Name: Diamond Bear
Location: Little Rock, Arkansas
Type: Production brewery
Available in DC Market: No
What you need to know: Diamond Bear was Little Rock’s DC Brau when it opened. Well, kind of. It wasn’t quite the 50+ year wait that the District had, it was just 15 years, but still, bringing a production brewery to a city after a drought is commendable, and that’s what Diamond Bear did. Not a ton of breweries in Arkansas, just 5 breweries/brewpubs listed on BeerAdvocate, and Diamond Bear seems to be the big’un out there. Diamond Bear, curiously, holds itself to the Reinheitsgebot, the German purity law which specifies that only barley, yeast, hops, and water can be found in beer. (They seemingly violate this standard as they have a Honey Weiss, but I’m sure one of our resident Reinheitsgebot experts will explain to me how this can be.) PS, curious about the name of the brewery? Well, there used to be a diamond mine in Arkansas, and Arkansas used to be the Bear State. Makes total sense to put them together(?)!
Beer #1: Two Term Double IPA
Notes: I have had some trouble finding information about this beer except that it’s Diamond Bear’s winter seasonal. Presumably it is their Presidential IPA (named after Bill Clinton? maybe? probably?) turned into a DIPA. The “Two Term,” I’m pretty sure refers to Arkansas governor Mike Beebe who was re-elected to a second term in 2010. The Presidential is hopped with Amarillo, Cascade, Goldings, and Fuggles, which should combine to give it an earthy, grassy, citrusy profile.
Beer Advocate: B+ (9 reviews)
Rate Beer: 85 overall, 27 style
Beer #2: Paradise Porter
Notes: A porter seems like a strange beer to have as your spring seasonal, but the research I’m doing says that Paradise is just that for Diamond Bear. Reviews of this beer describe it as a light, drinkable porter with mild carbonation and a flavor profile bordering on a milk stout with a slightly sweet finish.
Beer Advocate: B+ (37 reviews)
Rate Beer: 77 overall, 65 style
Summary: The Two Term is kind of an enigma, to be honest. Not finding a whole lot about it out there, and I’m reluctant to go on the small number of reviews I found for it. The Porter seems like a nice easy drinker and won’t blow your palette out with its profile or 6% ABV. The folks at Diamond Bear appear to put out a good product, especially for Arkansas, which doesn’t seem to have a lot of in-state-produced options, but to be honest, neither of these beers offers an intrigue/story/zing that’s enticing me to stop by. That isn’t at all to say that they’re not good beers, sometimes I just like to have a little back story, you know?
This profile is a part of the DCBEER.COM SAVOR Brewery Profile series. For more information, follow the link to see profiles of all 2011 SAVOR participants.
Beer Review Disclaimer: The beer reviews found on Beer Advocate and Rate Beer do not represent the opinions of this site. We provide these in the hope that they will serve as a resource showing what some craft beer fans have thought of the beers. These reviews can be a helpful guideline, but are not the be-all end-all about a beer’s strengths or weaknesses.
