McMenamins Inc.
Troutdale, OR
Available: OR, WA
Brothers Mike and Brian McMenamin opened their first pub in 1983 and their first brewery in 1985. Their company now operates over 40 establishments in Oregon and Washington. Many of the breweries, pub and movie theaters occupy renovated historic buildings, many of which are on the National Historic Register.
Alcohol by weight: 5.1
Color: 84
Bitterness: 25
Gravity: 1065
Delightful label depicts night and day, in black and white. Terminator is a creature of the night, black as a back alley, with a bewitching head of subdued candlelight. The nose is fetching, with exotic spices. On the palate, sweet, fruity malt meets an honest measure of hops. The result taste like a well made home brew: not refined, but hits the spot with Brazilian black bean soup, blue corn tortillas, and Rigo Jansci, a decadent Hungarian chocolate dessert.
I feel like I’m drinking history. One of the original microbrewed stouts, I recall enjoying the original back in the mid 1980’s . Rich, malty and floral in the aroma. Cocoa and roasted coffee in the flavor that melts away to sweet malt emerging as lugubrious goodness. So much character. Such a big bottle. I’m in stout heaven. Close the gates and lock me in. Consider me terminated. A classic that lives up to its long history of quality.
A generous pint bottle delivers a jet black beer with ruby highlights topped by a lingering creamy head. A rich chocolate malt aroma is balanced by grassy, floral hop notes and tangy lemon fruit. There’s a massive bitter hops and tart fruit attack on the tongue with notes of creamy malt and bitter chocolate. The finish is intensely bitter and hoppy, the bitterness cut by rich creamy malt and tangy fruit.
Founder of Merchant du Vin and the Pike Brewing Co., Charles Finkel is a pioneer in the marketing of craft beers in America.
Author of the New Complete Joy of Homebrewing, founder of the Great American Beer Festival and a Beer Examiner at www.examiner.com, Papazian is a leading voice in beer and brewing.
Roger Protz is the author of Complete Guide to World Beer and 300 Beers to Try Before You Die. He is a respected beer authority and editor of the CAMRA Good Beer Guide.
