Countdown to Avista: Beer minus one

One thing’s certain after studying the list of 120-plus beers coming to the Inland Northwest Craft Brew Festival this weekend – it would take a whole lot more than two days of drinking to do it up right.

So far this week, we’ve taken a look at pumpkin beers and other fall seasonals, IPAs and fresh hops, and all the fruit-infused offerings. If you’re not already completely overwhelmed, here’s some of the best of the rest:

– Barrels are big among brewers these days, and there’s a boatload headed to Avista, with Iron Goat and Twelve String leading the way with four each.

In addition to the whiskey barrel Punkid pumpkin ale and the gin barrel Head Butt IPA that we previously told you about, the Goat is bringing its Goatnik Russian imperial stout aged in an Oola bourbon barrel (pictured above), and Cap’n Kidd Scotch aged in a Dry Fly wheat whiskey barrel.

Twelve String, along with its whiskey barrel Electric Slide IPA and tequila barrel Imperial Mango Mambo hefeweizen, will have a tequila Drop D Stout and a soured Don’t Fret Porter that has spent time in both whiskey and wine barrels.

No-Li is pouring its Blackfill, a blend of Wrecking Ball imperial stout aged in both Dry Fly’s wheat and triticale whiskey barrels, while River City has a stout aged in Oola bourbon barrels (not to be confused with its regular, non-barrel Vanilla Bourbon Stout).

Seattle’s Fremont Brewing – which had the hit of the festival last year with its bourbon barrel-aged Dark Star imperial oatmeal stout Randalled with coffee and vanilla – returns with two versions: one aged in bourbon barrels with pumpkin pie spices, and another aged on white oak with hazelnuts and black peppercorns.

Ramblin’ Road chimes in with both a Sour Cherry Saison aged in Barrister cabernet franc barrels, and a big Belgian quad (9.5 percent alcohol by volume) that’s not barrel-aged, but served through a Randall over bourbon-soaked French oak chips.

– Also in the Belgian vein, Perry Street is bringing its Imperial Saison (9.7 percent ABV, 45 International Bitterness Units) with notes of clove, coriander and bitter orange peel.

– Scotch fans (the beer style, that is) will want to seek out the interpretations from Perry Street (6.6, 25), Boundary Bay and Laht Neppur, with its Piper Canyon (8.3, 20).

– If you’re into rye, along with the Orlison Rye IPL (India pale lager) and Top Frog rye IPA that we previously mentioned, there’s a big, hoppy Diamond Knot Rye Knot pale (7.1, 50) brewed with Cascade, Amarillo and Chinook.

– Waddell’s will have its Smokey the Beer Porter (5.8, 50), with a rather subdued smokiness from cherrywood-smoked malt, and a new Connie Mack Reserve strong ale (named after the legendary manager of the legendary turn-of-the century baseball pitcher Rube Waddell, the brewery’s namesake).

– Finally, football is on the Steam Plant’s mind with its C-Hops (say it fast) Victory Ale (5.6, 45), made with Victory malt and six hops beginning with the letter C.