Ska - Vernal Minthe

Some people simply don't drink stout in the summertime.  I may understand that reasoning after running a race, having done yardwork, or otherwise spending all day in the sun, but I fail to see the problem with a delicious stout simply because of a little heat wave.  A heat wave that has been mercilessly bashing the Midwest and East Coast with a fury of an axe-wielding Viking berserker.  Besides, Ska's Vernal Minthe even has the word "vernal" in the title meaning "1. of, relating to, or occurring in the spring. 2. fresh or new like the spring."  So they clearly don't want me to fall into the trap of only drinking beer styles during certain seasons, right?  Guys?

Oh, who cares when you drink a particular style!  I like stouts.  A lot.  I might knock over my own mother to get one (sorry, mom).  In case you couldn't guess today's review is for Ska's minty experiment in the stout world.  I'll tell you, they must be doing something right because I essentially have to battle my wife in a no-holds-barred, Jackie-Chan-meets-Jason Bourne-style battle, just for one of these cans every time I bring them in the house.  Let's pour!

Some good pulp-like can art.

Aroma 10/12

Ever open a package of Girl Scouts' Thin Mints cookies?  Of course you have.  They're legalized crack.  Because you have opened one of those silver-wrapped, cylindrical diet wreckers, you can also imagine what this beer smells like.  Roasted malt is present first, but is quickly overwhelmed by the peppermint and spearmint.  The result is a cooling, menthol minty-ness that also manages to incorporate some darker cocoa aromas.  The mint cooling is the primary aroma, but it shows a healthy promise for the beer beneath it.

Appearance 2/3

It looks like a stout should, but I withheld a point for the lackluster head.  It was a nice tan color, but couldn't even raise a finger's worth of foam and died a death as inglorious as its birth.  This beer is all but black, with some dark coffee browns along the edge when held to light.

Flavor 18/20

The early combination of dark chocolate/cocoa notes and the bright mint, make the Thin Mints comparison an easy one to make.  Thankfully, that is not all the beer offers.  As it sits in the mouth the mint remains, but the cocoa tones begin to becomes a sweeter more molasses-like note.  It's sweet, but dark in a way that is appropriate to the beer's composition.  Lots of neutral malts also begin to appear, which of course offer little in the way of flavor, but in this case do help the beer transition to the finish.  Put the beer on the tip of your tongue to get a tingly, sweet sensation.  The finish is also a mint reprise, but with little else to combat the mint it becomes as fresh and refreshing.  Any lingering flavors are fairly light, but the omnipresent mint tingle along with some dark, almost charred, malts, and a bit of a peppery bitterness all come together in a pleasant echo of the beer you just enjoyed.

Mouthfeel 4/5

Ah.  So this is where they tried to make it a "seasonal stout."  The mouthfeel is not what one typically comes to expect from a stout.  The body is a solid "medium," but the carbonation is aggressive and prickly.  Maybe this is in concert with the menthol-like cooling of the mint somehow?  Is it just an illusion?  Eventually that carbonation dies a bit and the beer is smooth down the throat with a little bit of sticky cling.

Overall Impression 9/10

Not an "all the time" beer, but it certainly did what it set out to do.  It's not often that some of these "flavor experiments" turn out for the best, but this is one that has succeeded.  The aroma is spot on, the appearance is black and... well, that's about it, the flavor is distinct and harmonious, and the mouthfeel is pretty darn close to style.  It's a nice experiment that I'm bound to drink again one day and until then will undoubtedly use this beer in conversations of unusual beers.

Total 44/50

Not a bad score in my book, though this stout undoubtedly will have its detractors.  It's a distinct, unique flavor and that simply won't appeal to every single craft beer drinker out there.  Does it taste like a thin mint cookie?  Yes.  Has my wife discovered that it pairs insanely well with a mint chocolate chip ice cream sandwich.  Within moments of tasting it.  Can you drink this in any season?  Of course.  I've never had a stout with mint in it before, but after drinking this I wouldn't be afraid to try others' forays into the combination.  I claim this as a successful experiment by Ska!  They tried something different, did what they said they would regarding a new flavor, and it turned out pretty darn well.

Bad news:  having been released in the spring, if you can't find it in your area, you may have to wait until next year.

Good news:  There's still a lot of this out there and it shouldn't take a secret treasure map to find it.  I suggest you do.  It's always fun to try something new.

Perhaps my wife's new favorite food pairing.

Great Divide - Espresso Oak Aged Yeti

I've been breaking out some decent bottles in the last month or so, some of which are documented in this blog.  Today will provide no exception as I'm finally ready to crack open a bottle of Espresso Oak Aged Yeti from Great Divide Brewing Co. out of Denver, Colorado.  I'm pretty excited to say the least.  I've only snagged tastes of Yeti before and one of those was a bottle that was shared at the 2012 Dark Lord Day, but it had soured.  I tasted it anyway just to see the off flavors.  As with many beers, this one is not immediately available in my area, so you know that when I saw it at a beer store when I was out of town, I had to snag it.  Especially after being subject to its reputation for too long.  Let's pour!

Oh baby.

Aroma 12/12

Even before opening the bottle I was expecting a monstrous coffee aroma in proportion to the mythical creature of its namesake.  Thankfully, I was mistaken.  Yeti did not try to bowl me over with overpowering coffee.  I was apprehensive after seeing "with coffee added" on the label instead of being brewed with coffee or a malt that might elicit the same flavors.  As mentioned, Yeti does sets aside all those worries and gives the drinker something truly special.  It's not often one is comforted by a Yeti.  You may quote me.

Surprisingly, the first to the nose is a dark, dark chocolate malt and is followed closely by brewed espresso (naturally), and a lesser sweet oatmeal or lactose note.  The coffee is anything but overpowering even as the drink warms, and I give this beer high praise for its restraint.  When chilled, the beer initially makes the sweet creaminess easy to detect.  Eventually a bit more balance appears and a bitterness begins to grow on the palate.  The final stage is a glorious one as chocolate and heat step forward a bit, and the coffee + chocolate blend begins a perfect harmony.  I mean perfect.  I can hardly tell which one is more present.  Is there one that's 51/49?  55/45?  Couldn't tell you.  They are wondrously blended.

Yeah.  Pretty sure even the head could be SRM rated.

Appearance 3/3

I should just be able to write, "This looks like one of the best stouts you've ever had" and you would know.  However, in the interest of maintaining a high level of detail I shall elaborate.  It pours black and thick and raises a generous, two fingers of chocolate mousse-colored head.  The head nearly has the appearance of cake it is so thick.  Look at the below photo!  I had to take one, it was that striking.  I mean, c'mon, it even could have its own SRM rating!  Its longevity was also impressive as was its lacing.  There is nothing to complain about here and if I could give it more points I would.  Maybe I can just send money to Denver and tell them to buy themselves something pretty.  They deserve it.

Look at that head!  It makes you wanna slice it up and
serve it with ice cream!

Flavor 19/20

So maybe now is when I'll be overwhelmed with coffee, right?  Right?  Well, perhaps not as this particular bottle was born on December 19, 2011.  Maybe I should just drink it and find out.  The first sips are absolutely saturated with flavor and only once the tongue begins to acclimate to this tsunami of goodness can one begin to pick apart the flavors.  A burst of dark roast comes first, but is instantly washed away, almost literally, by the foaming action of the beer and an intense dollop of extremely dark chocolate.   The chocolate sits heavily in the mouth and refuses to be moved, but instead is paired with a salty flavor and bits of char from the malt.  I must commend the chocolate/salt blend.  Wow. This is absolutely delicious!  The coffee flavor has faded with age, but it still provides a general bitter to help darken the beer as a whole.  The bitter is, of course, more present in the finish as the beer flows over those 'bitter' taste buds on the back of the tongue.  The mouth remains coated with chocolate and coffee flavors and only much later in the aftertaste are we treated to any hint of warmth in this beer.  It comes with a lingering chocolate java and ties things together nicely.

Mouthfeel 5/5

After swallowing, I found myself wanting to chew this beer.  Some part of me needed to get every last savory bit of flavor out of this brew.  I even chewed the sides of my mouth a little bit just so my teeth could scrape off any lingering dark, smoky goodness.  This is unquestionably a full-bodied, big ol' beer and packs an absolute flavor bomb.  It offers a carbonation a smidgen higher than I might expect, but it also might be necessary as this beer is extremely sticky in the mouth after swallowing.  When the beer is still chilled, that carbonation offers an neat foaming action, but later on is there to simply provide texture for a very large beer.  Warmth is invisible save for its brief cameo in the aftertaste.

Overall Impression 10/10

I'll try not to gush, but.... WOW!  What a beer!  The flavors are massive and the chocolate espresso blend is a home run.  The coffee flavor itself had faded (I'll never know how much), but even in its current state adds a solid bitter that lends itself well to portraying a darker chocolate than perhaps was intended.  Please keep in mind that even though there are many mentions of chocolate, this beer is not what one would call sweet.  Just as a 90% cacao chocolate bar isn't exactly something you offer to the kiddies.  Superior appearance, amazing aroma blend, massive flavor, and it absolutely slides across the bottom of your mouth.

Total 49/50

If you see this, buy it.  Even if it's $20, buy it.  It would be a bargain and one of the few beers at that price point that actually deserves to be there.  I'm pouring the second half of this bomber bottle and loving it even more.  When it's more chilled, the beer foams up in the mouth nicely, but really smooths out as it warms.  i know I've mentioned that before, but it's a really cool effect and I can't tell which mouthfeel I appreciate more.  It is simply excellent on every level.  I'm glad the coffee wasn't immense, but that the flavor was definitely Sasquatch-sized.  My wife likened the brew as a whole to Cuban Coffee.  For those that don't know Cuban Coffee is essentially espresso that is brewed over several table spoons of sugar.  Any sugar that is not immediately dissolved is taken care of in the next step as the steam wand of the espresso machine is placed deep in the brewing vessel to almost super-saturate the espresso with the sugar.  This results in a a delicious, sweet, thick concoction that is the equivalent of nitrous oxide for pretty much anything that is alive and brave enough to not fear its heart exploding.  If a cardiologist sees a cup of it, it spontaneously bursts into flame.  Heart issues aside, I also really appreciate the fact that they make no qualms about wanting you to drink this for breakfast (see below picture).  If I could I wouldn't even wait til breakfast in my morning routine to enjoy this brew; I'd bathe in it.

A wise man once said, "Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things."  I hope that I can make an addendum to this sage wisdom with, "but always drink the Yeti things."

Word at both top and bottom indicate that this is a "breakfast beer."
Whatever that is, I love it.

Founders - Kentucky Breakfast Stout

Today friends, I review a beer that needs no introduction.  I knew that cracking open my sole bottle of KBS was drawing near immediately after I was unable to procure tickets to this year's KBS Release Party due to some errors on the part of some 3rd party ticket brokers.  I, like many people, had a ticket in my cart, but to no avail.  But I'm not worried!  The past has passed!  I will not be broken-hearted or bitter over things I cannot change nor correct.  All I can do is enjoy the current bottle I possess, given to me by my good friend Matt D.  The last time I was fortunate enough to get a pour of KBS was at 2011's Screw City Beer Festival in Rockford, IL.  It looked a little something like this.

This is what it looks like when I poo my pants.

I think it goes without saying that I have been looking for an excuse to drink this beer for quite some time.  Let's pour!

Aroma 12/12

This is like dark, melted chocolate made violent love to black, gourmet coffee after a bourbon-soaked evening.  The coffee is bitter and strong, burnt, dark roasted malt is abundant, and dark chocolate's sweetness rounds things out nicely.  Warmth is more present than the actual aroma of bourbon at this point, but it is not overpowering and you'd never guess this was an 11.2% ABV beer.  I want to wear this as cologne.

Appearance 3/3

I hate to make the generic simile that this beer pours like motor oil, but... it's more like filthy motor oil.  It's a host of cola and coffee browns with a yellowish tinge around the edges.  The head was barely present, but was a shockingly dark shade of brown.  This beer had legs like road tar.  It stubbornly hung on the sides of the glass and refused to be moved.

Flavor 19/20

I don't believe that there is one milliliter of this beer that is not dedicated to being saturated with flavor.  It's not the most intense thing I've ever tasted, but nothing is wasted to deliver all the intended flavors to your waiting taste buds.  It begins with a oatmeal-y, sweet creaminess, which blossoms beautifully into the sweeter aspects of the rich, rich chocolate.  Then the bourbon rolls in and things get rowdy.  This goes from being a luscious, savory, delectable slice of German double molten chocolate cake with a side of coffee, to a beer that tastes like every bite of cake is first dipped lightly in bourbon.  The chocolate and bourbon are definitely the stars here and the coffee takes a supporting role.  When held in the mouth, however, the coffee is the most persistent of the flavors and makes itself known once the others have faded.  Be patient though because, sweet Holy delicious chocolate booze cake, are those flavors strong and it's going to take a while.  The finish is mocha coffee sweetness plus the tingling heat from the bourbon while the aftertaste is pretty much the same aftertaste if you combined how your mouth feels fifteen minutes after drinking coffee and two minutes after sipping bourbon.

Mouthfeel 4.5/5
Wait, can I even give half points?  To that I say in my best Eric Cartman voice, "It's my blog, I do what I WANT!"  I've never done it before, but I've never felt compelled to do it before.  I basically want to say that the mouthfeel of this beer is remarkable, but I cannot say that it is perfect.  The bourbon is simply too strong and covers some of the other flavors that I know are in there.  To add to that, this beer is from 2012!  It has aged for almost an entire year!  I can't imagine how aggressive this beer would be were it fresh.  It is just shy of being full-bodied and while the carbonation is wonderfully subtle, the alcohol warmth adds enough tingle to be as interruptive as a higher level of bubbles.

Overall Impression 9.5/10 
Well, if I'm gonna start issuing half-points I might as well use two so that the final score is a whole number, right?  This is a supremely tasty beer and for a guy that hasn't eaten dinner yet, its 11.2% ABV is definitely a force to be reckoned with.  This coffee-licious, chocolate oozing, bourbon monster simply must be tried.  It tries extremely hard to live up to its gargantuan reputation and does an admirable job, even if it doesn't taste like God himself lactated it into each and every bottle.  This is a chocolately delight that I will be aging even more next time to mute the bourbon into submission.

Total 48/50

I know, I know... It doesn't take a whole lot of fortitude nor prowess to drink a great beer and give it a high score.  Big surprise, right?  However, I was expecting to give this beer a perfect score and perhaps that expectation worked against it.  It is a towering giant of chocolate and bourbon warmth with coffee riding its coattails the whole time.  The warmth is not insane, but it is enough where I do feel that it overpowers some of the other flavors that should definitely be making a contribution, namely the coffee.  If you're fortunate enough to see some after the April 1, 2013 distribution date, buy it.  Even if it doesn't live up to its ludicrously lofty expectations (and what could), you won't be disappointed.

Samuel Smith - Organic Chocolate Stout

If you've been reading for a while, you know I have a solid respect for Samuel Smith's Brewery out of Yorkshire, England.  It seems like every one of their brews that I taste simply defines that style; emphasis on "simply."  Samuel Smith's doesn't add new exciting ingredients, they don't blend existing styles or create new ones, at least not in their beers that are available Stateside.  What they do is make excellent versions of classic styles and if someone asked you what a certain style tastes like, you could point them to a Samuel Smith's.  

Now, statements like my last one might conjure up some opposition and people may ask, "How can one beer define a style when so many variations of the style exist" and I agree with those people to an extent.  There are nearly innumerable variations to any given style.  Brewers use different grain bills, hop varieties which can  vary by year, extra exotic ingredients, and so on.  However, each of those brewers is brewing with a particular style in mind.  Even if that style is as vague as, "Oh, I dunno.  I'm just brewing some stout-ish, porter-y beer that I added raspberries and blackstrap molasses to,"  it still has that classic stout characteristic in mind.  The essence of "stoutness" if you will.  And while one may never achieve that essence perfectly, Samuel Smith's comes close time after time.  Let's pour!

Aroma 10/12

True to its name, chocolate is abundant in the nose.  It's the smell of melting chocolate, dusty cocoa, and a medium roast that does not add much bitter balance.  Once the beer has warmed a bit, caramel malts become unmistakable and add another excellently paired layer of complexity.

Appearance 3/3

While initially appearing black and opaque, a quick look from the top down shows any number of brown shades comparable to (appropriately) chocolate, coffee, or cola.  The head size and retention were very nice and its tea-stained color was very appropriate.

Flavor 18/20

After a flash of neutral flavor and a hint of the roast, chocolate comes roaring in from all sides.  Things are much as the aroma would have us anticipate: chocolate with roast detectable behind it yet still not enough to provide a balance.  The sweet malts dominate this brew early on, but things are about to change in the latter half of this beer.  However, when one holds this beer in the mouth for around 10-12 seconds it takes on an unlikely characteristic: citrus.  Upon closer inspection, the sour turns out to be the combination of some bright, sugary caramel malts and some of the more bitter notes, likely the roast, but the initial sensation is out of place in a stout.  Thank goodness one rarely holds a beer in the mouth for extended periods of time.  Quicker swallows allow for a more graceful transition from the chocolate and caramel-laden flavors to a drier and more bitter finish.  A wise change in flavor which prevents this beer from being too sweet all together.  The aftertaste is almost exclusively the flavor of bitter roast.  It also leaves a watering mouth thanks to the previous sugars.

Mouthfeel 5/5

Despite all the sugary malts in this brew it remains medium bodied and shows a moderate carbonation that fades quickly in the mouth to allow a silkier mouthfeel.  No warmth.

Overall Impression 8/10

This is a excellent choice if you're ever looking for a desert beer.  The aroma is fantastic, the flavors are tasty, and it could be a gateway for those who don't yet appreciate dark beer.  The beer is not balanced in each of its sections, but is balanced as a whole.  For example, the main flavor profile was primarily sweet.  Granted, it did this with several flavors, but it was mostly sweet and not balanced.  However, the later parts of the beer provided the bitter that could have been utilized in the backbone.  Does this beer still earn the descriptor of "balanced" even though it does so in different sections and not within the same flavor sensation as is commonly understood?

Total 44/50

Another well made product by Samuel Smith's.  I can seldom believe that the beers from this brewery sell at the low prices that they do.  In fact, many times you can find a few sitting in your "pick six" section!  This is not a stout with chocolate in it.  Instead, it truly earns the nomenclature of "chocolate stout."  Chocolate is the primary consideration here and it uses a relatively meek stout framework to carry out that task.  You do have to be in the mood for something sweeter to fully enjoy this beer, but it achieves that sweetness with a trio of chocolate, caramel, and sugar.  It's far from simple.  It's just simply well made.

Founders - Breakfast Stout (2012)

Ahhh, the first blog of a New Year.  A clean slate on which to begin and a new archive point in the right hand column.  It didn't take long for me to decide how to begin the new year of Sud Savant.  Maybe it was the desire to start the year strong or maybe it was simply all the "New Year's Baby" images floating around, but I knew I had to start the new year with a bottle of "the baby."  I'm referring of course to Founders' Breakfast Stout.

For those that don't know, Founders' Breakfast Stout is one of the premier go-to stouts brewed in America today.  You should be able to find a 4-pack for around $10 and it is worth every penny.  Its label lists it as a "double chocolate coffee oatmeal stout," and if that doesn't get your tastebuds all hot and bothered then I don't know what will.  In case that doesn't sound amazballs enough, Founders also makes special varieties of Breakfast Stout called Canadian Breakfast Stout (CBS) and Kentucky Breakfast Stout (KBS).  CBS is another imperial stout, but it is aged in maple syrup bourbon barrels.  KBS is somewhat the more sought after of the two and it is cave aged in oak bourbon barrels for one year.  If you see either of those beers you should never hesitate to pick them up because their availability is extremely limited and they are without question some of the finest stouts available.

For those that do know, I hope that this review can accurately put into words the sensations when drinking this national favorite.  This beer was bottled on 08/02/2012.  Let's pour!

Who could say "no" to those eyes?

Aroma 11/12

When served at a temperature colder than what is ideal, the beer has rich aromas only of coffee and a roast so dark you'd swear it was charred.  Slowly but surely, the sweetness begins to creep out as the beer approaches a proper serving temperature.  Chocolate tones are first and are especially sneaky since they had blended so well with the abundant coffee.  Then the beer simply begins to open up; aromas become larger and richer, a bit of warmth can be detected, and a bit of that lactose-like sweetness from the oatmeal all come forward and waft zealously from the glass.  You can smell this thing from across the table.  It's not like a mocha, that would be too light for this beer.  It's more like someone poured melted dark chocolate into your double shot of espresso.  Not complex, but it is beautiful.

Appearance 3/3

It's black.  Plain and simple.  Sure you might get a glimmer of a cola brown if you hold it right next to a light bulb, but for the most part it is an opaque, black hole of a beer.  The head was disappointingly small, but makes up for it by being a tan color with earthy red tones - almost as if cinnamon were part of this beer.

Flavor 19/20

Strong roast flavors begin this beer and then quickly meld into the chocolate and coffee storm that is raging inside this beer.  All dark flavors, all the time.  Darkest chocolate battles black espresso for supremacy of your taste buds and it is brilliant.  Lots of roast is present as well and adds a lovely smokiness to the whole.  A bit of a salty note is present when holding the beer in the mouth which I'm assuming is from one of the coffee varieties.  The blend as a whole is remarkably rich, fudge-y, bitter, and harmoniously blended.  The finish is a splash of pure coffee and a vibrant, albeit lesser, chocolate as it makes its way down the throat.  The aftertaste lingers as much as real coffee would, remaining bitter and inducing fears of future bad "coffee breath."  Oh, and the 8.3% ABV?  Invisible, unless you slurp.

Mouthfeel 5/5

Wonderfully smooth, but without falling into the trap of most stouts of being almost non-carbonated.  Quite the contrary, this stout has a level of carbonation that makes it much more lively that most stouts, yet does not distract in the mouthfeel nor butt heads with the smoothness inherent when using a ton of malts.  Also, I can't get over how the alcohol in this beer is completely camouflaged.  Well done!

Overall Impression 9/10

Truly, a first rate stout: delicious, big, well made, well blended, and deserving of its national acclaim.  Thankfully, this brew is not as hard to get a hold of as its big brothers.  This is not the biggest, baddest stout attainable, but should certainly be viewed as a treat whenever it is consumed.  

Total 47/50

I know, I know... some of you may find this rating a bit low.  In fact, most of the folks at BeerAdvocate and RateBeer would certainly find this score low as that FBS currently rates a 99 and 100 on those sites, respectively.  However, if one gives a perfect score to this beer, what are you supposed to give its big brothers, the CBS and KBS, which are even more highly regarded (even if that may be partially tied to their rarity)?  This is an excellent score for an excellent beer, but it is also given with a strong consideration to other contenders in the style.  It's actually quite the accolade to be compared to other amazing beers that are brewed on a much smaller scale.  FBS is one of the best widely distributed stouts in America.  Period.

New Glarus - Coffee Stout

Well, gang it was the first blustery, cold day of the season and that put me in the mood for a stout.  Also, today the Chicago Bears play the Green Bay Packers and I'm going to need a good, sturdy beer to fuel me through that 60 minutes of intense rivalry.  Not that I'm a fan of either team (go 49ers!), but I always enjoy watching a hard fought game.  Football aside, I have no idea how long this beer has been in my fridge.  I assume somewhere around the 18 month mark.  It's not one that New Glarus currently brews and they currently have it listed in their "Beers We Have Known and Loved" section on their webpage.  I don't know if they'll brew it again, but I sure hope so because it's a solid go-to offering when it's available.  Let's pour!

Aroma 11/12

This is an absolute truck load of delicious malts.  Chocolate comes first, is followed by some smoke, and a lovely dark roast.  The coffee is very muted until the beers warms to an appropriate level and then... Look. Out.  The aroma almost doubles in intensity and richness as a rich, dark coffee jumps out of the glass and all but covers the chocolate.  

Appearance 3/3

A gravity-defying tan head floats atop an all but completely black beer.  True to its name, only some coffee-toned browns are visible at the top most edge when the beer is held to light.  The head offers excellent size and retention.

Flavor 17/20

A surprising sweetness starts this beer.  It's a much brighter sweetness from the malts than one would expect in a coffee stout and feels like a combination of chocolate and black malts, but also gives a hint of lactose as in a milk stout.  The beer then flashes the palate some rich coffee goodness before fading gradually back to a smoother blend between the coffee and the darkly roasted chocolate/mocha malts.  A nice light char has been overseeing this whole process and making its presence known throughout - another nice layer of flavor complexity.  The finish again provides that lighter, brighter malt sweetness and mixes it with the coffee, which seems to rob the brew of some of its richness.  There's plenty of coffee flavor, it just doesn't seem as bold and dark as it could be.

Mouthfeel 3/5

This category is clearly the weakest part of the beer.  One generally expects a thicker, chewier experience in their stouts.  The label claims this beer to be "full-bodied," but it's medium-bodied at best.  If it is truly a full-bodied, then it is done a gross disservice by both its boisterous carbonation and the coffee.  As in the aroma, the coffee pushes the malts around in every aspect of this beer and mouthfeel is no exception.  The big chocolate malts are made to feel thinner by the coffee, just as a glass of chocolate milk would suffer a lighter body if you poured an iced coffee into it.

Overall Impression 8/10

The lightening of key elements by the coffee is truly the beers Achilles' Heel.  When the beer is cold the malts are quite impressive and shine on their own, AND there is a point in the temperature transition that is ideal where both of these elements embrace each other and absolutely sing in harmony.  However, past that point, the coffee sandbags what could be a remarkable beer.  Not that it's short on flavor by any means!  It has loads of flavor, unfortunately it's all too easy to see what this beer could be.

Total 42/50

For a beer sold in a six-pack, it's definitely one to purchase.  Heck, the aroma alone is almost worth the price of admission.  As indicated in the previous paragraph, my main problem resides where the coffee meets the malt.  A coffee stout needs to have that big body to carry the big flavors.  That in mind, a coffee stout should always be malt-based with coffee added and not appear to be coffee-based with malts added.  That in mind, this is a super tasty stout that I have enjoyed, and will continue to enjoy, if and when it becomes available, on a number of occasions.  The lighter mouthfeel and carbonation keep it ridiculously drinkable for a stout with this much flavor, but the char and coffee give it enough bitter so that it falls far short of being a lackluster brew.  I don't know when New Glarus is planning on brewing this again, but it would be a welcome addition to any fridge for the fall season.

Brooklyn - Black Chocolate Stout (2007)

This is another beer that I would not have been able to get my hands on were it not for my east coast trading partner who wishes to remain anonymous.  So first, big thanks to him (or her?).  Second, I loooves me a big ol' stout.  The bigger and darker, the better.  In fact, I'd even venture to say that stouts can have just as many flavors as the venerated IPA.  This stout looks especially promising as the ABV is 10.6%, a percentage not seen frequently, let alone crammed into a 12 oz. bottle.  Oh, and did I mention that this particular bottle is from  the "limited bottling" that occurred in the winter of 2007-2008.  "So I've got that going for me.  Which is nice."  Let's pour!

Sweet, fancy Moses that looks amazing!

Aroma 12/12

Even the initial aromas of this beer were enough to earn it a higher score: dark roast, dark chocolates, and alcohol warmth that wrapped the two of them up into a comforting, cohesive bundle.  After pouring the beer and allowing it to warm a tad more, the dark fruits emerge and evoke the Dark Lord (um, that's Three Floyds, not Harry Potter).  The dark fruits, which offer cherries & raisins among others, are also complemented by the warmth and again make me think of Port wine, but without as much smokiness.  This is phenomenal!  Let things warm even further and the chocolate turns into a darker cocoa nib with some anise/black licorice notes.

Appearance 3/3

This beer, true to its namesake, practically pours like melted chocolate especially in the color.  In the glass however, it is as black as night and only lets through a coffee brown around the top edge when held to light.  The head was low, which is to be expected in a bottled beer approaching 5 years of age.  It was a wondrous dark brown and left some nice, sticky lacing even in its humble quantity.

Flavor 20/20

This is everything that I hoped it would be.  The first taste sensations are confusing.  It seems like a sharp sour and a little salty, but once your tongue can comprehend all the wonderfullness that is happening to it things begin to take shape - a glorious, tasty, amazing shape. And yes, "wonderfullness" is a word.  Bill Cosby says so.  The malts take over and show your taste buds hints of coffee, an abundance of deeply roasted/nearly charred malts, tart cherries, plenty of alcohol warmth, port, a pronounced bitter, insanely dark chocolate, and the anise from the aroma.  These flavors are all quite intense, but have the good fortune remain detectable on their own, yet still form a wonderful cohesive harmony.  Wow!  The finish is one of the most complex I seen in quite some time, but that is undoubtedly due to the complex beer that begat it.  Its alcohol heat is unashamed and bold, and forces a less balanced composition though it still remains remarkably tasty; incorporating the tartness, dark roast, and dark chocolate from the backbone.  The aftertaste is curious.  It is mostly an alcohol-induced tingle along the sides of the tongue and a sticky roasted malt in the back of the throat accompanied by a lighter bitter.  The warmth provides a cleaner aftertaste than I ever would've thought possible after such an flavor intense brew.

Mouthfeel 5/5

Warmth is obviously the first mouthfeel characteristic that leaps to mind, but it is used well and never overwhelms all the other amazing flavors and aromas.  It threatens to, but never actually follows through on its threats of coup d'état.  The carbonation is initially stronger than anticipated, but eventually dulls down to a level that sits just barely on the right side of being too aggressive.  Were it not for the fuller body, age, and simple lack of quantity this carbonation might be too much.  As it stands, the carbonation is fine, especially after realizing that most of the prickly/tingly feeling on the tongue is due to alcohol and not the carbonation.

Overall Impression 10/10

What else can I say?  Amazing aroma, good lookin', complex, robust flavor, and a permeating alcohol are the fundamentals, but the wonderful blend, well-used warmth, and the rich malts truly set this apart.

Total 50/50

If you can't your hands on Dark Lord, I'd say that this is a fine substitute.  In fact, I ranked this higher than Dark Lord!  This brew has more of the dark roasts, making it feel more like a stout.  Some people may read that as "it's less unique that DL."  That may be true, DL truly stands on its own and I've never had another stout like it.  However, this Brooklyn Brewery creation is much more like a true stout and since I like stouts that's a very good thing.  I feel bad talking so much about DL in a review for another beer, but hopefully that shows people that other, more available, beers are out there that are just as capable of knocking off your socks.  Obviously, this beer ages extremely well and I can't wait to find a "fresh" package so I can try it at all its stages of development.  In case you're counting this beer is now only the fourth beer to which I've issued a perfect score and it is most deserving.  Cheers Brooklyn!!  I'll be buying this beer whenever I see it.

Three Floyds - Dark Lord (2012)

I can't take it anymore.  The Dark Lord has been chillin' in my fridge for half a month now and I must taste it.  The Bard, Billy Shakespeare, words it more eloquently that myself when he says,

"As is the night before some festival
To an impatient child that hath new robes
And may not wear them."

For those unfamiliar with Dark Lord and why it is so sought after, click here.

Enough people have asked how it is, or how it compares to Goose Island's Bourbon County Stout (Wes), or how it compares to other years, etc, etc... and now I have to know.  Confession time: this is the first time I will ever have sampled Dark Lord.  Needless to say, I'm pumped after hearing so much about it, but also wary.  It seems like whenever you hear about Dark Lord (or ANY über-popular beer) you primarily hear two sentiments.  1.  Oh my gosh, it's SO good! and 2.  It's OK, but it's overrated.  In this case, I'm still very excited to finally be tasting this, but I also have the bullshit meter on so that I can review this beer as accurately as possible.  Since we've already established that patience is not my strongest suit... Let's pour!

Aroma 12/12

This is a beautiful smelling beer, even if the stout characteristics aren't exactly its strongest.  It smells very sweet and is an insanely pleasant mixture between a molasses malt and a strong fruit aroma.  The aroma could be considered port-like or like a dark cherry pie, though having just purchased some port I would lean toward that.  (Note:  For those that don't know, Port is liquid sex in a bottle.  Buy a bottle that's over $10, make sure your significant other is going to be around, and don't plan on going anywhere.)  It does have some very dark notes, as a stout should, but they are placed much further back in relation to the fruits and the nearly-burnt molasses.  A light charring in the malt at times give a hint or two of smoke and is a very neat nuance to find behind the port.  As the beer warms the Intelligensia coffee is undeniable, but it is a timid spectator and has no interest in a starring role.  This gives it more characteristics of a stout in my mind, and it forces me to bump it up a point from 11 to 12.

Appearance 3/3

This is black and holding it up to the light only reveals the darkest of stained wood tones around the edges.  The head was small, half a finger, and would seem to indicate a very low carbonation.  This pours like oil!  Or blood.  Given the name of this beer, it's probably a mixture of both.  The head is dark brown, creamy, and slides lethargically down the side of the glass after a swirl.  Enjoy it while you can because after 15 seconds, it will only remain as a ring around the surface and disappear soon after that.  Normally, I swear, I would be docking points for a paltry head, but with an ABV of 15% you have to have some sort of allowance for style.  After all, would one dock Samuel Adams' Utopias for "low carbonation"?  Methinks not.

Flavor 19/20

Port.  I swear there is port in this beer!  The initial flavors are of black cherry juice and a slight booziness, but they ever so gradually bring in the roasted, slightly smokey malt notes and soon enough you'd swear you were holding port in your mouth.  The backbone is still boozy, yet not hot, and brings in tons of fruits.  However, they are not the typical dark fruits that one would normally associate with a stout: plums, figs, raisins, etc.  These fruits instead lean heavily on dark cherries and sweet, red, vinous grapes.  I could even understand it if someone said they tasted a red raspberry or two.  The fruit aside, there is a darkness lying behind it: the deeply roasted, lightly charred malts.  However, they are so subtle and nuanced that they lend more of a dark tone to the existing fruits than actually coming forward as their own flavor.  It's a tremendous example of brewing prowess and understanding how flavors can compliment each other.  The finish finally shows us an insanely smooth glimpse of the coffee we saw in the aroma.  This time around it appears to have more mocha sweetness to it and less of a typical coffee's bite and bitter.  The aftertaste is the smoldering remains of the port, much as if the Viking-esque character from the label had just pillaged a town (or my taste buds).  The port is there, albeit greatly reduced, and the smokey, charred notes become a little stronger as the beer runs over the back, bitter-sensing part of the tongue.  Despite the permeating sweetness of this beer, it does not leave the mouth slick or slimy.  In fact, after an initial salivation, the tongue is left feeling quite dry and one can feel the alcohol being exhaled and as a warmth in the chest.

Mouthfeel 5/5

As mentioned in the previous sentence, the warmth that this beer spreads throughout the chest is fantastic.  That 15% ABV is remarkably well presented in this beer.  It isn't camouflaged completely, but what is present is used to enhance the already spectacular blend of flavors.  The body is as heavy as I've seen in a beer and insanely smooth.  This, of course, comes at the risk of extremely low carbonation.  For me personally, this is something I don't entirely mind in an imperial stout, especially when a quick swish in the mouth gives that little bit of texture that only carbonation can add.  However upon first sips, just sitting in the mouth, this beer can come across as almost completely flat.

Label art

Overall Impression 9/10

Long story short?  I love port.  I love its warmth, its unusual, elusive smokiness, its sweetness, its body, and its unique flavor.  For all these reasons I love Dark Lord.  The only possible things holding it back are an absent head and the fact that I might not know this was a stout if it weren't on the label.

Total 48/50

This was tremendously tasty in every sense of the word "tremendous."  I barely could've imagined that a beer could so closely resemble a port.  Do I usually look for something a little more "stout-like" in an RIS?  Yes.  That was my only issue with this beer other than the head (which has been excused earlier in this review).  I should like a bit more of that stout "darkness."  However, the amount of dark flavors that currently exist in this beer are a flawless compliment to the other flavors.  Would more dark flavors ruin that harmony?  Probably, but a mix of two great flavors is not a bad thing, it just might not be as good as the single perfect harmony they've already established.  

Cheers to Three Floyds and what they've got here.  I'll definitely be trying for DLD tickets next year as well!

Oh... and for those wondering the Russian text of "тёмный лорд русское имперское пиво" on the Dark Lord bottle translates as, "Dark Lord Russian Imperial Stout,"  or "beer" instead of stout.  You're welcome!

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!

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.

Stone - Belgo Anise Imperial Russian Stout

I was way overdue for a beer from Stone.  The fact that I can't remember the last one I had is not a good indicator.  Today I resolve this dilemma by cracking open a bottle of their 2011 "Odd Year" Belgo Anise Imperial Russian Stout.  As the name suggests it's a big ol' imperial stout to which Stone has added a Belgian yeast strain and, according to the bottle, "liberal amounts of star anise."  If that doesn't sound delicious enough, they then "oak" the beer using oak chips!  It sounds like a whole heap of delicious, but when it was released there were some mixed reviews.  Shall we find out for ourselves?  Let's pour!

Aroma 11/12

Dark, almost burnt roast and loads of oak are abundant as soon as the cap is pried off the bottle.  It's so darkly roasted and woody that one can easily imagine a campfire.  To drink this around a campfire on a fall evening would be a true prefect pairing.  The anise is also there - a fruit with which I am not completely familiar.  It does have a "black licorice" scent to it, but more in a more slightly saltier"Good N Plenty" type way and not like a rope of black licorice. It is also less intense in the same way a shallot is more subtle than an onion.  Dark fruits remain behind it as does a well camouflaged warmth.

Appearance 3/3

This pours dark!  The only time I was able to get any light through this nearly opaque beer was when holding it up to a ceiling light.  Only then could I see a dark, deep brown from underneath the surface.  The head is dark tan, dense with tiny bubbles and appears almost solid from the top.  It takes its time to form (I love that), and its longevity is most pleasing.

Flavor 19/20

This is a unique and tasty beer!  Initial flavors waste no time in bull-rushing the palate with plenty of the wondrous, dark roasted malts, the woody oak, and bits of bitter.  After holding the beer in the mouth, the anise and dark fruits take on more of the heavy lifting.  Belgian yeasts add a sweetness, but not any of the banana flavors for which they are typically known.  The flavors are widely varied, but not contrasting.  It takes a lot of brewing prowess to blend so many different flavors together so well and to be able to taste each one.  The anise and a very nice warmth are apparently holding hands as the beer slides down the throat... and what a nice partnership it is!  Oddly, it's pretty much only those two flavors in the finish (a moderate bitter pops in to say good-bye), but the warmth isn't just the flavor of alcohol.  It actually seems to warm the way fine liquor/spirit would, as it were spreading across the chest.  Also, an exhale after the finish can bring the anise right back into the nose!  Very neat!  The aftertaste is still warm, and leaves a quiet, round bitter to remember this beer.

Mouthfeel 5/5

Carbonation is spread thin, but not buried.  The few bubbles one does come across add the vivacious quality expected of them, but they are spaced well apart from one another.  The abundance of malts give the full body expected of them, but are balanced appropriately and never become syrupy or slick.  The carbonation even foams up ever so slightly to make this beer more drinkable than perhaps its ABV (10.5%) and full body would otherwise allow. 

Overall Impression 10/10

Big aroma, big, complex flavor that remains nuanced, fantastic warming quality, and a very appropriate body are all details that make this beer a uniquely flavored winner.  When this beer was fresh, reviews would claim a lot of strong flavors, especially from the anise, but currently I find them wonderfully participatory while not becoming overbearing.  Good heavens the roast in this is tasty!  It's a big beer, but I could easily do with another bottle.

Total 48/50

This beer is insanely tasty!  I appreciated it more an more throughout the bottle and it did everything short of make me use expletives whenever I drank it.  The dark roast, oak, and dark fruit are a trifecta that is not to be trifled with.  Add warmth to the mix and you've got a beer that I'll be talking about when people bring up unusual and interesting stouts!  Dammit Stone, you do good work!  My only complaint is that I wish I had enough foresight to buy an additional bottle for cellaring purposes.  If the beer has changed this much already (according and contrasting to reviews from when it was fresh), I'd love to see it in a year or so!  If you can find this, buy a case.  Drink some now and save some for later.  You will not be disappointed!

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