Santiam is the passion project of nine buddies, only some of them homebrewers (with Jerome Goodrow at the helm) who collectively formed the Salem brewery and cozy tasting room in 2012 with an emphasis on cask ales. The full name of the featured release is Gin Peche Belgian Lambic, although perhaps the proper nomenclature would be Gin Peche Belgian-style sour ale, since lambics are their own appellation denoting the wonderfully tart, complex, spontaneously fermented beers made in Belgium’s Senne River Valley. Taking a cue from Russian River Brewing’s "Sonambic" ales made in Sonoma Valley, may we suggest naming this beer Gin Peche Salembic.
Regardless, the debut beer of Santiam’s sour program was made with a 50-50 blend of peach and apricot purees matured in Rogue Distilling French oak barrels that previously aged pinot noir, and then Rogue's Pink Spruce Gin, and then Santiam’s Twig n' Berries Saison. Quite a wooden journey. The stonefruit concoction went into the barrel in late 2013 and came out at 6.6 percent ABV.
Rounding out the tasty line-up will be another new one, Tangiers Saison, brewed with tangerine peel and a light dose of Cascade dry hops, plus Ecotopia IPA (6.2 percent ABV, 72 IBU), Lacey Lady session IPA, Edel-Weissbier, and a rare PDX appearance by Pirate Stout, one of the best dark beers you’ve never had. Pirate Stout is a rum-barrel aged “tropical export stout” (7.9 percent ABV) with a fudgy base of chocolate malts and de-bittered black malt that sails through the Bahamas in a dark rum barrel picking up a crew of toasted coconut flakes.
The Upper Lip at Bailey’s Taproom, 213 SW Broadway, Tue May 27, 4-10 pm
