Mike Riedel
Normally, I prefer a little a little bitter with my sweet; it helps create balance and a drinkabilty. That being said, when a gooey pie of cake or pie is staring you down after savory meal, screw the balance placate that sweet tooth, post haste! If you re craving a little decadence, have a got some treats for you.
Red Rock - Baked Pastry Stout: The pour is dense and thick, with a darker-than-black body and rather stately looking head. After about five minutes, the deep-mocha suds simmer down to a fine ring measuring about a quarter-finger. The nose is pretty much like German chocolate cake: swaths of chocolate, coconut, coffee and even some whipped frosting-like elements just jump out of my glass. That s some very tempting and decadent stuff here. It smells rich and sweet, but I can sense a little bit of roastiness and a hint of earthy notes (maybe hops for balance?).
Mike Riedel
When a brewery finds success with any given beer, the natural inclination is to build upon that progress by enticing existing costumes, while still trying to woo others. Whether it s alcohol, augmented flavors or a simple hop rearrangement, challenging the customer really helps define what a brewery is capable of. This week, we have a pair of ales that are enhanced versions of their former selves and they have taken very different paths.
Grid City - Extra Brown Ale: No drastic changes have happened to this ale; the brewer simply added more of everything that was already there. Yet the result is a much different beer. The Extra Brown pours a thick, crispy chocolate cream head over a deep burgundy brown body, with ample carbonation. Retention is average at best, and lacing is light and spotty. T
Mike Riedel
This week we have a mix of new and old. Peanut butter is the hot adjunct for beer and even whiskeys right now, and one of our offerings builds on that trend. The other reaches back to a time when beer was more raw and less refined. Which one will you choose? Hopefully, these descriptions will help you decide.
Epic - Midnight Munchies: The beer pours a cola-black color with a moderate amount of tan foam. The aroma is a massive mix of caramel and cocoa mixed with plum, prune and raisin. Along with these smells come some nice strong notes of Nutella and a whole bunch of roasted peanuts, producing a nice roasty and sweet peanut buttery aroma overall.
Mike Riedel
This week, I came across two stouts that couldn t be more different while coming from the same family. One is a boozy, in your face pastry stout, and the other is a locally-made no-alcohol oatmeal stout. This should be fun!
TF Brewing - Fluffier Nuts: This is the much bigger brother to Fluffy Nuts, a pastry stout released earlier this year at 5.0 percent ABV. It poured a nice dark brown, almost black, with a fat two finger mocha head that faded relatively slowly, leaving some spotty lacing and a thin creamy blanket. Aromas of creamy lactose, powdered sugar, chocolate syrup and chocolate chips emerge, with a little bit of hot fudge as well. Peanut butter is pleasant in the background, too, which adds a faint wisp of cookie elements. It s quite the inviting base milk stout; considering the number of peanut butter sandwiches I ve eaten over the years, eyes closed, there really is no