This Week in Eugene Beer: 8/10-17

Howdy, folks.

This is the debut of a new semi-regular feature on the blog. I'm going to try to stay on top of interesting new beers being released here in Eugene, to help direct the thirsty novelty-seeking beer enthusiast to worthy watering holes.

Without further ado, here's this week's report:

Oakshire
This week, Oakshire featured Reunification, a Berliner Weisse. It's got a crisp, slightly sour bite that mellows into smoothy, bready malt that lingers a bit. This is a great introduction to the Berliner Weisse style - it's not too sour and doesn't linger, and at 4.5%, it's sessionable. Perfect for escaping the heat.

Hop Valley
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Hop Valley's got an excellent milk stout on tap called Galactose. It's possessed of a rich, caramelized/roasted malt flavor tempered somewhat by creamy lactose. It's also very sessionable at 4.8%, and definitely worth seeking out for those stout-lovers among us.

McKenzie
Moving into stronger territory, Steelhead's got a new IPA out perfect for the late summer - it's called Guavalicious. It's everything the name implies - heavy on guava flavor blended with tropical hops, clocking in around 7%. Word of warning, though: it's got quite a bitter finish, especially for having such mellow initial flavors.

Plank Town
Back on the lighter side, Plank Town's featuring a very good pilsner called Blue Pool. It's definitely rooted in the style's Germanic origins - traditionally floor-malted barley and Noble hops combine to produce a light, refreshing, and flavorful beer that's eminently sessionable at 4.3%.

Rogue
Eugene's Rogue outpost is undergoing some substantial changes, with ex-brewer Sam Scoggin working to get soon-to-open Elk Horn Brewing off the ground. I've heard Rogue just recently hired a new brewer to make its Eugene-based Track Town beers. Which is to say that new Track Town beer will be hard to come by for a little while longer. The only remaining draft at present is Pentathlon - a Belgian pale ale made with rye. It's got an interesting blend of rye spice and typical Belgian yeast esters. Worth a try if you find yourself downtown soon.

I hope y'all check these beers out soon!