Here we are in October already—Halloween month! Oktoberfest is finishing up (officially on the 6th) and for me it’s really time for the pumpkin beers. Here’s the news for Tuesday, the first of October. As usual, I’ll be periodically updating this post throughout the day, so check back often for the latest news. If you have news to share, please contact me and I can get that posted as well.

Cascade Brewing (Portland): Tonight’s Tap It Tuesday event at the Barrel House at 6pm is featuring “Live” Bourbonic Plague 2011: “a spiced double porter aged 24 months in Heaven Hill Bourbon barrels with Bahri dates, Bourbon vanilla beans and Thai cinnamon. Complex aromas of dark malts and spices combine with sweet vanillin and notes of Bourbon and leather. Sweet vanilla, dark fruits and Bourbon come together and reveal themselves with notes of dates, oak, leather and tobacco on the palate.” One you won’t want to miss!

The Umpqua Brew Fest is taking place this month in Roseburg on Saturday, October 19, an event that benefits the Umpqua Watersheds non-profit organization: “After the fall harvest each year the communities of the hundred valleys of the Umpqua celebrate the bounty of the land and the purity of the water. Sponsors, vendors, volunteers, organizers, musicians, brewers, and craft beer tasters all come together every October for a day of water, barley, and hop heaven at the Umpqua Brew Fest.” Looks like a nice taplist and the Fest runs from 1 to 9pm.

Oakshire Brewing (Eugene) has their latest Single Batch series beer releasing tonight at 6pm in their taproom: Galaxy IPA. “Developed and grown solely in Australia, Galaxy hops impart distinctive grapefruit and passionfruit character from when the beer first greets the nose until the last of it lingers on the palate.”

Thunder Island Brewing (Cascade Locks): One of the state’s very newest breweries is opening a tasting room and they are holding the grand opening on Saturday, October 19th all day starting at noon. They’ll be featuring brewery tours from noon to 6pm, a raffle at 6, and live music from 7 to 11. Food will be provided by Pirate Fish and Chips (presumably a food truck) and of course you get to check out the beer!

Fresh Hop Watch™:

• The Lucky Lab (Portland) has The Mutt on now: “Thanks to all the people who came out to the Hop Harvest party last month, we’ve got The Mutt at all four pubs today. At the Hawthorne location, we’ve even got it on nitro. The result is a super drinkable session ale with an incredibly complex dance of floral bouquet and a mosaic of hop flavor. Come get it while it lasts!”
• Falling Sky Brewing (Eugene): They have their latest on tap as well: “So Fresh, So Green Fresh Hop Lager is now on tap! With over 170lbs of fresh Centennial hops in 8.5bbl, you’re sure to find Stankonia in this pint. Next week, you just may find some Nuggets of Wisdom on tap, our second Fresh Hop offering…”
• Deschutes Brewery (Bend) has four on tap right now: Fresh Hop Cinder Cone Red, Fresh Hop Crystal Cream Ale, Chasin’ Freshies and Fresh Hop Mirror Pond. The Mirror Pond is especially exciting because it’s brewed with heirloom Cascades from Goschie Farms.

And speaking of fresh hops, Redmond’s Smith Rock Brewing announced today that they got first place in the people’s choice (everyone got a bottlecap token to vote with) at the Sisters Fresh Hop Festival this past Saturday. Big congrats! I know their Tumalo Fresh Hop IPA was my friend Paul’s favorite beer of the day, and I was wavering between them and Crux (ultimately I voted Crux). That’s a good showing, there were a number of good beers at the Fest.