Monday, July 27, 2009

27. Red Hook Double Black Stout w/ Coffee

From the Red Hook Brewery, originally from Fremont, WA before making a deal with the devil and expanding to Woodinville, WA and then Portsmouth, NH on their way to conquering the whole planet. Not be to be overly old fashioned, but I recall rolling into the Trolleyman, the old brewery in Fremont, and getting the bartender to fill up our bike water bottles with Ballard Bitter for the ride home. I really can't see that that sort of thing happening much anymore, but since I just turned forty this year, I’m allowed to wax nostalgic, at least on occasion, right?

Double Black Stout with Coffee has a distinctly roasted barley nose and a dark tar brown color with red highlights. The brown head was minimal, but did lightly lace the glass. It featured burnt and roasty flavors at the front with growing bitterness towards the middle—a bitterness that was more burnt malt than hops—fore closing with a generous coffee and slightly grainy flavor. The mouthfeel was viscous with a light bite from the carbonation; it could use some creaminess in the body to balance out and mitigate the big burnt flavors that characterize the body, as it is not as carefully balanced across the palate as it could be. Double Black Stout does get better as it warms—the burnt flavors begin to mellow and marry with the other flavors in the beer, and the coffee flavor at the end takes on a slightly winey flavor reminiscent of Ethiopian or other African coffees.

From Beer Advocate: "Double Black Stout History: Launched in 1995, this Imperial Stout was an instant success and sought after by many beer enthusiasts. Redhook stopped brewing Double Black Stout in 2000 and consumers have been asking for it ever since. Double Black Stout: A smooth, imperial stout enhanced by the addition of rich, flavorful coffee and dark malts to create a big, roasty flavor that is rounded out with a touch of honey."

ABV: 7.0%
IBU: 47
OG: 1.07

(7/27/2009)

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