Portland's Gigantic Brewing announces more IPAs, more collaborations, and more barrel-aged releases for 2020.
Image courtesy Gigantic Brewing
In Portland’s Southeast neighborhood, Gigantic Brewing Company remains a case study when two accomplished brewers open a business together. Started on May 9, 2012, by Van Havig and Ben Love, Gigantic continues to inspire conversations through their use of local artists designs on the labels, coupled with catchy beer names. Now in 2020, soon to be 8 years older, the brewery is happy to announce their plans for 2020.
Outside looking in, the brand has plans for more India Pale Ales, two new series focussed on lagers and collaboration, and more variants of their award-winning Fantastic Voyage Brett Saison. With this in mind, let's break it down starting with what’s out in 2020.
Out - The Time Warp Dan IPA, The Hustle Tropical IPA, The Tighten Up Citrus IPA.
Brewed as part of the now defunct, Seasonal Hoppy series, Van and Ben have retired these names in their official capacity while also reserving the right to re-release your favorite Seasonal Hoppy beers of 2019.
Out - Select Seasonal Specialities and Speciality IPA serieses (if that’s even a word)
If you enjoyed Weapon of Mass Seduction (Chocolate Oyster Stout), Marionberry Tart, Collabo - Brassneck, Cosmic Ascent (Saison with Black Raspberry), Uberfest (Oktoberfest) - Collabo ABGB, Collabo - Reuben’s Brews, or Superbad (Coffee Stout); now would be a good time to accept the loss, move on, and get ready for some new collaborations and the return of some classic favorites.
In addition, the following will also not be returning in 2020:
Cloudberries Hazy IPA with 527 + Mosaic Hops, Crystal Cloud, Polarized Hazy IPA, Collabo - Holy Mountain, Collabo - Anchorage Brewing, Brut IPA, Collabo - Bale Breaker, or Collabo - Parallel 49.
In - Seasonal Hazy IPA (available in 50 liter, 1/6 barrel, and 16.9oz reusable bottles)
image courtesy Gigantic Brewing Company
Starting in January and running throughout the year, look for the following beers to be released:
Glow Cloud Hazy IPA (with Citra and Mosaic hops).
Cloudberries Hazy IPA (with Grungeist and Mosaic hops)
Boom! Pow! Hazy IPA (with all Citra hops)
Rainbow Supreme Hazy IPA (with African Queen, Southern Passion, and Citra hops)
Mystery Cloud Hazy IPA (with Citra and Simcoe hops)
Super-Charged Hazy IPA (with Crystal, Citra, Mosaic, and Simcoe hops)
Boom Star Hazy Hazy IPA (with Galaxy and Citra hops)
Head in the Clouds Hazy IPA (with Citra and Grungeist hops)
In - Seasonal Specialty & Collaborations (available in 50 liter, 1/6 barrel, and 16.9oz reusable bottles)
Except for their Russian Imperial Stout, Most Premium, Gigantic Brewing Company has selected the following breweries, mostly in Oregon, to collaborate with them throughout the year. Those breweries and beers are:
February - March. Astoria, Oregon. Fort George Brewing Company. Crystal Visions DIPA.
April - May. Bellingham, Washington. Aslan Brewing. Colossal Panthera DIPA.
May - June. Tillamook, Oregon. De Garde Brewing. (name to be decided) DIPA
August - September. Bend Oregon. Boneyard Brewing Company. (name to be decided) DIPA
October - November. Bend, Oregon. Ale Apothecary.(name to be decided) DIPA.
November - December. Baker City, OR. Barley Brown’s Beer. (name to be decided) Imperial Stout.
January - February 2021. Sunriver OR. Sunriver Brewing Company. (name to be decided) Imperial Stout.
It doesn’t take a professor to deduce the focus will be on Double India Pale Ales, backed up with a couple Imperial Stouts. Should make for a fun 2020.
In - LP Stout joins the Always family (available in 50 liter, 1/6 barrel, and 16.9oz reusable bottles)
Image courtesy Gigantic Brewing
With commitments to ensure it’s availability throughout the year, LP Stout is the lastest beer to join the year-round family including Gigantic IPA, Kolschtastic, Sassy Pony, and Ginormous DIPA. As with LP stout, all other Always releases are (available in 50 liter, 1/6 barrel, and 16.9oz reusable bottles.
More on LP Stout
Sit back and get deep into the groove. Enjoy a sublime state of smooth, with notes of espresso, chocolate, and roast backed by a touch of caramel sweetness. A stout with a warm sound and lots of low-end punch.
Unchanged - Pipewrench + Cocktail *same name, different cocktails (available in 1/6 barrel and 16.9oz reusable bottles)
Starting in January and July, be on the lookout for this Pipewrench IPA aged in Gin Barrels, followed by Pipewrench IPA with Blood Oranges and Gin Citrus Sour in March, before the final toast in September with the release of Pipewrench IPA with aged in a Gin Barrel with Pomegranate.
Unchanged - Fresh Hop* (Sodbusted), Winter* (The Cat Ate My Stash & Pissed On The Xmas Tree), and Massive!** in both Barrel-aged bourbon, scotch, rum, port, and maple syrup.
*Unlike last year, there will be no Massive! In cognac or mezcal barrels.
What's New - Seasonal IPA*, Single Hop Pilsners*, Oktoberfest*, Fantastic Voyage variants **
Image courtesy Gigantic Brewing
Look for new India Pale Ales every couple months under the Seasonal IPA* series moniker. Starting in January (pssst, that’s this month), seek a bottle or draft of The Shake & Shimmy Juicy IPA (with Calista Hops, oats, and lactose), before moving onto Smackdab IPA (with Citra and Mosaic hops) in April. By July you should be ready for Hold Tight IPA (made with Strata and Citra hops), before finishing out in October with a Fluffy Tufts Juice IPA.
If Seasonal IPA isn’t your thing, then you’ll love Gigantic’s Seasonal Lager series with beers like Project Pilsner* or Oktoberfest*.
Breaking down the Seasonal Lager series, we see that Project Pilsner is a single hop Pilsner made with a different hop every couple months including Citra, Galaxy, Mosaic, Lotus, and Crystal hops. Besides Project Pilsner, the brewery will release Oktoberfest in September thru October, before finishing out the year with one last Project Pilsner Single Hop lager.
Image courtesy Gigantic Brewing
Finally, the brewery is happy to announce an expansion on their Fantastic Voyage Brett Saison series with the release of dry-hopped editions with Galaxy, Hull Melon, Mandarina hops or fermented with Gewurztraminer and Pinot Noir grape juice.
* Available in 50 liter, 1/6 barrel, and 16.9oz reusable bottles
** Available in 1/6 barrel and 16.9oz reusable bottles
For information on these and other beers, visit https://www.giganticbrewing.com/. Gigantic Brewing Company is located at 5224 SE 26th Avenue in Portland, OR 97202.
About Gigantic Brewing Company
At Gigantic we only do two things: make the best damn IPA in Portland, Oregon and produce seasonal, exciting, flavorful beers, most of which will be brewed only once. Our goal is simultaneously to create new interpretations of classic styles and to ignore those same style guidelines completely and brew whatever our creative natures produce.
We hold ourselves to a simple principle – Never Give an Inch. We vow to start small and (stubbornly) stay small, focusing our efforts on making exceptional beer, rather than a lot of beer. When you drink Gigantic, know that we didn’t just put our names on the label – our effort, imagination, and dry wit are in every bottle.
Look for Gigantic on tap at your local, and in 500ml bottles at your favorite place to buy good beer. Better yet, come visit us at our Tap Room and Champagne Lounge and Taste the Awesome!
Cheers!
Ben & Van
