The second day of my 2014 Corvallis trip had a leisurely start, but we eventually made it to Mazama Brewing, located in an industrial park on the eastern outskirts of town. Nice taproom, and they were doing periodic brewery tours as part of Corvallis Beer Week. Maybe a dozen people were on the tour we joined, and there were quite a few questions — so, it took a lot longer than I expected, and reminded me why I haven’t done too many official tours lately. But oh well. The brewing space was nice enough, and I did learn that the barrel aging they’re doing is all in a separate area. And we got a taste of their new bock they had not yet kegged.

Sampler flights at the Mazama Brewing taproom — Corvallis, OR

Rob’s Picks
• Wizard Island Wit – 4.8% – Light, with good coriander and light orange flavors. Touch of breadiness. Very light but very drinkable.
• Belgian Style Blonde – 7.7% – Fairly assertive banana/clove flavors and breadiness. Light alcohol edge and a touch of spiciness. Long lingering flavors.
• La Gaule Du Matin – Herbal hops with honey flavor. Light funk, a little bit of spiciness, and a touch of caramel. Aged in port barrels with a bit of lacto, but didn’t really notice that. Hmm.
• Grand Cru – 10% – Light alcohol aroma and flavor. Herbal hops with honey flavor, and a touch of caramel. Fairly smooth for 10%. Similar to La Gaule Du Matin but with little to no funk and a bit heavier body.
• Belgian Style Dubbel – 8.4% – Brown sugar and plum aroma. Brown sugar, dark chocolate, and bit of plum flavors. A little bit dry, too.
• Pyroclastic Porter – 5% – Big coffee/chocolate aroma and flavor. Roasty malt, too. Little bit of citrus hops. Medium body.
• Hop Eruption – 6.8% – Sharp boozy maltiness like a triple IPA, but not as intense. Big herbal and earthy hops. Interesting.
• Mazamafest Bock – Preview taste during the brewery tour. Light and lagery but with some breadiness, bit of alcohol, and honey sweetness. Good body.

The Rest
• Rasplendent – 5% – Raspberry aroma and flavor, plus light orange and hibiscus. Touch of tartness. Light and clean, but not my thing.
• Saison d’Etre – 6.3% – Interesting melange of flavors and ingredients. Coriander, orange, and juniper. Lightly peppery, very light funk, and a hint of bubblegum.
• White Wedding – 5.2% – Belgian Wit and Northwest IPA hybrid. Sharp tropical fruit/mosaic hop aroma. Flavor balanced by coriander and breadiness from the wit half. Bit of funk, too. I’m doing my best to not make a halfwit joke, but it’s hard. So so hard.
• Mosaic Eruption – 6% – Sharp tropical fruit, catty, and touch of pine aroma and flavor. Light malt. Lingering flavors to a bit of bitterness.
• Mazamanator Doppelbock – 9.9% – From a bottle bought at Corvallis Brewing Supplies. Caramel aroma and flavor. Lots of malt flavors. Caramel, brown sugar, to a roasty finish. Slight alcohol edge that increases as it warms. Touch of spiciness on finish. Interesting but a bit too malty for me.

I hadn’t known much at all about Mazama before going in, and yeah, I was pleasantly surprised. They’re doing some good stuff, and I’m looking forward to visiting them again next time I’m down in Corvallis.