Beer Me! — Full Sail Brewing — Hood River, Oregon, United States

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Full Sail Brewing

(Encore Consumer Capital)

506 Columbia Street
Hood River OR 97031-2000
Telephone: +1 541-386-2247
Hours: Open daily 11:00am-9:00pm. Free tours daily at 1:00pm, 2:00pm, 3:00pm, and 4:00pm.
Brewer: James Emmerson, Jim Keiter, Josh Pfriem
[Contact] [Update]

Notes

Opened: 1987

Annual Production: 115,000 bbl

Contributors: Diane Crawford, Ralph Wells, Richard R Tinurelli, Teri Fahrendorf

Updated: November 28, 2017

News

2015-03-09: Full Sail sells to private equity firm — what does it mean? (All About Beer)
2010-12-10: The Green Brewhaha: Sustainability at Full Sail Brewing Co. (Triple Pundit)
2010-10-20: Full Sail Brewing Company Expands Distribution to North Eastern States (The Beer Spot News)
2010-09-08: Celebrate the Hop Harvest with Three Fresh Hop Beers from Full Sail Brewing Company (The Beer Spot News)

Beer List

21st Birthday Doppelbock

German-Style Strong Doppelbock
Adam's Malty Bomb

Robust Porter

5.30% abv.
Amber Ale

American-Style Amber/Red Ale
Awards:
- Silver Medal, 2010 US Open Beer Championship
- Date: September 12, 1997 (#2245)
  
  Package: bottled
  
  Place: Willow Glen Liquors, San Jose CA
  
  Score: 17 points
  
  Overall Impression (3)
  Pretty dark brown-red, big head. Fruity, herbal aroma. Pretty thick, lots of caramel. Well-hopped, but not at all overhopped.
- Date: May 11, 1996 (#1464)
  
  Package: bottled
  
  Place: Kamuela Liquor Store, Kamuela HI
  
  Score: 19 points
  
  Overall Impression (3½)
  Amber, fairly low carbonation, great head. Caramel and hop aroma. Pretty big beer. Bitter balance. A little fizzy. Pretty tasty...good choice for the first beer of the day.
- Date: March 18, 1995 (#805)
  
  Package: draught
  
  Place: The HopYard, Pleasanton CA
  
  Score: 15 points
  
  Overall Impression (2½)
  Deep amber, pretty clear, thick brown head. Dark caramel nose. Dark caramel and bitter flavors. Very chewy. Good mix of bitter and sweet in finish.
- Date: February 23, 1995 (#786)
  
  Package: draught
  
  Place: The HopYard, Pleasanton CA
  
  Score: 19 points
  
  Overall Impression (3½)
  Red-amber, nice head. Very fruity aroma. Excellent caramel flavor...beautiful lingering finish. Fruitiness is completely in the aroma, none in the flavor.
- Date: June 4, 1993 (#1165)
  
  Package: draught
  
  Place: Pacific Coast Brewing, Oakland CA
  
  Score: 16 points
  
  Overall Impression (3)
  Deep amber. Very similar aroma to Dempsey's Irish Red. Smoother than Dempsey's.
- Date: April 29, 1993 (#21)
  
  Package: draught
  
  Place: Pacific Coast Brewing, Oakland CA
  
  Score: 9 points
  
  Overall Impression (2)
  Darker than most Ambers. No head. Not much aroma. A lot sour. A little thin. Doesn't get any better no matter how often I try it.

Black Gold Bourbon

Wood- and Barrel-aged Strong Beer

Black Gold Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout 2011

Wood- and Barrel-aged Strong Beer

11.40% abv.

Brown Ale

English-Style Brown Ale

Date: August 17, 1994 (#438)

Package: draught

Place: The HopYard, Pleasanton CA

Score: 15 points

Overall Impression (2½)
Deep deep red and clear. Good brown head. Unexpected spicy aroma! Black licorice flavor notes. Thick. Sweet. Very slightly cloying.

Bump in the Night

6.50% abv.

Capsize

Barley Wine-Style Ale

Awards:

Silver Medal, 2003 Great American Beer Festival

Dunkopple

European-Style Dark/Münchner Dunkel

5.20% abv.

Elevation Imperial IPA

Imperial or Double India Pale Ale

7.50% abv.

Golden Ale

American-Style Pale Ale

Date: August 13, 1994 (#413)

Package: draught

Place: The HopYard, Pleasanton CA

Score: 12 points

Overall Impression (2½)
Hazy yellow etc. Caramel aroma...and something else. OK flavor, kind of sharp. Not nearly as good as the Amber. Some fruity notes.

Grandsun of Spot

American-Style India Pale Ale

6.00% abv.

Half Pipe Porter

Robust Porter

Hop Pursuit

American-Style Pale Ale

6.00% abv.

Hopfenfrisch Pilsner

German-Style Pilsener

Imperial Stout

India Pale Ale

American-Style India Pale Ale

Date: September 10, 1997 (#2233)

Package: bottled

Place: Willow Glen Liquors, San Jose CA

Score: 14½ points

Overall Impression (3)
Dark golden, moderate carbonation, good head. Sweet aroma, spicy, a little smoky. Good body, peppery spice. Some bitterness in the middle, but the pepper dominates the whole thing.
Date: April 3, 1995 (#841)

Package: draught

Place: The HopYard, Pleasanton CA

Score: 14½ points

Overall Impression (3)
Golden-amber. Clear. OK head. Fruity-fresh aroma. Thick. Spicy...Columbus? Nice finish.

Date: October 17, 2007 (#6656)

Package: bottled

Place: Liquid Solutions, Tigard OR

Score: 18 points

Appearance (3)
Bright amber. Low carbonation. Moderate head.

Aroma (4)
Wonderful clean fresh malt, with just a touch of fruity, grassy hops.

Mouthfeel (9)
Medium-big body, fairly fizzy. Lots of clean sweet malt. Very mild fruity, earthy hoppiness. Low bitterness. Clean, sweet, mildly grainy and smoky finish.

Overall Impression (2)
It's a pretty tasty beer, despite the omission of onions, pickles, severed fingers, and kryptonite from the recipe.

Date: April 16, 2010 (#8206)

Package: bottled

Place: Liquid Solutions, Tigard OR

Score: 16 points

Appearance (3)
Bright golden. Big thick head.

Aroma (3)
Sweet, fruity, and spicy.

Mouthfeel (8)
Medium body, fizzy. Sweet and grainy. Big fruity hop flavor, a little spicy. Low bitterness. Sweet bready finish.

Overall Impression (2)

Date: April 8, 1995 (#857)

Package: draught

Place: The HopYard, Pleasanton CA

Score: 16 points

Overall Impression (3)
Yellowish. Still. Clear. Smells like toast! Big and malty flavor, like a Bock oughta have. Real clean.

Date: May 26, 1995 (#1001)

Package: draught

Place: The HopYard, Pleasanton CA

Score: 16 points

Overall Impression (3)
Black, good brown head. Black aroma. Very black flavors. Acidic black malt flavor lingers.

Date: February 6, 1995 (#760)

Package: draught

Place: The Depot, Concord CA

Score: 14½ points

Overall Impression (3)
Looks black. Very dense head. Very hoppy aroma with some black malt. Bitter. OK body. Some black flavor, but too subtle. Astringent. Almost a Real Good Beer.

Date: January 29, 1995 (#744)

Package: draught

Place: The HopYard, Pleasanton CA

Score: 17 points

Overall Impression (3)
Very nice red. Caramelly-black aroma...alcohol! Very warming...lots of caramel and other goodies.

Date: October 13, 2007 (#6649)

Package: bottled

Place: Liquid Solutions, Tigard OR

Score: 17 points

Appearance (3)
Bright red. Big dense head.

Aroma (3)
Spicy, earthy, with a hint of milk chocolate.

Mouthfeel (9)
Medium-big body, fizzy. Lots of caramel malt, lots of earthy, spicy, resiny hops. Fairly bitter, but not as much as Lagunitas Lucky 13.

Overall Impression (2)

Date: June 13, 1996 (#1510)

Package: bottled

Place: Willow Glen Liquors, San Jose CA

Score: 15½ points

Overall Impression (3)
Very dark brown-red, OK head. Brown sugar aroma, hint of hops. Nutty flavor...almost like hazelnuts. Brown sugar sweetness. Brown sugar finish. One of the better Nut Brown Ales. (Note: Eckhardt, Jackson, and IBS all say that "Nut" Brown is just another name for the Brown Ale style. Hmm.) Thanks to Paris Cunningham for bringing this beer to Hawai`i for me!

Date: May 1, 2001 (#3824)

Package: bottled

Place: from the brewery

Score: 16 points

Overall Impression (3)
Bright amber, moderate head. Very malty aroma, with oak and leather. Almost but not quite huge in body, with lots of leathery flavor notes. Thanks to Steve Olson for the sample!

Date: October 13, 2007 (#6652)

Package: bottled

Place: Liquid Solutions, Tigard OR

Score: 19 points

Appearance (3)
Bright orangey-red. Big dense head.

Aroma (3)
Spicy, a bit perfumey, with lots of dark caramel.

Mouthfeel (10)
Big, smooth, sweet. Intense dark caramel malt character. Real nice hop balance and bitterness.

Overall Impression (3)
Very tasty beer.

Date: January 26, 2008 (#6847)

Package: bottled

Place: Liquid Solutions, Tigard OR

Score: 18 points

Appearance (3)
Bright deep red. Moderate foamy head.

Aroma (3)
Intense caramel, toffee. Bready.

Mouthfeel (9)
Big smooth beer. Intense toffee, malty flavor. Very nice intense bitterness to match. Smoky note. Very mildly warming.

Overall Impression (3)
Excellent beer.

Date: September 9, 2000 (#2356)

Package: bottled

Place: Belmont Station, Portland OR

Score: 15½ points

Overall Impression (3)
Amber, some haze, high carbonation, thick head. Fruity-floral aroma. Medium-light body, big fruity hop flavor all the way through. Mildly bitter.

Date: June 5, 1995 (#994)

Package: draught

Place: The HopYard, Pleasanton CA

Score: 13½ points

Overall Impression (2½)
Golden, moderate carbonation and head. Clean aroma, hint of hops. Vegetal, sticky flavors. Sierra Nevada Pale Bock was much cleaner.

Date: April 3, 1995 (#840)

Package: draught

Place: The HopYard, Pleasanton CA

Score: 15½ points

Overall Impression (3)
Yellow, some haze. Moderate carbonation, good head. Fresh spicy nose. Bitter, lots of hop flavor! Long bitter finish.

Date: May 29, 2010 (#8234)

Package: bottled

Place: Liquid Solutions, Tigard OR

Score: 17½ points

Appearance (2½)
Red-brown. Dense head.

Aroma (3)
Spicy. Licorice. Toffee.

Mouthfeel (9)
Light, fizzy, sweet. Nice mild roastiness, toffee and caramel malt flavors. Very low hop flavor and bitterness.

Overall Impression (3)
More American Dark Lagers should taste like this. But if you're going to call it "Black", it should be black.

Date: January 13, 2007 (#6287)

Package: bottled

Place: Liquid Solutions, Tigard OR

Score: 14½ points

Appearance (3)
Bright golden. Thick head.

Aroma (3)
Floral. Grainy and sweet. A bit smoky.

Mouthfeel (7)
Medium-light body. Moderate carbonation. Lots of sweet malt. Lots of fruity hops. Sweet clean finish.

Overall Impression (1½)

Date: February 4, 2006 (#5829)

Package: bottled

Place: Liquid Solutions, Tigard OR

Score: 17½ points

Appearance (3)
Bright copper color. Big thick head.

Aroma (3)
Spicy, earthy hops. Grainy.

Mouthfeel (9)
Medium-big body, smooth. Big resiny earthy hop character, fairly bitter. Good malty background, with a mild graininess. Some vanilla as it warms.

Overall Impression (2½)
Thanks to Liquid Solutions' Matt Maples for the bottle!

Date: May 18, 1999 (#3278)

Package: bottled

Place: from the brewery

Score: 15 points

Overall Impression (2½)
Deep golden, thick head. Big citrus nose. Medium body, huge citrus hop flavor, mild bitter finish. Thanks to Chris Hynek for the bottle!

Date: February 13, 1998 (#2392)

Package: bottled

Place: Shipley's Alehouse, Manoa HI

Score: 16 points

Overall Impression (3)
Golden-amber, moderate carbonation, good head. Fruity aroma, a little spicy. Bitter all the way through. Good body, rather high carbonation. Lots of fresh hop flavor in the finish. Special Edition for their 10th anniversary.

Date: December 29, 1997 (#2379)

Package: bottled

Place: Willow Glen Liquors, San Jose CA

Score: 15½ points

Overall Impression (3)
Deep red, low carbonation, dense head. Dark, malty, earthy aroma. Thick, phenomenally bitter. Non-stop intense bitterness. The second sip showed some maltiness, which was unexpected, because I thought all of my taste buds had been burned off by the first one. Thanks to Chuck Farnham for the bottle!

Date: November 13, 1994 (#598)

Package: draught

Place: The HopYard, Pleasanton CA

Score: 16 points

Overall Impression (3)
Red-brown, some haze. Aroma like Foghorn, but fainter. Alcoholic, sweet flavors. This would be a Barleywine - a good one - if it were just a bit heavier.

Date: August 20, 2008 (#7263)

Package: bottled

Place: Liquid Solutions, Tigard OR

Score: 17 points

Appearance (3)
Deep red. Moderate dense head.

Aroma (3)
Malty, fruity. Spicy alcohol.

Mouthfeel (9)
Medium-big body, smooth. Big caramel malt all the way through, with lots of fruity, grassy hops. Fairly bitter. Fruity hoppy finish.

Overall Impression (2)