There’s a new grocery store that just opened on 11th and Belmont, Market of Choice. Whatever, a new Whole Foods type place, thought everyone. But apparently, this place has the greatest beer selection of any super market ever. We’re talking rare beers. Whalez, bro. Cantillon just on the shelf. Kentucky Breakfast Stout all chilling next to the Guinness.
But it was in the Willamette Week’s Best of Portland issue right between the Best Daycation and the Best Late-Night Raffle -- Best Grocery Store Beer Selections We’ve Ever Seen. “I’ve literally dreamed that,” Sarah told me. “Cantillon at the grocery store.” Me, too. Me, too.
So we had to check it out. It’s a good beer selection. Nothing super unexpected anymore. The really hyped up stuff is gone, but there’s still plenty of exciting stuff I’ve never scene before. But I was cautious, I only spent forty bucks, on four bottles.
One of which was this bottle of Cultivateur, a provision saison from Deschutes. It was part of their pub series, small batch beers only available at the Deschutes locations in Portland and Bend -- and soon in Roanoke, Virginia I would reckon. I figured I’d missed on Cultivateur. We don’t make it to Deschutes very often, and the beer seems to be very well regarded. But there it was at Market of Choice.
Cultivateur is a strong farmhouse ale aged in oak for eleven months. It has subtle fruit notes on the nose, a light sweetness in the middle, followed by a bit of that Brettanomyces musk into a dry finish. It tastes like pears and apricots. It tastes like scones. It super light and fizzy on the tongue. The body is like a cider, more spritzy than creamy. It’s really a nice sort of summery take on a barrel aged...
Wait! I was wrong! The original Cultivateur was a pub-only release. This is just some lame reserve series. Boo! I was lied to! By myself! And I spent seventeen dollars on this trash!
Eh, the beer gave me a tummy ache anyways.