Drifter was a bit of a revelation for me. I had it on tap at the Gasthaus when it was called W 08 Pale or something of the sort. And then again on tap this year for the first time. The flavor and aroma of the Summit hops set off a spark in me and I just had to brew something with them! They were all sold out around town but I finally tracked down 6oz online and have brewed 2 summit-focused batches so far and they have been delicious. Summit is a truly magical hop! And from what I understand, it is currently only being grown by one or two farms in the Yakima valley.

@truthypup

What kind of characteristic does the Summit hops give to your beer? Is it like the Drifter in that it's more citrus with less bitter? Or are you still getting a good amount of bitterness? I think Drifter is hitting an IBU of around 34.

Summit is actually a very high AA% hop (17.6%) but I believe drifter uses it mainly for flavor/aroma. The main characteristic that is very distinctive for Summit is a tangerine like quality. It is very unique and unlike other citrus hops. I have a bottle of a single malt(Marris Otter)/single hop (Summit) beer if you want to try it!

@truthypup

I'd love to give it a try.

I sent you email at food@portlandmercury.com

Not to hijack the thread, but Patrick:

Have you gained any weight since oregon craft beer month started?

I've been hitting as many OCBM events as possible, and today, I realized I've gained 10 pounds this month.

hey, since you liked the fred so much, and you wanted to chec out hair of the dog, check this:

The Brewery will be open, 2 till 6 this Friday for a tasting, including 4 Freds; Fred Wood, Bourbon Fred Wood, Fred Flanders and just Fred.

@ Jeff

Oh, hell yes! Also, no weight gain. That is in part due to the three times per week interval training I started with Kitty about a month and a half ago.

nice. I ride my bike everywhere and do a lot of hiking, and this month hasn't been any different, but I guess I just can't keep up with all the extra beer.

Have fun at hair of the dog. I would have gone if I had known about it earlier, but I'm working friday.

This weekend I'm climbing to the top of South Sister with some friends, and I'm bringing a secret growler of imperial oatmeal stout to share at the top.

Hopefully even with the beer, the climb yields a net loss in ABV (accumulated belly volume).