I think I recognize North Coast now by the smell, maybe I just think I do: something fresh and fruity, even a bit seashore-ish. This is a great take on a dry stout. Dark brown under rich sorta Manila envelope cream rim and foam. In the mouth, soft water with dry roast barley and minty almost …
It would be easy if there was only one stout in the stash that I have yet to try. But I have Avery's Out Of Bounds, North Coast's Old 38 as well as Hop Back's Entire Stout. And I know them not. Other have their posts up already. Not Lew. If I can just make up my mind, I might get my post up before …
I've written about plenty of stouts before but never a collection this big: imperial stouts, imperial extra double stout and just plain stouts, from four US states as well as Quebec, England and Australia. Stout has experienced a great diversification in its sub-styles through the explosion of …
...Or rather "Quick Note: Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout, Anderson Valley Brewing Company, Boonville, Mendocio County, California, USA". Damn good thing the beer is damn good with that much on the label. • Expresso foam head laying languidly over the blackest of ale. Dry licorice and minty hop …
read more »Japan, Ireland and New York. When managing the stash you have to make sure some of the lighter brews out there do not kick around too long. Bought in Maine, maybe in April, I am worried about the Japanese Sweet Stout as the label says "alcoholic content not in excess of 4% of volume." Hmmm. This …
read more »The season of Yule demands big beers and there are few bigger as a style, rather than some stunt for high alcohol, than the imperial stout. The Beer Judge Certificate Program describes the style in this way: • “Intensely fruity and malty, backed up by balancing roastiness and prominent hop …
I did not see their Imperial Raspberry Stout - just the Old Heathen Imperial Stout and the Imperial Pumpkin Ale. You know, this use of the old "imperial" adjective is all the rage in the US craft brewing trade. It originally meant a honking big stout and was roughly to porter what barley wine was …
According to Lew Bryson in his book New York Breweries, this is the beer that got Garrett Oliver the job as brewmaster at Brooklyn in 1994: • “He'd been brewing at a brewpub, Manhattan Brewing, since 1989. He could see the writting on the wall there, and one day when no one was in, he brewed up …
read more »Holy adjuncts! The Canadian version of this ale - found by surprise at the LCBO this weekend - has to have ingredient listings in English and French plastered on the neck with a bubble jet quality label. And what secrets it reveals: water (ok), malt (of course), hops (fine), yeast (sure, sure …
Surprised I was. I pop into the government store looking for kookoo juice and what do I find? A beer I have not seen before. And from Sri Lanka as well. Excellence. I like these dark beers called foreign stouts. Last fall I reviewed another, Royal Extra Stout from Trindad, which is the same sort …
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