So I logged on tonight to do a quick review of OPA. I drank my original bottle last week, but didn’t take notes and felt it was worth buying another to get something detailed. However tonights bottle was an entirely different story. Either this bottle is so very bad, or this brewery is having trouble. So to be fair I did a from memory review of the first bottle, and a while I torture myself review of this second purchase. Both bottles were bought at the same store within a short time of each other, so I’m eliminating that as a factor. If you’ve had the OPA mutiple times, please tell me beer 2 is not it.

Bottle 1

Aroma

Some biscuity/bready aromas, hay

Appearance

Copper color, just the slightest haze. Decent head

Flavor

I remember lot’s of bready malts, some grassyness.Almost no bitterness. Slight citrus note if I remember right.

Overall

A good beer, and very drinkable. The phrase pale ale has little to no place in the name though. Neither enough hop flavors nor enough bitterness to tip the scales away from the malt flavors. Would buy it again.

Bottle 2

Aroma

buttery, caramel, leather

Appearance

Very dark amber color. Slightly opaque, no head, very little carbonation.

Flavor

I’m afraid to try it, but here goes. Sharp bite up front, but not from bitterness. Not sure how exactly to describe it. Sickly sweet, with little malt flavor. Fruity finish with a light lingering bitterness. Medium mouthfeel.

Overall

Get it away from me! Never going neer this beer with a 10 ft pole. Thought it’d be worth stocking again, but one bad bottle is enough. Still might stock their stout.

I’d never heard of Fire Mountain Brewery until…. 11 hours and 40 min ago. Apparently Roth’s in North Salem now carries both their Steam Powered Stout and Oregon Pale Ale. Apparently these are also the only t2o beers they produce as I can’t find any info on others. Their bottles though say they make lagers. I poured their Steam Powered slightly warm. As it’s date night and I’m already making Rachel wait while I write this I’ll review OPA at a later date.

Aroma

Lots of roasted grain but no burnt/black patent aroma Nothing to distinct on aroma.

Appearance

Black with dark head. Definitely stoutish. Opaque

Flavor

Good lord that’s not what I was expecting. Strong hop bitterness followed by roasted grain flavors and a slightly sweet medium body. Was expecting a Guinness, instead I got something much more substantial and extremely palatable. It doesn’t stick to your mouth like other medium bodied stouts. Clean and good.

Overall

While not the best stout I’ve had it’s definitely one I would stock and serve. Good flavors, even if it’s a bit one dimensional. I’m hoping their OPA blows me away. Definitely not what I expected for a stout from a small unknown brewery. In fact I may have to visit Carlton someday. Sometimes a good, clean, well executed beer can be more impressive then something unique.