2 O'Clock Tasting: 
Logsdon Farmhouse Ales

Updated on March 29, 2016

Mount Hood, Oregon is a region notorious for hop production in the United States (check out our Hops of the Month to see which flowers are from this region!). The Hood River Valley lies between the twin peaks of Mount Hood and Mount Adams in Washington, and also happens to be home to the family estate of David Logsdon, where he farms and brews beer. Logsdon Farmhouse Ales is a small, Belgian-inspired brewery with original partners David Logsdon, his wife Judith Barnes and head brewer Charles Porter. It has now expanded to a co-op where there are no employees, only partners. This intimate company structure translates to their carefully brewed beers.

Wanting to return the idea of the farm to farmhouse ales, Logsdon takes equal inspiration from his farmstead as well as from his wife who is from Flanders. He is also a yeast connoisseur to say the least, having founded Wyeast Laboratories, a huge supplier of yeasts to both home and commercial brewers. Logsdon traveled to Europe just to find and isolate yeast strains to start his own brewery. He believes in combining yeast strains to create broader flavor profiles in his beers, alongside using primarily cold grown hops from the farmstead. Logdson Farmhouse Ales also prides itself on using local and organic ingredients, such as cherries. They’ve even planted their own cherry trees to eventual use in their brews! We were able to try six of Logsdon’s beers, all organic and full of unique, farmhouse flavor. Have you tried any Logsdon Farmhouse Ales? Let us know in the comments below!

1. Kili Wit

   5.5% ABV

   Their Kili Wit is an organic Belgian style white beer, brewed with African coriander. It pours super clear with a shimmering yellow color, almost of polished brass. The generous, billowy head is comprised of super fine bubbles. It’s hard to miss the coriander on the nose in addition to a fair amount of lemon. It’s a really refreshing brew, with a slight bit of bitterness and a spice sensation experienced at the finish.

2. Seizoen Bretta

   8.0% ABV

   This saison ranks in at 8.0% ABV and is uniquely bottle conditioned with pear juice. It gets its name from being brewed with brettanomyces yeast. With the golden color of Murphy’s Oil soap and a creamy, billowy eggshell white head, the Seizoen Bretta smells like Christmas spice potpourri and has a bit of funk like a young cheese. You can taste the pear juice used on the palette, as well as bit of sour apple and even baked muffin flavors. This brew was tart and zippy and managed to have an incredibly buttery mouthfeel.

3. Oak Aged Bretta

   8.0% BV

   The Oak Aged Bretta takes the Seizoen Bretta and ages it for a period of time, making it a mellower version of the Seizoen Bretta. It was a bit hazier than the other beer, with a dirty orange color to match. The vanilla scents from the oak are noticeable on the nose, with the rest of the aromas being subtle and balanced. One sip and it is evident that this is indeed an aged beer that goes down quite smoothly. It doesn’t quite have the same tartness as its younger brother the Seizoen Bretta.

4. Cerasus

   8.5% ABV

   Logsdon’s organic kriek is brewed with local, Oregon cherries, using almost two pounds of fruit per gallon of beer! The cherries give this kriek the appearance of candied apple or dark cherry cola. There’s a fruitiness and sourness on the nose, no doubt thanks to those cherries. The tartness translates to the palate as well, but in a very natural way. It’s even almost a bit salty and has a thinness to its mouthfeel that happens to end with a creamy finish.

5. Far West Vlaming

   6.5% ABV

   Touted as being an organic oak aged tart red ale, the Far West Vlaming is more specifically a Flemish style red that uses mostly pale malt in its brew. They use yeast and lactic bacteria to ferment it, and also blend it with a younger beer, which is very typical of a Flemish red. Despite the style name, this beer is more brown than red, with the appearance of root beer barrel candy or dark agave nectar. The head ends up as a tan foam. It has a mild aroma that smells slightly soapy. The taste is light and Earthy, with nuttiness becoming apparent at the back of the throat.

6. Straffe Drieling

   8.8% ABV

   This tripel, a style that can be found in almost all breweries in Flanders, uses mostly pilsner malt, but is also brewed with some oats for body and spices for flavor. The Straffe Drieling is hazy, foamy and golden in appearance. The aroma was very farmhouse-y, reminding us more of a saison style. The flavor continued on that trend having a bit of a gritty flavor, with hints of bright floral notes. We were surprised by this beer, but willing to give it another try!

---