Terranaut Beer, Bend’s newest brewery, debuted this summer, soft launching with a handful of beers at local establishments while putting the finishing touches on a taproom that officially opened at the beginning of the month.

Terranaut is the venture of former 10 Barrel Brewing Company innovation brewer Bryon Pyka. In partnership with Peter Brantley and Katie Dunbar, the trio took over the former brewery and taproom of Monkless Belgian Ales, located at 20750 High Desert Lane.

“Pete and I have been friends for years and decided to jump on the opportunity when Monkless’ space became available,” said Pyka via email. “He’s an attorney and has a ton of helpful skills. Katie is an incredible artist, so she’s already done a bunch of art for us. She’ll also be managing our taproom.”

Getting up to speed

They took over the location in April and after a few improvements, were brewing by late May.

“We purchased a turn-key brewery from Monkless, as they upgraded their brewhouse in their new space. A minimal amount of tanks were included, so hopefully we’ll be looking to add to the cellar as things progress,” Pyka said.

He’s been hard at work brewing since, starting with “some maltier, English-style beers” but quickly moving into all types of styles. During his time at 10 Barrel, Pyka was best known for sour and mixed-fermentation beers. “It’s really invigorating to tackle styles that I didn’t really have a chance to do in past years,” he said.

Holy Schmidt! Wild Ride, Sunriver Brew up Bavarian styles

Midtown Yacht Club hosted a Terranaut tasting event last month, with five Terranaut beers on tap. I had a chance to sample several of them as well as a pint of IPA, and make some notes on each.

Trying the beers

Inner Cell Pale Ale: Billed as a Northwest pale ale, I found it to be a standard example of the style, with a bit more malt character than hops. It’s a nice introduction to the lineup for those looking for easy-drinking ales. 6% ABV with 50 IBUs.

Allora Ancora Italian Pils: For this hoppy lager style, there’s a big spicy hop presence, which might seem initially surprising although I believe it’s true to the spirit of Italian pilsner. It finishes crisp, dry, and spicy. 5.2% ABV with 30 IBUs.

Bucky Brown Ale: I always appreciate brown ales, and this is a nice one with a rich coffee note—not surprising, as it was conditioned with Backporch Coffee Roasters coffee as well as vanilla. Seek this out, as it just won a silver medal at the Great American Beer Festival. 5.5% ABV with 30 IBUs.

West Coast IPA: A really nice example of the style, with fruity aroma featuring citrus that’s dank and kind of orange-y, and fresh basil. The flavor features a neutral malt with a solid but not in-your-face bitterness, with a bit of herbal mintiness, perhaps a touch of that basil I detect in the nose, and a bit of nettles that go into a dry finish. 7.2% ABV with 70 IBUs.

I also had a chance to enjoy a pint of Terramoon, an Oktoberfest-style lager brewed in collaboration with Silver Moon Brewing Company, at Ponch’s Place. I found it to be a nice version of an Oktoberfest that seems to fall in between a festbier and a Märzen, with enough hops and bitterness to drink like a German pilsner. 6% ABV with 25 IBUs.

At the new taproom, I tried samples of: Goat Beer, a cocktail-inspired ale with lime and bitters; Köntroversial, a Kölsch with fresh basil and citrus; For Pete’s Sake, a nicely malty extra special bitter; and Stay Zesty, a barrel-aged mixed-culture sour ale with Meyer lemon zest brewed in collaboration with Crux Fermentation Project. I found all to be well-brewed and nicely drinkable.

These beers and more are now available at the taproom. The posted hours are Wednesday through Friday from 2 p.m. to closing, Saturday noon to closing, and Sunday noon to 6 p.m.

There is also a grand opening planned for Saturday, Oct. 19, which will feature the full lineup of beers with a food truck on site.

You can find Terranaut’s beers around town at various locations as well as the newly-opened taproom, which features the current full lineup of all 11 beers.

What: Terranaut Beer Grand Opening

When: 12:00 p.m.–closing Saturday

Where: Terranaut Beer, 20750 High Desert Lane, #106, Bend

Contact: terranautbeer.com