Beer Review: Golden Valley Brewery Tannen Bomb
The strongest cries about climate change you hear aren’t from the scientists, but from advocacy groups like Protect Our Winters: ”The sky is falling, but snow on our ski slopes isn’t!” Seeing as winters are shortening, the only logical decision is to drink winter seasonal beers while the getting’s good.
Most craft breweries release a “winter warmer” to ward off Jack Frost, a tradition dating back millennia to when agrarians celebrated the solstice by brewing beers made heavier with extra with grains (and perhaps fruits and spices), and religious practitioners believed intoxication aided communion with deities and spirits.
Outside Portland in McMinnville, great beers are easily found inside the Golden Valley Brewpub, but finding them in bottles is sometimes a challenge. We suggest a visit to New Seasons in hopes of picking up a six-pack of Tannen Bomb, so named since it arrives in stores along with Christmas trees and is a veritable malt bomb — 125 lbs. of malts per barrel.
Pouring the color of throat-warming bourbon, it’s spiced with enough hops to yield 40 IBUs, which is higher than Sierra Nevada Pale Ale but not overly bitter. At 8% ABV, this beer is made for enjoying by the fireplace while it’s snowing outside. Or not, as the case may be.