Happy New Year's Eve with Ommegang Game of Thrones Valar Morghulis Dubbel Ale

Happy New Year's Eve! What better way to finish the year than with a great Belgian beer from one of the best Belgian-style breweries in America? Santé!

Ommegang Game of Thrones Valar Morghulis Dubbel Ale

BG Poured from a 1 pt 9.4 fl oz (750 ml) cork and cage bottle into a stemmed tulip glass, 8% ABV, Packaged on 09/08/14, Best by 09/20/15, Serve at 50°F/10°C

A Deep ruby in color with 2 fingers of sandy (the color of my kitchen walls) head. It sticks around for a bit, and slowly fades away to a thin layer. The bubbles are tight, and the foam is a little rocky. Little bubbles are constantly streaming up from the bottom, replenishing what’s left of the head. It fluffs right back up with a few swirls. Bold curls of lace round out this sexy beast.

A I haven’t even put my nose to the glass yet, and I’m already getting some strawberry-sweet malty characters. Oh, yes. Sweet belgian yeast, clove and spicy phenols. I don’t know why, but it smells like home. Now that I think about it, it smells like Weyerbacher. I wonder if they use similar yeast. Molasses, biscuit malt, a little bit of dark fruit, slightly zesty.

T Oh baby! Belgian beers are such a treat. Yeasty sweet flavors dominate, caramel malt, figs and other dark fruit, a tiny nip of herby hops in the middle, bleu-cheesy barnyard funk on the finish

M High carbonation, fluffy in the mouth, and dry on the finish, med body

A A balance of hop/malt bitterness, with a little sweet yeast

C There’s something extremely familiar about this beer - like an old friend I haven’t seen (or tasted?) in years. As mentioned in previous posts, beers that evoke memories or feelings truly provide the best experience. Beyond the nostalgia, this is a deliciously quaffable beverage. Balance is key. Though the yeast speaks louder than the malt and hops, all are playing equally important and notable parts in the structure of this beer. Take one out, and this jenga stack of yum topples over. Yeasty sweetness and spice, along with figgy malts and herbal hops give the senses a great show, all the while being tickled by a very active effervescence. Mmm!!!

FP    Chocolate coated orange peel. Wedge salad with bacon, raw onion, cherry tomatoes, bleu cheese crumble, and gorgonzola dressing. Braised lamb chops with a balsamic demi-glaze and horseradish fingerling potatoes.

Now, here's a brewery that really cares about their beer. They have a packaging date, best by date, AND a suggested serving temperature. I have never seen all three, or even more than one of these on a bottle. Bravo, Brewery Ommegang!!!

Oh, and I knew it was something familiar! It's not Weyerbacher, but Duvel that this beer tastes like! The bottle reads, "Part of the Duvel family of fine Belgian ales". Yep.

I try to learn as little about a beer as possible before I drink it and take tasting notes. That way, my perception is unbiased and I learn to detect aromas and flavors on my own. There's also an extreme feeling of satisfaction when my notes accurately describe the beer according the the bottle or brewery website. In this case, not right on, but close enough for me to be excited!

Chins up for 2015! And don't forget...
Valar Morghulis! (All men must die!)
Happy New Year, Everyone!

Wasatch First One Down Winter Warmer Ale

The snow has been gently falling all day, and now continues into the night. I think I'm effectively fighting off a cold, but not so effectively fighting off my urge to review a beer anyway. I also wasn't on the slopes all day, or at all, but this next beer makes me wish I was. Mmm...

Wasatch First One Down Winter Warmer Ale

BG Poured from a 12 fl oz bottle into a stemmed tulip, 7.1% ABV, Enjoy by 03/18/15

A Mahogany in color with lots of ruby highlights. One finger of tan head diminished quickly, but left behind a sticky blanket of lacing. The foam is formed of tight bubbles, and looks more like chocolate milk froth. 

A Chocolate malt, chalky dark cocoa powder, sweet molasses, wet dirt, piney hops, touch of alcohol

T Sweet cereal grains, wheat, toasted pine nuts, a little piney hops as well, cocoa krispies, woodsy, honey, It’s like chewing on malt husks for a few minutes.

M Creamy - almost like a nitro, full bodied, medium carbonation

A Roasty malt bitterness, sticky honey

C Huh… I honestly didn’t set my expectations super high for this beer, but I was pleasantly surprised! I don’t know why I didn’t expect much out of it. I guess I’ve only had 2-3 other winter warmer beers before, and I wasn’t thrilled with any of them. But this is one I would drink again for sure if the mood struck me. If I was just getting off the slopes for the day, this is exactly what I would want. It has a pretty complex malt character without being overwhelming, and presents flavors that paint a picture of pine trees and snow crunching beneath my feet. My favorite kinds of beers will always be the ones that surprise me, and take me to another place. It seems the brewers over at Squatters/Wasatch have a knack for that. Nice!

FP    Warm apple pie with a dollop of cinnamon whipped cream, pork medallions with a honey raspberry glaze, gouda cheese

Squatters Outer Darkness Russian Imperial Stout

Time for a malt-bomb! A very tiny (7 fl oz!), very alcoholic (10.5%!) malt-bomb (Russian Imperial Stout!). Enough with the parentheses. Fire in the hole!

Squatters Outer Darkness Russian Imperial Stout

BG Poured from a “Little Slammers” 7 fl oz (207ml) bottle into a stemmed tulip, 10.5% ABV, Enjoy by 11/11/15

A Black as tar, and about as opaque. No head, but a coffee crema film rests on top like an oil slick. When I swirl the beer, some of the darkest foam I’ve ever seen comes up to the surface. A splotch of lace is left behind here and there.

A Dark plums, loads of chocolate malt, coco puffs, lactose, caramelized banana, gasoline, I can feel the alcohol burn in my throat just by smelling it. The booze is so overwhelming I struggle to pick other things out.

T More caramelized banana, heavily roasted mixed nuts, and so. much. booze. I’m constantly fighting to taste anything else through it. Semi-sweet chocolate chips, the charred outer shell of a toasted marshmallow, oak.

M Creamy and mouth coating, also a little alcohol burn on the throat

A A mint-like tingle washes over the tongue. It feels like when rubbing alcohol evaporates off your skin. The finish is long and bitter, and a little green toward the very end. 

C The lack of patience while roasting marshmallows over a campfire often results in a gooey fireball of sugar, which quickly turns into an inedible black, charred shell on a stick. If you bit that off, along with some of the stick, and chased it with some whiskey, I think that’s what Outer Darkness tastes like. Actually, I think the marshmallow/stick/whiskey version sounds like it would taste better. I like all the flavors in this beer, but it feels like the brewer tried really hard to kick me in the teeth with this 10.5% ABV, and I actually value my teeth. I know, the ABV is up there. But I’ve had other imperial stouts with similar ABVs, and their alcohol content is either well hidden or well balanced. This is a matter of preference, not quality. Prefer up-in-your-face alcohol flavors? I just found your favorite beer! Something I really do like about this is the caramelized banana. It’s unique, and very appreciated.

FP     S’mores, Caramelized banana pancakes with walnuts, NY strip steak with garlic mash and gravy

Merry Christmas with New Belgium Accumulation White IPA

'Tis the season for breweries big and small to send their dark, seasonal offerings out into the world of fewer daylight hours, and lower temperatures (at least this half of the world!). I find it difficult to drink down the darker spectrum of beers during any of the warmer months of the year, so it's quite exciting when the snow is falling and I can't see through to the other side of my glass! 

That being said, there's always room in my fridge for the odd-ball, non-traditional take on how to drink in the season...

New Belgium Accumulation White IPA

BG Poured from a 12 fl oz (355ml) bottle into a New Belgium stemmed tulip, 6.2% ABV, Enjoy by 04/05/15

A Light, banana-yellow in color with hardly a finger of snow white head. Sparkly lacing is left in its wake. The beer is very cloudy.

A Fresh squeezed tangerines and orange peel from the citrus hops, sprees, a bit of wheat

T It’s just like the nose, but better. Sweet citrus juices, white bread, lightly bitter citrus rind, pineapple, peaches

M Creamy, yet crisp. Medium carbonation. Light body.

A Gently bitter orange peel

C This is a tropical fruit fest, and feels a bit unfitting for a winter seasonal. The label depicts a snowed-in streamline camper. Maybe it’s a cabin fever kind of thing? Like, you’ve been snowed-in all winter and can’t wait for spring, so you get your fix by drinking Accumulation? Context aside, there are some delicious flavors in here. It’s not very complex, but sometimes less is more. It’s super juicy and visually attractive. This isn’t sounding much like a winter beer, is it? And yet, I welcome it into my frozen, snow dusted arms as a change of pace from all the chewy, spiced, dark beer this season brings. Sometimes, no matter the season, you just want something easy and refreshing, and New Belgium is here to dish it up. Well played, NB. Well played.

FP Herb crusted snapper sandwich with cilantro sour cream in a pita pocket. Minted, glazed strawberries. Ham steaks with grilled pineapple rings.

I just read the Accumulation description on the NB website. It states this beer is "a direct revolt to the longstanding tradition of brewing dark beers for winter." Right on the bright red, glowing nose.

Bottling Day #2!

Phew! My second batch of beer is complete! Between brew day and bottle day, I spent a total of about 12 hours on this batch. That includes a lot of waiting time, like for bottles to dry or water to boil. And it also includes a lot of intensive cleaning before and after each step. I've got several equipment additions (bottle tree, different sanitizer, vinator, gas burner, small scale, beer thief, infrared thermometer, 5 gal sparge kettle, hot liquor tank, rotating sparge arm) I'm eager to add to my arsenal that will either speed things up, make things more accurate, or both. Christmas is just a few days away, and you can bet your sweet bippies any funds I'm gifted will go toward some brew toys! 

So! How did it go, you ask? Pretty darn well... I think. I did a few things different this time around. Instead of putting the priming sugar in each bottle, I added the entire batch amount of sugar into two cups boiling water, and added that into an empty carboy. Then I racked the beer into the carboy after the sugar water. I also didn't use a secondary fermenter this round. I've read and heard from others that avoiding the secondary fermentation vessel doesn't affect the beer, and also protects it from possible oxidation (overexposure to oxygen can give the beer cardboard-y flavors). 

But it seems I won't be able to get away from racking into a second vessel before bottling because it's necessary to get it away from the trub and to add the priming sugar to the whole batch. I think I'm happy not using a second vessel as a fermenter, and as a bottling bucket instead. I think what I'll change next time is using the carboy as the primary fermenter, and the plastic bucket as the bottler. It's very beneficial to be able to view the fermentation through the glass of the carboy, as opposed to the plastic bucket. 

The strangest thing about this brew is that the fermentation was complete after only 4 days. My last batch was still bubbling by the time I bottled it. This one was absolutely not bubbling after 4 days. In fact, it had a back-suck of sanitizer from the airlock into the fermenter because of the temperature change (instead of pressure pushing air out of the lock, it sucked in, pulling down some sanitizer with it). It wasn't enough sanitizer to hurt anything, but it sent me rushing to beer books, message boards, and brewing friends to figure out what was going on. 

The thing that matters most out of this, beyond all the specific steps and beer jargon, is the actual beer. My proudest feat at this point is how clear the beer came out. The yeast in the fermenter flocculated into a tight cake on the bottom of the vessel, allowing me to rack some super clear beer off of the top. I'm also stoked that my mash tun worked so well at keeping out the little bits and pieces of malt husk. It's nice to have an area of brewing that seems to be solid this early in the game.

So dark!

So clear!

Bragging aside, the taste is something that might be lacking. I say might because the flavors can change quite drastically during the bottle conditioning stage. But right now, the taste is a little light. There's almost nothing on the front, but the middle has a lovely nutty caramel that I'm excited about. The finish is soft and short. I guess inoffensive is a good thing. I know that my extraction from the malt wasn't super great, so I'm not surprised this brew isn't bold in any way. And that's just fine with me.

FG: 1.010

With an OG of 1.042, and and FG of 1.010, this beer is about 4.2% ABV. It will gain a bit more alcohol in the bottle from the priming sugar. I'm excited to see if this batch carbonates in the bottle a little better than my last batch did. My biggest concern for the entire brewing process is that the temperatures in my apartment are a touch too cold for fermentation and bottle conditioning. The average temp in here is 60° F, and I think the beer prefers between 65° and 70°. 

I'm sitting here now drinking a bottle from my first brew. It has been aging since 11/02, which makes this just past the 7th week of bottle conditioning. I haven't noticed a change in carbonation since the 4th week, and now I'm pretty sure that this is as good as it gets. It's closer to the carbonation of a cask ale, and a little flat by American standards. The flavors are just getting better and better, though. At this point, I think I'll share a few, and age the rest another month or two. 

I've had a few people ask me if I want to be a professional brewer, and my answer is that I have a lot of brews between now and the time I'll ever make that decision. So far, I totally enjoy spending 6+ hours brewing on my only day off in the week, and that's a great sign. My main goal right now is still to become a Certified Cicerone. I'm just gonna do what I enjoy, and if I end up going down the path of professional brewing, so be it. For now, I'm content with the flow of knowledge I've been receiving and seeking on a daily basis. =)

Full Sail Wreck The Halls Hoppy Holiday Ale

I've got it all wrong. I've been reviewing these fruity beers lately, when I should be digging into the holiday seasonals! Well fret you not, little ones. I've got just the thing!

Full Sail Wreck The Halls Hoppy Holiday Ale

BG Poured from a 1 pt 6 fl oz (650ml) bottle into a stemmed tulip, 6.5% ABV, 68 IBU, Enjoy By 02/03/15

A Amber in color with reddish hues. A finger and a half of frothy head rests nicely on top, and there’s plenty of lacing for decoration. 

A Sticky resinous hops, caramel malt, chewy caramel, floral hops, cowtails, hint of lactose, grapefruit, pine

T Most of this is true to the nose. Roasted cashews, grapefruit, piney hops, chocolate malt, hint of wheat, burnt pie crust, warm pumpernickel bread, touch of diacetyl (buttery), earthy

M Slightly creamy, med-full body, coats the mouth, med-high carbonation

A Like chewing on pine needles, still a little tingly from the carbonation, dark malt

C For those of you not so stoked on the spiced Christmas ales, you can get your hoppy fix with this seasonal brew. This is a typical Pacific NW IPA with an added malt backbone. The fact that both ends of the spectrum shine boldly makes it a sipper rather than a session. It has nothing to do with the ABV, but it’s the flavor that is a little overwhelming for my palate. Delicious, but also filling. 

FP Get one of those giant tins of popcorn at the grocery store. Shove both the cheddar and caramel popcorn in your mouth at the same time. Chew, swallow, and then drink. Bet that’s damn delicious, huh? Romaine salad with roasted beets, pistachios, grapefruit, and a rosemary vinaigrette. Gorgonzola stuffed figs wrapped in prosciutto.

If this right up you're alley, check out New Belgium Accumulation, Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale, and Deschutes Jubelale.

Wasatch Apricot Hefeweizen

Ever taste something you know you don't like, and have a bit of an odd moment when you realized you're actually enjoying it? If you're stubborn like I am, you might have been adamantly avoiding certain foods your whole life, only to find out you love them as an adult. 

I grew up hating green beans. My mom used to make shepherd's pie a lot, and I would always complain that the ratio of green bean-lovers to pea-lovers was not properly reflected in the pie. I would go so far as to pick out each and every green bean and protest loudly the entire time. And now, 5+ years later, you know what I've found? Green beans are great. I buy them at the grocery store with my own money, and they taste delicious. The lesson I learned? Be open minded about your food. Taste buds can change, and so can your stubbornness.

Wasatch Apricot Hefeweizen

BG Poured from a 12 fl oz (355ml) bottle into a stemmed tulip, 4% ABV, Enjoy by 02/17/15, Purchased cold from The Beer Store

A Pale straw in color, and a little hazy. There was less than a finger of head, even with a semi-aggressive pour. I’d like to see a bit more head on a hefeweizen, but I guess this is standard for the American version. 

A Some aromas take you to an entirely different place. It’s late summer. Sweet nectar dribbles down my chin after chomping into a fresh-from-the-vine apricot. I’m focused on devouring a few of these before I realize the juices have been dripping all over my shirt. But I could care less. I continue on and stroll through a field of swaying wheat. My fingers stretch out lazily to tangle in the stalks. My eyes are half closed and counting clouds. Summer sun. Warm breeze. Hot skin. This is where I’m taken. 

T A storm rolls in. The wind picks up. It starts raining… blood? Just kidding. That would be gross. There’s a lot more wheat on the tongue than the nose. But it balances nicely with the not-overly-sweet apricot. This is about as simple as it gets. Like sitting on a porch swing, watching the day go by one cloud at a time. It has wheat, and it has apricot. That is all.

M A little creamy from the wheat. Med-light carbonation. 

A A loooong wheaty finish

C It’s no wonder this beer won bronze at the 2014 GABF in the American-Style Fruit Beer category. When you taste a beer as simple as this one, there’s no option to not nail it. Otherwise, it's crap. And let me tell you something. My least favorite style, other than those nasty sweet pumpkin ales, is American wheat beers. But this is actually great! I wouldn’t go out of my way to have one, but I certainly wouldn’t turn my nose up at it. Give it a try. You might be surprised where it takes you. 

FP multigrain toast with apricot jam and bleu cheese crumbles, bitter greens salad with grilled chicken, roasted red pepper, and a light herb vinaigrette, a good old fashioned scoop of vanilla ice cream

Oh, and here's something kind of fun. Remember that Epic Brainless Raspberries Belgian Style Ale I had last night? I had a bit leftover, so I corked the bottle. Know what I did with it today? Poured the rest into my half empty glass of apricot hef. It's quite a bit more raspberry than apricot, but the wheat shines though nicely. It actually tones down the sweetness of the Epic beer. Not bad! I'm going to start blending different beers together when I can. What if I added a chocolate stout and the Epic raspberry beer together? It could either spell disaster or delicious. I'll keep testing, and I'll let you know if I come across anything note-worthy! For science!

Epic Brainless Raspberries Belgian Style Ale

Let's just get down to it, shall we?

Epic Brainless Raspberries Belgian Style Ale

BG Poured from a 650ml bottle into a stemmed tulip, release #30, 9.8% ABV, the website says this release was brewed October 9th, 2014 and packaged October 17th, 2014.

A Ruby in color with hardly a finger of cotton candy, blush head. It quickly dissipates, and only a light film remains. The occasional splotch and spot of foam cling to the glass as I drink. 

A Wheat, strawberry jolly ranchers, very light floral hops, tart raspberries, brett, champagne yeast, hint of butterscotch

T Absolutely everything follows the nose to a T, though I must say it’s not as sweet as I expected. It’s more of a sweet-n-low type of sweet than the sugary variety. There’s also a bit of funk on the finish. Well appreciated!

M Light carb gives a nice zip on the tongue, and leaves a slightly dried palate. Med-light body

A Barnyard funk, grainy raspberries

C A few years ago, this would have been one of my favorite beers on earth. But my palate has grown away from sweeter beer. Additionally, this beer screams summertime to me. I can see myself visiting this beer again once June and July roll around. Add some brandy, ice, and muddled fruit, and you’ve got yourself a badass sangria! Or even just plop some vanilla ice cream in there and have yourself a raspberry beer float. Think of this as Lindemans Framboise’s cousin, but less than half as sweet, and more than twice as alcoholic. 

FP Strawberry shortcake, pear and walnut watercress salad with champagne vinaigrette, bacon pancakes with apple compote

Sierra Nevada Harvest Northern Hemisphere Wet Hop IPA

Life has been busy! I've been working a lot, and spending much less time at home. Almost half the contents of my fridge is beer, and, now that I have 2.5 days off, it will get the attention it deserves!

I swear, I didn't mean to review two Sierra Nevada beers in a row. My bad! Honestly, there were a few other beers in my fridge I've been dying to try, but this one was begging for my attention with its 100-day limitation for consumption. I don't regret my choice...

Sierra Nevada Harvest Northern Hemisphere Wet Hop IPA

BG Poured from a 655ml (1pt 8 fl oz) bottle into a stemmed tulip, 6.7% ABV, packaged 09/24/14, marked as a 100-day IPA, consumed 80 days past the packaged date

A Copper in color with two fingers of tan head, which is fairly dense and long-lasting. Sticky lacing decorates the glass as I drink. 

A Floral hops, dried hay, musty, lemon, bread crust, zesty, banana nut muffins, clove

T Caramel malt, lemons, grapefruit, grapes, piney hops, nutty, slightly acidic, roasty

M Tannic, medium-heavy body, moderate carbonation

A Harsh hop bite at the backsides of the tongue (It’s almost numbing), walnuts

C This beer is labeled as a wet hop IPA, but it shares small nuances with other styles. With the dark, malty notes and scents of banana/clove, the nose makes me think of a dark hefeweizen. By the taste, this is clearly an IPA, but the malt seems to be fighting for the spotlight a bit. It’s a pretty unique IPA, and the flavor profile is anything but flat. It’s worth a go!

FP Sharp cheddar grilled cheese & tomato soup, grilled chicken & cilantro rice with lemon butter sauce, blood orange glazed sticky buns

Some of you might be thinking, "What does wet hop mean?". A wet hopped beer features hops that are used for brewing no later than 24 hours after they were harvested. This insures the freshest hop flavor. You can read more about it on the Sierra Nevada website. Check with your local breweries or pubs in October (hop harvest month) to see if one might host an annual wet hop festival. I guess this post is a few months too late... oh well. This beer may have been packaged 80 days ago, but it's still tasty!

Brew #2 - My First Go At All Grain Brewing

Wooooo! The brewing of my second batch of beer, also my first all-grain, is behind me! What's the difference you ask? For my first batch, I used malt extract, which is a concentrated version of all the sugars and good stuff you get from the malt if you were to steep it. There's nothing wrong with it, and it saves you money on the equipment you would need to steep the grain yourself. But it does make the beer taste different. 

My first batch is very close to having the carbonation I'm looking for, which is awesome! But it tastes like sticky, processed malt extract to me instead of something more fresh and organic. Don't get me wrong, I'm proud of my first brewing effort, and do enjoy drinking it. 100% satisfaction isn't a very good motivator, so not knocking it out of the park on my first try is a great thing. My desire for better beer has propelled me to my next step, which is a step into the world of all-grain brewing! It was an expensive, time consuming step, but I'm glad I made it! 

Using all-grain for brewing instead of malt extract is like using homemade pasta sauce for baked ziti instead of something store-bought. Using store-bought sauce is fine, but using something you made yourself can boost the quality of your dish to a whole new world. And the amount of personal satisfaction you get from having crafted something from scratch is an equally great perk to brewing from grain.

Perfect. The benefits are seemingly awesome. Let's do it! There are, however, costs in both money and time. I chose to make my own mash tun, which is the piece of equipment you use to steep the grain, and filter it as you drain the liquid into another vessel. One stop at home depot and about $70 later, I had all the pieces I needed. Putting it together was fairly simple as well. I used this design. It was actually pretty darn easy to clean, too. Bonus points! 

The most time consuming part was waiting for my water or wort to boil. With malt extract, you boil half the liquid, and add the remaining water at the end of the boil. But with all-grain, you boil everything all at once. My small, electric stove is not the best tool for this kind of project. I'm thinking a portable gas burner is in my future. My total brewing time, from boiling the water for the grain to cleaning up after everything was in the primary fermenter, was about 6.5 hours. Better equipment and more experience will cut that down, I'm sure. =)

Everything but two things went quite smoothly. First, and possibly most unfortunately, my wort chiller sprung a leak at the vinyl tubing/copper pipe connection, and I got about 3 oz total of tap water in my chilling wort. I was eventually able to hold it at just the right angle so I could finish chilling, but the damage was already done. Having sanitary conditions for the beer is of utmost importance, and that amount of tap water may have contaminated the batch. But there's nothing I can do now but cross my fingers and wait. 

Speaking of fingers, that's the second thing that went wrong. The adapter that changes my tap from a hose connection to a regular flowing tap (it otherwise gushes water in any direction it pleases) broke above the thread, and my finger tips were already shredded by the time I realized. Fortunately, this occurred while I was cleaning up, but it still sucks. 

Judging by the progression of my first batch, I think this one will be ready to drink in about two months. By the way, it's a brown ale, and I got the recipe from John J. Palmer's How To Brew. =)

And here's a little video of my process!

It was a lot of work, but I enjoyed it. Can't wait for my next batch!

Sierra Nevada Narwhal Imperial Stout

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone! I have officially arrived at the uncomfortable level of fullness that leaves me hating myself until the next morning. I wear this badge of pain and self-loathing proudly on my chest, as I have gained the right to wear it by skillfully consuming what feels like my own body weight in turkey and trimmings. I have now parked myself at my computer like a dry docked boat, with no intention of relocating myself anytime soon. What a rough life...

I can hardly think about drinking a beer right now, but writing about one isn't so bad...

Sierra Nevada Narwhal Imperial Stout

BG Poured from a 12 fl oz (355ml) bottle into a stemmed tulip, 10.2% ABV, Packaged 07/31/14

A Black in color with slight hues of deep brown. One finger of chocolate colored foam rests atop the brew. It’s probably the darkest colored head I’ve ever seen (the pic does it no justice). Little to no lacing is present.

A Dark roasted malt, semi-sweet chocolate chips, strong coffee, slightly boozy, acidic, touch of piney hops, If I had to say it smells like one thing, it would be a mocha espresso drink. There’s a signature Sierra Nevada hop character in there.

T There’s a ton going on here. Sweet malted milk balls, slightly chalky chocolate, almost a hint of sour like a Flanders Brown Ale, lactose, heavily roasted nuts without seasoning, almost burnt rye bread, surprising smokiness, a bit of piney hop bitterness

M Almost as creamy as a milk or oatmeal stout. Slight chalkiness dries out the mouth a touch. Med carbonation. Heavy body. 

A Smokiness lingers on the sides of the tongue, hop bitterness becomes more noticeable as I drink.

C Chew up some dark chocolate, and breath in campfire smoke with your mouth open. Before you cough, take a swig of brown ale and finally swallow. I bet it just might taste something like this beer. Even if it doesn’t, it might make a fun campfire drinking game. Or you could avoid those steps all together and just drink Narwhal. Your choice.

This is a busy beer. It’s like a chatty friend that wants to tell you all about her day and hear nothing of yours. But this friend only has good stories, and they’re oddly soothing, so you don’t mind. You didn’t want to talk anyway. Sit back, relax, and get ready to listen to the sounds of a Narwhal. 

FP Rye whiskey, cherry pie, beef stroganoff