A close family friend of mine tells me stories of Henry Weinhard’s Private Reserve he enjoyed during the late 70’s and early 80’s. He says it was the best beer he ever drank. He is turning 60 next year, and I wanted to surprise him by making him a batch of this beer. I have full temperature control over fermentation for making lagers, however, I have never tasted this beer. I know that the original lager strain was brought to the USA, then Portland, likely from Stuttgart, Germany in the early 1850’s. The beer showcased PNW hops (cascade and possibly Willamette) and pale malts. Other than that, I have nothing else to go on to make this beer.
Does anyone here remember this beer? If you do, would you offer me some tips and what to shoot for in terms of malt bill, hop schedule and yeast selection?
Is there another resource I can look into for this information?