THIRSTYGROWLER
Celebrating
the Dark Arts
BY WILLIAM DEAN
When the weather turns dark and
stormy, there’s nothing like a pint of
something dark and delicious.
February is Stout Month, after all.
Time to pay tribute to the “dark arts.”
Local craft breweries are offering spe-
cial stouts guaranteed to take the chill
off a winter day. Some are luscious and
creamy, with hints of chocolate, cinna-
mon and vanilla. Others hit your palate
with an espresso-like roast before finish-
ing with bourbon and oak notes.
“Most people think of stout as Guin-
ness, but stouts have a multitude of fla-
vor profiles,” said Michal Frankowicz,
head brewer at Fort George Brewery.
Here are some of the best locally
brewed options:
Fort George
Among the 15-plus dark beers Fort
George plans to release this month is a
series of Russian imperial stout “vari-
ants” built off the brewery’s Matry-
oshka base. Batches are aged for nearly a
year in bourbon barrels, gaining potency
(14.0% ABV) but retaining smooth-
ness. The trio below is definitely worth
sampling:
• Matryoshka with Vanilla and Car-
damom. Cardamom is added during fer-
mentation along with a generous dose of
vanilla. Besides underlying dried fruit
and whiskey tones, there’s an enticing
aroma of spring flowers.
• Matryoshka with Vanilla and Gin-
ger. Ginger peps up this stout, provid-
ing intense aromas and a tongue-tickling
sensation. The spice merges nicely with
vanilla, fruit and whiskey flavors.
• Matryoshka with Vanilla and Cinna-
mon. Cinnamon and vanilla combine to
produce a cinnamon-roll sweetness. Then
the aged stout’s warming alcohol core
kicks in.
(Other special beers to ask for include
the Mint Chocolate Stout, Vegan Chai
Latte Stout and Pecan Praline Stout).
Buoy Beer
Baltic Porter: Coffee, toffee and choc-
olate notes soothe the palate first, fol-
lowed by a dry lager finish. Brewed with
8 // COASTWEEKEND.COM
Reach Break Brewing co-founder Josh Allison is proud of his stouts, which are barrel-aged to perfection. Pictured: Coconut Coffee Stout.
Brews & news
There’s no festival this year, but Fort George Brewery will be ringing in Stout Month with
live music and other entertainment every weekend in February. Guest brewers will come to
Astoria to collaborate on unique stouts for 2023. Check the brewery’s social media pages for
details.
Captain Phantasmic, a Fort George collaboration with ForeLand Beer of McMinnville, is slated
for release Feb. 20. It’s a special IPA made with powdered sauvignon blanc grape skins that
merge with hops for a unique citrus finish.
Love a challenge? Try navigating the North Coast Craft Beer Trail. The idea is to visit breweries
and brewpubs from Astoria to Cannon Beach. Check out enough of the locations on your
“passport” to get a free souvenir glass mug.
stout with tones of vanilla, espresso and
toasted coconut, plus chocolate from the
roasted malt. (9.6% ABV).
Postscript: Don’t miss your chance to
taste this stout, aged nearly four years
– in both red wine and bourbon bar-
rels. Notes of cherry and wine, as well as
bourbon and oak. (11.1% ABV).
Clap o’ Thunder: This powerful stout
is made with Jamaican molasses and
aged 10 months in rum casks. Besides
molasses sweetness, there are tones of
dark fruit, rum and spice. (11.2% ABV).
Astoria Brewing
German malts and hops. Head brewer
Matt Jones calls it a “nice, warming
beer” (7.8% ABV).
Decapitator: Mahogany-hued doppel-
bock with cherry and vanilla tones, and
aromas of oak and bourbon drawn from
the aging barrels. Smooth lager finish.
(11.8% ABV).
Industry Standard: Easy-drinking oat-
meal stout described by the brewer as
“roasty, rich and velvety.” Very true. Pale
chocolate malt and malted oats combine
nicely. (6.9% ABV).
(Due for release on Valentine’s Day is
Love, Lost at Sea, a barrel-aged barley
wine. Buoy has been making the taproom
favorite for five years and will be pour-
ing from the reserve of each batch for
special tastings).
Reach Break Brewing
Coconut Coffee Stout: Silky-smooth
Bad Ass Stout: A refreshing small-
batch stout made with rolled oats and
eight different malts. Chocolate and cof-
fee tones. Finishes with a hint of smoki-
ness. (7.0% ABV).
William Dean is an author with a pas-
sion for craft beer. His suspense novels,
“The Ghosts We Know” and “Dangerous
Freedom” are available at Amazon and
in bookstores. Column ideas? Contact
him at williamdeanbooks@gmail.com.