Beer Review: Green Flash Double Stout

Serving Type: Bottle

ABV: 8.8 percent

Appearance: This was a very rich and dark brown color that featured reddish highlights. The head was also a dark brown color and boasted a quarter-inch thickness. The brown color was there for about thirty seconds. After that, the head faded a way a bit and the color appeared to be more of a light beige. I got both of the intriguing brown colors we see in assorted stouts. The thin layers of lacing left were of the darker variety.

Smell: I got may sweet notes of chocolate. The chocolate even seemed to be layered with light and dark flavors. Very distinctive. Malty and sweet, but not exactly dark or roasty. The sweeter scents were bold here.

Taste: The chocolate profile once again showed up, but the sweetness didn't please as I would have liked. The chocolate in the taste was very dark. The beer in general tasted black, which didn't surprise me. I was really shocked to pick up a few hints of black licorice. The booziness is present and somewhat noticeable. Nice bitter finish to compliment the sweet and chocolaty front of each sip.

Overall Rating: 

This was a very complex and layered beer. Very bold. It was like an explanation point, if there was ever one for beer. I loved getting both sweet and dark chocolate. The colors were very attractive to look at. Hell, the head of the brew was two colors The hops and alcohol presence didn't dilute the other great qualities of the beer. Would very much like to have again in the future.

Beer Review: Fat Head's Oompa Loompa Chocolate Cream Stout

Serving Type: Bottle

ABV: 6.5 percent

Appearance: This beer was in between a black and a brown color. There were vividly beige bubbles rising towards a tall and foamy head of the same color. The head was thick in appearance, but fluffy. By fluffy I mean like the marshmallow stuff at the end of Ghostbusters. That kind of fluffy. The head also had some strong retention.

Smell: The sweeter components of the brew really dominated the aroma. The only two things I was able to distinguish was the sweetness of the vanilla beans and Belgian chocolate that was in the beer. I prefer a few more layers of complexity.

Taste: The head remained thick throughout most of the drink and provided a creamy vanilla sensation before my taste buds collected any other forms of data in the beer. There were multiple layers of roasted and dark malt as the sips drifted towards the back as well as a caramel and very chocolaty finish. Sweetness rules this beer. If anything, this wasn't as balanced as I would have liked.

Overall Rating: 

This beer is probably as close to the actual Chocolate Factory as one can get without actually being there. The head of the beer does a fantastic job of sticking around and providing some vanilla taste. The dark flavors have many subtle levels (you're welcome for yet another Ghostbusters reference) and are complex. Maybe it's just a little heavy on the sweet side. Not much changed as this warmed which cause me to get a little sick of the sweetness toward the end.

Beer Review: Bell's Kalamazoo Stout

Serving Type: Bottle

ABV: Six percent

Appearance: Kalamazoo Stout has a dark body. It can be classified anywhere between a very dark brown and a black. There are highlights of both colors floating around in the body of the brew. The head is what made this stout one of my favorites in terms of how it looks. It was a lighter shade of beige, but the upper portions of it were a creamy white. That looked very appetizing as I went in for a few sips of this brew.

Smell: This smelled very dark, roasty and robust. The prominent scent I picked up was the brewer's licorice that's noted on the label. I love black licorice. So, this was a big plus for me. There was also a couple notes of chocolate and coffee. There was more coffee present between the two.

Taste: The black licorice was very present on the front of the tongue as was some dark, sweet and roasted malt. The chocolate that I picked up in the aroma seemed to be a bit overwhelmed by the malt bill in this beer as I wasn't able to get much of it. The coffee in the beer had a dryness that paired well with a nice hop bitterness on the finish. The aftertaste consisted of heat from the booze in this one. Not overwhelming at all. This stout wasn't as "chewy" as I would have liked it to be. If felt to be a little on the thinner side.

Overall Rating: 

This is a great stout if you're looking for a good one to drink. I love black licorice. So, this was an instant hit with me. This was very similar to the General Washington's Tavern Porter that I also love. The only difference as that the Tavern Porter had molasses. Something that's rare in stout today. In the Kalamazoo Stout, I would have really liked to have more chocolate as well as the beer playing a little thicker than it did.

Beer Review: East End Chocolate Covered Cherry

Serving Type: Draft/Growler

ABV: I can't find anything official online, but I'm pretty sure I remember seeing that it was 5.2 percent at the brewery.

Appearance: East End's Chocolate Covered Cherry Stout pours a very dark brown (very similar to chocolate, but who knew?) and has a ruby hue to it elsewhere throughout the body. The body also had a thick appearance to it. Stout lovers describe this look as "chewy" and this brew definitely had that. The head is an attractive beige and is very soft and frothy. There was enough retention for some lacing, but it all faded away fairly quick.

Smell: I was able to pick up some roasty and nutty aromas. These were two scents I wasn't expecting out of this. The ones I assumed I'd come across were the chocolate and the tartness of cherries. It really smelled like I had just cracked open a cordial cherry. So, my mouth did water at this point.

Taste: Once again I'll play on the cordial cherry thing. If there was such a thing as a cordial cherry in liquid form, this is it. It tasted nice and dark, It was also roasty from the darker malts. I can't forget about the sweetness of the chocolate and the tart cherries. Those two flavors made this beer. They meld well together as the beer warms. The sweetness was a tad too much for me much later in the drink, though.

Overall Rating: 

I think was brewed by East End once back in 2011 and again this past winter. If there's any left at the brewery location, grab a growler of it if you can before it's gone. If not, I hope it's back next year! This brew was really well done. It was as close to a cordial cherry candy as anything in this world can be without actually taking on that form. As really sweet candy tends to do with me, the sweetness in this did overwhelm me towards the end. That wasn't by a big margin, though.

Monday Rant: Please Stop the Party

I remember my Thursday nights in college. They were always dominated by terrible music and those too cold aluminum Bud Light bottles. It was cheap and I didn't really know better at the time. I'm now constantly reminded of the overcrowded pub turned nightclub when I see the stupid Pitbull commercial featuring Bud Light.

This week's rant is very abbreviated, but I assure you that watching this commercial is double the torture it usually is when you stop by this blog on a Monday morning.

I hate that he only seems to show up in Bud Light commercials and nothing else. I hate that he wears sunglasses in the dark. I've worn sunglasses on many a day indoor, but never in a nightclub. I hate that Bud Light ads try to tell you that you need a light and low-calorie beer to have a good time in your city's nightlife. Trust me. With a double stout that's in the neighborhood of 11 percent ABV you'll have an even better night.

 

Beer Review: Troegs Java Head Stout

Serving Type: Bottle

ABV: 7.5 percent

Appearance: It seems as if the stouts that put themselves ahead of others in the pack seem to be those that have a very dark, black color. Java Head Stout fits the bill in this department. The only presence of carbonation that's visible to the naked eye is what's in the foamy, tan head atop the brew. It's tan and is very reminiscent of what foams up when you pour a glass of cola. It was somewhat weak retention, but there was a nice thin layer of foam throughout the drink. I've seen confusion in reports of this being both a regular stout and an oatmeal stout. it is in fact an oatmeal if you check on the Troegs website. More evidence is in the beady lacing the tan head will leave inside your glass.

Smell: Overall, the theme of this beer is darkness. I caught a ton of dark and roasted coffee beans. Behind that was plenty of dark chocolate to counter the coffee's bitterness with something sweet. These two aromas are very powerful, but not overbearing to the point where it's unnecessary.

Taste: This beer kind of tasted like an intense mocha from an upscale coffee shop. The two dominant aspects of the beer's aroma were also the two dominant features in the taste. I'm a guy that doesn't like putting all kinds of junk in his coffee in the mornings. I like it black and the taste of this beer reminded me of that. The coffee was dark, roasty and robust. the sweetness of the chocolate complimented the bolder flavor very well. There was also a decent backbone of roasted malt on the front of the tongue. The flavors seem to mesh well as the beer warms, making it that much smoother despite the boldness.

Overall Rating: 

This is an excellent beer. If I had to say it was missing anything it would be an obvious presence of oats since this is an oatmeal stout. The only thing that shows is the beady lacing as I mentioned, but I didn't pick up any in the aroma or the taste. That might be attributed to the dominance of the coffee and dark chocolate that's in this brew. Still, those two flavors make this an awesome drink. This could go with a nice breakfast in some cases!

Beer Review: Saint Arnold's Pumpkinator (2012)

Serving Type: Bottle

ABV: 10 percent

Appearance: Saint Arnold's Pumpkinator pours an extremely black color. Its color is very reminiscent of something such as coal or motor oil. In fact, I'd say this beer is darker than those two things. It appears really thick, almost like something chocolaty you can chew on. On the first pour of this bottle, the head was thin and weak. It has an off-white/beige color. On the second pour of the bottle it was a lot thicker and had better retention.

Smell: I openly admit that my sense of smell isn't the world's greatest (I wasn't ever able to pick up the smelly kid in grade school). Sometimes I struggle to pick up some aromas if they aren't strong. I'll tell you that I could pick up a strong scent of nutmeg when this beer was poured. I also picked up a decent amount of cinnamon and chocolate, which added a darker sense to this.

Taste: The nutmeg and cinnamon dominate the flavor on the front. There is also a strong hint of pumpkin on the finish after each gulp. I was reminded of the taste of Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal some of us had as kids. When you get some of the chocolate/roasted notes as well, on the front, it's kind of like you had your Cinnamon Toast Crunch with some chocolate milk.

Overall Rating: 

Truly an excellent beer. I was thrilled with the strong aroma/taste of nutmeg and pumpkin. Also loved that this was a dark stout. This was sent to me via @BeerSamplers in the Texas area and is part of the local Brotherhood of Brew. He highly recommended this beer. I'm thankful he did. In case you didn't know, check out the bottom of this beer's cap!

I actually forgot he was the patron saint of brewers before trying this.

Monday Rant: Loose Speech

A few weeks ago I received a text from my girlfriend (whom is quite beer illiterate and admits this) that asked "what does the word imperial mean when referring to a beer?"

I've never claimed to be any form of a beer expert, but I actually had to consult my Oxford Companion to Beer for the answer to this due to seeing the word "Imperial" thrown onto just about every other beer name out there. Otherwise, you'd think it would come to you a lot quicker since you've drank plenty of beers coined as "Imperial."

After finding the entry in my Oxford Companion, I simply replied that it means that a beer named as such is intended to be set apart and bolder than others of the same type.

That night I went on thinking about (over a few beers, of course) how that enables anyone, even homebrewers that name their beers, to tell others that their brew is an "Imperial." I thought more of this subject yesterday after coming across something referring to an Imperial Pilsner. Something I've never heard of.

When i used to think of an Imperial, the first thinks to my head were darker brews such as stouts and porters. Some darker pumpkin beers could also be included. Now, it seems as if it's just a loose terms casually thrown around as a marketing ploy. Though, I could be wrong.

If an Imperial beer means that it's just bolder and set apart from its brethren then the circle of anything by said name is limitless. Is it not?

 

Troegs to Produce Another Interesting Scratch Beer

Are you one of the many out there fearing something odd is going to happen on Dec. 21? Well, it looks like Troegs might have you covered for the big day.

According to John Trogner's Twitter account, Troegs intends on adding a Russian Imperial Stout to it's fascinating list of Scratch brews. The tweet only says that it's nicknamed "Impending Descent" paying homage to the end of the Mayan calendar on the 21st. I'm not entirely sure if that's what the beer will end up being named.

Regardless, you now have reasons to celebrate the pending end of civilization as we know it, a massive shift in the earth's gravitational pull or whatever you think might happen by that date. Don't take my word for it. You can be the judge! I just think it means the Pittsburgh Pirates might provide us with a winning season very soon.

Brewing a huge Russian Imperial Stout nicknamed "?impending descent?" today to celebrate the end of the Mayan Calendar ..released 12.21.12
— john trogner (@jtroegs) November 6, 2012

Monday Rant: Bell's Cherry Stout is Kaput

I heard rumblings of the possibility of this over the last few weeks, but it looks as if Bell's Cherry Stout is a no-go for this year due to colder temperatures in the Michigan area, according to Beer Street Journal.

I was lucky enough to come across a tulip glass full of Cherry Stout last year. I somewhat enjoyed the sour tartness from the Michigan cherries that are brewed into it.

Other than that, I'm disappointed that the weather didn't cooperate this year. Now begins the rush to procure what cases/bottles are still remaining from last year's batch. I know where an entire case is, as I saw it at a certain beer distributor just a week ago. As always, I'm not telling where the exact location is!

I'm sure this has happened before to quite a few other seasonal beers due to weather and crops not being friendly towards the other. It kind of reminds me of Trading Places with Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd. The with a sub-plot about orange crops and the stock market.

 

Stout Paired With Cookies

A few weeks ago, I wrote a blog post about certain pairings with wine and how I looked forward to experimenting with wine/food pairings as well as continuing to explore pairings with beer.

Not long after I had completed the post I came across a handful of chocolate chip/walnut and peanut butter/Reese's Pieces cookies. We have plenty of homebrewed stout lying around. So, I decided to crack open a bottle to see how it went with the cookies.

Believe what you are seeing. those are Reese's Pieces in cookies.

I'm sure many beer fans enjoy the chocolate-on-chocolate pairing, such as the stout with the chocolate chip cookies. It wasn't bad, but the complementary flavors I got from pairing the stout with the peanut butter cookies was fantastic.

The chocolate and peanut butter flavors bounce off of the other wonderfully. It was kind of like a peanut butter cup infused with a shot of coffee.

I don't think I'm done with pairing experimentation with this beer. Since there's plenty coffee flavor as there is chocolate and malt, one would think this would be an ideal beverage for breakfast. I'll keep you updated if I can come across a stack of chocolate chip pancakes with a side of sausage links one day soon!

Beer Review: Church Brew Works Coconut Stout

Serving Type: Draft

ABV: Five percent

Appearance: Church Coconut Stout doesn't venture from the looks of your typical stout or porter. It's very dark. Almost black, but with a few brown undertones spread throughout the body. The head has a thickness of about half of a finger and is somewhat foamy. Other than that, not much carbonation is present. The beer does appear to be thick.

Smell: This beer's smell had plenty of nuttiness, chocolate and coffee, but I couldn't detect any coconut. With a beer named as such, you'd expect to have plenty of coconut, right?

Taste: This beer did bring back a few childhood memories. The chocolate came through magnificently, and fleshed well with a hint of vanilla that was also present. It reminded me of a twist cone you'd get at your local ice cream establishment. Again, the coconut was really lacking. I didn't get much of it at all.

Overall Rating: 

The taste of Church's Coconut Stout wasn't bad at all. I enjoyed the mix of chocolate and vanilla. I just wish there was more coconut presence in a beer named as such.