Deschutes Brewery will be celebrating the release of Conflux #2 White IPA, their collaboration with Boulevard Brewing Company out of Kansas City, Missouri, this Tuesday at the pub downtown. They will have special menu items inspired by the beer, and will also be pouring from a limited number of kegs from Boulevard’s expression of the beer (the first-ever guest tap at the pub).
When these two breweries set out to collaborate, they really played to their strengths. Deschutes is known for their bordering-on-religious use of whole leaf hops, and I became aware of Boulevard for their Belgian efforts (their Saison Brett is among my top 3 American-made Belgian-style beers). From the descriptions I’ve read across both breweries’ marketing various chanels, this beer starts off with a traditional Belgian Wit foundation using wheat, a Belgian yeast, and spices of corriander and orange peel … all very traditional. But this is supposed to have IPA characteristics as well. Strong hop flavors wouldn’t automatically play well with the flavors mentioned above (specifically the spicy phenols typically found in a Witbier), so the brewers introduced whole-leaf sage and lemongrass to bridge the gap.
This is definitely set to be an interesting mash-up of styles, and given my affinity for these two breweries, I must say I’m intrigued. I’ll be there Tuesday to raise a glass … hope to see you there.
Details:
Conflux No. 2 Bend Pub Release Party
Deschutes Brewery Bend Public House
5 pm – 9 pm
Further details at Deschutes
Cheers!
Pictures from the two brewing sessions: