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

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Portland Brewing

(Pyramid Breweries)

Portland, Oregon, United States
Not open to the public (as far as I know)

2730 NW 31st Avenue
Portland OR 97210
Telephone: +1 503-226-7623
Brewer: Tom Bleigh
[Contact] [Map] [Update]

Notes

Visited: July 29, 1993

Opened: 1986

Annual Production: 105,000 bbl

Contributor: Ryan Hirscht

Portland — also known as MacTarnahan Brewing — was acquired by Pyramid in 2004.

Updated: May 15, 2009

Beer List

Benchmark Old Ale

Old Ale

9.90% abv.
- Date: May 8, 2004 (#5385)
  
  Package: bottled
  
  Place: Liquid Solutions
  
  Score: 18 points
  
  Overall Impression
  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
Almost-black red, big brown head. Roasted barley aroma. Big roasty flavor. Reminds me a lot of the old Devil Mountain Devil's Brew!

Honu Beer

Golden or Blonde Ale

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
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
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
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
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
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
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.

MacTarnahan's Blackwatch Cream Porter

Robust Porter

5.30% abv.

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

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)

MacTarnahan's Bourbon Cask Aged Blackwatch Cream Porter

Wood- and Barrel-aged Dark Beer

Date: February 4, 2004 (#5203)

Package: bottled

Place: Liquid Solutions

Score: 12 points

Overall Impression
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.

MacTarnahan's Highlander Pale Ale

Golden or Blonde Ale

Awards:

Gold Medal, 2003 Los Angeles County Fair Competition

MacTarnahan's Oregon Honey

Specialty Honey Lager or Ale

MacTarnahan's Scottish-Style Amber Ale

Scottish-Style Heavy Ale

Date: January 10, 1997 (#1923)

Package: bottled

Place: Kona Wine Market, Kailua-Kona HI

Score: 15 points

Overall Impression
(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
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.

MacTarnahan's Sling Shot Extra Pale Ale

American-Style Pale Ale

6.20% abv.

Date: August 12, 2008 (#7253)

Package: bottled

Place: Liquid Solutions

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)

Malarkey's Wild Irish Ale

English-Style Pale Mild Ale

Date: February 18, 1995 (#779)

Package: draught

Place: The HopYard, Pleasanton CA

Score: 15 points

Overall Impression
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.

Mt. Hood Beer

Norwester Dunkel Weizen

Dark American Wheat Ale or Lager with Yeast

Awards:

Bronze Medal, 2003 Great American Beer Festival

Oregon Honey Beer

Golden or Blonde Ale

Awards:

Silver Medal, 1995 Great American Beer Festival

Date: April 26, 1996 (#1399)

Package: bottled

Place: Kamuela Liquor Store, Kamuela HI

Score: 17 points

Overall Impression
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
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.

Portland Ale

American-Style Pale Ale

Date: May 8, 1996 (#1454)

Package: bottled

Place: Kamuela Liquor Store, Kamuela HI

Score: 14½ points

Overall Impression
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
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.

Pyramid Crystal Weizen

Light American Wheat Ale or Lager without Yeast

Awards:

Bronze Medal, 2006 World Beer Cup

Pyramid Hefeweizen

Light American Wheat Ale or Lager with Yeast

Awards:

Bronze Medal, 2006 World Beer Cup

Summer Grifter

American-Style India Pale Ale

Uncle Otto's Oktoberfest Märzen Beer

German-Style Märzen/Oktoberfest

Date: October 25, 2003 (#5121)

Package: bottled

Place: Woodman's Food Market, Green Bay WI

Score: 14 points

Overall Impression
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.

Wheat Berry Brew

Garden (Fruit Wheat) Beer

Awards:

Silver Medal, 1995 World Beer Championships

Date: August 31, 1996 (#1560)

Package: bottled

Place: Kamuela Liquor Store, Kamuela HI

Score: 15 points

Overall Impression
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
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
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.

Zig Zag Lager

German-Style Pilsener

Awards:

Gold Medal, 1999 North American Beer Awards

Date: March 28, 1998 (#2569)

Package: draught

Place: Crescent Moon Ale House, Omaha NE

Score: 15½ points

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