It may not be October, but it’s definitely Oktober.
The Oktoberfest season has already begin in the Pacific Northwest, bringing with it all the joy-inducing beers of fall. On the downside, it’s true that Fremont Brewing has already brewed the year’s last batch of their celebrated Summer Ale. On the upside, ‘tis the season for coffee beers. Check out just a few of your options this Oktoberfest season.
Overcast Espresso Stout, Oakshire Brewing – This deep, dark bottled brew is available year-round out of Eugene, but it’s best when the skies start matching the name on the label. An oatmeal stout infused with all the complexity of quality espresso makes for rich, flavorful drinking on the drabbest of days. Eugene, Ore.
Coffee Brown, Bainbridge Island Brewing – Islanders love themselves some coffee. Bainbridge Island Brewing caters to this affinity with their Coffee Brown Ale, featuring feel-good Poulsbo, Wash. roasters’ Grounds for Change’s organic Sumatra Telong. Grown higher in the mountains than most Sumatran beans, the coffee used in this beer brings a bright, crisp bite that is glossed over in burlier coffee beers. Bainbridge Island, Wash.
Anubis Imperial Coffee Porter, Laughing Dog Brewing – Anubis, ancient Egyptian god thought to protect the dead and mummified in their journey to the afterlife, is depicted in early Egyptian murals with the head of a jackal and the body of a man. Laughing Dog’s Anubis is equally ambiguous, with velvety chocolate undertones of cold brewed coffee complicating the intensity of this beer’s porter base. Beans used are from Laughing Dog’s Sandpoint neighbor Evans Brothers Coffee Roasters. Sandpoint, Ida.
Hazelnut Coffee Stout, Der Blokken Brewery – This lady-owned and -operated operation turns out a lady- (and gentleman-) approved hazelnut coffee variation on their Double Black Stout. It weighs in at 7.4% ABV and is currently a dependably popular presence on Der Blokken’s taplist. Bremerton, Wash.
Oblique Black & White Stout, Cascade Brewing Company – With more than a pound of Oblique Coffee Roasters’ “scrumtrulescent” Ethiopian Sidamo Chelfit coffee per barrel, the Southeast Portland-roasted beans’ chocolate and vanilla aromatics make their way into the bouquet of this already caramelly creation. Decadent dessert in a pint glass. Portland, Ore.
