Wild Ride Brewing Company - Nut Crusher Peanut Butter Porter

Peanut butter porters and stouts have begun to carve out a bit of a niche in the craft beer world, and Wild Ride threw their hat into the ring with this 2019 Best of Craft Beer Awards gold medal winner, which presents a very deep, dark brown with golden edges and a cap of medium brown foam. On the nose, there's a bold peanut expression which budges up against moderate roasty elements including semi-sweet and milk chocolate, light coffee grounds, and prominent caramel. In the flavor, look for that upfront peanut note to merge seamlessly into the roasted character, which comes through without any sort of acrid or overwrought quality, and there's a very subtle hint of dried fruit lurking here too. While not exactly the same flavor, the effect can remind one of a hazelnut coffee. Bold caramel with a dash of residual sweetness plays nicely with the beer's creamy body to offer a counterpoint to the roasted notes. For pairing options, chocolate covered peanut butter is an obvious match, but smoked meats, curries, and Thai dishes which include peanut sauce are worth exploring as well. Cheers!

Situated in Deschutes County, in Oregon's high desert on the eastern side of the Cascades, sits the small city of Redmond. Just 15 miles north of Bend, Redmond is pretty much smack dab right in the center of Oregon, a state well-known for its exceptional beer. For a group of Redmond natives who were lifelong friends and craft beer lovers, the idea of opening a brewery and tap room downtown turned from a dream into a reality when the first beers of Wild Ride started flowing in May of 2014.

Planning for the brewery began in late 2011. Joining the Redmond natives was Paul Bergeman who brought his 13 years of brewing experience to the team to serve as brewmaster (or Beer Maestro, as they like to say). Paul's brewing experience includes time at Portland's Laurelwood Brewing Co., as well as serving in the position of Brewing Manager at Hawaii's famous Kona Brewing Co. With the right people in place, the next step was finding the right location. In 2013, the team found an old lumber warehouse in downtown Redmond that would be perfect for a brewery, although a ton of work had to be done first. Full utilities were added, including running water and waste water pretreatment. A brand new 20-barrel brewing system was installed, giving them today a total production of just over 9000 barrels per year. Their on-site Tap Room is family friendly and served by multiple local food trucks, so visitors can enjoy good grub along with some awesome local beer. We're very much looking forward to seeing how this Wild Ride evolves over the next few years. In their short existence, they've already garnered a slew of medals and awards from numerous competitions including the North American Beer Awards, US Open Beer Championship, Oregon Beer Awards, Best of Craft Beer Awards, and more. For more info, call 541-516-8544 or visit www.wildridebrew.com.