Beer Review: Session Premium Lager from Full Sail Brewing in Hood River, Oregon - with a Contest
An old-school beer from one of Oregon's oldest craft breweries. Come into my post and enjoy a beer with me!
An Old-School Beer
It's in a stubby bottle with only 11 ounces instead of the usual 12. It's a throwback to a traditional Pacific Northwest bottle style that originally evaded state laws that applied only to beer bottles 12 ounces and larger. Crafty brewers! And it makes their beer look less expensive at the store, too, lol. Crafty brewers!
This Session Premium an all-malt lager, so there's no additional sugars or added flavors in this beer. Just malted barley and wheat. That's old school. And it's a Session-style beer - low alcohol (5.1% ABV) and low bitterness (18 IBU) - meant for having a few in one session. That's old school, too.
From An Old Oregon Brewery
Oregon has a lot of craft breweries. Almost 250 in 2016 -- and more appear every few months, at least where I live! Full Sail Brewery is in Hood River, right along the big Columbia River, in the Columbia Gorge. It's a hot spot for windsurfing, because the river is roaring down to the ocean and the wind is roaring up the gorge. So the Full Sail name is from the windsurfing boards.
Full Sail Brewing is one of the oldest craft breweries in Oregon, started in 1987. That's old for the United States! They are big enough now to be considered a regional brewery, selling in at least 28 states. For most of their time, they've been an employee-owned company. But the employee stock holders voted to sell to an investment company in 2015. So far, it hasn't affected the beer quality, in my view.
How's It Taste?
Really good! It's not a memorable flavor. But it's clean and smooth. Folks that prefer a more bitter beer, with lots of hops, won't make this Session Premium Lager their favorite. It doesn't have any complex flavors, so folks that want to savor every sip, won't make this their favorite, either. But for folks that want to quench their thirst or that like a simple, straightforward beer? I'd recommend this beer.
I can see how Session Premium Lager is considered a beer for drinking in quantity, lol. But that's not how I drink. I usually just have a small glass of beer with lunch or dinner. Because this beer doesn't have any strong flavors, it will go well with most any food, like my recent Winter Weed Vegan Sandwich.
What's the Contest?
I live in Oregon, where there are still a lot of loggers. And they do drink lagers. Tell me a joke about loggers and lagers. I'll give 1 SBD to my favorite one. Put your jokes in the comments below, before this post closes for payout. I'll choose my favorite and report it in my next beer review!
What Do You Think?
- Have you ever had Full Sail Session Ale?
- Have you seen any Full Sail Brewing Co. beer in your local stores?
- Do you like an all-malt beer?
- What's your trick for getting the cap off a beer bottle without an opener?
I personally love trying new beers , some have been really good and on top of my list and some not so much . Cheers 🍻
Cheers! I like your little picture, there! There are so many different beers here in Oregon. I'll never be able to try them all, lol. Here's to good new beers! Happy beersaturday!
That food and that beer look mighty tasty. I'm going to have to look for these. That sandwich was looking mighty tasty too! Cheers and happy beersaturday :)
Happy Beersaturday to you, too, @the-bitcoin-dood! It's a fun little beer -- and that was a good meal! :D
That looks very tasty. I will join you for one, or two since its 11 oz.s .
It's funny how 1 ounce is so noticeable! It seems like not quite enough beer, lol. Maybe that's their crafty strategy! ; ) Happy beersaturday!
I bet it worked well during regulation time. Booze and regulations just don't get along LOL.
That's the truth! I made a lot of wine in my bedroom closet as a high school kid, lol.
Nice post, and I'll be on the lookout for Full Sail Brewing session lager in NJ. I've had many a session IPA, but never a session lager.
I remember reading that the sessions were popular in England back in the day when having a drink, or two, or three was part of the blue-collar workday itinerary.
Thanks, @cognoscere -- good to hear from you! This Session Premium Lager is suited for having a drink or 2 or 3 after a hard day of physical work. But 1 will have to do for me, lol. Especially now that Full Sail is owned by an investment company, their beer may be in a lot more places. Good luck finding it in your area. And Happy BeerSaturday!
I don’t like beer, but I’d rather have a lager than a logger🤪🍻
Aww! And since you spent a lot of time in Oregon, you've been exposed to both, I think! Happy Saturday, without the lager or the logger, lol! : )
That Session is a great everyday beer. The flavor is there, and it has that great quenching factor to it as well. I drink these alot, but I am from the state so ya know its all over here at a great price. I love how a 12 pack of these stubbys cost less than my lunch, but the quality is so high! Everything Full Sail puts out is great, and the this beer to me represents the Columbia River Gorge very well.
Thanks for adding your review, @correctdrop! "Everyday beer" is a good fit for this Session Premium Lager, for sure! Here in Oregon, it's easy to find so many beers with all the added things, like grapefruit peel and coffee and who knows what all. So it was nice to have a simple, straight-forward all-malt beer. Happy BeerSaturday!
I am not a real drinker but I do like a good beer now and then . I tend to go for the hoppy beers. Just looking at your pics has me thirsty! Nice review.
Thanks, @tesscooks4u! I like a beer or a half-beer with food. I use the leftover beer for cooking something the next day, like pancakes, something in a beer batter, or beer-brats. You would do well here in the Northwest -- there are so many hoppy beers, especially the IPAs. Folks like their hops here, for sure! Happy BeerSaturday!
Great post, I love all the info and the way you describe this beer. Very enjoyable to read, and I'd like to drink it too. I do like beer, but not as much as making up jokes.
Let's see...joke #1:
"Did you hear about the NW Logger, who loved his Lager a bit too much while at work"?
-"They all said he was the best timber faller they'd ever seen!"
haha -- it took me a minute to get it. But then I chuckled pretty good! That's a good one, for sure! Logger + Lager = Timber Faller. I hope he wasn't falling timber at the time!
Check your wallet - thanks for your timber faller logger lager joke! :D
Beautiful color of beer! Its taste is bitter for me, but I would have to try it one day.....if you continue posting your beer photos! Good contest! ;D
haha -- Maybe the taste would be a little bitter. It's like wild greens that are a little bitter, or some vegetables. But I will try to find one that you might like, @tangmo. There are so many little breweries and local beer makers around here. And their bottles are fun to look at. And I like beer, lol. ; )
Ha ha! That's why I don't drink beer! If you find one that I might like, please immediately tell me.... That'll be really good for me! I have low pressure in blood, so my doctor suggested me to drink some kinds of alcohol.... But, I didn't follow his suggestion due to the taste of those drinks! Ha ha! ;))
I'll try to find a beer you might like, @tangmo. I bet you would like a wheat beer brewed with fruit. They are more sweet, without being bitter. Getting angry or frustrated can raise a person's blood pressure, too -- but a beer is more enjoyable! ; )
That's very nice of you! Ah! Your suggestion for the wheat beer with fruit looks interesting! The sweet taste like that would be good for me!
Yes, I absolutely agree with you, a beer is more enjoyable that getting angry or frustrated.... ;D
Those brewers MUST be a crafty bunch! What a cute bottle!
I'd be in trouble if all beer was in that size of a bottle. Or maybe I would be better off. It goes quick! The big 22 ounce bottles are intimidating, lol.