Review: Max’s Fanno Creek Brew Pub, Tigard Oregon

MAX’S FANNO CREEK BREW PUB, TIGARD OREGON
On Saturday, January 24th 2015, we went for a little brewery tour around Portland in celebration of my birthday. In picking the places to visit, we decided to hit a few we have been too in the past to give them a second try, and then a few that we had not been too before. The first brewery we visited was Max’s Fanno Creek Brew Pub in downtown Tigard Oregon. This downtown area is a quaint ‘small town vibe’ and Max’s fits right in. They have a large seating area outside that was not in use when we were there due to the weather, but one can imagine that it is popular during the warmer months. Inside, there is some brew production on the right side behind some windows, and a large restaurant area. As this is one gigantic room, there is no real safe place to escape kids, and even there on a Saturday for lunch, there were plenty of tables around us with little kids playing. They do also have a few large flat-screen TV’s to watch sports on, and the background audio is usually what game is on.

Regarding their menu, it’s pretty standard pub fare that is priced appropriately. We had a couple of sandwiches with fries and tatter tots, and everything was pretty good. I would say that I like to try Scotch Eggs when they are available, and this time around at Max’s, they came out a little over-done and rubbery. It’s hard to master the deep fried egg, and while they tasted ok, I wouldn’t order them again. Overall this is a decent pub if you’re in the area and looking for a unique beer and decent grub and good service.

They had 6 beers available to sample, and we ordered a taster (as shown). The beers ranged from Golden to Porter and I’ve posted the reviews of each below. The first time we visited this brewery about a year ago, there was some concerns on the quality of the beer as it wasn’t terribly good that first time. This time around, they have worked on their recipes and they are somewhat better. Most of the pours were cloudy, which isn’t typical of the styles and we asked the server about it and they acknowledged that it’s something they have to address, and she wasn’t sure what might be causing it.

http://www.maxsfannocreek.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Maxs-Fanno-Creek-Brew-Pub/
12562 SW Main Street
Tigard, Oregon 97223
503.624.9400

Golden Ale
Max’s Fanno Creek Brew Pub • American Pale Ale • IBU: 15 • ABV: 5.4%
Malts: 2 Row, Pale Ale, Munich
Hops: Hallertauer, Mt. Hood, Hall, Saaz
Unfiltered visual, straw yellow hue, with a yeasty slightly sweet nose. Definitely a dry lighter ale, no hops present but slight astringent from fruit?
Pagan Pale Ale
Max’s Fanno Creek Brew Pub • American Pale Ale • IBU: 46 • ABV: 5.4%
Nice amber color, clear pour, slight caramel nose and sweet grain build on the front. Hops are marginal, nothing stands out but the dry bitters do present along with the the balanced malts in an appropriate way.
X IPA
Max’s Fanno Creek Brew Pub • IPA • IBU: ?? • ABV: 7.5%
Hop on the nose is subtle. Bitters on the front are a little sharper and have a profile similar to Colorado style IPA. The citrus is really subtle to me, I taste more just straight hop flavors. There is a dry mouthfeel on the mid and lingering back drops quickly.
Reverend’s Daughter
Max’s Fanno Creek Brew Pub • Belgian Pale Ale • IBU: ?? • ABV: 6.7%
Golden hue, clear pour, slight lattice on the glass. Yeast and clove with sweet banana hints on the nose. Front is mild on the flavor profile, with fruit esters and a slight dry hop.
Dry Hopped Pacific Red
Max’s Fanno Creek Brew Pub • American Amber / Red Ale • IBU: 45 • ABV: 5.7%
Malts: 2 Row, Simpson 155/165, C-40, Roasted, Williams Crisp Amber
Hops: Mt. Hood, Cascade, Centennial
Slight darker amber hue, sweet orange like caramel nose. dry hop and toasted malts and caramel balance the front. Slight lingering hop oils on the back demonstrate the dry hopping of this red ale.
Vanilla Cream Porter
Max’s Fanno Creek Brew Pub • American Amber / Red Ale • IBU: 25 • ABV: 6.9%
Malts: Pale Ale, Munich, Simpson 155/165, Chocolate
Hops: Cascade, Golding, Fuggle
40 SRM, dark and thick appearance. The nose is all roasted malt and slight coffee notes. The front of this porter has strong roasted to toasted grains, slight dry hop and sweet caramel present on the mid and back. The vanilla is really subtle on the mid.

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