Beer Guide 2015: Old Castle Brewing Company

Old Castle Brewing Company

Oldcastlebrewery.biz. By appointment only.

['BORO DEEPER] Hillsboro's beer scene, such as it is, exists almost in secret. Many of its homegrown brewpubs are tucked away in anonymous office parks and on streets that aren't particularly well-traveled. Allen Levy's single-barrel operation, hidden at the end of a suburban cul-de-sac, is especially tiny and difficult to find, but given the cloistered nature of his more established peers, it fits right in. A veteran Army reservist, Levy was introduced to home brewing in 1990 through the Society for Creative Anachronism, where he learned to make mead. Hence the name Old Castle. Last year, he got licensed as a nano and began brewing his flagship product, a sweet brown ale he's labeled Atticus and Oberon, in his garage. It wasn't always meant to be this small: The original plan was to open a steampunk-themed brewhouse, but he was forced to downsize after his partner backed out. That dream is still alive pending financing, but for now, he's counting small victories: He recently sold his first keg, of Apothecary Black IPA, to the cafe at PlayDate PDX, an indoor playground in Northwest Portland. They've got a bouncy castle, so it's thematically appropriate.

DRINK THIS: Well, it's not as if there's a lot to choose from at this point, but the Atticus and Oberon, a London brown ale, goes down smooth.

WWeek 2015

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