Filed under: Current selections | Tags: beer, black, caramel, chocolate, coffee, crisp, dark, deep, delicious, Facebook, hoppy, opaque, resin, roasted, Samuel Smith Brewery, stout, strong, TweetDeck, Twitter, United Kingdom, United States
http://twittertastelive.com/events/twitter-taste-live-beer-stouts says:
Tasting Times (EST USA):
Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout– 6:10
Rogue Shakespeare Stout– 6:30
Rogue Chocolate Stout– 6:50
Samuel Smith Imperial Stout– 7:10
7:30 – ? @reluct_scooper says he has a few UK Stouts that he will open and tweet about. Discussion on Sam Smith & Rogue continues.
5:53: I’ve got my water nearby, tweetdeck chirping away, and I’ve already done group and individual bottle shots. This is going to be cool.
6:21: Just got some compliments on my notes. This is fun.
7:08 this is tough to do. Lots of beer!
8:39 What an experience. Here’s the trail:
- @reluct_scooper those two are very fine examples, but many more exist. #ttl
- @NormskiBrewer nice to have you! #ttl
- http://twitpic.com/1mf4n is a little compilation pic of tonight’s offerings. Cheers.
- @beerbabe just finished a WWS, and enjoyed it immensely. It defines the words ‘sip’ and ‘pleasure’. #ttl
- @beerbabe I ❤ Santo Palo Marron. I’ve gotten into Facebook fights over the amazingness of this brew. #ttl
- @beerbabe the flavor really emerges with the mellowing warmth. #ttl
- @beertweeter I am an amateur beer chef. 😉 hehehe. #ttl
- having very room temp Shakespeare, and it’s still standing up nicely. Nice hop finish, a bit mellower, of course, but flavor is there. #ttl
- @beertweeter good or bad? I finished my impy. #ttl
- biab. You people absolutely rock. #ttl
- @beertweeter you inspired me. 😉 #ttl
- @Normskibrewer My pleasure. 😉 #ttl
- @tastelive blushes and cheers. 😉 Video forthcoming, but a slower process. #ttl
- @beerbabe Thanks! It’s my latest little way of getting into my work. 😉 #ttl
- Photos from tonight’s tasting: http://tinyurl.com/bcxrph #ttl
- @Ekajtactless love that bastard. #ttl
- #3 trend on all of twitter. That really is kind of something on a Saturday evening, no? #ttl
- Wow. we cracked the code. Care deeply about something and talk about it. For hours! Lets get advertisements going. 😉 #ttl
- @Gservo had the Creme Brulee on tap once. That was nice. #ttl
- @Normskibrewer I like the way you drink… er think. #ttl
- @beertweeter Sessions are the new imperial styles. 😉 #ttl
- @reluct_scooper yeah I’d like to hear the also rans! #ttl
- @Normskibrewer If you want bucketlist brews, I’d suggest Mikkeller Black, Beer Geek breakfast, Great Divide Yeti, Dogfish Head 120, etc #ttl
- @Normskibrewer I don’t think any of these were to-die-for brews, but all good. #ttl
- @beerbabe I think these all stood up well. We can all agree that a macro brown ale would have trouble in the list. 😉 #ttl
- @Normskibrewer Sam Smith Imperial 17/20 Oatmeal 18/20 Rogue Chocolate 16/20 Shakespeare 18/20 #ttl
- @beerbabe it’s going to be a long night. But delicious. Cheers! #ttl
- going to follow each of you soon. 😉 #ttl
- @beertweeter I love that we live in a time that we can share this experience in this way. I’m a technologist first, and this is sublime #ttl
- @beerbabe it was my absolute pleasure, I can assure you. I’ve wanted to taste beers with you a long time now. #ttl
- does anyone esle have unfinished bombers sitting before them? #ttl
- This has been a lot of fun, friends! I’m looking forward to the next one as well. #ttl
- Being that Philly Beer week is approaching I think ale on cask will be an easy fix come March. Just saying. #ttl
- @beertweeter I think we all might benefit. They do casks at the Hulmeville Inn from time to time, in PA. #ttl
- I once had Sculpin from a Firkin in Philadelphia at a very special event. 😉 #ttl
- @beertweeter will do. I’m in NJ. You? #ttl
- @beertweeter there’s a place near me that has no trouble kicking casks in a few days — they do great advertising, beer lists, etc. #ttl
- @beertweeter trending #10 – damn, who’s at #9? #ttl
- @beertweeter The Mikkeller (Imperial stout) I mentioned earlier comes out at about 18% ABV. #ttl
- @hopwild I have to say I usually taste at cellar or warmer. I enjoy fuller flavors, genuinely. Mine aren’t cold at all, but delicious. #ttl
- @beerbabe sadly, no. #ttl
- @Normskibrewer Sam Smith Imp Stout. #ttl
- @hoppy_mike Raison seems a lot more intense than this, though. This is smoother, mellow, to me. #ttl
- To Bill, a deserving brew for a deserving appreciative. #ttl
- palate starts washy, foamy, middles to a linen and silk luxury, followed by a raisinous dark roasted finish that stays for a bit. Nice. #ttl
- Agitation does wonders for the visuals and for the aroma. The flavor retains its impact thoughout. #ttl
- Taste goes right to raisin, plum, oats, and coffee. So very smooth. some carbo in the finish, but not distracting. #ttl
- An appropriate stout for the toast: thick viscosity, thinner beautiful tan head, intricate lacing. Bill might have loved it. #ttl
- @hopwild to Bill! #ttl
- @reluct_scooper Cheers! #ttl
- @beertweeter me am. I mean I am. Wow. Long night. #ttl
- Maybe instead of the 25 random things craze on facebook, we could start a 10 beers for life list. Just a thought. 😉 #ttl
- pausing to video and snapshot the pour and body. biab. #ttl
- Mikkeller 黑 is mine, hands down. Lots of Number 2s though. http://tinyurl.com/akgg4q #ttl
- @beerbabe how’s the pairing? #ttl
- @beerbabe Agreed and wholeheartedly. #ttl
- @beerbabe I would go as far as to say that generalizing to gender is a fruitless endeavor. Especially when it comes to beer. 😉 #ttl
- Comparatively, I’d say this is more intense than the Sam Smith, but less than the Shakespeare. Hops are somewhat less here, no? #ttl
- @beertweeter and oh, how I’ve tried to turn her on to great beer. 😉 #ttl
- @beertweeter my wife. #ttl
- Starts carbona crisp, dry, and middles to blunt malty roasted notes. Finish is slightly bitter. Dark chocolate throughout. Delicious. #ttl
- roasted malt definitely comes through in the aroma as chocolate. Fully opaque body with foamy tan head. lacing is nice already. Milky. #ttl
- just paused to take some video of the pour and some body shots. Pourn. hehe. Ahem. Back now. #ttl
- oh man. sit this pint aside. take a drink of water. deep breath. #ttl
- @beerbabe a good problem to have. 😉 #ttl
- For Rogue, DFH, and Stone, having new offerings allows for diversity and experimentation that led to their original success. Good on em #ttl
- @beerbabe And as a result, you get Chipotle ale. I was less impressed with Soba ale. Don’t get me started on Dogfish Head. 😉 #ttl
- @beerbabe Babe Ruth was a leader in strikeouts as well as hits (i think), I think Rogue’s experimental nature allows for greatness. #ttl
- @beertweeter +10 for Lovibond reference. #ttl
- @beerbabe Rogue is really one of the most reliable brewers for hopheads no matter the style. Their Yellow Snow IPA, is world class IMO. #ttl
- No light escapes the body, no taste bud avoids the hop and silky coating. The back and roof my mouth are tingling. Well crafted. #ttl
- I think it’s brave of Sam Smith to endcap these brews from Rogue in our tasting. It says something for the fortitude of their brews. #ttl
- @beertweeter WD-80 😉 #ttl
- Flavor is far more hoppy, middles out to citrus and mint for me, finish is very bitter and lasting. I absolutely love Rogue brews. #ttl
- this is wholly opaque, black, no such ruby notes as in the SS. Fluffy tan head goes to thin with intricate lace. Beautiful. #ttl
- @hopwild mine deflated too, but lace is nice. #ttl
- @beerbabe i ❤ sediment. Lees, extra yeast, whatever, let me at it. #ttl
- @beertweeter lol Radiohead here. #ttl
- <sips water> #ttl
- @hopwild as we approach 25% ABV in some experimental Dogfish head brews, I think we’ll see it more and more. ;)One can hope. #ttl
- @hopwild I find that 5% and under forego the ABV listing. #ttl
- @reluct_scooper the carbo left mine pretty quickly and let the flavor come through. I started at cellar temp, too. #ttl
- Belgian lacing is crisp, intricate, and picture perfect. Nice way to finish. #ttl
- starts crisp, mellows to soy and dark notes quickly, longer oat based finish. A delicious session brew. #ttl
- I have a little 5 LED flashlight to get a good impression of the deeper color in more opaque brews. This one lights right up! #ttl
- I love stouts with some sediment or bottle conditioning. This one is clean as a whistle, but I’ll not hold it against ol’ Sam. #ttl
- @binendswine bottoms up while it’s 5% ABV! 😉 #ttl
- @binendswine blushing and cheers! #ttl
- jealous of those with food pairing. 😉 #ttl
- The color is one of the nicest features, I think — that ruby tinge is one of my favorite in the beer spectrum. #ttl
- As the carbonation departs and it warms, the flavors start to emerge more. Raisin, plum, soy. #ttl
- roasted malt is definitely coming through — oats help it. more choc than coffee for me. #ttl
- Mine is smooth, a bit like tea. Some chocolate, as beerbabe notes. I have a cold, sigh. #ttl
- @hopwild may be a bit shelved. Age doesn’t work in all brews, or could be a bad producer recipe. #ttl
- Taking shots and video as we go, will go up on http://beercritic.wordpress… later. #ttl
- Just a bit translucent. The ruby undertones are beautiful and the tan head is fluffy with nice lacing. #ttl
- Lots of grain and earthiness in the aroma. Nice. #ttl
- it says 6 p.m. EST here. 😉 #ttl
- I have four glasses setup, an english pint for the oatmeal, a shaker for the shakespeare, 2 snifters for the rest. All room temp, clean #ttl
- @binendswine Stouts, depending on substyle can be poured into shakers, English Pints (e.g. oatmeal), and Snifters (e.g. imperial) #ttl
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Filed under: Imperial Stout (snifter), Oskar Blues | Tags: alcohol, beautiful, bitter, black, caramel, chocolate, coffee, dark, deep, delicious, high quality, hoppy, long finish, mold, opaque, resin, rich, roasted, strong, sweet, thick
Oskar Blues Ten Fidy
Style; glass: Imperial Stout; snifter
12 fl oz x 9.6% ABV = 115.2 / 60 = 1.92 beers * 150 C = 288 calories (est.)
Purchased at: Super Saver Pennington, NJ for $2.99
Aroma: An amazing aroma of cocoa, sugar, chocolate, syrup, coffee, mold, and dust.
Visuals: Cans are beautful, rather unique for craft brew, and very welcome. It is darkness in a glass. It’s midnight. It eats light. It is black and fully opaque. The beautiful brown tan head is fluffy and lasting, and the lace struggles against the ABV, but is beautiful.
Taste: Like chocolate syrup, so very delicious. A chocolate milkshake. Over the top roasted malts and a bitter rich finish that is very much like espresso. Absolutely delicious.
Palate: Starts sweet and with a heavy gravity, middle is dark and roasted with a satisfying bitter finish. Great for a hop head like me, but soothes my imperial cravings as well.
Overall: An amazing, if expensive, brew. Worth every penny. Dark chocolate, espresso, and syrup, you just can’t beat it.
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Filed under: Belgian Strong Ale (trappist, tulip, tumbler), Russian River | Tags: alcohol, beautiful, citrus, cloudy, deep, golden, hoppy, long finish, resin, well balanced, wheat
Russian River Damnation Golden Ale
Style and Glass: Belgian Strong Ale, Trappist, snifter
ABV, Volume & Calories: 7.75% in 25.4 fl oz. estimated at 400 C
Purchased at: The Six Pack Store, Philadelphia, PA for $20.00 (Joe, we need to talk — I have since seen this elsewhere for $8.95)
Aroma: Very nice aroma, fainter, flowery, fruity, spices, cloves, cinnamon.
Visuals: Very nice packaging, interesting label, educational iconography, body is very much like white balanced deep space pictures of the sun, deep muddy orange, thick with haze and sediment, bright white head, sticky Belgian lace.
Taste: Delicious, well balanced. Not very sweet with malt, but a nice hoppy surprise in the finish.
Palate: Starts crisp, slightly chemical, middle is somewhat fruity, malt hits for a second with peach and cherry notes, then goes to a hoppy, darker finish that stays for a short while.
Overall: A very enjoyable brew. I’d have it again. I was upset to find it for less than half the price in the suburbs, but you live and learn.
Filed under: Stout (English pint), Young | Tags: Alcohol by volume, beer, black, chocolate, dark, deep, Food, opaque, resin, roasted, stout, Sweetness of wine, Taste, wheat, wine, Wine tasting descriptors
Young's Double Chocolate Stout
Young’s Double Chocolate Stout
ABV: 5.2%
Calories: estimated at 200 C
Volume: 16.9 fl oz
Glass: footed tapered 8 fl oz
Purchased at: Towne Wine and Liquor
Price per fl oz: $4.39 / 16.9 fl oz = $0.25 per fl oz
Consumed at: home
sensory first impression: A dark and opaque beauty with a lacy, rich thick brown head. Luxurious chocolate flavor and not too heavy like many other chocolate stouts. Highly drinkable. Amber at the edge. Aroma is smoky, chalky, and very nice.
Aroma/Olfactory: 7 out of 10
Malt flavor is: chocolate, wine, coffee, roasted, and oak.
Hop flavor is: resin, leaves, and orange.
Yeast flavor is: doughy, dark hearth bread. Pretzels.
Other flavors include: dark cherries, lemon peel, alcohol, solvent, malty.
Visuals/Appearance: 4 out of 5
Color is: black, brown, and amber at the edge. Beautiful Guinness-like rushing effect upon pour.
Liquid is: opaque.
Head and lace are: brown, thick, and lacy.
Taste/Flavor: 7 out of 10
Maltiness or Sweetness level is: chocolate and medium sweet.
Hoppiness or Bitterness level is: moderately bitter.
Sour level is: low.
Palate/Tactile: 3 out of 5
Body or Mouthfeel is: medium to heavy.
Texture is: creamy.
Carbonation is: medium.
Finish is: long, dark, and okay.
Overall experience: 15 out of 20. I liked the flavor, appearance, head, color, depth, signature flavors, longevity, alcohol, and packaging. An okay beer.
Filed under: American Strong Ale (trappist), Captain Lawrence | Tags: alcohol, caramel, dark, deep, delicious, long finish, resin, roasted, smoke, spicy, strong, thick, white head
Captain Lawrence Nor'Easter Winter Warmer
Style and Glass: American Strong; Trappist, Snifter
ABV, Volume & Calories: 12 % in 25.4 fl oz. estimated at 400 C
Purchased at: Joe Canal’s Lawrenceville, NJ for $14.49
Aroma: Very much the impression of bourbon or whiskey. Alcohol, smoke, and fire await. Like a fireplace going in the neighborhood on a cold winter night.
Visuals: Very nice packaging, tasteful, inviting. Thin white head hangs on indefinitely, over a dark black oily body. Lacing is intricate and sticky.
Taste: Like cough syrup — it’ll cure what ails you. Thick, sugary, with a surprising control of the 12% ABV. Warms immediately. Woody, oaky, and smoky. More of a smoked german sausage than italian or polish spicyness. Like biting into a cupcake — very thick. Tasty! Cherry, chocolate, and caramel.
Palate: Warming throughout. Starts thick and dull, no crispness throughout, and not really looking for it. Middle is spongy and drying, and finishes long, smoky, and a little spicy.
Overall: Like other CL’s I’ve tried, this is very much about the smoke, and like others I’ve tried, CL seems to do it right — not like eating a sausage, but it would compliment it very well. Delicious, expertly balanced, and neither cloying nor overpowering, which is astounding considering the ABV.
Filed under: Brooklyn, Imperial Stout (snifter) | Tags: alcohol, beautiful, bitter, black, caramel, chocolate, coffee, dark, deep, delicious, dry, hoppy, long finish, nice, rich, roasted, strong, sweet, well balanced
Brooklyn Black Ops Oak Aged Imperial Stout
Style and Glass: Imperial Stout; Snifter
ABV, Volume & Calories: 10.7% in 25.4 fl oz. estimated at 400C
Purchased at: Canal’s Lawrenceville, NJ for $23.00
Aroma: intense coffee and licorice aromas, alcohol is very present, inviting, enticing. Berries, grass, and wood. Oaking is evident. Roasted, burnt scents throughout. A bit acrid, and enjoyably so.
Visuals: Packaging is engaging, classic, and perfectly done. The body is absolute pitch in color, viscosity, and heft. As deep black and opaque as anything I’ve ever seen. Head is tan, starting thick and fluffy, then dissipating, but not fully. A thin head remains. Lacing is exquisite.
Taste: Crisp body gives way to sultry chocolates, coffee, and caramel. Luxurious. Surprisingly balanced for the style and treatment. I expected to be bowled over, but instead, I’m treated to a very drinkable (dangerously so) beer.
Palate: Perhaps the best part of this beer is the set of sensations in the mouth and throat. Starts with a bubbly crisp effervescence, followed by a mild transfer to smoothness that carries those roasted flavors, then a sweet cream milkiness, then a bit of chalk, followed by a three part finish consisting of sweetness, roastiness, and hoppy bitter burn.
Overall: This is a once in a lifetime beer, very well done, and I’m thrilled to have enjoyed it. I only wish I was celebrating something besides Saturday night, as this beer deserves a celebration.
Filed under: Barleywine Style Ale (snifter), Schlafly | Tags: alcohol, amazing, beautiful, bitter, brilliant, clear, dark, deep, hoppy, long finish, oak, pine, red, resin, resinous, sour, whiskey
Schlafly Oak Aged Barley Wine Style Ale
Style and Glass: Barley Wine Style Ale, Snifter
ABV, Volume & Calories: 10.2% in 25.4 fl oz. estimated at 400C
Purchased at: Canal’s Hamilton for $11.99
Aroma: Oak, whiskey, alcohol, heartburn, smoke, and tobacco. An exhilarating aroma, and just being around it seems a little bit like a spicy barbecue is nearby.
Visuals: Packaging is a bit precious, but well done, and meets the need for specialty presentation. Body is an angry deep hazy red under an almost white long lasting head. Freshness and quality are evident from the way the body acts. Lacing is sticky and thick. Beautiful.
Taste: licorice, smoke, spices, and oak meld at the front, the middle has a deep slow burn, and the finish is almost all hops with a sweet malty undertone. An amazing brew. The oak really gives this BWSA a depth and flavor that I find pretty unique. Barbeque sweetness and smoke is welcome. This should be had with some blackened chicken and spicy curried potatoes. This would be great with Indian cuisine.
Palate: Smoother than you’d expect by far. Very oaky, woody, and crisp. A bit sour, puckers after a moment. Finish is warm, delicious, and strong
Overall: I love this, but I’d love it more playing against some savory and spicy flavors. Delicious.
