BY MATT STEVENS for WEEKLY VOLCANO 5/22/26 |
For this week’s review, I ended up at Camp Colvos Pizza Outpost in downtown Tacoma. They have 18 taps and cocktails, but their true brilliance is the huge pizzas and slices. Camp Colvos started as a brewery over on Vashon, but they expanded with the pizza joint downtown, and then they took over the food-serving corner at 7 Seas Brewing just up the hill from their downtown location. I had come down here to enjoy the patio space and the outdoor heaters, but as Tacoma had a monsoon arrive just as I walked up to the door, I was at the bar, on what were quite possibly the least comfortable bar stools I’ve ever been on.
It was a hard choice with those 18 beers on tap, as there were five or six styles that I don’t see very often, and I was still on my avoiding-IPAs kick.
The Dunkel poured a dark brown, but not quite black, in a gorgeous tall, skinny pilsner-style glass. A light tan head sat on top of a beautiful-looking beer. I also appreciate that the high level of carbonation required the server to take a while to pour the beer. The glass choice really sets this beer off.
This beer hits the nose great. A dark, sweet malt hints of crystal and very light hints of toasted bread and honey. Delicious.
Flavor-wise, this beer starts to shine. The sweetness of the Munich malt, along with the very slight roastiness, really shines, and nothing else in the beer gets in the way. The beer is sweet in a delicious way that makes you want to just hold it in your mouth.
Mouthfeel-wise, this beer is spot on. It is full-flavored and makes your mouth feel full when I take a big swallow. I do really appreciate that it feels like a big beer while drinking it, but the alcohol checks in at 5.4%. This is a great beer that you can have one of and be happy you got your money’s worth. Or you can dive into a second. As I’m about to.
Overall, this is a great beer. I had hoped to enjoy my sampling session on the beautiful downtown patio at Camp Colvos, but the rain had started coming down hard and fast on my bike ride downtown. But the pizza rocks and the beer is great.
The address for Camp Colvos Pizza Outpost is 2104 Commerce St., Tacoma, WA. Parking can usually be found just a block south of the brewery, but it is sometimes dicey, so I heartily recommend riding your bike or taking the T Line and walking up the hill from Pacific.
