McMenamins' Nutbrown Ale usually makes its way to the taps in the fall. The darkest, richest ales are porters and stouts. Porter is a dry, dark-brown to black, usually opaque ale. It has the sharp, bitter tastes of dark malts. Bend's Deschutes Brewery offers an excellent example in its Black Butte Porter.
Stouts are the darker, heavier cousins of porter.
The traditional stout made famous by Guinness is known as dry or Irish stout. The dry, roasted flavor and opaque black color are classic stout traits. Russian Imperial stout is stronger than dry stout and has a bitter-burnt overtone. Rogue Ales in Newport offers one of each, with its Shakespeare Stout and Imperial Stout. A sweeter, less bitter version is oatmeal stout, which uses oats in addition to barley malt.