Beer Me! — Portland Brewing — Portland, Oregon, United States

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Portland Brewing

(North American Breweries)

(Closed)

2730 NW 31st Avenue
Portland OR 97210
[Update]

Notes

Visited: July 29, 1993

Opened: 1986

Closed: 2021

Annual Production: 105,000 bbl

Contributors: John McKenzie, Ralph Wells, Ryan Hirscht, Siegfried Binge

Portland — also known as MacTarnahan's Brewing — was acquired by Pyramid in 2004. Acquired by North American Breweries in 2010.

Updated: January 14, 2021

News

2021-01-09: Portland Brewing Will Close in February After 34 Years of Business (Willamette Week)

Beer List

Benchmark Old Ale

Old Ale

9.90% abv.
- Date: May 8, 2004 (#5385)
  
  Package: bottled
  
  Place: Liquid Solutions, Tigard OR
  
  Score: 18 points
  
  Overall Impression (3)
  Bright copper. Nice head. Fruity, malty, and vegetal aromas. Surprisingly "medium" body. Very fruity, like pineapple. Very malty. Very alcoholic in the finish. I'd like to taste this in a couple of years.

H. Saxer Dark Lager

American-Style Dark Lager

Awards:

Bronze Medal, 2003 Great American Beer Festival

Haystack Black Beer

German-Style Schwarzbier

Date: April 7, 1996 (#1347)

Package: bottled

Place: Kamuela Liquor Store, Kamuela HI

Score: 17 points

Overall Impression (3)
Almost-black red, big brown head. Roasted barley aroma. Big roasty flavor. Reminds me a lot of the old Devil Mountain Devil's Brew!

Icicle Creek Winter Ale

Traditional Strong Scotch Ale

Date: November 13, 1994 (#601)

Package: draught

Place: The HopYard, Pleasanton CA

Score: 15 points

Overall Impression (2½)
Very red. Great head, good carbonation. Smells red! Not brown...red. Maple flavor? Good body. Smooth. Sweet.

MacTarnahan's Ale

Scottish-Style Export Ale

4.90% abv.

Date: April 9, 2006 (#5902)

Package: draught

Place: Pyramid Alehouse, Seattle WA

Score: 17 points

Appearance (3)
Bright amber. Nice dense head.

Aroma (3)
Fruity — plums. Estery.

Mouthfeel (9)
Medium body. Smooth, but fizzy. Lots of caramel malt. Lots of fruity hops. Pretty fruity. Nicely balanced, but a bit fruity.

Overall Impression (2)
Date: March 18, 1995 (#806)

Package: draught

Place: The HopYard, Pleasanton CA

Score: 18 points

Overall Impression (3)
Amber, good head and carbonation, clear. Malty aroma...a little fruity, not assertive. Big, thick, and chewy. Great maltiness, clean finish.
Date: June 24, 1994 (#360)

Package: draught

Place: The HopYard, Pleasanton CA

Score: 16½ points

Overall Impression (3½)
Red-amber, light carbonation, thin head. Smoky, sweet aromas. Thick. Sweet. Smoky. Sweet.
Date: July 29, 1993 (#217)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 17 points

Overall Impression (3)
Amber yellow, clear, good white head. Caramel aroma, just a little smoky. More caramel flavor and more smoke. Smooth and creamy. Bitter. "OG 1053, 40 BU, 3.9% w/w. Pale and caramel malt, Cascade hops."
Date: July 27, 1993 (#173)

Package: real ale

Place: Full Sail at Riverplace, Portland OR

Score: 12½ points

Overall Impression (2½)
Color too light? Lots o'peat in the nose. Thin. Lingering bitterness. Malty and sweet flavor, but not smoky.
Date: June 27, 1993 (#105)

Package: draught

Place: Lyon's Brewery, Dublin CA

Score: 14½ points

Overall Impression (3)
A shade darker than Grant's Scottish Ale (1-0104). Ah...there's the peat. Lots of Oregon hops to mask the Scottish flavors...I wish I had a Belhaven.

Date: January 10, 1997 (#1923)

Package: bottled

Place: Kona Wine Market, Kailua-Kona HI

Score: 15 points

Overall Impression (2½)
(Formerly known as Mactarnahan's Ale.) Amber, slight haze, high carbonation, OK head. Strong caramel aroma, hoppy, some diacetyl. Big body, rather fizzy. Malty, hoppy, some diacetyl, bitter at the end. It seems hoppier...I remember a big malty beer, but this one has a lot of hop flavor and bitterness.

Date: April 29, 1996 (#1405)

Package: bottled

Place: Kamuela Liquor Store, Kamuela HI

Score: 19 points

Overall Impression (3½)
Golden-amber, moderate carbonation, good head. Hoppy and chewy aroma! Very well-balanced beer. Big malty body carries the reasonably-bitter hops right doon yer neck. Cut back the carbonation a bit, and it would be perfect.

Date: April 9, 2006 (#5904)

Package: draught

Place: Pyramid Alehouse, Seattle WA

Score: 19 points

Appearance (3)
Dark dark dark dark red. Nice head.

Aroma (4)
Real nice roasty, chocolatey aroma.

Mouthfeel (9)
Medium creamy body. Really nicely roasty and chocolatey.

Overall Impression (3)
Really tasty beer.

Date: March 10, 2006 (#5863)

Package: bottled

Place: Liquid Solutions, Tigard OR

Score: 16 points

Appearance (3)
Black. Nice brown head.

Aroma (3)
Intense chocolate. Very mild hint of roast.

Mouthfeel (8)
Medium body. Fizzy and creamy. Really roasty, even burnt. Earthy. Mild hop flavor and bitterness in the finish.

Overall Impression (2)

Date: February 4, 2004 (#5203)

Package: bottled

Place: Liquid Solutions, Tigard OR

Score: 12 points

Overall Impression (2½)
Deep dark red. Big tan head. You can smell the wood and you can smell the bourbon and you can smell the diacetyl. Medium-big semi-fizzy body. Tastes much like it smells, only malty.

Date: August 12, 2008 (#7253)

Package: bottled

Place: Liquid Solutions, Tigard OR

Score: 16 points

Appearance (3)
Bright golden. Thick head.

Aroma (3)
Sweet. Mildly grainy and really fruity.

Mouthfeel (8)
Medium body, fizzy. Big grainy malt flavor with lots of fruity hops. A little sulfury. Finishes clean.

Overall Impression (2)

Date: February 17, 2012 (#8738)

Package: bottled

Place: Hy-Vee Stony Brook, Omaha NE

Score: 15½ points

Appearance (3)
Bright golden. Moderate head.

Aroma (2½)
Very mildly grainy.

Mouthfeel (8)
Medium-big body, fizzy. Lots of sweet, grainy malt, lots of fruity-spiciness. A little yeasty/sulfury. Alcohol shows up in the finish, along with a mild grassy hop flavor.

Overall Impression (2)

Date: October 10, 2009 (#7948)

Package: bottled

Place: Liquid Solutions, Tigard OR

Score: 16½ points

Appearance (3)
Deep golden. Dense head,

Aroma (3)
Spicy, smoky, grainy, yeasty.

Mouthfeel (8)
Medium body, moderate carbonation. Sweet, malty, fairly grainy. Sweet malty grassy finish.

Overall Impression (2½)
Brewed with peppercorns.

Date: February 18, 1995 (#779)

Package: draught

Place: The HopYard, Pleasanton CA

Score: 15 points

Overall Impression (2½)
Red, clear, fine carbonation, low head. Aroma vaguely reminiscent of...apple pie?!? Not unpleasant, but unexpected. BIG beer. Lots of caramel. Very well-balanced indeed.

Date: April 26, 1996 (#1399)

Package: bottled

Place: Kamuela Liquor Store, Kamuela HI

Score: 17 points

Overall Impression (3)
Golden, high carbonation, big head. Aroma of hops and clover. Bigger body than expected. Malty, touch of honey flavor, but not particularly sweet. Good beer.

Date: January 4, 1995 (#688)

Package: draught

Place: The HopYard, Pleasanton CA

Score: 17 points

Overall Impression (3)
Very pale, good carbonation and head. Big honey aroma. Reasonably thick for such a pale beer. Some honey flavor, but not overpowering. Very clean. Some bitterness in start.

Date: May 8, 1996 (#1454)

Package: bottled

Place: Kamuela Liquor Store, Kamuela HI

Score: 14½ points

Overall Impression (3)
Yellow, moderate carbonation, OK head. Crystal malt aroma. Malty, nice balance, but there's the oddest hint of dill pickles in the background! Finishes clean enough.

Date: August 12, 1993 (#156)

Package: draught

Place: Pacific Coast Brewing, Oakland CA

Score: 13½ points

Overall Impression (2½)
Pale yellow, hazy, lots of bubbles. Malty nose. Nice body. Weird hops...or more likely, Irish Moss, although the beer isn't all that clear.

Date: October 25, 2003 (#5121)

Package: bottled

Place: Woodman's Food Market #20, Green Bay WI

Score: 14 points

Overall Impression (2½)
Bright amber. Moderate head. Spicy hop aroma. Medium body. Herbal hop flavor and bitterness on top of a little caramel malt. It tastes like a typical West Coast Amber Ale.

Date: August 31, 1996 (#1560)

Package: bottled

Place: Kamuela Liquor Store, Kamuela HI

Score: 15 points

Overall Impression (2½)
Golden amber, good head, moderate carbonation. Strong berry aroma. Berry flavor isn't nearly as assertive as the aroma. Shows up mainly in the finish. Pretty good wheat flavor.

Date: May 26, 1995 (#1004)

Package: draught

Place: The HopYard, Pleasanton CA

Score: 14 points

Overall Impression (2½)
Golden-amber, big head, good carbonation. Tart-fruit aroma. Berry flavor, with malt. Not (quite) offensive.

Date: January 5, 1995 (#692)

Package: draught

Place: The HopYard, Pleasanton CA

Score: 14 points

Overall Impression (2½)
Amber-red, some haze. Smells like any other Weizen. Berries? I don't taste 'em. Wheat bite, OK hops, OK balance. OK, not particularly interesting.

Date: March 28, 1998 (#2569)

Package: draught

Place: Crescent Moon Ale House, Omaha NE

Score: 15½ points

Overall Impression (3)
Golden, low carbonation, thick head. Slightly fruity aroma. Good body, clean malt flavor, with a fruity hop finish.