Deschutes Brewery update: 15% growth, new tanks, Fresh Squeezed IPA, Class of ’88

Deschutes Brewery update: 15% growth, new tanks, Fresh Squeezed IPA, Class of ’88:
(Bend, OR) – BeerPulse caught up with Deschutes Brewery Digital Marketing Manager, Jason Randles, on Friday to chat about the brewery’s foray into cans. You can get all the info you need on Mirror Pond Pale Ale cans there. We also asked Randles about production, capacity and new beers.
CAPACITY
Deschutes produced just over 252,000 barrels in 2012, up ~15% from 2011, and is at capacity, says Randles. The addition of five 1,300-barrel tanks at the end of April will fix that, taking the brewery up to 430,000 barrels of annual capacity. This is the second set of tanks that will fit into a ten-tank cradle with the other five having gone into operation last year.
Deschutes can increase output beyond 430k/year “with a lot of work” but the new tanks provide some cushion for a few years. Packaging will eventually transition over to a warehouse at the Bend facility, opening up opportunities to grow capacity again.
With the capacity boost, Deschutes will add “at least one state” in the back half of the year. The team was very pleased with the Illinois launch with Wirtz in January. Inversion IPA should be making its way to that market now.
While fashionable over the last year, Randles notes that Deschutes is not looking to open a second brewery.
CONTRACTING
Deschutes considers contracting as a logical next step to eventually getting its beers out to the East Coast and the canning partnership with Cold Spring is the first move. Illinois was the first state the brewery entered East of the Mississippi and it has ambitions to go further.
“Shipping beer from Bend to the East Coast and Midwest- like other breweries, we are looking at other ways to deliver fresh beer to those fans. Part of it is looking for that contract brewer out there. We’ve been looking for years but haven’t got there yet.”
DESCHUTES RIVER ALE
Building on the successful 2012 launch of Deschutes Chainbreaker White IPA (#1 new craft beer in supermarkets), Deschutes introduced River Ale this month. A new year-round beer, River Ale hit the market on March 4th, primarily in independent shops and small chains. It is still very early though Randles says, “reception has been good.” There are a few markets where it may not appear until May like Missouri and Minnesota. It had yet to make it to Kansas as of late last week.
DESCHUTES CLASS OF ’88 BARLEYWINE
Here is a quick primer for the uninformed on this 25th anniversary project. Deschutes is looking at the week of April 8th for the first release. The company is coordinating with collaboration partners, Rogue Ales and North Coast, on timing for the respective versions.
DESCHUTES FRESH SQUEEZED IPA
Deschutes will replace its spring offering in the high-end 22 oz. Bond Street Series, Hop in the Dark, with Fresh-Squeezed IPA. Like so many popular IPAs in the modern era, this one focuses on Citra hops. The beer description reads, “Three types of malt, one type of bittering hop and a whole lot of Citra hops.” The label artwork has been submitted to the TTB so we will see it soon though Randles notes there is a subsequent label still to come that will be the final version.
DESCHUTES ARMORY XPA
Armory XPA launched across Deschutes’ footprint earlier this year, only on draft. “It is another one of those beers that was developed out of the Portland Pub and kind of became the signature beer there.”