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 9 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: 82 (14 reviews)
Rate Beer: 76 overall, 18 style (22 ratings)
Beer #2: Presidential IPA
Notes: One of Diamond Bear’s regular rotation, this beer is presumably the single IPA that the Two Term is based off of. From reviews, this could be borderline imperial amber based on the coloring. In terms of aroma, reviews say light pine and grapefruit. Not a whole lot on the site about what will set this apart from the other IPAs at SAVOR.
Beer Advocate: 78 (76 reviews)
Rate Beer: 70 overall, 37 style (112 ratings)
Summary: Diamond Bear is back for another year at SAVOR. The Two Term, which they also brought last year, is kind of an enigma, to be honest. Even a year later, still 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. I don’t remember getting by the booth last year to try these beers, but I may have to make more of an effort this year. The idea of tasting a double IPA and the single it’s based off of could make for an interesting experience. Still, not a lot of backstory available about these beers to set them apart from the other IPAs at SAVOR.
This profile is a part of the DCBEER.COM SAVOR Brewery Profile series. For more information, follow the link to see profiles of all 2012 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.
