Beer Advent Calendar Day 24- AleSmith Brewing Company Speedway Stout

Good evening all. After a nice Christmas Eve hanging around in Dartmouth and Bantham, it's now time for the final official 2012 advent calendar post. I'll probably do a post tomorrow compiling all of the beers consumed over the course of Christmas Day, but I consider this to be the true chequered flag review because the bottle came out of a cardboard door that I constructed over a month ago. It's Speedway Stout, an Imperial Stout from AleSmith Brewing Company (California, USA). I had this beer during the summer at The Craft Beer Co. and enjoyed it immensely, so hopefully it'll be as good as I remember! Thanks for coping with the daily posts for another year, and I'll be back tomorrow for the last hurrah. Review after the pics....

Speedway Stout (12.0% ABV) pours a very dark brown colour with a thick brown head that settles to a thin film over the surface of the beer. The aroma is very rich, with slightly astringent coffee, caramelised sugar, cocoa powder, lactose sugar and some dark fruits (particularly blackcurrant) lingering in the background. The coffee is immediately apparent, with that familiar biting quality that it seems to impart when present in large quantities, but the nose soon becomes accustomed to it and allows the other nuances to come through. The sweetness isn't overly intense and coalesces very well with the subtle blackcurrant, whilst the lactose sugar lessens the impact of the other aromas and creates a mocha-like sensation when the roasted aspects of the coffee become more apparent. The taste delivers everything that the aroma promised and more, with coffee, chocolate sauce, yeast extract, caramel, licorice, aniseed, burnt toast, blackcurrant and some booze residing in the background supporting everything. The fruit and coffee come along almost immediately, delivering some tartness along the sides of the mouth that seems to be amplified by the chest-warming power of the alcohol, and once this initial power has subsided there's scope for the darker/burnt flavours to come through in varying degrees. Despite not being barrel-aged, it takes on a bourbon vanilla oak quality midway through drinking, complimenting the darker flavours that are present during the finish. The mouthfeel is on the thick side and the beer is well-carbonated, which helps to offset some of the bitter dimensions during drinking. Overall, this is a great imperial stout with a pleasant amount of coffee, some well-balanced tart flavours and a decent kick of alcohol backing everything up. Not as good as the first time I had it, but still well worth trying if you're a fan of coffee stouts with more Nigel Tufnel-oriented potency.

Until next time....

Beer Advent Calendar Day 3- Brouwerij Emelisse White Label Imperial Russian Stout Sorachi Ace

Good evening all. It's already Day 3 of the Beer Advent Calendar- how time flies when you're drinking! Behind tonight's cardboard door is White Label Imperial Russian Stout Sorachi Ace, a Russian Imperial Stout from Brouwerij Emelisse (The Netherlands). This beer is part of their White Label collection, an ongoing series of limited-release beers utilising different brewing techniques and unusual recipes. I had the White Label Imperial Russian Stout aged in Ardbeg barrels during the summer, which was pretty incredible despite the potential for personal bias as I am a massive Ardbeg fan, and by the name alone this is shaping up to be just as interesting. The Sorachi Ace hop can be found in single hop IPAs and even saisons, but using it in an RIS is certainly one of the more unconventional applications I've come across. Will it be able to penetrate the usual richness of an RIS and contribute something different to the proceedings? Review after the pics....

White Label Imperial Russian Stout Sorachi Ace (11.0% ABV) pours a jet black colour with a light brown head that settles to a thin coating over the surface of the beer. The aroma is very rich, with dark fruits (including some light soy sauce fruitiness), yeast extract, chocolate, coffee, toasty notes, caramel and a resemblance to barrel-ageing, as if it had spent some time in bourbon barrels but without the usual accompanying volatility. It's quite hard to pick out the individual aromas with this one; none of them are particularly intense but they seem to gang up and bombard the olfactories from the first inhale. The dark fruits and usual roasted malt aromas hit immediately, but are soon supported by the caramelised, almost burnt sugar sweetness. There's no sense of any lemon usually associated with the Sorachi Ace hop; possibly a hint of bubblegum in the background but certainly nothing overt. The taste is equally as complex, with chocolate, coffee, licorice, burnt sugar, dark fruits and some bitterness during drinking and in the finish. The flavours are fairly dark and smoky, with the caramel sweetness on the burnt side and the hoppy bitterness coming along in two waves; almost immediately and masking the other flavours, and then as a reprisal towards the end of drinking, delivering some tartness along the sides of the mouth. The characteristic Sorachi Ace flavours are slightly more apparent on tasting, with a hint of lemon and some grapefruit in the aftertaste. The alcohol content isn't discernible either, so it's wise to exercise caution as this is a very drinkable beer! The mouthfeel is quite thick and the beer is moderately carbonated, which balances out the flavours on show and works very well in this context to create a smooth drinking experience. Overall, this is an interesting stout that treads the line between RIS and Black IPA nicely- plenty of bitterness, some rich roasted malt flavours, and an impeccably disguised ABV percentage all make this a worthwhile offering from another great Dutch brewery. Probably the only complaint is that the flavours of the Sorachi Ace aren't as apparent as the hop-derived bitterness, but this is understandable when considering the impact and power of the stout flavours. Definitely recommended if you can find a bottle, and I'll be seeking out more White Label offerings in the future.

Until next time....

Summer Wine Brewery Mokko Milk Stout

Good evening all. The Great British Beer Festival and a pub crawl around London are the reasons behind my recent lack of activity, so I know you'll all forgive me as it was in the interest of pursuing large quantities of fantastic beer. GBBF was even better than last year, mainly due to the inclusion of more friends and an even better range of foreign beers (although Fantome Saison still eludes me as it was noticeably absent by the time of my arrival on Thursday), and the pub crawl included the opportunity to try Alesmith IPA and Speedway Stout at Craft Beer Co., so I needn't say anything more on that matter! Now that I'm back for a few days before heading off to Brussels it seems appropriate to get back into the swing of blogging, and I've chosen Mokko Milk Stout, a Milk Stout from Summer Wine Brewery (Holmfirth, UK) to do just that. Review after the pic....

Mokko Milk Stout (6.0% ABV) pours a jet black colour with a thick beige head that settles to a patchy covering over the surface of the beer. The aroma is remarkably amplified for a milk stout, with lactose, coffee, cocoa powder, caramel and some dark fruits in the background. As with most stouts the coffee and chocolate hit the nose first, accompanied by the sweetness from the lactose sugar, whilst the caramel and dark fruits gradually become more noticeable with frequent inhales. The latter aromas do a great job of supporting the contributions from the roasted malt, giving the whole experience a richness and depth that you would normally expect from a higher-ABV stout. The taste continues this "full-bodied" idea, with coffee, chocolate, blackcurrants, caramel and some light grapefruit hop flavours towards the end of drinking, all delivered with a surprising amount of power. The fruitier aspects of the roasted malt create a slight tartness towards the end of drinking, acting as a nice transition into the finish, which is quite dry and full of lingering grape hop flavours. The sourness and dryness warrant frequent sips, which is fortunately a conceivable prospect with this beer as a result of the lower ABV percentage! The mouthfeel is quite thick and the beer is moderately carbonated, which acts as a great platform for the flavours on show. Overall, this is a mini powerhouse of a milk stout, with a good balance between the subtleties of the lactose sugar and the richer flavours provided by the roasted malt. On par with Young's Double Chocolate Stout and Bristol Beer Factory's Milk Stout, so it's very much recommended!

Until next time....

Mikkeller/Brodie's Big Mofo Stout

Good evening all. I'm back again with another post, and this time it's all about Big Mofo Stout, an Imperial Stout forged out of a collaboration between Brodie's (London, UK) and Mikkeller (Copenhagen, Denmark). Any readers of the blog will know that I'm a huge fan of Mikkeller, but I've only ever sampled one Brodie's beer in my life and I can't even remember what that was (it was at The Rake towards the latter part of the morning though, so maybe I wasn't completely awake!). Let's rectify that with this offering, and you can find the review after the pic....

Big Mofo Stout (10.5% ABV) pours a jet black colour with a thick beige head that gradually settles over the course of the beer. The aroma is surprisingly hoppy and very reminiscent of a black IPA, with grapefruit, coffee, chocolate and roasted malt. The hops are very prominent on the nose with the citrus fruits, whilst the roasted malt and accompanying aromas play more of a supporting role. As proved with the black IPA style, the hops and roasted malt work together very well, and both are as powerful as each other in this case so it caters to both IPA and stout fans nicely. The taste also delivers a satisfying hop kick, with resinous pine, chocolate, coffee, licorice and yeast extract flavours bombarding the tongue, followed by a noticeable bitterness from the hops in the finish and an aftertaste similar to lactose (milk stout). The finish is also quite dry as a result of the roasted malt, and the hops impart a grape taste that lingers after drinking. I certainly wasn't expecting this beer to be so hoppy, but it's understandable when considering this is the product of two forward-thinking breweries who both aren't afraid to experiment and modify familiar styles. The alcohol content is also quite noticeable at first, but further sips brings this perception down considerably until it's barely noticeable. The mouthfeel is on the thick side and the beer is well carbonated, which compliments the hop character very nicely. Overall, whilst I'd consider this to be more of an Imperial Black IPA than an Imperial Stout, the most important thing that matters is that it's a very good beer with plenty of interesting flavours that are balanced exceptionally. Definitely worth trying at least once, and I'll be on the look out for it again in the future.

Until next time....

Flying Dog Brewery Kujo Imperial Coffee Stout

Good evening all. Unfortunately I haven't done a lot since my last review post, so I'm afraid I won't be able to supply you with the usual lengthy introductory discourse concerning my personal life. However, that should all change in a couple of days as I'll be heading up to Nottingham to reunite with my old band for a gig and, whilst that does mean I'll be absent from the blog yet again, I should at least have something to talk about afterwards! Tonight's beer is Kujo Imperial Coffee Stout, an Imperial Stout from Flying Dog Brewery (Maryland, USA). I'm a big fan of coffee stouts and Flying Dog in general, so my expectations are pretty high for this offering. Review after the pic....

Kujo Imperial Coffee Stout (8.9% ABV) pours a jet black colour with a short-lived brown head that settles to a thin halo around the inside of the glass. The aroma is rich and sweet, with dark fruits, coffee, chocolate, toffee and some roasted malt in the background supporting everything. Surprisingly, the coffee wasn't immediately apparent on the nose in comparison to the sweeter aromas and the chocolate, but I suspect this was because of over-chilling as the coffee became more noticeable as the beer warmed up. Definitely on the sweeter end of the spectrum in comparison to other imperial stouts, and the generous coffee injection adds another interesting dimension that amplifies the coffee aromas usually present when using roasted malt. Tasting the beer suddenly makes you aware of the alcohol content, and you can almost feel it vaporising as it warms up in your mouth. Accompanying this sensation are a myriad of flavours, including raspberries, chocolate, coffee and caramel. The raspberries come out more in the aftertaste, with the taste during drinking being more reminiscent of a general "dark fruits" flavour (sweet, dry, slightly puckering). The coffee only seems to make itself known through retro-olfaction- the alcohol and sweet fruits overpower this flavour on the palette- and the caramel sweetness becomes predominant towards the end of drinking, mixing well with the lingering dark fruits. Towards the end of the beer, a pronounced creaminess is introduced which acts as a great base for the coffee, giving a taste very similar to a latte. The biscuit aspects of the malt also become apparent, almost acting as a biscotti for the coffee in a strange way! The finish is slightly dry, with some grape flavours lingering in the aftertaste, and the mouthfeel is not overly thick which compliments the flavours in this context. Overall, this is a very good example of a coffee stout, with the malt base acting as a platform for the additional java but still allowing the other flavours (fruit, caramel sweetness) to come through. I'd definitely get it again- it's on par with similar stellar offerings such as Mikkeller's "Beer Geek Breakfast", De Struise's "Black Damnation II- Mocha Bomb" and Dark Star's "Espresso".

Until next time....

Weyerbacher Brewing Co. Old Heathen Imperial Stout

Good evening all. Since finishing my exams on Wednesday evening I've been on a craft beer binge of sorts,  achieved through depleting the collection of bottles in my Guildford cellar and taking multiple trips up to London to visit Craft Beer Co., The Draft House Tower Bridge, BrewDog Camden and The Black Heart. Suffice to say, I could probably use a dry day or two to recover from this madness, but in the meantime I felt like doing another beer review. The subject of this post is Old Heathen Imperial Stout, an Imperial Stout from Weyerbacher Brewing Co. (Pennsylvania, USA). I reviewed their Double Simcoe IPA a few days ago, and after seeing this offering in the fridges at Craft Beer Co. last night I thought it would be wise to grab a bottle and build up a better picture of this brewery. Review after the pic.... 

Old Heathen Imperial Stout (8.0% ABV) pours a jet black colour with a thick bubbly off-white head that settles to a thin halo around the inside of the glass. Definitely looks the part, and the initially-significant head suggests a plentiful mouthfeel which is always good for an imperial stout. The aroma is composed of roasted malt, chocolate, coffee, sticky dark fruits and plenty of caramelised/burnt sugar. Every so often the aromas coalesce to give the perception of banana, and there's also some yeast extract that becomes evident as the beer warms up. It certainly sounds like a standard checklist of characteristic imperial stout aromas, but this beer delivers all of them at surprisingly subtle levels compared to what I was expecting. The fruit and the sweetness are instantly noticeable on the first inhale, with the chocolate coming through as cocoa powder soon afterwards and the yeast extract supporting everything. The alcohol content barely makes itself known on the nose, generally opting to remain quite subdued. The roasted malt and caramelised sweetness do create an aroma that's reminiscent of a hoppy barley wine, but I can't quite decide whether this is because of those individual components or because the beer also contains citrusy aroma hops. The taste brings out more of the biscuit flavours from the malt, and the alcohol does make itself known more on the palette in comparison to the nose. Plenty of chocolate, puckering dark fruits (raspberries, blackcurrant, raisins), coffee and a caramelised sweetness in the finish. Hop-derived grape flavours linger in the aftertaste, leaving the mouth feeling slightly dry and open to repeated sips. If I'd blind-tasted this beer, I probably wouldn't have immediately flagged it as an imperial stout- the flavours are slightly too subdued and the beer definitely isn't full-bodied enough to warrant the title. It's got more in common with a Milk Stout or a Dry Stout, particularly with the slight lactose sugar flavour that becomes apparent every so often during drinking. The mouthfeel is quite light and the beer is moderately carbonated, which does compliment the flavours on show. Overall, Old Heathen Imperial Stout delivers a lot of aroma but unfortunately doesn't capitalise on this initial sensory enticement to create a flavour palette worthy of its intended beer style. I probably wouldn't go out of my way to get it again, but it is worth trying once and would certainly suit situations where a mild stout is the best option. Better examples of the style include Great Divide Brewing Co.'s "Yeti Imperial Stout", Flying Dog Brewing Co.'s "Gonzo Imperial Porter" and Mikkeller's "Black Hole". 

Until next time....

Green Flash Brewing Co. Double Stout

Good evening all. This review represents the first using a new format of note taking that I'm planning to adopt for each beer in the future, using my phone to dictate my opinions and thoughts as opposed to the traditional pen and paper approach. Hopefully it will still allow me to write coherently and get across how I feel about a beer! The beer that has the honour of being the first to be reviewed using this style is Double Stout, an Imperial Stout from Green Flash Brewing Co. based in San Diego, California. I've had one beer from Green Flash before and honestly can't remember much about it, so hopefully this will be a more lasting experience! Review after the pic....

Double Stout (8.8% ABV) pours a jet black colour with a thick brown head that settles to a patchy covering over the surface of the beer. There's some lacing present in the early stages of the beer but, like the head, this diminishes about halfway through drinking. The aroma is predominantly composed of dark chocolate, with a sense of the roasted malt in the background that cuts through the chocolate. There's a hint of coffee and lactose sugar, and every so often some dark fruits come through. Certainly not overwhelming but there's enough here so far to captivate and hold my interest. Tasting the beer, the individual flavours don't seem to come through much, instead they all merge together to give a uniform "stout" taste and quality. Sometimes you can pick up on the odd hint of chocolate and coffee, but it's definitely less complex than the aroma and much harder to define particular flavours. The finish is quite dry and has a bitterness that's reminiscent of dark chocolate, with toasty notes in the aftertaste from the roasted malt. The malt occasionally presents a buttery, biscuit flavour/sensation that cuts through quite well. The mouthfeel is not too thick and the beer is moderately carbonated, which works well with the subdued flavours. Overall, this is quite a disappointing beer, with lots going on in the nose but not enough flavour to back up the initial excitement. I could easily mistake this for a Milk Stout or an Irish Dry Stout, particularly when the alcohol doesn't make itself known during drinking despite the high ABV percentage. I wouldn't get this beer again and personally I don't recommend it, but that's probably because I was expecting more from it than what I got. For what it's worth, it is well composed and is certainly a good demonstration of how darker beers can employ subtlety, but with an Imperial Stout I'd rather go for the big, full-bodied bad boys than have the flavours tamed, and that's why I'm not a fan.

Until next time....

#IMPOFF Reviews

Good evening all. Yesterday was #IMPOFF, a blogging/Twitter event in recognition of the imperial stout beer style. I won't go into the specifics of the event (they can be found here: http://beersay.wordpress.com/2012/03/16/clash-of-the-titans-impoff/) but I managed to pick two choices that weren't even featured in the recommended list of stouts, despite having one of them in the cellar. I ended up having two imperial stouts, and have chosen to review them both in one post. The first was Hel & Verdoemenis Wild Turkey B.A., an Imperial Stout barrel-aged in Wild Turkey bourbon barrels from Brouwerij De Molen. Review after the pic....

Hel & Verdoemenis Wild Turkey B.A. (13.0% ABV) pours a dark black colour with no head formed during or after pouring. There's an alcoholic "halo" around the inside of the glass from the bourbon, good looking stuff! The aroma is fairly boozy, with sweet dark fruits (raisins), candy sugar and licorice. The bourbon is very noticeable but it's not too hard to delve beyond the initial burst of alcohol to reveal the stout aromas. The flavour is composed of yeast extract, bourbon, dark fruits, a hint of coffee, some chocolate and  a candy sugar sweetness, with a creamy aftertaste to the finish but no discernible bitterness. The mouthfeel is surprisingly thin- the bourbon seems to vaporise during drinking which diminishes the mouthfeel- and there is virtually no carbonation present. Overall, a very impressive imperial stout that packs a lot of dark fruit and roasted malt flavours, with the barrel-ageing providing a good alcoholic kick without being too imposing. I'd definitely get this again, despite the slightly high price for such a small serving. 

The next stout was Jahva from Southern Tier Brewing Company, an Imperial Stout brewed with coffee. Based on my last experience with a Southern Tier stout (Creme Brulee) I was expecting good things. Review after the pic....

Jahva (10.6% ABV) pours a dark black colour with an off-white head that settles to a thin halo around the inside of the glass. The aroma is incredibly subtle, with roasted malt, coffee, blackcurrants, a hint of tobacco and a light sweetness. If I had a blindfold on, I could probably mistake this for a milk stout, it's that subdued. The taste is composed of yeast extract, lactose sugar, dark fruits, chocolate and some piquancy from the coffee, with a light bitterness in the finish and a candy floss sweetness to the aftertaste. Most of the flavour comes out in the finish or the aftertaste as opposed to during drinking, which is nice to some extent but somehow unfulfilling. The mouthfeel is slightly thick with moderate carbonation. Overall, a decent imperial stout that is very drinkable but not as impressive or assertive as I was hoping. The flavours and aromas are very subdued, which left me quite disappointed. I might get this beer again to see if I was just unlucky, or if what I experienced is indicative of this particular offering. 

Until next time....

Collaboration Review- Marston's Oyster Stout

Good afternoon all. The second collaboration review beer was chosen by Luke- Oyster Stout (4.5% ABV) from Marston's. No oysters are actually used in the brewing process, the name is simply to indicate that oysters would be a suitable pairing for this beer. We both seem to have devoted this year to exploring a particular beer style- whist I have opted to try as many Belgian beers as possible, Luke is going all out for stouts, hence his choice being at the darker end of the Degrees Lovibond scale. Review after the pic....

As mentioned in the last collaboration review, the reviews have been divided into the individual's opinions and the reviewers are denoted by their initials (EH being Elliott Hamilton and LA being Luke Albutt). 

EH:

Appearance- dark red, verging on black, off-white head that dissipates quickly to nothing in the glass. Oily "slick" on surface during drinking

Aroma- light chocolate and coffee, malt, sulfurous quality

Taste- malty, cocoa, diluted roasted malt flavour, dry finish, acrid bitterness, cloying after short time

Mouthfeel- thin, low carbonation

Overall, a disappointing stout that delivers a lot of roasted malt bitterness but nothing else to balance and suppress this flavour, leading to a lot of cloying on the palette. The mouthfeel is also far too thin and watery. Not recommended, try Bristol Beer Factory Milk Stout, Camden Town Brewery Camden Ink or Young's Double Chocolate Stout for much better examples of low-ABV stouts that deliver a lot of flavour. 

LA:

Appearance- shimmers like a ruby in Icarus' gaze, generally quite black

Aroma- very subtle for a stout (typical yet subtle), noticeable sulfur presence that masks other aromas

Taste- very delicate and held back, personal preference is for more robustness from a stout

Mouthfeel- thin, low carbonation

Restrained stout, good gastro beer as flavours are subdued and wouldn't compete with the food. Seems like a failed experiment to an extent. 

Until next time....