584. The Bruery Tart of Darkness

What better day to break out some fancy beer than New Year’s Eve? And nothing say jubilation around these here parts like the Bruery. So let’s get this party started! I bought this bottle last year, so it has had a chance to do it’s own thing in the basement ala Heavy D. And just like old school rap, the Bruery will never let me down. PEACE! Anyway, we can add this to the list from the brewery I love to love, including Oude Tart, Rueuze, 5 Golden Rings, Marrón Acidifié (a collabo with Cigar City), Autumn Maple, Humulus Session, 3 French Hens, Saison de Lente, Rugbrød, Hottenroth, Orchard White and Saison Rue.

Tart of Darkness pours a clear dark chocolate with ruby highlights and a thin tan head; the nose is leather, berry, and tobacco up front—and by berry I mean it is a jam bomb—with lingering acetic sourness and oak coming in at the end. Still, there is enough pucker in the nose to make my mouth start to react, specifically along the sides of my cheeks. And the tartness drops once it hits your lips: I get vinegar, oak, and red licorice up front, followed by lactic and citric brightness accompanied by vanilla from the oak in the middle and lots of berry flavor. Oh, and my cheeks started blushing almost immediately when I put glass to lips. The finish is has a slight mineral roast grit, dark fruit, and an acetic acid twang along with a tannic oak and sour roast bite. Still, it finishes rather clean, with some lingering pucker in the back of the cheeks. The beer has a thin body, but the oak and sourness provides the illusion of a bigger body than the beer actually has, in part from the slick and vinous mouthfeel on the palate and from the roast bite as well. While this may initially have had some roast in the aroma (as per the description below), it currently reads more like a darker Flanders Red—the hints of roast grit, sour roast bite, and slightly darker color being the only real elements keeping it from falling completely into that category. And even then, it is not very stout-y or stout-like. Although that is most likely not a surprising claim. Basically, this beer is another vote for yeast being the most important contributing factor to beer—well, and also a vote for time, the illusive fifth factor in the traditional quartet of yeast-malt-hops-water discussions. Maybe the best comparison is to Oude Tart, with this being the darker and more aggressively sour version—specifically in regards to the acetic acid—with more red licorice and juicy berry flavors as well. Still, a pucker-y delight that I’m certain will leave my cheeks wincing before it’s finished. As it should be.

From the bottle: “With a roasty aroma and a tart finish, this sour black ale is a contortion of style and flavor, creating an unexpected delight.”

ABV: 5.6%

P.S. I want to call this beer a colonialist fantasy in my mouth, but I’m afraid no one would get the joke.

(12/31/2013)

561. New Glarus Cherry Stout

I will admit it: I miss New Glarus. So I was pleased to find this bottle lurking in the basement—it was a gift from Aaron Spoores a couple of years ago, and I forgot about it until now. A cursory examination of the internet indicates that the second release of Cherry Stout as part of the Unplugged Series was in February 2010, so that would make this beer a little over three years old. May my hoarding instincts never die. We’ll add Cherry Stout to a list that includes Staghorn Octoberfest, Saison, Raspberry Tart, Belgian Red, and Fat Squirrel Brown Ale.

Cherry Stout pours a murky cocoa/milk chocolate brown with a fair amount of red; it has a thin tan head that quickly disappears except for a few lingering skiffs of foam, and the nose is redolent of sour cherries, much like New Glarus’s more famous other cherry beer, Wisconsin Belgian Red. In addition to the cherry, there is a touch of candy sweetness in the nose, but could just be more cherries. Flavors open with sour cherry and a slight citric tartness; there is cherry pie mixed with brown sugar in the middle, and a bright fresh cherry in the finish along with just a hint of sourness that turns to sweetness at the flavors linger on the palate. The body is medium; it is clean and bright on the tongue, helped along by the carbonation. I’m not really sure I’d call this a stout: it is more like Wisconsin Belgian Red with a darker malt bill and a bit more body. It might masquerade as a Belgian Dark Strong—not well, mind you—but even then it would be on the lighter side. While the age could be contributing to the lack of “elegantly smooth chocolate covered cherry” flavor described on the New Glarus website—I get no real chocolate at all—that’s fine with me because this beer is delicious as is. It has that bright, lively tang found in Wisconsin Belgian Red with a greater depth of cherry flavor across the profile. And Elli concurs; she finished hers well before me, and started eyeing my glass soon after. This beer just re-awakens my longing for all things New Glarus.

From the bottle: “Due to popular demand we brought back Dan’s Gold Medal winning ‘Unplugged Cherry Stout.” This ale is aged in Oak barrels to promote spontaneous fermentation. Eight Wisconsin malted barleys combined with Wisconsin Montmorency Cherries make for a complex and sublime taste experience that you may never find again. Discover why Dan is repeatedly recognized as the Best Brewmaster in America.”

ABV: 6.5%

(4/8/2013)

537. Samuel Smith’s Organic Chocolate Stout

Another beer from Samuel Smith’s. But when the beer is this easy and smooth going down, who could possibly say no? Certainly not any rational person. Then again, if rationality is going to be my benchmark, I’ve just cut out a good 85% percent of the population. 90% if I’m feeling mean and cantankerous. What with all the sputtering of vindictive bile, sentence fragments, and dire political prognostications being trotted out in Ohio these last few months, we need beer like this to rein in the rampant jingoism and self-serving congratulatory rhetoric that represents our current election cycle. Because that is certainly not rational. Or useful. Or even interesting. Although, my friends, that may be asking just a bit too much from this beer. It is, after all, British. This is our third beer from Samuel Smith’s, including Imperial Stout and Organically Produced Lager. Mercifully, it won’t be our last.

Organic Chocolate Stout pours a rich, deep chocolate with a tan head that offers fair retention; the beer is crystal clear, and has pleasant ruby red highlights when held to the light. Not surprisingly, the nose is redolent with chocolate and cocoa—both creamy milk chocolate and cocoa—mixed with just a hint of alkaline chalkiness. It almost smells like chocolate milk, albeit with a bit more of that hint of coconut and tropical cocoa butter that darker chocolate can provide, and milk would tend to cover over (and this tropical dimension comes out more as it warms). Flavors follow suit: it opens with sweet chocolate and a hint of caramel, giving way to a drier cocoa in the middle. There is a touch of roast in the finish, but the sweetness of the chocolate and caramel keeps it at bay, as does the slight brown sugar and alkaline sweetness that borders on but never quite achieves dark fruit sweetness. As well, there is a final uptick of cocoa after these flavors pass. The carbonation lightens the beer on the palate, but light enough to be unobtrusive otherwise, while the mouthfeel is medium and slightly chewy—basically, both are vehicles for the flavors of this beer, and serve mainly as backdrop. There is a slight residual residue on the palate as the flavor disappears—I’d describe it as mineral-like or the slight grit of cocoa, but nothing distracting. All in all, a clean and enjoyable beer—this is certainly something you could spend the night drinking, enjoying the bright, refreshing flavors and the subtle depth of character. In many ways, this is a lighter and more drinkable version of Southern Tier’s Choklat, which, while delicious, is too big a beer for regular drinking. Samuel Smith’s Organic Chocolate Stout, on the other hand, goes down easy and clean. Well made and well done.

From the bottle: “Brewed with water from the original brewery well sunk in 1758, the gently roasted organic chocolate malt and real organic cocoa used in this ale impart a delicious, smooth and creamy character, with inviting deep flavors and a delightful finish—this is the perfect marriage of satisfying stout and luxurious chocolate that will lead to smiles and refills. Samuel Smith’s brews in traditional coppers, uses stone ‘Yorkshire Squares’ for fermentation, and ships every bottle from the brewery with great pride.”

ABV: 5.0%

(11/5/2012)

458. Kevin Lolli Pumpkin Stout

Somebody, it would appear, has learned how to clean bottles since his last visit. I’d actually be afraid that I’d been given the same bottle as last time if I hadn’t recycled that one on my own. That is, unless Kevin is stalking my recycling. Which is always possible. Something, however, tells me Captain LSAT has a few more pressing concerns than scavenging back alleyways looking to get his creepiness on. And the sound of inevitability he hears at the end of the tunnel signals the end of the cool, laid back days of Beardo the Clown. Sorry, but I gotta get my digs in while I can. I will note, as a means of turning this back towards the beer, that while listed as a Pumpkin Stout, the pumpkin is pretty minimal (which means the spice is pretty minimal), and that this beer is more a sweet stout than a pumpkin stout.

Photo gleefully stolen from here. Looking good, Kevin.

Pouring a rich, thick, dark chocolate brown, Kevin Lolli Pumpkin Stout has a mousse-y tan head that both hangs around and reciprocally laces the glass a decent amount. It would appear, Kevin, that you’ve mastered the art of head retention with your beers, as both have been abundant and voluminous. The nose is sweet chocolate malt laced with a low level of pumpkin—I am ever so glad the spice volume was dialed down to uber-minimal, as there is balance between the components currently, although I expected to pick up a bit more roastiness in the nose. There is also a slight touch of bubblegum phenol, although that could be from either the pumpkin or some light banana fruit esters; I am not 100% certain one way or the other. The roasted malt is more discernable in the body; flavors start with dry chocolate malt in the front before giving way to light coffee and sweet chocolate in the middle. There is also a touch of pumpkin/light spice flavor and just a touch of roastiness in the middle, which leads into the bigger roasted malt and sweet chocolate finish. If there is any bitterness, it is covered over by the chocolate sweetness, and the malt character continues to build throughout the profile. There is a touch of roastiness and a slight off-flavor that could be from the spices that lingers just a touch too long on the tongue. The mouthfeel is creamy, silky, and sweet; the medium body and medium carbonation help round the beer on the palate—it is gentle and delicious, and goes down easy. As with the last beer, the head is still omni-present as I finish the beer—what kind of deal-with-devil did you make to create the retention here, tiger? Nice work overall—I think you should run the same beer sans pumpkin and spice, and see how it works as a straight up Sweet Stout, since it is already pretty darn solid.

(2/21/2011)

412. BBC Bourbon Barrel Bière de Mars, BBC Bourbon Barrel Heine Brothers Coffee Stout, and New Glarus Wisconsin Belgian Red

Tonight I headed on over to Jeffrey’s to meet up with him and Jeff for some good ol’ fashioned beer sampling. We had kind of an odd mix for tonight’s drinking smorgasbord, but all three were tasty in their own right. The two beers from BBC paired nicely both because they were from the same Special Reserve Series, but the Bière de Mars and the New Glarus were, while not similar, very complimentary. At least they were once the Bière de Mars warmed up. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Previously, we’ve sampled Heine Brothers Coffee Stout (the unoaked version), Rye IPA 75, Brandy Barrel Aged Queen’s Knickers and American Pale Ale from Bluegrass Brewing Company, and Fat Squirrel Brown Ale from New Glarus.

BBC Bourbon Barrel Bière de Mars
This beer has a super-oaky nose—the creamy vanilla oak sweetness overpowered pretty much everything else here. It starts with a sweet front that dries out quickly (it tastes like via the oak, since it is even creeping in here), opening up the middle to a creamy oaky bomb that continues on into the finish with tannic flavors that linger on the palate. At this point, it was interesting and tasty, and the group consensus was that it needed to be aged a bit to take some of the oakiness out of the body. However, as it warmed, the oakiness faded into the background, allowing some of the Bière de Mars characteristics to emerge. Here, the creamy vanilla hints of the oak merged well with the dry malt sweetness and Belgian yeast character. While I thought it was good before, the nuance that developed was delicious and downright impressive. Kudos, BBC.

ABV: 8.5%

BBC Bourbon Barrel Heine Brothers Coffee Stout
After the gratuitous snickering at the name of the coffee makers, we poured our second beer. The nose was a rich mix of nuttiness, dark chocolate, and coffee. Beginning with sweet chocolate, Heine Brothers Coffee Stout moved into a drier middle that featured a nutty rich coffee flavor before the slight chalkiness and roastiness of the finish. I forgot to take more notes because the Bière de Mars was finally starting to warm up, and was getting a lot tastier. However, this beer also got better with some warmth, although my nod for the best beer of the evening goes to our next beer...

From justdrinkbeer: “An oatmeal stout brewed with English roasted barley and caramunich malts to impart a roasty and slightly sweet malt flavor. The Heine Brothers specially roasted organic Mexican coffee is added in two doses. A ration is stirred into the hot unfermented wort to extract coffee flavor. Then freshly brewed coffee is also added after fermentation is complete to impart a fresh coffee flavor and aroma. An additional conditioning in Woodford Reserve Borubon Barrels for 90 days compliments this already robust beer with notes of bourbon and oak. ”

ABV: 7.5%

New Glarus Wisconsin Belgian Red
Pouring a light bubbly cherry, Wisconsin Belgian Red has a very sweet cherry nose mixed with candy sweetness underneath. The body is light, with spritzy bright candy sweetness and cherry flavors blended beautifully in the body. The finish is dry and fruity while the body light, smooth, and clean—there is an evenness and balance across the profile in both flavor and mouthfeel that was enjoyable. Very light and very drinkable—it tastes like melted cherry Otter Pops, but in a good way. This is one of the more interesting beers I’ve tried in a while—I’m glad Jeffrey decided to bust it out, as I had never tried it before, and it was far, far better than I anticipated. Damn, that was some tasty beer. And already the scheming to score some more begins...

From the New Glarus website: “You hold the marriage of wine and beer. Belgian Red is a tapestry of flavor. This beer is brewed with whole Montmorency Cherries, Wisconsin Farmed Wheat and Belgian Roasted Barleys, lagered in oak tanks and balanced by Hallertau hops we aged in our brewery one full year. Over a pound of Door County Cherries in every bottle makes this beer uniquely ‘Wisconsin.’ So unique, in fact, that we applied for a patent. Expect this beer to be ruby red, with a medium body that is highly carbonated and intense with cherry flavor and bouquet. Serve your friends Belgian Red in a brandy snifter or champagne flute and toast life with beer from the land of Wisconsin.”

ABV: 4.0%

Also, the funniest comment about beer I’ve read in a long long time: “Whew. You can’t swing a dead cat in this state without knocking over a firkin of mild.” Dag. Thanks, Jeff. You made me spit out some beer while reading, which is always the sign of good times and clever verbiage.

(9/17/2010)

370. Weyerbacher Tiny

We got a big ol’ bottle from Weyerbacher for tonight’s shenanigans. Scrumptious! The last two from Weyerbacher were Double Simcoe IPA and Harvest Ale, so this marks a little something different from those troublemakers in Easton. I guess we’re willing to be their guinea pigs, but only for tonight, here me? Harump!

As the label informs us, “this velvet concoction excites your senses with bottomless roasted, earthy and vinous notes.” Alright then, Tiny, bring it. Tiny, which is a Belgian-Style Imperial Stout, pours a thick inky chocolate with a creamy mocha head that looks like the foam on an espresso drink and that sticks around for the long haul. The nose is creamy with a whole lotta roastiness mixed with smaller amounts Belgian yeast fruitiness; flavors start with dark, roasty, and lightly sweet malt flavors mixed with some creaminess. The middle sees an emergence of dark fruit flavors mixed with more of the roasted flavors and coupled with light chocolate hints, finishing with more chocolate, roastiness, and creaminess, and small amounts of alcohol flavor. Tiny has a medium to heavy body with a creamy, chewy, and slightly slick mouthfeel while the carbonation is medium, although it has a brightness in the front before rounding the final third—it is pretty lively on the palate, especially for an imperial stout, which does help lighten the mouthfeel. The alcohol warmth is minimal but present, with a bit of a tang in the back of the mouth at the end. An interesting beer—we’re not sure what we think of the combination of a Belgian-esque beer, with the bright fresh carbonation, yeast esters, and fruitiness, with an imperial stout, with the roastiness and alcohol strength. This is most certainly not a Belgian strong—the roastiness is too omnipresent. So while good, it still tastes like it needs to sit in the basement for like a spell to marry flavors and calm and connect the parts. For now, we’ll just note that the Belgian IPA seems to be a better combination than the Belgian Imperial Stout. Unless someone else has a new hat to throw in the ring...

I wasn’t able to find any information on the Weyerbacher website; Beer Advocate did offer this under Beer Releases: “Supplies are limited, we only had 700 cases overall. We expect to make Tiny on an occaisional basis, with the next release possibly this coming Winter.”

ABV: 11.8%

(7/5/2010)

301. Goose Island Bourbon County Stout 2009

Our third beer from Goose Island, although this one rates far far better than Summertime, which was featured as a part of our Summer Beer Leftover Trifecta. Well, at least according to me it does. The other Goose Island beer was the Honker’s Ale.

Bourbon County Stout pours an inky black that is thick and dark with a minimal light brown head. Add any other appropriate descriptors that you feel you need to convey the darkness of the beer—Greg Hall, Goose Island Brewmaster, chooses “black hole,” which is good. And since we can’t top that, we’ll stick with thick and dark. The nose is full of creamy oak and bourbon, with vanilla and caramel sweetness jockeying for position behind the first two. Bourbon County Stout starts thick and sweet; the dark caramel and roastiness build a solid front before giving way to vanilla and oaky bourbon flavors in the middle, and finishing with burnt sugar and charred wood flavors plus a decent amount of alcohol warmth that lingers on the mouth, throat, and chest. Bourbon County Stout has a thick, rich, and creamy mouthfeel. It’s also hella chewy. Elli says it is too sticky and cloying; I agree it is a bit much currently, but I like this beer a lot more than she does. There is also a good amount of alcohol heat and burn—the alcohol does taste a bit young, so we’re guessing that a bit more aging (“up to 5 years in the bottle” as indicated on the label) would certainly help lessen the young alcohol flavor. We’re also guessing that further aging might smooth out the body, both in terms of thickness and marrying of flavors. Nonetheless, a delicious and excellent beer. Elli is less forgiving, but I do like me some Bourbon County Stout. I do wish we could find it in bottles smaller than a 22 oz. size, as powering through that much 13% beer does take some doing. And as you can guess, Elli is not so interested in helping me out with this beer in the future.

From the bottle: “A liquid as dark and dense as a black hole with thick foam the color of a bourbon barrel. The nose is an intense mix of charred oak, vanilla, caramel and smoke. One sip more flavor than your average case of beer. Cheers!” Greg Hall, Brewmaster

From the Goose Island website: “Brewed in honor of the 1000th batch at our original Clybourn brewpub. A liquid as dark and dense as a black hole with thick foam the color of a bourbon barrel. The nose is an intense mix of charred oak, chocolate, vanilla, caramel and smoke. One sip has more flavor than your average case of beer. A great cigar beer.”

ABV: 13%
IBU: 60
Malts: 2-Row, Munich, Chocolate, Caramel, Roast Barley, Debittered Black
Hops: Willamette
Bottled on 10/09/09

(4/27/2010)

298. BBC Heine Brothers Coffee Stout

Another big bottle from Bluegrass Brewing Company; we’ve previously sampled Rye IPA 75, Brandy Barrel Aged Queen’s Knickers and American Pale Ale.

Heine Brothers Coffee Stout pours a dark chocolate brown with a thick tan head that slowly winds its way down to minimal coverage. The nose has that coffee extract aroma—slightly synthetic—and a bit of roastiness. Starting with soft roasty sweetness, Heine Stout moves into clean coffee flavors in the middle, and finishes with some more of that coffee, a bit of sweetness, and a touch of lingering roastiness. The beer is medium bodied with medium to low carbonation that does rise a bit towards the end. The mouthfeel is smooth and clean and possibly a bit too even across the larger profile. Heine Stout could use a bit more roastiness through the middle to back up the coffee flavors, and some of the silkiness that you get with a thicker oatmeal stout. No real downsides to this beer, but not terribly exciting either.

From the Rate Beer website: “Bluegrass Brewing Company has brewed a winter warming coffee stout using a Heine Brothers organic, fair trade coffee grown in Chiapas, Mexico. It will be available for purchase at Bluegrass Brewing Company on Friday, February 9th while supplies last. ‘I just tasted the stout - it has a wonderful balance between coffee and stout flavors,’ said Bluegrass Brewing Company head brewer, Jerry Gnagy. Heine Brothers co-owner Mike Mays and head coffee roaster Todd Stanis collaborated with Gnagy to choose the Mexican coffee and give it a medium roast and a coarse grind to best bring out the flavor. ‘This Mexican coffee has a medium body and an almost chocolatey finish that will hold up well in such a hearty beer,’ said Stanis. ‘Should be a perfect match.’ This oatmeal stout is brewed with English roasted barley and caramunich malt which gives a roasty and slightly sweet malt flavor. The addition of flaked oats lends creaminess and body to this pitch black ale. The coffee will be added to the hot wort (unfermented beer) after boiling. This will extract good flavor without adding bitterness or burnt flavors. Freshly brewed coffee will also be added to the beer after fermentation is completed and the beer is ready to be served. This will give the freshest coffee flavor and aroma.”

ABV: 6.5%

(4/24/2010)

295. Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary Fritz & Ken’s Ale

This marks our sixth beer from Sierra Nevada. We’ve run through Kellerweis, Celebration, Torpedo Extra IPA, Anniversary Ale 2009 and Harvest Wet Hop Ale 2008.

30th Anniversary pours an opaque black—there are few red highlights in the corners of the glass, but not much light is making it through this one. The head is a thick tan, and the nose is a roasty rich malt with chocolate. The beer begins with a rich chocolate and light coffee flavor, moving into dry and roasty malt flavors in the middle, and finishing with light alkaline chalkiness accompanied by a bit of lingering alcohol and warmth at the end. Creamy, soft, and chewy on the mouth; the carbonation is medium, and helps build the soft and chewy mouthfeel. The beer does taste a bit young, which is not too surprising; the alcohol warmth and flavor at the end would most certainly be smoothed out after a year or two, and the chocolate in the front would probably also dry out a bit. Nonetheless, an interesting and delicious beer—it’s too bad we only could get our hands on one bottle of this, as we’d love to see how it tastes in about another year. [Note: second bottle scored and stored. Check back with us later.]

From the Sierra Nevada website: “Fritz Maytag. Owner of San Francisco’s Anchor Brewing Company, is regarded as the founding father of the craft brewing movement. Fritz agreed to guest brew this very special ale in honor of our 30th anniversary. As a nod to the dark ales and stouts that seduced both Fritz and Ken in the early years, we bring you this pioneering stout, a rich roasted ale, perfect for aging, and worthy of your finest snifter. Enjoy!”

ABV: 9.2%

(4/21/2010)

283. McAuslan St-Ambroise Oatmeal Stout

This is our first beer from McAuslan Brewing, which is located in Montréal, Canada. We had this on tap at South Park Tavern out of the nitro tap; we also had this after the DRAFT meeting, so our notes are minimal and a bit scatter-shot. I know you’ll forgive us, because you’re indulgent like that. Plus, there’s little recourse at this juncture—just know we drank our beer for the day.

St-Ambroise Oatmeal Stout pours a dark chocolate color with a thick creamy head and starts with a sweet roasted malt nose. The beer is pretty much roasty front to back; there is more richness and sweetness in the front, and the end is smooth and soft, although still with the lingering roasty flavors. St-Ambroise has a soft mouthfeel and a lower carbonation level, although it is still very creamy. While it is a good beer, there wasn’t as much variety or complexity of flavor as we anticipated; this is probably the result or one of two things: either this beer is not that complex or nuanced, or our palates are pretty much wrecked from our earlier escapades. We’ll leave it as an open question for our readers to determine.

From the McAuslan website: “At the World Beer Championship in 1994, St-Ambroise Oatmeal Stout received the second highest rating of the over 200 beers in the competition and it won one of only nine platinum medals awarded. Brewed from 40 percent dark malts and roasted barley, this intensely black ale carries strong hints of espresso and chocolate. Oatmeal contributes body and a long-lasting mocha-colored head to this well-hopped beer.”

ABV: 5.0%

(4/9/2010)

282. Smuttynose Imperial Stout

Another from the Smuttynose Big Beer Series—you remember, the one I would sign up for, but they don’t ship. Stupid Smuttynose. They do also now have a half-case option, which again does us no good since you have to go to Portsmouth to pick it up. Oh, the humanity. Anyways, I digress—this is our fourth beer from Smuttynose, in addition to Shoals Pale Ale, Finestkind IPA and Farmhouse Ale.

Imperial Stout pours an inky black with reddish orange highlights and a latte-colored head that provides good lacing on the glass—let’s just say it’s got some legs. The nose is mostly roasted malt with a slight touch of herbal hoppiness and possibly grassiness in the background. Starting with a roasty sweet molasses front, Imperial Stout moves into bitterness and coffee flavors, ending with some slight alcohol and chalkiness and a bit of lingering bitterness. Medium to heavy bodied with a thick, viscous mouthfeel, Imperial Stout does have a bit of alcohol bite to it—it tastes a bit young, as the alcohol is sharp and slightly astringent. As well, the flavors haven’t really established themselves as of yet—everything comes across as still in process. We’re guessing in about six months that this will taste much more delicious once the flavors have a chance to better marry in the bottle, so we’ll be throwing our other bottle down into the basement and check back on it then. We’ll keep you posted.

From the Smuttynose website: “Originally brewed in the early 19th century for export from Britain to the imperial court of Russia’s Catherine the Great, imperial stouts are characterized by their dark color & full body. This style features a rich, malty sweetness coupled with aggressive hopping (especially in American interpretations). Notes of dried fruit as well as roasted malt flavors are typically present. For more information about this style, please consult the Brewers Association Style Guidelines.”

(4/8/2010)

268. Dark Horse Plead the 5th Imperial Stout

“I’m not sure we should be encouraging the imperialism.”
Elli’s comment before drinking this beer; her term for the turn towards bigger and bigger beers—i.e. making everything into an imperial beer

Another in a long line of stout beers from both Dark Horse and Michigan; this is our fifth beer from Dark Horse—kinda fortuitous, huh?—and like our 876th stout from Michigan. Previous beers include Fore Smoked Stout, Too Cream Stout, One Oatmeal Stout and Crooked Tree IPA. We gave the cold shoulder to Tres Blueberry Stout, although in retrospect, we may feel a little bad about hurting its feelings.

Plead the 5th is an inky dark brown with garnet highlights; the brown head is pretty minimal—it barely gave us more than a ring on the glass. The nose is roasty with a bit of dark fruit and creaminess—the roasted aromas are not harsh, but rather smooth and rounded. Plead the 5th has a roasted and toasty malt front; the middle has some dark fruit flavors—some raisin, some currant, or maybe some grape—and the end is burnt and spicy with some alcohol that lingers along with the final roasted flavors. Heavy bodied and a bit syrupy, Plead the 5th has a thick and creamy mouthfeel. There is also a good amount of warmth in the back of the throat, although not as much alcohol flavor and feel for a 12% ABV beer as we expected. Excellent flavors, but a bit heavy on the mouth, and the lingering alcohol does increases with warmth—we’re not sure if this is an improvement on some of their smaller stouts. We’ll be interested to see how this beer ages, as it has the potential to become something quite delicious.

Update (3/20/2011): We pulled out another bottle to try. Let’s just say that the year in the basement has been very good to this beer. Flavors are smooth and even across the palate—much more than last year. As well, a fair amount of the alcohol flavor has disappeared; the emphasis now is on smooth roasted malt and creaminess in the finish. The body is still a bit sticky, but you’re not going to completely escape that in a beer this big, are you? There are also a lot more chocolate and coffee flavors, specifically in the front and middle, that blends well with the fruit flavors in the middle. The finish has a pleasant mix of roastiness mixed with molasses and brown sugar. The noise is a slight bit disappointing—there is roasted malt, fruit, and licorice, but all are very faint. We’ve been waiting for it to open up as it warms, but nothing much yet.

From the Dark Horse website: “It’s big and full bodied with lots of roasted malts and balanced with heavy hops to put this imperial in a league of its own.”

ABV: 12.0%

I think this ABV pleads the 5th...

(3/25/2010)

263. Brooklyn Black Ops 2010

This is our third beer from Brooklyn—previously on what we’re drinking, we explored the joys of both East India Pale Ale and Pennant Ale ’55. Our friends Jeff and Jeffrey were over to sample some beers and to play Brewmaster, a card game where you brew beers and collect beer festival trophies—the one who collects the most trophies wins the game. The game was pretty fun, but it could have used a bit more complexity—while you had to collect two yeasts to brew a Belgian beer, there was no reciprocal need to collect extra hop cards to brew an IPA. And I do need someone to explain to me why there was no hop shortage card as one of the cards that made you lose brewing materials or your turn. I know, I know, it’s just a card game. Anyway, Elli ended up winning the game, and we tried a couple of tidbits along the way.

Jeffrey with the sweet beer festival trophy!

Black Ops pours an opaque black with a thick brown creamy head; the nose includes plenty of oak and bourbon, as well as plenty of roasted malt and smaller amounts of vanilla. Beginning with a rich roasty front, Black Ops has an oaky and bourbon middle with some of the vanilla from the nose; there is some alcohol flavor in the end, although the beer finishes dry and creamy. The mouthfeel is creamy, thick, and chewy, although the body is only medium, and the carbonation helps smooth out the beer across the profile. There is a bit of alcohol warmth at the end, but nothing overbearing. The balance of the oak flavors in the beer is a real plus; mixed with the roasted malt and vanilla, the subtlety is already apparent in this beer. Black Ops is a delicious beer; while it could use a bit more age to limit the alcohol flavor and warmth at the end, this would only be to make an already good beer better. And besides, what do you think our second bottle is doing right now?

From the bottle: “Brooklyn Black Ops does not exist. However, if it did exist, it would be a robust stout concocted by the Brooklyn brewing team under the cover of secrecy and hidden from everyone else at the brewery. Supposedly ‘Black Ops’ was aged for four months in bourbon barrels, bottled flat, and re-fermented with Champagne yeast, creating big chocolate and coffee flavors with a rich underpinning of vanilla-like oak notes. They say there are only 1000 cases. We have no idea what they’re talking about.”

Not so excited anymore, huh, tough guy?

Given the above description, it is not surprising that there is nothing on the Brooklyn website.

ABV: 11.6%

Jeff also brought over another beer from Jackie O’s—some sort of Orange Wheat Funk. It had a bretty-funky nose, some still discernable orange flavor, and a dry and slightly sour profile. Good, but we don’t have much in the way of notes—we were all concentrating on the Brewmaster game.

(3/20/2010)

259. Jackie O’s Barrel Aged Bourbon Barrel Impy Razz

Tonight our friend Jeff came over with a couple of things to drink, so we had more than just the usual one beer. Here’s our evening: our first beer—what we’re gonna call the “official” beer of the day—was the Barrel Aged Bourbon Barrel Impy Razz from Jackie O’s Pub & Brewery in Athens, OH, bottled on November 11, 2009 as bottle 39 out of 156.

Bourbon Barrel Impy Razz is an imperial wheat beer with raspberries; it has oak, bourbon, and raspberry in the nose, and pours a pinkish copper with a light white head. Starts dry, fruity, and a bit tart, runs into alcohol/bourbon and oak flavor in the middle, and finishes with some more fruit and lingering alcohol and bourbon flavors. Medium bodied with a dry but rich flavor and some tartness on the palate. There is a lot of alcohol warmth across this beer, in nose, flavor, and mouthfeel, but it is not overbearing. As well, the tartness from the raspberries and the sharpness of the oak merge nicely to help build the beer, both in flavor and mouthfeel. While it could use some more time to marry the fruit and raspberry flavors, it does drink well now. Good beer, and we look forward to trying more beers from Jackie O’s in the near future.

From the bottle: “The bottle in your hand is part of the first bottling venture at Jackie O’s Pub and Brewery. This limited edition is something special and a tribute to our customers and supporters throughout the past 4 years. Passion has crafted this beer and our business. Share this milestone with friends and loved ones. After all, beer should be enjoyed and remembered; this is why quality and character are at the heart of every beer we produce. Thank you. Made in Athens, OH.”

From Ohio Beer Guide: “Jackie O’s in Athens is celebrating its fourth anniversary on December 4 and 5. They promise 40 of their own beers on tap over the two day celebration with a bottle sale on the 5th. Taps and bottles will include lots of barrel aged, sours, imperials, and new concoctions. Included will be at least three new barrel aged beers: Bourbon Barrel Impy Razz, a 12% imperial raspberry wheat, Barreled and Portered, a 9% robust ported aged in a Woodford Reserve barrel, and Cellar Cuvee 2, a blend of coffee stout and imperial stout aged in Woodford Reserve barrel with coffee beans, vanilla beans, and cinnamon sticks. There are too many others to list here, so check out their new website at http://www.jackieos.com/. Brewer Brad Clark is featuring at lot of stouts this winter such as Java the Stout, Sweet Chocolate Love (oatmeal, chocolate milk stout), and India Oatmeal Rye Stout.”

ABV: 12.0%

Our second beer for the evening was Boulevard Saison, which is our third beer from Boulevard; we’ve previously had the Saison-Brett and Two Jokers Double Wit. Because, as the Boulevard website observes, “some beers are just too big for 12 ounce bottles.” Well put.

Saison pours a transluscent golden color with a rich head that slowly fades; the nose is earthy, loamy, and floral, although with warmth the banana-clove comes out a bit more prominently. Light sweet malt front with some bubblegum emerging as it warms; the middle is estery and some low levels of bitterness, and it finishes sweet. It does taste like there is some wheat in the beer via the smooth silky texture of the body. The mouthfeel is bright and sharp; there are super-fine bubbles, but they are soft and balanced on the mouth. Some bubblegum emerges in the nose at it warms to provide a bit of a different element at the end. Overall an excellent saison; not as complex or nuanced as the Saison-Brett, but certainly a delicious beer overall.

From the bottle: “The French-speaking region of southern Belgium is the birthplace of saison, the love child of a centuries-old tradition of small rural ‘farmhouse’ breweries, where native yeasts and time-honored recipes combined to produce some of the world’s most distinctive beers. As a tribute to this artisanal institution, we offer our own brisk, unruly Saison. Truly an artful balancing act, it is both rustic and subtle, robust yet effervescent, spicy and fruity. A votre santé!”

ABV: 6.2%

Our final beer for the evening was Founders KBS, freshly brought back from Michigan via Darren Link, even before it went on sale. Because we’ve got it like that. This is our fifth Founders beer; the rundown includes Centennial IPA, Black Biscuit, Harvest Ale and Breakfast Stout.

Meet Inky...

Brought to us by the Amazing Kosmicki, KBS has a luscious roasted coffee nose; it pours an inky black with garnet highlights, and has a slightly oily top with a minimal head. The front begins with a big roasty coffee front, transitioning into a big chocolate and roasted coffee middle with a dark and tasty finish. There is no real alcohol flavor perceptible, even as young as it is; while there could possibly be some slight warming, it is amazingly clean and well balanced for being young and right out of the gate like it is (this must be where the Amazing Kosmicki comes in). There is some big hop flavor in the back of the beer, but it is covered over by roasted flavors that dominate the beer. Remarkably drinkable for an 11.2% beer, especially this young, and with 70 IBUs. An excellent beer that drinks well young (and warm—it only spent about 10 minutes in the fridge to but just a slight chill on it) and is a delicious and rewarding drink.

From the Founders website: “What we’ve got here is an imperial stout brewed with a massive amount of coffee and chocolates then cave-aged in oak bourbon barrels for an entire year, to make sure wonderful bourbon undertones come through in the finish. Make your taste buds squeal with delight.”

ABV: 11.2%
IBU: 70

An awesome and well rounded group of beers for the evening—all excellent and well crafted. I don’t think we’ll be topping this anytime in the near future. Not that we won’t try...

(3/16/2010)

255. Harpoon 100 Barrel Series #30 Island Creek Oyster Stout

More Harpoon! We’re back on that Harpoon tip—this is our seventh from the boys in Boston. We’ve had 100 Barrel Series #28 Glacier ’09 Wet Hop, 100 Barrel Series #27 Helles Blond Bock, Octoberfest, Leviathan Saison Royale, 100 Barrel Series #24 Glacier ’08 Wet Hop and their IPA.

Island Creek Oyster Stout pours a deep brown with red highlights, and has a scrimshaw/whale tusk color head. That’s right, we’re giving you more beautiful maritime references with our Harpoon beer. The nose is roasty with a slight mineral tang, and the beer starts with light roasted and chocolate flavors before moving into mineral and low levels of saltiness in the middle. The finish is dry with a return of some of the roastiness, and is accompanied by a light chalky alkaline chocolate taste that lingers on the palate. Island Creek Oyster Stout has a medium body with some creaminess and tanginess as a part of the mouthfeel. The carbonation is medium, and helps smooth the beer across the body. The roasty flavors do increase with warmth. Island Creek Oyster Stout is an excellent and interesting beer across the board. We’d like to know exactly how many oysters went into the beer, and at what time intervals. We’d also like to know who got to eat all those oysters at the end of brewing. Damn. That would be delicious. So who’s gonna make the next oyster stout?

From the bottle: “This smooth stout is brewed with freshly harvested Island Creek Oysters. The roasted notes of the stout blend beautifully with the mineral flavors of the oysters.”

We figured that this beer needed some old-timey photos, so we went with the sepia tones...

From the Harpoon website: “The idea for the Harpoon 100 Barrel Series Island Creek Oyster Stout came after years of enjoying locally harvested oysters over freshly brewed pints of beer with our friends from Island Creek. Stouts have long been paired with oysters, though seldom brewed with them. This is our take on the age-old tradition.

Brewed by Harpoon brewer Katie Tame, using Island Creek oyster farmer Skip Bennett’s revered Duxbury Bay oysters, this beer has a rich body and smooth mouthfeel derived in part from a combination of roasted barley and chocolate rye malts. The roasted malt notes blend beautifully with the briny, mineral flavors of the Island Creek oysters. An addition of hops adds some bitterness to balance the malt sweetness. This, the 30th installment of the Harpoon 100 Barrel Series, is best enjoyed with a plate full of Island Creek Oysters.

We hope beer and oyster lovers have as much fun drinking it as we had brewing it.”

ABV: 5.5%

IBU: 35

OG: 15° P

Brewed: 1/21/2010
Bottled: 2/5/2010

(3/12/2010)