Deschutes Brewery – Jubel 2010: A Once-In-A-Decade Experience

I’m a sucker.  I’ll admit.  Anything ‘exclusive’ or ‘beer related’, I have to have.  And when you offer me an ‘exclusive beer’, well why don’t I just give you my bank account number.  So when my local beer connection told me she got the only two cases of Deschutes Jubel that they were delivering to North Idaho, and they only release it once a decade, my ‘sucker’ light lit up like a bright, glowing neon and I happily forked over my cash for a taste of something special.

This is a very unique brew.  First off, this 22 oz. bomber is wax sealed.  It is meant to be cellared.  Unfortunately, it was after I opened the bottle that I noticed the label on the side of the bottle that said, “Best AFTER 01/29/11 (not that I would have been able to hold on to a beer like this for that long).  Which reminds me, I really need to get a wine cooler so I can cellar beers like this.

Anyway, back to the beer at hand:  Jubel is aged for 13 months in Pinot Noir wine barrels before bottling. It pours dark and thick, like a strong ale should.  And the oak and earthy vines from the Pinot barrels become very apparent in its bouquet.   The thick 1” head clings nicely to the glass, and provides a welcome velvety texture.

I must admit, my first taste of this beer was actually very disappointing.  It was incredibly sweet and immature with a really strong alcohol taste.  But after I set it down for a few minutes and began to write this review, it warmed up and began to open up, as a wine does.  And my next taste was a very different experience.

The rest that was given to the beer, while I wrote my initial thoughts, allowed the complex flavors to come together.  It now had a nice soft nutty flavor and a strong smooth caramel malty finish.  It really became a wonderful pleasure to consume.  Unfortunately, it is not a beer for this time of year.  Ales as dark, strong and heavy as this are better left to be consumed during the winter months.

Deschutes Brewery's Jubel 2010 is definitely a craft beer for craft beer lovers.  It is far from an everyday beer for everyday people, and it is not a beer that I would keep on hand to drink regularly.  But if I had the resources to properly store such a brew, I would definitely purchase a case to cellar.  That way, I can be the ‘exclusive beer’ snob and offer it to my beer enthusiast friends.

ABV: 10.0%

Consumed: Stella Artois glass

Verdict: Buy a Twelve Pack