A Rose By Any Other Name...
It's that time of year again in Portland for the annual Rose Festival, but this year they get a little something extra – oranges. Well orange-flavoring at least. Portland Brewing has announced it's limited edition beer brewed specifically for the 2017 Rose Festival – Bloomin' Brilliant, an orange cream ale I really want to get my hands on.
Any time you have a limited edition beer it automatically causes a lot of intrigue, but the beauty of the bottle and the melding of oranges and bouquets of roses makes it all the more alluring. This orange cream ale is is a solid 5.7% ABV, pretty good for a cream ale and pairs it with 40 IBUs, sure to make it refreshing but not too sweet. They used over 6 different kinds of hops, but still gave it enough orange and vanilla flavors to give it that crisp cream ale taste.
The name of the beer gets it's name from the rose chosen to be the centerpiece of this year's festival – Bloomin' Brilliant – yes, it's a real rose, we looked it up and it is "a dark pink hybrid tea rose with one flower per stem." This sure to be delicious beer isn't only bloomin' brilliant but bloomin' quick, it will only be available between May 26th and June 11th at select retailers, local pubs & restaurants, and their own tap room.
The Rose Festival has been going strong for the last 100 years, and this year's 2.5 week celebration shows no sign of slowing. Honestly it looks like a event worth planning a Portland trip around since it's complete with parades, a marathon, and even a milk carton boat race (we had no idea that was a thing until this).
So if you find yourself in the Pacific Northwest in the next couple of weeks and manage to get your hands on a bottle of this stuff, do let us know what you thought? Or if you're feeling extra ambitious, feel free to pick one up for us too.
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