Undistributed beer of the week: Oke Doke

There can only be one undistributed beer of the week. The competition is fierce in San Diego’s beer community, but someone has to take the title. This week’s best undistributed beer is...

Wiseguy Brewing Co.: Oke Doke

Style: Irish dry stout

ABV: 5.7% ABV

Pair with: Brett Gent says Mexican food. We say cheesecake.

This tasty stout comes to us from Brett Gent, head brewer at Wiseguy Brewing Co. This brand new brewery joined the San Diego craft beer family via the Brewery Igniter program, which offers assistance in opening doors for small brewers in the San Diego area.

Upon walking into Wiseguy Brewing, beer takes a clear front seat and there is a desire of those behind the counter to share good brews with guests who come through. Gent’s simplicity and integrity in his beer and tasting room design - along with his laid back, brew-focused attitude - seem to be the reason customers are flocking in to get a sip. It is also a likely factor as to why their beers are already being carried in our local beer community at bars around the Carlsbad area (including Pizza Port Carlsbad).

“We really just wanted to create a space where we ourselves would want to go and enjoy a beer with friends. We have no theme, which I’m kind of proud of,” Gent said. “The beer is my theme, so the tap room will slowly evolve, but the beers will always be on point.”

The Oke Doke Irish dry stout is dark, rich and offers a dry finish. At 5.7 percent, it’s drinkable and doesn’t burn out the palate making it one I could imagine having two of. It is a stand-out when often it feels Irish dry stouts are overlooked. More over, it seems like they sometimes lack the flavor needed to carry themselves among an otherwise hoppy lineup. This one is a little bit thicker than an average Irish stout, with some notes of dark chocolate, as well.

“This beer is one of the funner ones to brew,” Gent said. “There is a lot of specialty grains in lieu of a ton of hops, so it definitely has a different aspect to it when we brew. We won a best of show for this beer while home brewing it, out of maybe 500 entries, so it will always be a staple for us. We will also do variants of this beer.”

As for the variants Gent hinted at, expect to see this beer with some coffee or chocolate added, he said. Oke Doke happens to be the true original beer of this brewery, as it was the beer that first kicked things off on Wiseguy’s newly minted system.

“I like the fact that this beer has a lot of flavor on its own without us having to add any additional ingredients - not that we won’t down the road,” Gent said. “It was our first beer we brewed on our system, so it will always have a kind of special place in our hearts...”

As it should, in our humble opinion. It’s a great brew that seems fitting for anytime you’re craving a solid, well crafted stout. It will likely be a forever-regular on the tap list over at Wiseguy, Gent said.

“We have a total of 12 taps and probably will add more with the amount of traffic we have been getting, and with all the beers I want to brew,” he said. “The Oke Doke is a solid beer and at under six percent, it’s a stout that anyone can enjoy anytime of the year.”

This beer is currently available to try on tap at Wiseguy Brewing Co. Get it while it’s cold!

Editor’s Note: Undistributed beer of the week is a series that profiles a local brew only available to try on draft at specific locations in San Diego.