Great River - Bix Street Fest Copper Ale

It feels like it has been quite some time since I reviewed a local beer and there's no better way to break that unsavory streak that with a brewery who crafted a beer especially for a local city's annual event.  Great River makes some darn tasty beers and this year they again made their "Bix Street Fest," a copper ale.  For those unfamiliar with turn of the century jazz musicians (essentially ALL of us), Leon Bismark "Bix" Beiderbecke was an Iowa boy born in 1903 and grew up in the Quad Cities area.  He taugh himself to play cornet by ear, had his first gig at 18 in a band under his name, and was one of the most influential jazz soloists of the 1920's.  Unfortunately, he died in his Queens, NY apartment at the age of 28 and most of his music was not well known until after his death.

To remember this fine musician, every year the Quad Cities throws a street festival rife with live jazz music and hosts a 7 mile race known as "The Bix.".  Why seven miles?  I have no idea.  But regardless of its length, it's a fairly grueling race because the downtown area of the city is built on hills thanks to its proximity to the Mississippi River Valley.  It attracts runners from around the world and, no surprise here, is usually won by Kenyans.  After the race, there is much celebrating and Great River prints this on their cans for the finishers,

"You've trained hard and the run is over, now it's time to relax and enjoy a Street fest Copper Ale, brewed especially for the Bix weekend.  Handcrated in a limited volume, you'll find Street Fest Copper Ale to be smooth, refreshing, and light enough to keep you on your feet.  Everyone wins with a Copper!" 

Meanwhile in college, Bix was a great excuse to come back to college over the summer, hang out with all your friends, party, smoke cigars, cook out, and sleep on whatever couch you could find.  Both events bring back fond memories and to date it's the only "street fest" that makes me a bit nostalgic and reminds me of friends from my past.  Let's pour!

Aroma 10/12

While this beer is not a powerhouse style, it brings some nice things to the table.  It starts out malt driven, is somewhat grainy, and shows a moderate amount of roast.  Just behind that is a light citrus snap that keeps things fresh and clean smelling.  It all feels rather simple until the beer warms a tad and a sweetness starts to develop.  Eventually it shows itself to be toffee, but continues to evolve until there is also an unmistakable vanilla note.

Appearance 2/3

The color is as promised - copper - but not without some sunset oranges to add to its appeal.  In a lighter style like this, I wouldn't expect the colors to range so much, but this is definitely above average.  I'm going to assume that this beer has a fuller mouthfeel than the style typically demands.  The head is average at best.  It gives about a finger in height, is a faded beige in color, creamy in texture, and leaves no lacing.  I'm just happy there's still some around the edge of my glass.

Flavor 17/20

As expected, this is a malt-centered beer, but thankfully there is more to it than that.  It begins with a distinct dose of the copper malts and a faint hint of that great toffee from the aroma, but the main flavors of the beer rush in quickly to silence it.  The backbone is more of the copper malts, however it has also added a slight spice, and that timid citrus which seems quite content to sit on the sides and tickle the edge of your tongue.  The sweetness is definitely detectable, unfortunately the specific vanilla and toffee notes are lost and replaced with a general sweetness.  The finish is a nice change of pace and tries to fool you into thinking you're drinking a lager.  It has a lager's bitter and crispness yet maintains the great grain flavors of the copper ale instead of finishing clean.  The aftertaste is more of the grain and roast flavors that linger on the crest of the tongue.

Mouthfeel 4/5

This beer pulls a couple of interesting tricks in the mouth..  First of all, the brewers know that this is going to be drank en masse by the Bix runners after the race, so they can't make anything too heavy.  That said, this beer has a medium body, is insanely & ridiculously smooth, and only employs minimal amounts of carbonation.  What carbonation exists is tiny and likely drowned in the silky body.  However, this is far from a monster beer.  At 4.8% ABV and 25 IBUs, this beer's numbers allow it to be something that macrobeer drinkers won't feel uncomfortable drinking.  

Their super sweet, much-improved poster for this year! Oh,
and I don't own this image at all.  Please don't sue me.

Overall Impression 7/10

This is a good beer, but far from the best that Great River makes.  It's refreshing, crisp, crazy smooth, shows some great malts, and smells like a million bucks.  To its detriment, the smell doesn't translate quite as well as I'd like into the flavor, the carbonation vanishes quickly, and it's rather simple as a whole.

Total 40/50

Solid "B" material, which frankly might be the most a copper or amber ever gets from me.  It just seems too hard to make one into a flavor rich version of the style.  Not that this beer didn't have flavor, but I wouldn't go so far as to call it rich.  Nor SHOULD I call it rich!  It's supposed to be a lighter, more refreshing offering from a brewery known for putting vanilla beans into brown ale firkins on a whim.  Indeed, it is lighter than most of their offerings and likely crafted to both please the throngs of festival goers as well as show them that beer can be more than just the flavorless macrobrews that are all too easy to purchase.  I'd say that Great River succeeds on both counts.  Unfortunately, when you make a beer to help introduce the masses to craft beer, it's seldom a powerhouse of the style.  I'd be happy to drink this on any hot summer day, but don't sign me up for that 7-mile race just yet.

One of the best-known photos of Bix.

Sources:

http://www.bixsociety.org/

http://bixography.com/

Ihttp://www.bixsociety.org/index.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bix_Beiderbecke

Bent River - Jalepeño Ale

Well, the time has finally come. If you’ve been reading for a while, you know that I compare virtually every beer that involves chipotles, chiles, jalepeños to the beer that I’m going to review today: Bent River’s Jalepeño Ale. It’s a local craft brewery so you won’t find this particular brew on your grocery store shelves (even though their new expanded facility does include a bottling line), unless you’re a Quad Cities native and have a few months to wait. Some of us are just lucky bastards who can go straight to the brewery and don’t have to wait at all. Speaking of which… Let’s pour!

Aroma 11/12
The vegetable scent of the jalepeños is intense! The peppers are not a supporting character in this beer; they absolutely steal the show and run away with it. A rich breadiness is behind it as is a kind of salty, mysterious sweetness – at least there's some sort of sweetness in there to balance all those jalepeño flavors. The chile heat is also there, even if it is the most faint of the aromas. There’s no extract here, this has got to be the work of real peppers. Very unique. Very intense. Kinda scary!

Appearance 2/3
There’s no real head to speak of, but I’m coming to expect this more and more from pubs that serve draft beer. The color is a mix of pumpkin oranges, ochres, and bright copper pennies. It looks about how I would expect this beer due to look based on past experiences with the style.

Ketchup and mustard bottles for color comparison.

Flavor 18/20
Oh man, is this stronger than I remember! This is a seriously more potent batch. It starts out by introducing itself with a salty, spicy shout with plenty of neutral 2 row malts behind it. This is my guess. I don’t know the actual grain bill, but it would seem to be confirmed by the thick body that these flavors ride in on. Next the vegetable flavor of the pepper fades in as does a lot of heat. I mean a lot. Well, at least for a gringo like me. This is definitely not a “Oh maybe if you search for it, you might find a slight tingle behind the cinnamon and caramel and whatever other spices we added in here to make this beer seem well-themed.” This is a “Oh shit, who put something in my beer!” type heat. If you wouldn’t put Tobasco on your eggs, you might not enjoy this. In its defense, I don’t always remember it being this way (see the “Total” section below for a full explanation). As you hold the beer in the mouth, the chile heat fades a bit and the neutral malts really stand out. It’s joined by a light bitter, which goes well with the previously described malt. The whole time I’ve been drinking this, I’ve been trying to put a finger on the sweetness that this beer has. Normally one would suspect the malts, but given their “plain” flavor one eliminate them fairly quickly. The sweetness is the natural sweetness from the pepper! Just like a fresh green pepper can be sweet when eat raw (or roasted!), these jalepeños have that same clean, sweetness and they add their very incognito sweetness to the brew. The finish remains bitter with neutral malts, as well as a heat that needles the back of your throat. The aftertaste is only the heat of chiles, just like the parting shots of a meal at a Hispanic restaurant that maybe included few too many dashes of hot sauce.


Mouthfeel 4/5
The presumed 2-row malts give this beer a nice heavy body and a really nice, moderately-sized foaming action in the mouth to keep things from feeling too sluggish. Obviously, the heat from the chiles comes into play more than a little bit. Not much else to say here.

Pic from: http://breweries.findthebest.com/l/344/Bent-River-Brewing-Co

Overall Impression 8/10
This is really an enjoyable beer if you’re in the mood for something spicy and extremely unique. I’ve never had another beer like it. The roasted chile notes permeate every aspect of this beer and their authenticity is amazing. Finally, a pepper beer that doesn’t try to cover up or shy away from the peppers! The body is sturdy, but not burdensome thanks to some good foaming action. The beer itself might be improved by a more balancing sweetness, perhaps lended by an increase of crystal malts to the grain bill (or anything with a bit of light caramel for that matter).

Total 43/50
As I mentioned earlier in this review, this brew is a LOT more potent that I remember. Previously, it was not quite so outspoken about its spiciness, though it was still far from shy about it. It seems to me that it used to have more a balancing sweetness that not only rounded out the beer, but added more complexity to it as well. While this beer isn’t a one-trick pony, both its featured characteristics, the authentic pepper notes and the heat, come courtesy of the jalepeños. Those mild criticisms aside this is a great beer to pace oneself with. Its body and heat both almost insist that you sip it. When all is said and done, finishing this beer is almost like finishing a spicy meal. It was tasty, there was a little bit of spicy pain (“It hurts good,” my mother would say), and you really enjoyed it, but there is a slight sense of relief when the pint is finished. Needless to say, I highly recommend it. Cheers Bent River! You keep brewin’ it and I’ll keep drinking ‘em.

Bent River - Jameson Oak Irish Stout & Food Pairing

Ahhh, another sign of the changing seasons... Bent River's Jameson Oak Irish Stout.  One of the many seasonal hits they create (along with their Sweet Potato beer and Jingle Java) and I wasn't about to miss out on this!  I picked up a growler one day and I've been waiting too long to crack it open.  It's a different stout than their flagship Uncommon Stout, as this stout does not use any coffee.  However, it is aged in Jameson whiskey barrels for about a month (according to a gentleman I briefly spoke with on the phone) and does not overpower the drinker with the flavor of the liquor.  I've heard enough.  Let's pour!

Aroma 10/12
A very dark, pleasing roast is this beer's warm welcome.  It borders on being charred, but stops just short.  Oak is also abundant and gives an almost tobacco like feel to the brew.  Those two sensations, the darkness of the roast and the smooth oak, combined with a hint of creamy sweetness (likely contributed by oatmeal), provide a subterfuge that at times give this beer wafts of chocolate.  No whiskey smell at this time, but the beer still has some warming to do.

Appearance 2/3
Very little head appears and what does dies down soon to leave a Milky Way type swirl on the surface.  However, a lesser head (and often a smoother mouthfeel) can be expected due to the barrel aging process.  The beer is a very appropriate brown/black with nice espresso brown edges

Flavor 19/20
The first sensations are that dark, dark roast and a bit of the sweet, creamy nature of what I assume is oatmeal (or another grain that evokes similar results).  The creaminess quickly fades and is replaced a very noticeable oak flavor.  The roast and oak flavors seem pretty happy together but eventually decide to allow a light whiskey note to join the party as well.  It takes a while!  Only after holding the beer in the mouth does the whiskey show, and even then ever so slightly.  You may insert your own joke about alcohol and a resultant lack of punctuality.  There's even a slight spice that goes well with the oak & whiskey.  The finish is definitely where the whiskey shines brightest!  It's full whiskey flavor without the heat or any sort of overwhelming characteristic, but with a nice earthiness added.  Wait another second and you'll get that same, barely sour, taste that you would get right after a shot of whiskey.  Very cool!

Mouthfeel  5/5
I'm quite impressed with this brew.  I bought this over a week ago in the growler and it hasn't lost a step.  The body is right for a stout; heavy and rolls along the tongue.  The carbonation isn't as low as some other barrel-aged brews I've had.  In fact, I'd have a hard time telling that this is barrel-aged at all were it not for the distinct oak aroma & flavor.  This beer also does not have any warmth that is sometimes used (and sometimes abused) in craft beers that involve spirits.  The thick, smoothness when lightly swishing it around the mouth is a fantastic sensation and Bent River should get full props for that.

Overall Impression 8/10
Definitely impressed.  While the flavor should (and would) compliment each other, these seem to come together at different times and allow the drinker to appreciate each flavor (roast, oak, whiskey) separately.  Would I like them blended into a seamless mixture?  Probably.  But that by no means makes this beer a disappointment.  The mouthfeel shows plenty of carbonation in each sip, but still allows that rich, creamy brew to slide over the tongue like mercury.

Total 44/50
This beer is tasty, an insanely appropriate choice for St. Patrick's Day (if you're not sessionability is not your aim), and allows a very easy breakdown of the flavors.  For those looking to refine their palate and being able to put into words what is happening on your tongue, this beer would be an excellent choice.  The roast, oak, and whiskey flavors come together at times, but one ingredient always seems to have the upper hand.  I suppose, in a perfect world, I would've liked a more concentrated malt and a combination of the ingredients instead of their separation.  However, often times the flavor of the liquor can override anything it comes into contact with, so perhaps this is a blessing is disguise.


Bent River Jameson Oak Irish Stout & Kerrygold Aged Cheddar with Irish Whiskey
This is actually a white cheddar, but it does crumble slightly along the edges to support its "aged cheddar" packaging.  The cheese itself is smooth in the mouth, but still has that almost crystalline quality in its center that is not uncommon amongst nice aged cheddars.  When I say crystalline, I do mean crystals.  I'm not a cheese afficionado, but there is the tiniest crunch as if one has bit into a grain of sugar or salt (in texture only, not flavor).  Cheddar that has been aged longer will exhibit a slightly higher amount of this characteristic.  Its flavor alone is a nice, pungent cheddar that is sharp but not intensely so.  It gives that wonderful salty, creamy, almost herb-like flavor that is in a good cheddar.  This is good cheese and well worth the dollars spent to procure it.  However, I am not getting much of the Irish Whiskey said to be within it.  There is only the finest hint of it and it lies well behind the cheddar's saltiness.

To pair it with the beer is interesting, but ultimately futile.  The roast refuses to be dominated by the cheddar, and the beer's oak notes and the cheddar's saltiness appear in that order immediately before the swallow.  Neither item compliments the other, they simply come in waves of their own flavors depending on which happens to be contacting the tongue at that particular moment.  Oddly enough, in a pairing where both food items involve whiskey in their creation, the whiskey is completely absent.  In the beer it was subtle to begin with and it was barely present in the cheddar so this should not come as a surprise.

Now is the fact that these two "don't play nice" a detriment to their pairing.  Yes.  Can good things still come out of it?  Yes.  For example, I love the salty, smooth finish that the cheddar gives to the combination as a whole.  I also enjoy that the same flavor can be completely muted by the roasted, almost-charred malts of the beer.  Ultimately, each ingredient is excellent on its own, but together this pairing is less than ideal.  Now according to a nearly ancient article on BeerAdvocate nothing really pairs with stout.  However, my dedication to stouts (& cheddars for that matter) is so strong, that I must continue the hunt.  Anybody have any suggestions?  No, seriously.  Leave a comment for a good cheese pairing to go with a stout and I'll make it a point to include that pairing in a future review, provided I have access to said recommended items.  Oh and please don't recommend that Porter cheddar, as most varieties I've had (which does not include the previous link) have virtually no porter characteristics.  Godspeed and good luck!

Bent River - Dry Hopped Pale Ale

If I'm spending the entire day in the Quad Cities unsupervised, you better believe that I'm going to be hitting up some great local craft beer!  Today's review is for Bent River's Dry Hopped Pale Ale.  I didn't have a camera with me that day, so I apologize for the lack of pictures.  Before I start this review, let me just say that I can't wait until this brewery has an opportunity to be "discovered" on a larger scale.  Let's pour!

Pic blatantly stolen from their website.

Aroma 11/12

This absolutely reminds me of the Bell’s Hopslam I had 2 days ago!  It starts out a bit piney, but quickly turns sweet and eminates aromas of dried pineapples and mango.  The hops in this are amazing and make a veritable tropical fruit salad for your nose.  The best part is… IT’S STILL COLD!  I can’t wait to see what else comes out as this beer warms.

Appearance 2/3

The head wasn’t monstrous, but then again the bartender (whom I just met) made sure that most of the head was poured off for me (good work, Justin).  What head remained appeared white in the dim light of the brewpub and remained as a disk on the beer for as long as I wished.  The color is a dark, earthy, pumpkin orange that glows a bit more golden toward the bottom.  I won’t say that the beer in unfiltered as I don’t see any sediment, but there is certainly a haze at work that under better lighting conditions could lend itself well to displaying a variety of hues.  If I can see that it's cloudy in this light, it must be an extremely cloudy brew.

Flavor 18/20

Only briefly is one exposed to a bright citrus flash before the sweeter, more tropical backbone arrives.   The mangoes from the aroma are abundant as is the candied nature of a dried pineapple, but without any of the pineapple acidity.  To hold the beer in the mouth accentuates a splendid hop bitter that shows a strong presence while going a long way to balance out the tropical sweetness.  The mangoes are present everywhere, even when on the back of the tongue during the finish.  Eventually they fade after the beer is swallowed and a moderate bitter rests on the tongue like a pill you didn’t swallow soon enough.  The after taste is a less intense version of the bitter, with no sweetness, and is somewhat drying.

Mouthfeel 4/5

This is a very full-bodied, big beer!  The heavy body helps rein in all the monster flavors present and gives the carbonation a free pass on being just higher than desirable.  Not in its quantity, but its somewhat prickly nature.  The foaming action in the mouth doesn’t lend any additional smoothness, but does help the experience from becoming too heavy as a whole.

Overall Impression 10/10

I enjoy this beer immensely!  I’ve never encountered hops that provide such a strong flavor & aroma outside of an Imperial IPA.  While this doesn’t have the caramel sweetness that traditionally comes with such a strong hop presence, it is not needed.  The hops in this case provide all the sweetness in a delightful and powerful mango tone.  The only thing needed to balance out those hops is… well, more hops.  The bitter note balances the mango nicely and makes this beer anything but sweet.  The body is also a great attribute to this beer, though easy to overlook after such a striking flavor and aroma.

Total 45/50

In case, you couldn’t tell I really enjoyed this beer.  Technically, it’s not the most complex thing on the planet.  However, the hop presence is soooo delicious in all its forms that I find it hard to justify any sort of lower score.  A beer doesn’t have to be complex to be good, right?  True, it helps, but a beer that can impress me while maintaining its simplicity is also deserving of praise (even if it might be more difficult to achieve a perfect score).  Mango and bitter.  Bitter and mango.  That tandem carries this beer to a delicious success.  If you’re even in the area, find it.  If you like Hopslam, find it.  My next growler is this beer, no questions asked.

Blue Cat - Marley's Blackstrap Stout

Yesterday found me in the Quad Cities all day with little to do.  What better to fill my time than to review some local craft beer?  I visited a pair of establishments, but today's review is for one of my old haunts, Blue Cat Brew Pub and their Marley's Blackstrap Stout.  Never seen this brew around before and new, unsampled brews are just my style.  Let's pour!

Aroma 10/12

The aroma is not terribly complex, but what is present is extremely promising for the beer to come.  It almost smells like bananas in chocolate fondue.  I’m sure it’s actually a combination of some chocolate malts, a splendid dark roast, and loads of molasses, but there is more than a suggestion of chocolate covered bananas here.  As the beer warms, the dark roast and molasses aromas combine and make for a darkly sweet, almost smokey tandem.  There are a lot of things working in harmony!

Appearance 3/3

Finally a beer from the tap that shows more than a disk of head that barely covers the top!  This beer came with a thick, dark tan head that was about 1-2 fingers tall and creamy in appearance.  It looks like I could rest the salt shaker on it!  The longevity was surprising; it didn’t leave entirely until I drank it.  The beer is black and completely opaque, not even allowing a bit of transparency along the edges when held up to a light.

Flavor 18/20

The beer starts off with a hearty serving of the chocolate malts, their roast, and that wonderful blackstrap molasses.  The flavor still suggests a dessert, but less so than the aroma.  There seem to be other malts present as well, but they don’t seem to be adding a lot to the flavor profile.  For example, the neutrality of crystal malt is shown sans the customary accompanying sweet flavors.   The backbone really lets this beer shine by showing off gobs of molasses flavor, but without molasses’s sugary sweetness.  The roast is now coming off as almost bitter, but is aided by some unhidden alcohol warmth, the bittersweet nature of blackstrap molasses, and likely some hops.  The brewpub claims that the ABV is 5.6%, but I would’ve guessed higher especially when it comes to the finish.  The alcohol warmth crescendos and plateaus when held in the mouth and upon swallowing becomes quite present along with a coffee’s bitter note and a lighter caramel flavor.  The finish continues the coffee-like bitter, but rounds it off with roast flavors.  Together the two hint at a smokiness.

Mouthfeel 4/5

The beer’s body is not the largest thing I’ve seen, especially for a stout, but it remains fair for the style and it helped along by a carbonation that, while just high for the style, foams ever so slightly in the mouth and makes this beer all the silkier and smoother – something I always like to see in a stout.

Overall Impression 7/10

This turned out to be a beer that is very difficult to describe accurately.  The flavor doesn’t constantly change, but insists on continually shifting the flavor's emphasis to each and every ingredient.  The aroma says “chocolate banana.”  The flavor says “molasses…. Or is it  warmth…. I mean, look at this roast and bitter combination… nah, just focus on the molasses.”  There is lot going on in this beer!  Its only weak link lies in the mouthfeel where the carbonation is simply too active for a stout.

Total 42/50

This is a very tasty stout that I could sip on all night.  Blackstrap molasses is a very unique ingredient to put in a stout and I’m very glad someone did.  I was completely unfamiliar with blackstrap molasses until this beer and had to do a bit of research.  Turns out it lends the exact flavors I found in this beer:  a duller sweetness than a typical molasses and a bit of a bitter note as well.  This showcasing of a single ingredient doesn’t make this the most complex beer in the world, but it does make it darn tasty and a neat way to experience and learn an ingredient.  Much in the same way that Samuel Adams  taught me about different varieties of hops with their Latitude 48 Deconstructed or any of the Mikkeller Single Hop series, this beer has shown me what a single ingredient can do.  

I was most intrigued by this beer's ability to assume the flavors of a dessert (chocolate, molasses), but without the sweetness that we so often associate with those flavors.  I'm not sure how they were separated.  Balancing ingredients such as hops and a dark roast?  It's extremely interesting and keeps this beer from becoming to sweet by maintaining more of its stout-style roots.  Overall, I’d say it’s well worth buying, a smidge light-bodied for the style, and a unique, tasty presentation of a stout.  Cheers to Blue Cat for this brew!  It goes to show that you don’t have to be a super-experimental or national craftbrewer to successfully utilize a new and unusual ingredient.  And that makes me excited.

Bent River - Jingle Java

Gang, I've got good news and bad news.  Bad news is my job "restructured" on Friday and restructured me right out of a job.  It's a job I was planning on buying a house and starting a family with and now I'm set back a bit on those plans.  The good news is that there will be a significant increase in posts for the foreseeable future.

Don't think that this "job" thing is going to hold me back.  I've already got a good application in at a local craft brewery (today's review actually!) and can fall back on some substitute teaching to help make ends meet.  Who trusts me around children?  I'm not sure, but I'm glad they do.  In any case, I had big plans for 2012 and I'm not about to let them die.  I'm.  Still.  Here.

Personal stuff aside, today's review is for Bent River's Jingle Java, a seasonal treat that I look forward to every year.  In fact, Bent River recently started selling this in growlers at local supermarket chains!  A very exciting development for a local craft brewer.  Today's sample was originally to be given to a friend in trade for some East Coast beer, but that trade fell through for good reasons and now I'm left with a very tasty option for a winter seasonal beer review.  Before I get started, I would like to make it clear that just because I've got an application in at this brewery, does not mean that I'll be brown-nosing this review.  However, I have had this beer before and know it to be very, very tasty - and that is the only bias I'll be allowing.  Now it's time to drink this stuff before it goes too flat!  Let's pour!

Black as the growler it came from...

Aroma 12/12
Opening the growler releases a belch of coffee aroma (still carbonated!).  Dark chocolate abounds, cappucino roasts float in the nose, fresh ground coffee permeates the air, and is all followed by a secondary molasses note.  This smells EXACTLY like you have walked into a gourmet coffee shop.  Simply awesome.

Appearance 3/3
As you can see from the picture, this beer is as dark as the growler in which it came.  Only when held to light does one get a dark chestnut brown at the beer's surface.  I'm allowing for a little less head in this review as this growler has been in my possession for more than its allotted time.  Even with that allowance, as I poured no initial carbonation rose to the top and I was worried.  Then, ever so slowly, carbonation started to appear and rise to the top.  I'm very impressed that it has held its carbonation this long!  This beer has more legs than a centipede.

Flavor 18/20
First to the palate are darkly roasted, smoky malts with a bit of a salty tinge.  The backbone is righteously smooth, and brings authentic coffee flavors, rich thick chocolates, and touches of charred malt.  The coffee and char take over, leaving the chocolate not as much of a starring role as in the delicious aroma.  However, this is a coffee stout, not a chocolate coffee stout.  When heading into the finish, the first thing I noticed was the prick of pepper on my tongue.  Not something I was expecting, but there is a hidden spice element in this beer.  The finish is a lighter coffee than in the aroma or the backbone, but unlike coffee, leaves the mouth dry and relatively clean (again, compared to regular coffee).  A bitter remains that shows a hint of grass or herbal hops and that sensation lingers as a nice aftertaste to a flavor-filled beer.

Mouthfeel 5/5
Again, this category becomes a little harder to judge.  Because I've had it in a growler longer than intended, the carbonation was not at its optimal levels.  In fairness, I've never had a complaint with it before and I'm not about to start now.  Even in its current state, the carbonation is wonderfully present, lending the beer a silky, foamy quality to compliment the heavier-than-average body and the wonderfully rich, smooth nature of the beer.

Overall Impression 10/10
This beer is a winner from start to finish.  The aroma is one of the best introductions to a stout that I recall and the flavor is nothing short of filthy rich.  Bent River offers more than just the coffee/chocolate combination that many breweries can ride to success.  Instead choosing to imbue its beer with molasses, charred malt remnants, and a light hop bitter in the finish.  This beer is truly a holiday treat that I, like many a petulant child, wish I didn't have to wait for the holidays to receive.

Total 48/50
Full disclosure, this is my favorite local brew available, but I'm not the only one that thinks so.  Bent River's Jingle Java is so popular that they have hosted an event called "Christmas in July" where they tap a keg or two of Jingle Java in July just to satisfy their customers' cravings (as if their Uncommon Stout wasn't enough!).  This beer makes me swear every time I take my initial sip.  It's just that good.  Silky, rich, chocolatey, coffee-drenched goodness awaits you all.  Now if only I can make it until July...

Today's Song of the Moment

Bent River - 2 Dave Stout

Despite my promises of reviewing New Glarus beers for the foreseeable future, I have to dally from that plan. The key word in that sentence is "foreseeable."  What I could not foresee is my wife needing to stay late at work, giving me ample time to sample from the local microbrew scene.  For those intent on reading reviews full of New Glarus goodness, fear not.  There are still plenty of those left and I'll definitely be getting to them.  Today's beer is Bent River's "2 Daves Stout."  The waitstaff seems to think it's an oatmeal stout while sources online list it as an imperial.  Only one way to find out.  Let's pour!

A mandatory stop in the Quad Cities.

Aroma 9/12

The aroma is primarily a chocolate malt and a lesser citrus, grassy hop leaning.  As it warms in the glass little bits of molasses and warmth lift their heads, but they are far behind the main notes.  From time to time a faint smoke can also be detected.  Not very strong, but the separate notes are easily discernible.

Appearance 2/3

Not the blackest stout I’ve ever seen, but I don’t know of any rule requiring them to be.  Held to light it is a nearly opaque glass of dark cola browns and cherry highlights.  The head, while far short of being even moderate in size, remains persistently in my glass for quite some time.  It texture looks thin and wet.

Picture is my own.  Logos are theirs. 

Flavor 18/20

There are a lot of dark, dark flavors going on in this glass and sometimes it can be difficult to pry them apart from each other.   While initial sips are creamy, but otherwise fairly neutral, the backbone is alive with dark flavors.  It backbone begins as a very earthy chocolate, but gradually adds a distinct pepper flavor.  Other flavors emerge, such as coffee, cocoa nibs, and a healthy amount of char, but the chocolate and pepper are clearly in charge and dominate the mouth.  If you can hold this beer in the back of your mouth and avoid drenching the sides of the tongue (shape your mouth as if lightly sucking on a straw, but with closed lips), the other flavors have a chance to stand out more from the pepper.  As the beer warms, more and more chocolate joins in to blend with the pepper and char.  The finish is alcohol warmth in molasses, earth, pepper and the faded sour hop note from the aroma.  The aftertaste is bitter and the spiciness of pepper on your tongue leaves the mouth watering.  A wine-tasters slurp reveals this stout’s oatmeal roots.

Mouthfeel 5/5

Great job by the brewer here!  It’s like a checklist for a stout body: creamy & thick, without being worthy of a spoon, and ridiculously smooth.  Carbonation is not in great quantities, but what is present is tiny & prickly and eventually fades.  And while prickly might not have much place in a stout, the rest of the mouthfeel is good enough to forgive this temporary infraction.  I was only able to down two of these (of the glasses shown in the above picture - not even a full pint!) before feeling extremely full.  Talk about drinking your dinner!  The 10.3% ABV is almost imperceptible and only shown in glimpses throughout the glass.

Overall Impression 8/10

This beer has a lot going for it: complexity, unique flavors, great body, and lots of sharp bitter.  The strong char/pepper tends to overwhelm a few of less aggressive flavors, but in a time when Black IPAs (BIPAs) are becoming more and more popular, this will appeal to a growing number of drinkers.  This beer’s flavor certainly fits the blackened guidelines, even if the color does not.

Total 42/50

This is a unique stout!  Not the sweetened versions that so many of us are accustomed to drinking with large helpings of dark fruits, milk chocolate, or caramel, etc, etc.  This beer is unapologetically bitter, but without completely sacrificing its chocolate flavoring.  Credit to the brewers for successfully blending so many similar flavors because while the beer still has a main flavor theme, it lets many of the other lesser flavors have their brief moments.  Not an easy task when combining so many dark, closely-related flavors.  I would love to blend this with one of their aggressive IPAs someday and make one helluva BIPA.  It has all the black, bitterness and all it lacks is a hop aroma and wallop to send this over the edge as a BIPA that would be worthy of national recognition.

As it stands by itself, it is not the biggest stout on the block, but its raw, simple bitterness separates it from the pack.  Definitely worth trying this limited release from Bent River!