But, this post is not about SB 224. It's about getting ready for winter and finding that one stout that you want a case of to last you. Last winter it was Bell's Java Stout - an excellent, full-bodied, coffee stout. This year, find a bottle of Bear Republic's Big Bear Stout. It's a great dry, roasted stout with a surprising citrusy/hoppy finish. Best served chilled, but not cold - let's call it about 50 degrees or so; too cold and the flavor is stifled, and while it warms up well, there is a nice sweet spot when it is slightly chilled that makes it seem much lighter than it actually is. Very nice. Very drinkable. Get a few bottles and cellar them; it should cellar quite well as the malts should calm down with age - though it may lose some of the bright hoppiness that really makes this such a fun beer.
Aroma:malty and roasted but very bright; subtle earthiness mutes a grassy almost lemony hoppiness;
Taste: strong chocolate, caramel and roasted specialty malts dominate the front giving a pronounced toffiness, while the base malts add some complexity; hops flush out the taste, but add a lasting citrus-like bitterness that reveals itself more in the aftertaste than in the bulk of the flavor profile; as it warms up the hops become more prevalent, and the flavor really smooths out. (ed: the website mentions brown sugar and molasses, which adds to the "toffee" like taste here)
Body: thick, but not nearly as chewy as expected; while very thick, it is not syrupy; the malts dominate, but the hops add a nice twist to keep the flavors fresh;
Drinkability: I drank an entire bomber by myself. Oh. It's over 8% abv, too. Yeah.
Summary: Poured into a snifter; the citrusiness of the chinook and cascade hops really help keep this beer fresh and make it distinctly American - this is a very nice stout that I could really make a consistent player. I'd love to have this on tap at my local bar. Typically I'd rail against the over-use of cascade hops. Having said that, there are two factors that I would note: 1) this beer actually IS from the American Northwest (Sonoma, CA); 2) it's use is somewhat antithetic to the general, more irritating, uses. Cascade hops are, to me at least, associated with the start of the American craft brewing movement. Now that the movement is out of its infancy it would be nice to see some creativity and diversity. Thus, I get very frustrated that every Pale Ale (India, Extra, or otherwise) has cascades and that distinctly citrusy, orange-like bitterness. However, I have no inherent problem with the cascade hops - it has a nice flavor and aroma that can really impact a beer's taste. So, to see it used in an atypical application, like in a roasty stout, is (excuse the pun) refreshing.
Website Notes: ... a blend of Belgian and English roasted barley and crystal malts ...Louisiana sweet molasses and dark brown sugar ... well hopped with Chinook and Cascade hops ... OG 1.076, ABV 8.1%, IBU 68.
From inside the Capitol - the Beer Distributors and Great Dane offered some revisions to this legislation in response to concerns raised at the Senate hearing by craft brewers. The revisions were made and in response, the Wisconsin Brewers Guild (representing craft brewers) has made known to lawmakers their support for the revised legislation.
ReplyDeleteAs an aside, as craft beer lovers, you should be careful about casting stones at the distributors. Simple economics dictates that without their services many of the craft brews you enjoy so much would not be widely available, or would cease to exist altogether.