Simply put, Tugboat has one of the best senses of atmosphere of any bar I've visited in Portland. And it happens to be located right across the street from Bailey's Taproom, an excellent beer bar. Too, there's Santeria next door, which makes killer burritos.
So the fact that Tugboat's beer is totally forgettable isn't actually a mark against it. Here's what I had when I visited a couple of weeks ago, just for future reference:
Chernobyl Porter. At 13%+ ABV, this is a ridiculously strong porter, and it pulls no punches - booze is front and center for the entire experience, with some sweet malt and astringency rounding out the flavor.
Flower Power IPA. I wouldn't know what kind of beer this was if I was tasting it blind. It's really astringent and not a pleasant experience.
Amber Lamps Pale. Quite a bit milder in every respect to the other beers, this is nevertheless not a great ale by any means. It's got a lesser case of the IPA's astringency and not much other flavor.
Tugboat is a fantastic place to just hang out - there are books spilling off of wall-mounted shelves, weird nature documentaries on the TV, and a front door that has to be closed manually - so you can easily tell the first-timers from the regulars. Everything about the place oozes character and grime. I feel like Bukowski would've been happy here - it's warm, lived-in, and inviting.
I can't, in good conscience, recommend visiting Tugboat with the express purpose of trying its beer. It is, however, a great place to slow down, do some excellent people-watching, and enjoy living moment-to-moment. I'm struggling to think of any other brewpub I've visited that creates this feeling - its closest kin is probably Brewers Union in Oakridge. If you like one, you'll probably like the other.
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