Texas Beer Nerd

Icon Cascadian Dark Ale by Saint Arnold Brewing Co.

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:15:36 -0400

Houston’s Saint Arnold is somewhat of an elder statesman in the Texas craft brewing scene, having been in operation since 1994, in other words, way before craft beer was widely popular. They make some really good IPAs, notably Endeavour, in honor of the space program. “Houston, we don’t have a problem because we’ve got good beer!” Anyway, Icon is a new series of beers the brewery is putting out. Each one is limited to a three month period and each is a different style. This Cascadian Dark Ale is the second of three so far in the series. I’m fast becoming a fan of this beer style, also called Black IPA, that’s been developed largely in the Pacific Northwest. It has the particular brand of hoppiness associated with IPAs coupled with the smooth roasty quality of stouts. But in no way should these beers be confused with Imperial stouts. For one thing, they’re not as heavy. That being said, Icon Cascadian Dark Ale is far from the best Black IPA I’ve had. There’s just not a whole lot of flavor. There’s IPA-level bitterness but with very little citrus or pine flavor to go with it this ends up tasting a bit tart and sour, lemon-like even. Saint Arnold does a better job with the “black” part. Despite the bitter/sour aspects, this beer is ultimately a smooth drinker and there’s hints of nutty roastiness. I feel like though that the disparate flavors and qualities don’t mesh well here and even almost cancel each other out so very quickly after the initial rush across the tastebuds the flavor diminishes drastically.

Hitachino Nest Ancient Nipponia by Kiuchi Brewery

Sat, 08 Jun 2013 19:49:15 -0400

Japan is not generally thought of as a beercentric country. However, most of the big ones from over there that you see in the States, like Kirin, Asahi and Sapporo, have been around since the 1800s. Until recently, it wasn’t easy to find many brands here besides these three. But lately, probably thanks to the craft beer boom, a demand for more than the same old same old as far as imports go has taken place. Kiuchi Brewery, located in Naka, has also been around since the 1800s. Hitachino Nest Ancient Nipponia is a pilsner that uses age-old, nearly lost ingredients to create a truly classic Japanese beer. Kiuchi joins many brewers that are looking to the past for new creations. Ancient Nipponia, being a pilsner, is on the lighter side like most of the more well-known Japanese beers are. But there’s definitely something different, and better, about this one. The pilsner cannot be counted amongst my favorite beer styles, but I have found myself liking some every now and then. The only other Hitachino Nest beer they had at the store was a wheat beer and I’m less partial to those usually so the pilsner won out. Oddly enough, the first sip tasted a bit like the bubblegummy quality I don’t like in wheat beers but that mostly passed as I drank more and my mind began to process the nuances. This beer is made with a now rare malt called Kaneko Golden. The story behind that, according to teh interwebz, is that beer barley was practically non-existent in Japan in the 19th century due to their borders being closed to foreigners. After beer was introduced and people started wanting to make it themselves they had to get creative. Noodle barley was used but as demand and popularity of beer increased this wasn’t cutting it anymore. A new hybrid, unique to Japan, was developed using American beer barley, not something they had in abundance, crossed with the noodle barley. This became known as Kaneko Golden. Government consolidation of breweries in the 1960s led to the favoring of a more economical barley and Kaneko Golden all but disappeared. But Kiuchi got some seeds from the Japanese government and that led to this beer, a piece of Japanese history that lives again. What I had initially described as bubblegummy began to take on more of a honeyed bread quality. It’s definitely a unique malt flavor. This beer is maltier than many other pilsners. The hops could balance it out a bit more, though I do understand why Kiuchi wants to showcase the Kaneko Golden. The hops provide a very slight citrus-like flavor and bitter/sour bite around the edges, keeping this beer from becoming too malty. The hop variety used is Sorachi Ace, a Japanese variety. So all in all, you cannot get more Japanese than Ancient Nipponia.

Deep Ellum IPA by Deep Ellum Brewing Co.

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 16:51:00 -0400

I rarely buy six-packs of beer anymore. Since I like trying new beers all the time I worry that if I don’t like a beer I’ll be needlessly stuck with 5 more bottle or cans. 22-ounce Bomber bottles can be around the same price as a six-pack or sometimes higher. It’s probably not the best value to buy beer this way because it’s much less beer for your money than a six or even a four-pack. But for the purposes of trying not to have multiple bottles or cans of a beer I don’t like, bombers serve my purpose better because even if I don’t like the beer, it’s gone in one sitting. Also, many of the more adventurous beer only come in bombers. But still, if I know I’m going to like a beer or if I feel like an old familiar, I will still buy a six-pack. I’m not sure if I’ve tried Deep Ellum IPA before. I might have at the Texas Craft Brewers Festival in Austin last year but I don’t remember. However, since the can said this beer’s a Pacific Northwest style IPA I knew I would love it so I bought the six-pack. Turns out I was right. This India Pale Ale from Dallas is one of the best IPAs I’ve had in a long time. The best part is that the brewery clearly focused on creating a tried and true great hoppy beer without any useless add-ins or experimentation. Deep Ellum IPA pours a hazy golden brown. There’s actually some sediment that settles on the bottom of the glass. This is interesting because nowhere on the can does it say this is unfiltered. IPAs generally are filtered, as opposed to, say, wheat beers. However, this doesn’t affect the overall drinking experience though there is a little bit of chewiness. The hops are big and bold and explosive with the perfect amount of bitterness. The flavor is mostly refreshing citrus, a hint of juicy orange and tart lemon, though there’s some resiny pine in the finish. This creates a nice balance of flavors. Deep Ellum IPA is the quintessential hophead’s beer. Texas breweries have been fairly slow to jump over to the super-hoppy side of things but that is beginning to change and Deep Ellum IPA definitely seems at the the head of the pack. This beer is definitely going into my regular IPA rotation.

Chupahopra by Twisted X Brewing Co.

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 14:58:33 -0400

Twisted X is a fairly new brewery (as in only the last couple years) located in Cedar Park, TX, a suburb of Austin. Rogness Brewing Co., also fairly new, is also located in Cedar Park. The Austin area has been growing quickly over the last couple years and that includes beer breweries. Twisted X’s theme is Tex-Mex beer and they don’t do this half-assed. Not only do the labels have images depicting ranches, cows, lizards, cactus, barbed wire, dia de los muertos, etc. but the beers, so far mostly lagers and pilsners, have things like jalapeno and prickly pear added to many. I had Chupahopra on tap at Phil’s Ice House, a good burger place in Austin that’s coupled with Amy’s Ice Cream. As far as I know, Twisted X is only on tap for now. At least now that Texas’ restrictive laws concerning brewing and distilling have been loosened, breweries like Twisted X who only offer their beer on tap can finally say where you can get it. Of all the alcohol laws we had, this one was the most perplexing to me. Anyway, I could write a whole blog about alcohol politics, and I might, but I shall now get back to focusing on this beer in particular. They call Chupahopra an IPA but to me it seems more like a “regular” American Pale Ale. It has 63 IBUs, which certainly makes this a hoppy beer, but that is still lower than many IPAs. There’s a bit of a nutty flavor too, which adds somewhat of a brown ale quality. The flavor of the hops takes on a slightly spicy character. While not as hoppy as my favorite IPAs, Chupahopra is definitely a decent beer with some unique characteristics. I’m also looking forward to trying Twisted X’s other brews. I always happy to support local breweries.

Espresso Imperial Russian Stout by Stone Brewing Co.

Fri, 24 May 2013 17:31:45 -0400

Stone has rarely if ever disappointed me. So while I can’t say I feel disappointed with their Espresso Imperial Russian Stout I will say that there are some things I would have done differently. I’ll describe the beer as it is first like I always do. It pours a deep, thick black with a nice coffee-colored head that mostly dies down and lightens slightly after awhile. At 11 percent ABV, this is a monster of a beer and though the alcohol can’t really be tasted, other than a burny bite at the end of the sip, it can certainly be felt pretty quickly. This is a beer to savor for sure. Chugging or even taking large gulps is out of the question…unless you’re a crazy person. You’d probably miss most of the flavors too if you don’t linger on a sip. Speaking of that, there’s the prerequisite roasty maltiness that all good stouts must have. But since this is an imperial stout there’s some hop bitterness going on as well mid-palate. The espresso makes itself known in that somewhat astringent way I expected it too, being the dark, hardcore type of coffee it is. Alongside the coffee flavor itself there’s a nice bit of dark chocolate at the end. The main problem this beer has comes from all the sharp flavors at once. While each, coffee, hops and alcohol are fine on their own, the coupling of them is kind of too much. This beer needs a better balancing agent. I’m thinking either tone down the alcohol content just a hair or add some more Guinness-style creamy maltiness. Though being a hop lover, malty is perfectly acceptable to me if it’s in a stout and it’s not too sweet.

Four Squared by Real Ale Brewing Co.

Thu, 09 May 2013 18:14:23 -0400

Firemans 4 is arguably Blanco, TX-based Real Ale’s most popular beer, though in my opinion it’s far from their best. It’s a blonde ale, definitely on the lighter side. The lighter the beer, the more mass appeal it seems to have. But it’s still good that craft brewers do brew light beers because that entices people away from the macros like Miller and Bud. Anyway, Fireman’s 4 has some juicy, malty, yeasty and soapy similarities to wheat beers that I don’t care for. This new Summer seasonal version, dubbed Four Squared, is dry-hopped and it turns out that’s just what Fireman’s 4 needed all along, an injection of pure hoppiness to balance out the malt more. While I wouldn’t go so far as to say this beer is hoppy on an IPA level it is on a level of an American Pale Ale like Sierra Nevada for example. The hops provide some nice bitterness, sticky resin qualities and a fairly dry finish. The core of Fireman’s 4 is still around. The citrus flavor still comes mostly from the yeasty and malty qualities as opposed to the hops, so it has that “baked goods” feel as opposed to the more tart and crisp citrus hops impart. If this beer was how Firemans 4 was all the time I’d definitely drink it more often. Four Squared isn’t going to replace IPAs as my hoppy beers of choice at all but it is definitely better than I expected, certainly one of the best “hybrid” beers I’ve ever had. I suspect that some fans of regular Firemans 4 will probably be turned off by this. I know not everybody is a hophead but they really don’t know what they’re missing.

Vixnu Imperial IPA by Cervejaria Colorado

Wed, 08 May 2013 16:47:00 -0400

Central Market, a Whole Foods-like (but better) grocery store, part off the H.E.B. chain in Texas, has theme months where they often feature food and drink from other parts of the world. During the recent Brazil month I was able to pick up some interesting looking craft beers from Brazil. The only Brazilian beer I had tried up to this point was Xingu Black Beer, a black lager of sorts. The beers made by Cervejaria Colorado outwardly seem more “crafty” in the American sense of using unconventional ingredients. Cervejaria Colorado is up front about being influenced by American craft brewing but the “special” ingredients are definitely Brazilian. Vixnu Imperial IPA (named after the Hindu god) pours a deep amber color with a very foamy head. It took longer to go down than I expect with an IPA. The hoppiness is adequate for the style but could easily be higher and not ruin the balance. The 9.5 percent ABV does show itself in some lingering booziness, which wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing (though it’s not my favorite beer quality) if not for how this trait couples with the added rapadura sugar. Sweetness and alcohol burn together are not two things I care for in a beer. At first it’s not so bad but after a while it started to turn me off. But don’t get me wrong. This is not a bad beer. I just think they went a little overboard with the extra added flavors. I am glad to see craft beers being made in places other than North America though. It shows this “movement” is not just a flash in the pan.

Old Potentate by Southern Star Brewing Co.

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 21:23:02 -0400

Nowhere on the can does Old Potentate (which has one of my favorite beer names in recent memory), from Conroe, TX-based Southern Star Brewing Co., actually says what kind of beer it is. I didn’t look it up before purchasing or drinking. So the contents were a surprise to me and thankfully a pleasant one. Southern Star’s website says this beer is an “British style Old Ale” but there are many characteristics it shares with stouts and even a few with brown ales. The beer pours a very deep, opaque brown-black with a fairly thick head that doesn’t linger. The body is heavy but not too heavy (more like a porter in some ways than a stout in this regard). The first flavor to hit the taste buds is the quite stout-like roasty malt flavor, coupled with a little smokiness. There’s also some caramel-like maltiness going on too. Mid-level nuttiness is present that recalls brown ales. I wouldn’t call this a hoppy beer but at 40 IBUs there’s enough to balance the dominant malt nicely and add a bit of a spicy bite. Old Potentate is just an all-around good beer with a lot of bold flavor. I noticed quite a bit of sediment in the bottom of the glass. While this isn’t unheard of in beer I do wonder if the fact that I’m drinking this beer a couple months out of its season (It’s a Winter seasonal) if that has something to do with it. At any rate though, there’s certainly no loss of flavor.

Coney Island Albino Python by Shmaltz Brewing Co.

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 13:51:46 -0400

I’ve had quite a few beers made by Saratoga Springs, NY’s Shmaltz Brewing Co.. They have several series of beer and though the ones under the Coney Island banner are some of their most creative, they, to me, aren’t the best when it comes to flavor and overall drinking experience. Albino Python, a spiced white lager, is not an exception. Granted, lagers aren’t my favorite beers to begin with. Most, even craft-brewed ones, tend to be watery and weak-flavored. Albino Python has many things going on but all seem stretched thin to keep with the light nature of lager. There’s a grass/grain taste going on up front followed by a lemon-like sour tang. At first I wasn’t able to tell what the spices were, just that this beer is definitely spiced. However, after a few sips ginger took over in a big way and now, halfway through the pint, that’s pretty much all I can taste. Albino Python is kind of like an alcoholic ginger ale, though with a subtler ginger flavor than most ginger sodas have. While I don’t love this beer, it’s far from offensive. It certainly doesn’t have that “off” quality some macro lagers do. I just feel like the end result isn’t as spectacular as what the label and description promise. But I will continue to try these Coney Island beers because, one, proceeds go to help preserve historic Coney Island and two, I’m always curious to try left-of-center beers.

Firestone Wookey Jack Black Rye IPA by Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 18:02:00 -0400

Ah, the black IPA. The new-ish trend, sparked by the beer-soaked pacific northwest. Some I’ve had have been fairly close to porters and some are basically standard IPAs, though slightly heavier and black-colored. Firestone Wookey Jack Black Rye IPA, made by Paso Robles, CA’s Firestone Walker Brewing Co., is closer to the later description. Upon taking a sip the first flavor that hits is an explosion of wonderfully bitter, citrusy hops with piney, resiny coating. The hoppiness definitely reflects the 80 IBUs this beer is. The rye is not overt but if you pay close attention it shows itself peripherally. There’s really no other way to describe the flavor of rye. It is what it is and those who are familiar with it will know. There could be more rye flavor though, considering that’s part of the beer’s name. This is a very dark beer in color, living up to the black IPA style. When I first tried this style it was a little jarring to taste so much hoppiness from such a Stygian-looking brew. But I’ve gotten used to that and in fact, Wookey Jack is one of the best black IPAs I’ve had in terms of just being a great beer. As far as how close it follows the developing black IPA standard, that’s up for debate. Ordinarilly, I would never sacrifice hoppiness for maltiness, especially in an IPA, but I’ve come to understand that one of the goals of a black IPA is that it’s supposed to combine the best elements of both IPAs and stouts/porters. So perhaps, if I were judging this beer specifically as a black IPA, I would say there should be some more roasty malt flavor. But as I said before, it’s a fantastic hoppy beer that tastes great no matter how you categorize it. And it has “wookey” in the name. Though spelled differently from Chewbacca’s species, that’s still cool.

Warsteiner Dunkel by Warsteiner Brauerei

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 20:56:09 -0400

I’ll be the first to admit I don’t know much about German beer. As far as imports go, I’m much more knowledgeable about beer from England, Ireland and Scotland. This is interesting because my first real beer drinking experience was in Germany (Berlin and Munich) when I was 18. Oddly enough, I don’t remember much about the beers I drank, though this is probably because I didn’t know anything about beer at the time. Then and now, I’m more experienced with lighter German beers like pilsners. In fact, I think German and German-style pilsners are the best of that type of beer in the world. I have not had very many darker German beers that I can recall. After getting married to my lovely wife earlier this month we took a mini-vacation to Fredericksburg. It’s a town in the beautiful Texas hill country that was originally settled and founded by German immigrants and that heritage is still alive and well today. We went to a German tavern, The Auslander, there a couple times, the type of place that looks sort of like a Disney version of old Bavaria minus any talking animals. It has pretty good food though and a good selection of German beer. I asked the waitress to recommend a darker German beer and she suggested Warsteiner Dunkel, saying it was “popular.” That word definitely doesn’t always mean the best but like I said, I don’t know much about German beer so I took her up on that suggestion. I do know the Warsteiner brand. It’s easy to find all over. I have had their Premium Verum. Their Dunkel proves to be very Shiner Bock like, which is I guess not too surprising, considering Shiner Bock is a German-style beer. Warsteiner Dunkel does have some characteristics though that make it a little more unique. There’s an interesting smoky taste lingering in the background. Otherwise, the beer shares the ever so slightly sweet, malty and lightly-hopped flavors with Shiner Bock. It is perhaps a bit darker but also shares Shiner Bock’s mid-level body as well. Warsteiner Dunkel isn’t a bad beer but I’m still not impressed enough to declare a great love for German beer…yet. But I am at least intrigued enough to keep trying Deutsche bier until I find one I really love, if that ever happens.

Samuel Smith's Organic Chocolate Stout by Samuel Smith's Old Brewery

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 21:15:26 -0400

Young’s Chocolate Stout has pretty much been the standard I judge every other chocolate stout I’ve had on. This one from the centuries old brewery in Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, England definitely stands up next to its British cousin Young’s and in many ways exceeds it. The “organic” part in the name is key because this beer is bursting with fresh, all-natural flavor. First of all, the stout base is great. I would expect nothing less though from the land the style was invented in. It’s thick, creamy and has a nice, toasty, roasty, malty flavor. You need a good straight-up beer in the first place before adding any fancy flavors. The chocolate added is definitely of the dark variety, I’m guessing fairly pure cacao. There’s thankfully only a slight sweetness so the beer doesn’t end up tasting like a candy bar or anything. There also appears to be a very strong vanilla flavor as well that at times nearly overpowers the chocolate. I’m not sure though if that’s intentional or just how my taste buds reacted. But even so, the flavors are bold and complex but balanced. If you’re looking for something with more chocolate flavor than Young’s, yet still retains it’s stout-ness, I would definitely suggest Samuel Smith’s Organic Chocolate Stout.

Grand Canyon Black Iron India Pale Ale by Grand Canyon Brewing Co.

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 18:13:40 -0400

My parents recently went on a trip to the Grand Canyon (in Arizona for those who don’t know) and they, being craft beer lovers like I am, brought me home a couple cans of Grand Canyon beer. It’s not actually brewed in the park but in Williams, a town close by. Black Iron India Pale Ale is a decent enough IPA but there’s nothing too distinctive about it. There’s nearly as much maltiness as there is hoppiness. The malts come out as doughy, slightly sweet and smooth. The hop flavor is mostly on the pine side of things but there’s a bit of citrus rind mixed in as well. But the hop bitterness is not pronounced enough to win the war against the malt. It’s barely enough to balance the flavors. I guess this beer is hoppy enough to be classified as an IPA but my high brand of hopheadedness prefers greater hop character.

Deep South Pale Ale by Lazy Magnolia Brewing Co.

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 16:58:16 -0400

By and large, I’ve always thought that the “regular” pale ale, with few exceptions (Sierra Nevada is one), is just the India Pale Ale’s wimpy cousin. I had hoped Deep South Pale Ale by Kiln, Mississippi’s Lazy Magnolia Brewing Co. might be another exception but alas it is not. The first flavor that hit my taste buds upon taking a sip was a metallic one. This is not something you want your beer to taste like. I’m reminded of the iron flavor of blood. This doesn’t dissipate either and ends up mixing with a sour flavor to create one unholy palate. There’s some hop bitterness and citrus-ness lurking around the edges but it’s not powerful enough to penetrate the other flavors. This is kind of surprising because on the bottle it says the beer is dry-hopped so even though Deep South is not an IPA I would have expected some more hop-forward aromas at least. But at least the beer is crisp and not overly malty. The malt that is there actually kind of reminds me of a hefeweizen, a style of beer I can barely stand usually. This is the first beer I’ve had from Mississippi and while I don’t really like it I’d try Mississippi beer again for I’m always happy to support Southern craft brewing.

La Socarrada Cervesa Artesanal by La Socarrada

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 18:57:00 -0400

This is the first Spanish beer I’ve had and I bet that would apply to a lot of Americans. Spain doesn’t have an international reputation for beer making. Wine, sure, but not beer. I’ve read that the powerful wine industry in Spain has not been in support of the burgeoning craft beer industry there but it does seem like the beer brewers are winning that fight at least to the point of being able to market their creations commercially in Spain and abroad. La Soccarada, from the city of Xativa in Valencia, is also the first Spanish beer, to my knowledge, that I’ve seen available at the grocery store. It’s an interesting brew. I can’t say I love it but I can’t say I hate it either. It is definitely on the lighter side, blonde ale-like in a way, which is not exactly to my tastes. I’m usually not into spiced beers either because there’s usually too much spice. But I was curious to taste the addition of rosemary and rosemary honey to beer. The rosemary flavor is actually quite nice. It gives La Soccarada a uniqueness and a certain Mediterranean flare. However, the honey kind of ruins it. The sweetness is cloying and overpowering, kind of like my experience with mead for the first time was. The rosemary flavor does it’s best to balance that but doesn’t succeed. After drinking half the bottle I squeezed a lime in, which I’m sure was a big no-no. It did help to cut the sweetness but also negated the rosemary flavor so the beer ended up tasting a lot like Dos Equis in a way. The fact that I felt I had to add the lime to finish the beer proves this isn’t going to go on my favorites list. But I’m still glad I tried it because the craft beer world is growing into a truly global phenomenon and I want to experience it all.

Rampant Imperial IPA by New Belgium Brewing Co.

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 18:25:06 -0400

Rampant is an appropriate name for this beer because that’s exactly what the hops run. This imperial India Pale Ale is truly a hoplover’s dream come true. While the hop bitterness is actually more understated than many of this style, the hop flavor and aroma fill the gaps nicely. The beer pours a beautiful deep gold color and is bursting with piney hop aroma that extends to the flavor. Drinking this beer is like taking a hike through a coniferous forest in brisk weather. There’s also that nice resin-y quality that all good super hoppy beers have. A bit of grapefruit-like citrus flavor blankets all the pine in a perfectly balanced way. New Belgium, from Ft. Collins, Colorado, has been famous for a long time for Fat Tire, an amber ale, which has definitely been their signature beer. But in the last few years they’ve created IPAs, including this one and the excellent Ranger IPA, that in my opinion easily eclipse Fat Tire. Fat Tire might have put them on the map but New Belgium clearly knows how to make a great IPA and I see that as their future.

LA-31 Bouchanee Smoked Wheat Ale by Bayou Teche Biere

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 17:49:29 -0400

In general, I am not a fan of wheat beers. More often than not, wheat malt tastes weird to me and then there’s the overpowering yeastiness that many have. But I think I might have found one to add to my incredibly small list of those that I actually do like. Having a fiance who’s originally from South Louisiana, I have been exposed to some good eats and drinks from down there by her family and LA-31 Bouchanee Smoked Wheat Ale is one of them. Bayou Teche has created this beer as a tribute to the importance of the cherry tree to Louisiana cuisine, namely in the form of using the wood to smoke meat and using the small berries in the cherries, sugar and bourbon concoction known as cherry bounce. The brewery uses cherrywood to smoke the wheat to make LA-31 Bouchanee. The smoky flavor is easily the best part about this beer and serves as a great balance and, dare I say it, mask for the slightly off taste of wheat malt. The cherrywood smoke also adds a pleasing hint of sweet-tart cherry flavor, which mixes with the other quality many wheat beers have, citrus (though not the hoppy kind), well. The majority of smoked beers I’ve had have been porters and stouts so to drink a lighter smoked beer is a new and interesting experience. And, like I said before, the smoke greatly improves the standard wheat beer formula.

Imperial Java Stout by Santa Fe Brewing Co.

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 16:33:50 -0500

I enjoy coffee beers a lot because they combine my two favorite beverages. The key to a good one is balance and Santa Fe Brewing Co.’s Imperial Java Stout nails it as far as that’s concerned. The beer base of course needs to be great and the stout here is appropriately toasty, robustly bodied yet smooth and with a hint of smoke. Being imperial, it also has a nice piney hop bite for contrast. The coffee part really does tastes like coffee, not just a vaporous suggestion of it. It’s a strong coffee flavor too to go with the strong beer flavors. It’s something dark roast and definitely black, with the only “creamer” being the stout itself. I try a lot of beers, more than half of which I do end up liking but it is still kind of rare for me to find a beer for my “go-to” list, one that I wouldn’t get tired of eventually. Santa Fe’s Imperial Java Stout has been added to this list. Three cans into the six pack and it hasn’t lost it’s magic yet, which sometimes happens, which is why I rarely buy full six packs anymore. If Santa Fe Brewing Co. keeps making quality beers like this, that’s just one more reason, next to the food, art, architecture, etc. to consider moving there.

Black Metal Farmhouse Imperial Stout by Jester King Craft Brewery

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 15:49:43 -0500

This is one I’ve been wanting to try for a long time but the price always kept me away. I’ve seen it up to around $14 for one bottle before, which is quite a lot for beer. I’m pretty sure I got it for $9.99 or thereabouts though this time. I like to support local Austin breweries like Jester King but I’m both pleasantly surprised and disappointed with Black Metal Imperial Stout at the same time. With a name like Black Metal and a drawing of a Nathan Explosion-looking dude on the label I was expecting to be kicked in the teeth a bit more by this beer. I hate to say it but the flavor of this is a bit bland. There is the roasted, slightly smoky malt flavor all authentic stouts should have but there’s not much else going on besides a hint of dark chocolate perhaps. There’s an odd wine-like tang and sweetness too that distracts from the overtly stout flavors. Also, the body could be much heavier. Not only would it then live up to the name better but it’d be more stout-like in general. I will say this though, the alcohol content is nothing to sneeze at being over 9 percent and it’s integrated and balanced well so the beer isn’t overly boozy (though it does sneak up on you like a black beast from the depths of hell). The pleasantly surprised part comes from the fact that Black Metal Farmhouse Imperial Stout is so understated for a Jester King beer. They seem to like their wild “farmhouse” yeast and other unconventional ingredients and unique concoctions. I’m glad this beer isn’t too yeasty (unlike their Wytchmaker Rye IPA) or completely unrecognizable from the style it’s supposed to be. But again, there could still be more to it. I mean, Guinness still kicks it’s ass overall as far as I’m concerned, though it’s far from being a bad beer. It’s just not “brootal” enough.

Cowboy Coffee Porter by Big Sky Brewing Co.

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 16:16:18 -0500

I’ve had a couple beers by Missoula, Montana’s Big Sky Brewing Co. and I’ve liked them but I think their Cowboy Coffee Porter is my favorite yet. It exemplifies the best qualities of American porters. First of all, it has that toasty, malty flavor coupled with a dark, smooth but not too heavy body that all great porters have. The features distinct to this beer, however, make Cowboy Coffee Porter special. There’s a smokiness that certainly fits the label art of a cowboy brewing his coffee over a campfire. The coffee flavor itself is of slightly nutty black coffee and provides a nice bite in response to the maltiness. Nothing about this beer is overdone or understated, all at the same time. Basically, the balance of flavor is near perfect. The only minor complaint I might have is that the body could be a little more robust to give it a bit more “oomph.” Big Sky has crafted an excellent coffee porter that lives up to the standard of the style but also manages to go it’s own way with the aforementioned smokiness, perhaps its most interesting feature.