Address:
4534 SE Belmont Street
Portland, OR 97215
Phone Number:
503 232 2202
Web Site:
View Web Site
For over a year, Intelligentsia baristas Ryan Willbur and Devin Pedde have discussed the Horse Brass with the kind of reverence that Catholics reserve for the Vatican. During the United States Barista Championship, I had an opportunity to join them at the SE Portland pub, and the beer list alone nearly had me speaking in tongues.
Every seat in the sprawling pub was filled, and almost every hand was hoisting a pint glass. Near the back entrance, a couple people were whipping darts at a board. The casual neighborhood bar featured plenty of dark wood, stained glass and there was a steady hum of conversation.
The deep beer list specialized in Pacific Northwest brews, including plenty of options that would be unimaginable in Southern California. There were dozens of beers on draught, including “Guests on Tap” and some that were supposed to be “Coming Soon,” but materialized early.
Northwesterners are clearly passionate about hoppy beers, as evidenced by the Horse Brass method of listing IBUs on the menu, where applicable. IBU stands for International Bittering Unit, the scale used to measure hop bitterness in beer. The scale supposedly maxes out at 100 IBUs, since people apparently can’t tolerate any more bitterness, but that didn’t stop the Horse Brass from stocking an “experimental” Apex IPA from Bear Republic that measured 100+.
Willbur and Pedde are hop-heads, so they ordered Homo Erectus Imperial IPA from Walking Man “brewed in celebration of humans being erect for 2 million years.” The beer packed 100 IBU and the sip I took slapped around my tastebuds in the best possible way. Willbur also ordered a cask-conditioned Racer 5 IPA from Bear Republic with 90+ IBUs. It was served warm and had a strong hops bite and even more complexity than the Homo Erectus.
I Started with a 10-ounce pour of Younger’s Special Bitter from Oregon-based Rogue. The ale was a collaboration between Rogue and Horse Brass owner Don Younger. The tasting notes anticipated a “balance of maltiness, fruitiness and hop bitterness.” The malt smoothed out the hoppiness, probably too much.
Hop Lava sounded great on the menu, a “glowing” Double Mountain Northwest IPA “packed with Northwest hops and an explosive, dry-hopped finish.” The Oregon brew clocked 75 IBU, which wasn’t quite as aggressive as the Homo Erectus or Racer 5, but still delivered plenty of depth.
Monica ordered a Belgian Apple Ale from HUB in Portland that wasn’t as sickly sweet as most ciders.
To eat, the Horse Brass features a short menu of British-style pub classics, including the Scotch Egg ($3.99), a hard-boiled egg wrapped in sausage and deep fried. Yes, this was as heavy as it sounds, and paired well with hoppy beer, salty potato chips and sweet mustard.
The Horse Brass lived up to the hype, delivering a terrific beer experience at bargain prices that are unthinkable in Los Angeles. On my next trip to Portland, I expect to make another pilgrimage.
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that Scotch Egg looks like death (the good kind, if there’s such a thing).
this place could put Father’s Office to shame. I want to try a beer that’s 100+ in IBU
Father’s Office looks amazing, but the beer list is better at Horse Brass, and the experience is much more enjoyable.
Horse Brass is great but what I like about Portland’s beer scene is that most restaurants have great small beer lists. You don’t have to go to a “beer bar” to taste great brews.
I was just getting started on the Portland beer scene, and the Horse Brass was a great introduction. Looking forward to branching out next time.