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Dave Logsdon has forgotten more about yeast than most brewers will ever know. Dubbed "the most important figure in Oregon beer that you've never heard of" by Beervana blogger Jeff Alworth, Logsdon was a founder at Full Sail Brewing before leaving to focus on Wyeast Laboratories, which grew into one of the country's top yeast sellers. His farmhouse brewery outside Hood River—it looks just like the label—is a retirement project, and has made a number of remarkable beers, including our 2011 Beer of the Year, a fresh-hop saison. The Conversion is an ambitious new project that hints at what's to come. This winey brew was inoculated with mildly fruity wild yeast strains to take on a clean tartness that hints at blackberry skin, cranberry and cherry. It's subtle stuff compared to most wilds, which get aggressively sour or funky. And it's part of a wider vision, as Logsdon is now installing an open fermentation tank in his loft, where it will pick up yeast from surrounding orchards. There's no rush, though. Logsdon spent about a year with this beer, which is still on a few shelves, including the Abbey Bar on Northwest 21st Avenue, and figures it might take another year until his next wild ale is available. It's worth the wait, and the hefty $25 price tag. Recommended.
WWeek 2015