Deschutes The Dissident
Fermented for more than 18 months in isolation from the rest of the beers, The Dissident is a distinctive Oud Bruin, Flanders-style brown ale, with a fruity aroma and flavor, the first wild yeast beer made by the award-winning Deschutes Brewery.
To give The Dissident its characteristic sour taste the brewery used a wild yeast strain called Brettanomyces (also known as Brett) during fermentation. Known throughout the wine world for creating earthy undertones found in many European wines, Brett is used in the beer fermentation process to create strong flavors typically associated with Belgian beers. Unlike English varieties that use traditional inoculated yeasts in the fermentation process, beers made with Brett take much longer to ferment and require additional barrel finishing time to balance the sour flavoring. In the Dissident’s case, this meant aging a portion of it in pinot and cabernet barrels for over 3 months. Another key flavor component comes from the Central Washington cherries that were added twelve months ago.
Due to the wild yeast , The Dissident required special treatment and was held in isolation under lock and key apart from the rest of the brewery’s beers to avoid any cross-contamination. A secondary bottling line was also brought in from an outside contractor to facilitate The Dissident’s bottling and insure the beer and wild yeast never touched the brewery’s machinery.
With a beer this wild and truly unique, Deschutes needed a special label to alert consumers to what lay inside. The resulting image immediately sets The Dissident apart from the other Deschutes Brewery beers, even the Reserve Series beers.
The fruit and acidity in The Dissident make it ideal for pairing with a wide variety of dishes - the high acidity is perfect for cutting creamy dishes or cooling spicy ones. Because of the fruity characteristics derived from the cherries, the beer also pairs well with chocolate. Deschutes Brewery President and Founder Gary Fish recommends pairing the Dissident with “anything chocolate, the darker the better, soft cheeses like Brie and creamy dishes like spaghetti carbonara, or macaroni and cheese.”
A very limited amount of The Dissident will be available September 1st as part of the brewery’s Reserve Series in hand-waxed 22-ounce bottles...
Draft: 11% ABV
2008 Bottling: 9% ABV
2010 Bottling:10.5% ABV
2012 Bottling:11.4% ABV
30 International Bitterness Units (IBU)
To give The Dissident its characteristic sour taste the brewery used a wild yeast strain called Brettanomyces (also known as Brett) during fermentation. Known throughout the wine world for creating earthy undertones found in many European wines, Brett is used in the beer fermentation process to create strong flavors typically associated with Belgian beers. Unlike English varieties that use traditional inoculated yeasts in the fermentation process, beers made with Brett take much longer to ferment and require additional barrel finishing time to balance the sour flavoring. In the Dissident’s case, this meant aging a portion of it in pinot and cabernet barrels for over 3 months. Another key flavor component comes from the Central Washington cherries that were added twelve months ago.
Due to the wild yeast , The Dissident required special treatment and was held in isolation under lock and key apart from the rest of the brewery’s beers to avoid any cross-contamination. A secondary bottling line was also brought in from an outside contractor to facilitate The Dissident’s bottling and insure the beer and wild yeast never touched the brewery’s machinery.
With a beer this wild and truly unique, Deschutes needed a special label to alert consumers to what lay inside. The resulting image immediately sets The Dissident apart from the other Deschutes Brewery beers, even the Reserve Series beers.
The fruit and acidity in The Dissident make it ideal for pairing with a wide variety of dishes - the high acidity is perfect for cutting creamy dishes or cooling spicy ones. Because of the fruity characteristics derived from the cherries, the beer also pairs well with chocolate. Deschutes Brewery President and Founder Gary Fish recommends pairing the Dissident with “anything chocolate, the darker the better, soft cheeses like Brie and creamy dishes like spaghetti carbonara, or macaroni and cheese.”
A very limited amount of The Dissident will be available September 1st as part of the brewery’s Reserve Series in hand-waxed 22-ounce bottles...
Draft: 11% ABV
2008 Bottling: 9% ABV
2010 Bottling:10.5% ABV
2012 Bottling:11.4% ABV
30 International Bitterness Units (IBU)
3.9
685 reviews
Bend, United States
Community reviews
From a 650ml bottle on 27/1/2019 (2016 reserve, ABV 10.9%, shared by Butz with thanks). Pours a clearish amber with a medium head which disappears quickly. The nose is quite oaky with a fair bit of dark fruit in the mix.In the mouth, it's super sweet to start, with lots of cherry, red grape, plum, date, caramel, but with a distinct, tart sour that balances the sweetness out beautifully. A bit boozy yet pretty easy to drink. The texture is syrupy and the carbonation soft. This is a magnificent dessert beer, and that's coming from someone who ordinarily has little regard for sours.
3/25/18. Bottle shared by someone at a tasting at Bobbie's. I could have SWORN I'd had this before. Oh well, here goes again. Amber red pour, kinda murky, under a nice dark khaki head. Rich aroma, cherries, tart and sour, some caramel, dark fruits. Tart flavor, dough, some caramel, cherries, dark fruits, leather. Tasty.
Bottle, 2018. It poured a brown color with a tan head. The aroma was of wine, fruits and sourness. The taste was similar to the aroma with more , wine, cherries, some citrus, sourness, sweetness with medium carbonation and a nice semi-sweet/sour aftertaste. Good stuff.
Bottle bought in Portland in 2016. (vintage 2015) Dark amber with a medium head. Aroma of funk, oak and vinegar. The same in the sour taste, also some fruit and malt. The body was medium and the alcohol well hidden. A tasty one.
66 fles. Helder amber kleur, fijne witte schuimkraag. De geur is eiken en zuur. Smaak is zoet/zuur, kersen, karamel en eiken. Vol lichaam, veel koolzuur
2016 Reserve, waxed and capped. October 17th bottling.
It pours a mostly clear red with a short lived head of foam, some lacing.
Smells of tart cherries, oak, vanilla, some other berry fruit that I can't quite grasp.
Tart cherry taste, oaky, lightly vinous, some notes of caramel but they come and go. Somewhat boozy. Could even have a wee bit of oxidation sneaking in.
Medium bodied and has a near syrupy feel.
A shelf turd due in part to the hefty price, I reckon. I've had a few different editions of this and I like this one but it isn't my favourite.
2017 Reserve, BOD 8/28/17. Clear pour with a nice rub cast over the light brown base. Head volume was outstanding while lacing and retention were normal for the 11.4% ABV and style.
The nose is light cherry over a slightly sour base. Light notes of oak compliment this very good aroma.
The mouthfeel is thin but is to be expected. The carbonation / body balance is very good but lacks the punch and flavor enhancement that a bit more carbonation would provide. The finish is slightly prickly. Overall, the mouthfeel is very good to borderline outstanding considering the style and age.
The flavor profile is quite outstanding, bordering on World Class. Delivered is an ale using Brett that has a world class balance with just enough sourness. The underlying sweetness is also perfectly balanced to make the cherries pop. Oak makes an appearance near the finish. Search and you shall find a hint of nutty malt typical of browns. The finish is a fade of sweet and sour cherries. As the finish lingers astringent alcohol becomes partially uncovered. To cover 11.4% alcohol until the finish is no small brewing task.
Bottle at Hair of the Dog, Phrom Phong, Bangkok. Poured a clear copper colour with a thin broken white head. The flavour is tart citrus, acid. The flavour is moderate sour with a crisp, tart, fruity, light molasses palate. Medium bodied with soft carbonation.
650ml bottle from The Gull shared with George and Ilya. 2016 Reserve. Pours a hazy dark golden with a tan head. Aroma is cherries with bready notes. Taste is sweet with cherry and cherry stone botes. Too sweet.
Bottled 10/17/16, opened 03/10/18. Pours dark copper/amber in color with thin creamy head. Aroma is red wine vinegar, caramel, gym socks, a lot of funk and oak. The Oak and warm notes are strong in the front, and the tart cherries come through on the swallow. Candied fruit and a little bit of liquor on the finish, implying the ABV. This is an assertive sour with a lot going on. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
2016 - Snifter. The aroma is fruit, caramel, a little raisin. Pours a dark amber with a reddish tan head fully diminishing and good lacing. The taste is sweet and sour. The body is medium, the texture creamy with a little syrupiness to it. The carbonation is soft and the finish long. Very nice beer.
Pours into a tulip glass a rusty brown color with sparse carbonation and rapidly collapsing foam. Aroma of a funky sharp cheese. Flavor is mellow, with a tart cherry bittersweet quality and an apple cider vinegar element. Finish is a bit thin for a barrel aged wild ale, I suspect it could have benefited from longer aging. Not bad, but by far the least complex Flanders oud I’ve had.
I did not believe there are cherries. But there are. Super acidic one. Not a noble brew
22 oz. bottle from Total Wine, Raleigh (North Hills). 2017 bottle listed as 10.5% ABV, bottled on August 28, 2017. Dark orange pour with a quick off-white head. Aroma of apple cider vinegar and tart lemons. Taste is tart cherries but well rounded with a solid oak presence that gives the beer an almost whiskey-like taste. A solid sour ale.
Rami Rami is drinking The Dissident by Deschutes Brewery at Jugosłowiańska
Bardzo ladny, slodkawy, owocowy, lekko octowy, waniliowy (!) flandersik
Bottle shared. Reddish brown pour. Aroma is cherries, lots of wine barrel. Taste similar, not really tart, lots of wood and wine in this. Very complex and good.
2016 bottle. Pours a murky reddish brown with a bubbly white ring that fades. Tart cherry aroma, with sugar, oak, vanilla, grapes, malt, and yeast. Taste is tart and sweet, lots of cherry and vanilla, oak and malt, with sparkly yeast. Lingering tart cherry-wood notes. I was the only one in my family who liked it but I think it's great!
Bomber->snifter. Deep clear copper with bare ecru head. A: acidic cherries, yeast, fruit esthers. T: malty cherries, booze, bread, bitter earth and hops. Hmm, ok.
Thanks Yetsko for bringing me a vintage 12 bottle! Nice mellowed sour brown. Lots of dark fruit, slight vinegary tartness, still very rich tasting sour. Love the bottle
Sunday, November 12, 2017 12:50 PM
From tap to taster glass at the Bend BreweryTasting room
Sight: brown liquid, small foam, seems slightly hazy
Smell: fragrant aroma of the barrel
Taste : Excellent, low bitterness, sour but well balance and not overpowering
Mouth feel: very good, good carbonation
Overrall: excellent beer, one of the best
Has a woody and cherry flavor. Nice and mellow. Dry texture. Smells fruity.
Bottle from BevMo! in Redwood City, CA. Aroma is cherries, mild brett funk, mild red wine, oak. Taste is mildly sour, tannic, cherries, earthy brett, mild earthy spice, dry oak. An interesting sour with tannic / dry wine vibes.
0.65l bottle, release 2016 with 10.9%abv.: pours hazy redish brown with tiny dissipating off-white head. Aroma-flavor# Toasted, cherries/fruity esters, moderate brett character, fruity & woody tannins, acidity. Both provide slight astringency and dryness. Medium bodied, smooth texture, moderate medium carbonation.
Pours clear copper with low white head. Aroma of cherries, berries, dried fruit and wine barrels. Taste is mild tart, boozy sweet, rich finish. Rich and smooth body with soft carbonation.
I was excited to try this and it did not disappoint. I love the Oud Bruin style and cherries are by far my favorite fruit in beers. Here it's a near perfect marriage of sweet malt, wild sourness, and juicy cherry. The cherry is not overly candy-ish but more natural, which is a very good thing. For 11% is still fairly bright and lively, perfect for pairing. Yum!
Aug 17 2017:
A 65 cl bottle from Bottle Jockey in Burnaby. A dark amber beer with generous yellow head and a sour fruity nose. Moderately sour and moderately sweet. Big dried fruit flavors here. Very nicely balanced. Beautiful! 4
Jan 02 2019:
A 5 oz serving on tap at Darby’s Gastown in Vancouver. Still a great sour bruin. Maybe a bit sweeter than the Cuvee de Jacobin, but nice anyway. 4
more complex
Pours reddish brown with low light bronze head
Aromas tart of sour and marinated cherries, caramel, oak, marinated raisins, some brown sugar, grapes
Taste has sweet and light tart notes of marinated cherries, raisins, cherry seed, caramel, oak
Pours hazy reddish brown with a moderate off white head. Aromas of marinated cherries, almonds, oak, raisins, grapes, caramel. Taste is fruity and sour with prominent oak and almond notes. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Bomber, 2015 vintage. Tart cherry aroma with notes of Brett funk, vinous white grape and some oak. Pours cloudy amber-redddish colored with a thin white head that has little retention or lacing. Starts with tart cherry flavors with notes of vinous white grape flavors. Finishes smooth and dry with Brett funk and a little bit of oak. Very nice sour.