hosting a Bourbon-themed pairing dinner at Caves on February 18th at 6 pm. The six-course menu was crafted by Sarah and Aidan. Check it out at the link below!
Ticket Sales: https://www.cavescorvallis.com/experiences/bourbon-dinner
Valentine’s Day at Caves
This year, we’ll be running a couple of specials from Thursday, February 13th, through Saturday, February 15th. Reservations are encouraged but not required.
Dinner Special
Winter Black Truffle & Parsnip Risotto, Boudin Blanc, Shaved Apple & Herb Salad
Dessert Special
Brown Butter Brownie, Marionberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
Events
Bourbon Month
We’re about halfway through Bourbon Month! We have two more weeks of special Monday Bourbons events on Tuesdays. Keep encouraging folks to work on their stamp books, and to check out the Tap Room if the Pub runs out of something. The Bourbon Dinner at Caves still has a few spots left and is a great opportunity to dive into flavor town.
High Fives
Tivey Hornberger - Absolute boss in the prep kitchen, amazing leader.
Sarah Farey - Crushing COGs and taking names
Nicole C - Thanks for saving Caves this past weekend!
Murphy Lantz - Murphy is such a good team player. She’s come into work on short notice multiple times to help us with sick coverage and is always staying busy!
Salem M - Thank you Salem for being such a fun coworker to be on the floor with!
Trinna - Trinna has noticeably been going out of her way to be attentive and helpful on the floor. Whether she's hosting or food running, she's always looking up and taking care of those small tasks that help out our team, thanks Trinna!
If you have kudos or kind words you want to share about your co-worker anonymously in the Brewsletter, use the button below!
Human Resources
Staff Section
Congrats to Cedar Nelson as the newest member of the Pub Manager team!
Charitable Programs
Check back next week.