posted on 26 June 2009 by dan
By which I’m not joking; so many beers come out with these fancy titles talking about “double espresso” this and “blueberry pie” that and for the most part, while the referent beers are often outstanding, the flavor itself is accurate only in a sort of secondary sense. It tastes like blueberry beer or chocolate beer or what-have-you. So, witness Southern Tier’s Creme Brulee Imperial Stout. It tastes like somebody melted down the custard, shook it up, and bottled it.
Whether or not that sounds appetizing comes down to whether or not creme brulee sounds appetizing in the first place. Me, I dig it thoroughly, but then I’d order the creme brulee off a menu at a chicken shack. If you’re like me, trust me trust me on this beer. Sip on it, close your eyes; you’ll swear you’ll need a spoon. The back of the label reading like a philosophical equation of history, the only clue to how S.T. arrives at the brew is the inlcusion of dark caramel malt and vanilla beans in the recipe. The sum is more than its parts. This ain’t your typical vanilla beer.
Tony and I sipped on a pint just to see if anything’s changed since it came out last summer. This year’s tastes almost the same as last year’s batch, except that its got this bitter kick on the finish that, in context, conjures up a dark chocolate glaze. The nose is just as intoxicating, that vanilla apparent as soon as the bottle popped. It’s that combination of smelly nose and thick vanilla stout that manages to mask the 10% alcohol in the bottle. Don’t be fooled: sweet, yes, but also brawny enough to lay flat the unaware.
We got this is in last year and couldn’t keep it on the shelf. Right now, we’ve got ten cases or so in the basement and a promise of further availability, but… well, future availability is enlightment: fun to talk about it, difficult to acheive without constant perserverence. Dig it while the diggin’s diggable.
Tags: beer, imperial stouts, vanilla
Category: Beer Reviews | Comments (0)
posted on 15 May 2009 by dan
This whole organic thing is getting a bit out of control. Every other product hitting shelves these days, from beer to wine to spirits, announces itself as organic, bio-dynamic, blah, blah, and all that. It isn’t that I begrudge the movement itself; in fact, I’m all for it. Taking steps towards lessening the carbon footprint is not only respectable, it’s responsible and indicative of a business practice invested with a considerable amount of soul… something oft missing in Our Lady Commerce.
But that’s the thing: because people are starting to catch up to the green movement, the word “organic” has become a marketing buzzword, a bastardized, empty shell of a word that has less to do with any philosophy and more to do with attracting sales. Half of the breweries/wineries/distilleries out there meet the bare minimum of legal requirements necessary to print the claim on the label, caring not about the earth or this, that or the third. Oh well. I guess I should be happy some steps are taken, right?
But then there’s Eel River. Dig their website. Claims at achieving organic status first, which would mean they’ve been organic since way back in 1997, when it became a gosh-darn, honest-to-goodness legal term and that would mean that they’ve been organic since before it was a marketing buzzword. So, okay.
I’m drinking on the Raven’s Eye, their Russian Imperial Stout. According to the website, this brew’s won awards and awards before, and I can see why. The beer in the glass is dark with a swirling beige head that drifts around like astral patterns on its skin. The deep and dark color and the thick, roasted nose suggest a huge beer, but it’s really not all that huge. It’s nice and light on the tongue. Which isn’t to suggest that the flavors aren’t profound or complex; they in fact, are very profound and very complex, with the roasted espresso flavors bouncing off a subtle hoppiness. The dissonance between the body and the flavors is actually the most compelling aspect of drinking on this brew.
So, dig on the organics. Trust that this company is, in fact, committed to the organic movement in a way that perhaps others are not. But this beer stands up besides the organic label. It’s an organic beer that is both organic and beer, not some boardroom formula simulating both.
dJp
Tags: beer, California, craft beer, dark beer, eel river, imperial stouts, organic, stouts
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posted on 4 March 2009 by tony
It is a rare day when I will suggest anyone spend 24 dollars on a bottle of beer. However, Black Ops, the newest offering from the beer scientists over at the Brooklyn Brewery, has trumped my frugalness. You see, this is no ordinary brew. What we have here is a Russian Imperial Stout, aged four months in bourbon barrels, then re-fermented in bottle with Champagne yeast. This beast will leave notes of bourbon and chocolate in your mouth, and raisins in your nose. Clocking in at 11%abv, this brew is not to be trifled with. Our supply is very limited, so get it while the getting is good. Like a true black ops agent, once this is gone, it will be like it was never here.
-Out.
Tags: beer, Brooklyn, imperial stouts, stouts
Category: Beer Reviews | Comments (0)
