Portland, Part 2

Our first full day in Portland found us seeing some tourist attractions, eating at one of my favorite fast food restaurants, and, of course, trying more beer.  Again it was day of record high temperatures.  We spent our morning visiting the International Rose Test Garden and then the Portland Japanese Garden.  Both were quite impressive in their own respects.  The Rose Garden is the one of the oldest and largest rose test gardens in the US.  Free of charge, you can't beat the views of the city and the beautiful colors of the various roses.  The Japanese Garden brought shade, glorious shade to protect us from the heat and intense sun.  Portland's Japanese Garden is one of the most authentic Japanese gardens outside of Japan.  It was quite serene and tranquil.  Following the gardens, we headed for Five Guys Burgers and Fries, a delight I had not enjoyed in a couple years.  Let's just say the burger did not disappoint.

After our delicious burgers, we headed to the Pearl District and our first brewery of the day, BridgePort Brewery and Bakery (http://www.bridgeportbrew.com/).

For $7.50, we enjoyed a sample tray consisting of the following 8 beers:
          Haymaker Extra Pale Ale--A refreshing extra pale with a distinct blend of four malts and three varieties of hops creating a slightly complex, crisp and bright ale.  5.3%
          Blue Heron Pale Ale--Blue Heron Pale Ale features Williamette Valley hops and roasted barley for a flavor that is round on the palate with a crisp finish.  4.9%
          Ropewalk Amber Ale--This celebratory amber ale reflects BridePort's 20 year commitment to the fine art of craftbrewing.  Caramel malts give this ale its mellow, malty flavor.  A perfect session ale.  5.6%
          India Pale Ale--BridgePort IPA is a smooth, robust ale with assertive and fragrant hop character.  Our IPA is a product of the rare and traditional natural condition process, aging three times longer than ordinary beers in the keg, bottle, or cask from which it is poured.  5.5%
          E.S.B. (Extra Special Bitter)--Our ESB is a well-balanced, British-style ale.  Imported English Kent Golding hops give this brew an assertive aroma and a full bodied, yet mellow flavor.  6.1%
          Porter--BridgePort Porter is a careful combination of malts and hops that produces a rich and roasty full-bodied flavor.  Its natural conditioning results in a smooth, dark brew.  5.3%
          Black Strap Stout--Reminiscent of Irish stouts, BridgePort Black Strap Stout combines Northwest hops with the sweetness of black molasses to yield a velvet-rich, creamy brew.  6.0%
          Hop Czar--This Emperor of IBUs is triple hopped which produces a crazy, big, aggressively bitter, yet drinkable flavor made only for those with a Royal palate.  Brewed with three different malts and four different hop varieties, Hop Czar has a deep malt background with enthusiastic citrus and floral notes paired with uber high hop bitterness.  7.5%
          BeerTown Brown--Our roasted chocolate and pale malts shake hands creating mild caramel flavors.  Brown is your new reason to love beer.  Hops are added to create the perfect balance of sweetness to hopiness.  5.2%

We also sampled Blue Heron on cask, then I enjoyed a pint of Ropewalk before heading off to our next destination.

After leaving BridgePort, we headed over to OHSU to take the tram up to the hospital.  Sarah had spent a rotation at OHSU in medical school and it was a remote possibility for future employment.  We had a fantastic view on the brief tram ride and then walked over to the pedestrian walkway, before leaving the hospital and continuing our beer journey, Full Sail at Riverplace (http://www.fullsailbrewing.com/), where they brew next door to McCormick & Schmick's Harborside Restaurant.  This small brewhouse serves as Full Sail's research and development center, and is where the Brewmaster Reserve and Brewer's Share series were concocted.  We bellied up to the bar for a sampler, consisting of the following:
         Full Sail Amber--This beer is a sweet, malty, medium-bodied ale with a spicy, floral hop finish.  It's brewed with 2-row Pale, Crystal and Chocolate malts, and hopped with Mt. Hoods and Cascades. 5.5%
         Full Sail Pale Ale--This beer has a fresh, hoppy aroma that comes from two secret Northwest hop varieties, while two-row Pale and Crystal malt give it a mild sweetness that finishes crisp and clean.  5.4%
         Full Sail IPA--Generously hopped to 60 IBUs in the classic British style.  This beer has a full, malty body, with a hint of fresh citrus.  6%
         Full Sail Stout--This stout is a cross between an Irish dry and an export stout.  This beer has a very smooth character accentuated by the use of Munich malt, which is uncommon in a stout.  Hopped with Golding hops to balance the roast malt flavors.  5.4%
         Full Sail Ambrosia Red--This medium-bodied, dry-hopped red ale was brewed with a variety of specialty malts (Crystal, Munich, Honey, and Carafa) with a pronounced hop flavor and an emphasis on the aroma from the dry Brewer's Gold hops.  4.9%
         Full Sail Ltd Pilsner--This is a crisp, new pilsner-style lager that is pale golden in color, features a spicy floral hop aroma, a malty medium body, and a smooth thirst-quenching finish.  5.6%

Cask beers at the Pilsner Room at McCormick & Schmick's

Our sampler platters

After the samplers, we'd had enough of the heat and decided to head back to the hotel, before grabbing some dinner.