Poppa Otter’s Bacon Breakfast Stout

Alcohol by volume: 8.8%

Where: Odd Otter Brewing Company, 716 Pacific Ave., Tacoma

‘Tis the season

It’s that most hallowed time of year for beer drinkers — Saint Patrick’s Day. The holiday conjures visions of all things green, ranging from leprechauns to beer. However, We can’t bring ourselves to contaminate our favorite brew with food coloring. After all, the phrase “green beer” is often used to describe young and unfermented brews with yeast so active they turn your stomach. We do feel the occasion warrants a deep dark stout.

Most beer drinkers admit Guinness shapes their image of stout. But there’s another local option in the area right now — Poppa Otter’s Bacon Breakfast Stout from Odd Otter Brewing Company in downtown Tacoma.

Poppa’s got a brand new bag

Poppa Otter’s Bacon Breakfast Stout hits each of its components with vigor: It’s brewed with an abundance of flaked oats, Cherrywood Smoked Malt and Candi bacon. I know, it sounds like a KFC Famous Bowl in a bottle. But the Breakfast Stout is no failure pile: It’s harmonious, with smoky roast-y goodness, oatmeal richness and a touch of sweetness.

For the uninitiated, Cherrywood Smoked Malt is produced in small batches and smoked over cherry wood, resulting in enzyme-active malt that contributes an intense yet smooth and sweet smoke flavor and aroma. Real smoked bacon and maple syrup are cooked in small batches in Candi syrup. “Real, tiny bits of bacon were floating in the tanks,” adds Greer Hubbard, lead brewer at Odd Otter. “There’s a lot going on in this beer.”

Poppa Otter’s Bacon Breakfast Stout is our pick for celebrating St. Patrick’s Day this year. There’s just no blarney in this beer