"We felt we had to do something special to mark our 19th Anniversary," said brewmaster Larry Sidor, "so we took a vow of silence and brewed our first Belgian style ale ever to be bottled."
The straw colored Strong Golden Ale is made from an impressive international list of ingredients that acknowledges the diverse roots of craft beer. "We used Czech Saaz, Slovenian Golding, Pacific Northwest Liberty, and Brewers Gold hops," said Sidor, "along with French pilsner malt, and Belgian white candy diamonds and bitter orange peel from the island of Curacao for a little extra kick and sizzle."
The vow of silence, a nod to the Belgian monks who brew some of the world's most revered beers, may have been the biggest challenge for the brewers at Deschutes. About half way through adding the 180 bags of malt, one of the brewers inadvertently exclaimed, "Good Lord, this is a lot of malt." Keeping with the spirit of their Belgian counterparts, another brewer answered, "Amen, brother."
Ratings, Awards & Notables
Bronze Medal, Strong Ales
2007 California Brewer's Festival