As a V-Day treat to local craft beer lovers, Quest will be releasing one of their most-loved beers in cans for the first time on the 14th.
Tag Archives: coffee
BBL Imperial Biscotti Break on the way
We’ve gotten Biscotti Break and it’s imperial big brother. We’ve gotten it with chilies and hazelnuts, and with cherries. Some of us have even gotten it with jalapenos and Spanish ham. But aged in bourbon barrels? That’s a new one.
Coming soon from Evil Twin – and brewed and aged at Westbrook – is yet another take on the imperial stout brewed with coffee, vanilla and almonds. This time, the beer has been aging in mystery bourbon barrels since January. As Westbrook did with its BA Mexican Cake, the base beer was aged first, then the adjuncts were added after it was racked.
Around 350 cases were produced and could hit SC markets as soon as this week.
Conquest collaborates with Columbia coffee shop
If you live in Columbia and appreciate good coffee, chances are you’re familiar with Loveland Coffee, a small, drive-thru coffee shack on St. Andrews Road. Since opening a couple of years ago, Loveland has amassed a growing fan base thanks to their quality coffee and hand-crafted drinks.
Among those fans are the folks at Conquest, who on Tuesday announced the release of a new Loveland-infused brew: Medusa Coffee Stout.
Pretty straightforward: It’s Conquest’s year-round 5.2% sweet stout brewed with Loveland coffee concentrate. It’s being tapped in the tasting room Wednesday evening.
It’s the first collaboration between the two, but it won’t be the last. “Don’t think for a second that Medusa Coffee Stout will be the only beer with Loveland Coffee,” Conquest tweeted Tuesday. “We have plans for an (imperial Russian coffee stout), an IPA and more.”
Thomas Creek also adding Coffee Oatmeal Stout to lineup
When Thomas Creek launched its new website in June, a couple of new additions to the seasonal “Beers” section caught my eye: The Pumpkin Ale, which TC announced details of this week, and the new Coffee Oatmeal Stout, which caught my eye because … well, it’s a coffee oatmeal stout.
Info about a release date – likely later this year – and other details are TBA, but on Wednesday the label artwork for the new beer was released. This one’s described as a “creamy oatmeal stout with a dark roasted flavor and coffee aroma.”
Westbrook Cap’n Skoon’s Ballistic Stout
Westbrook Brewing Co.
Mt. Pleasant, SC
Cap’n Skoon’s Ballistic Stout 2nd Anniversary Baltic Stout
10% ABV
On Monday, I talked about my love for Westbrook’s first anniversary beer, their Mexican Cake imperial stout, dubbing it my favorite new beer of 2012. After close to a year since first trying that delicious brew, it still ranks up there as one of the best beers I’ve ever had. But alas, I must move on, and what better way to do that than with the second anniversary beer from the Mt. Pleasant beer factory?
To honor their second year of existence, Westbrook recently put out Cap’n Skoon’s Ballistic Stout, which they’ve dubbed an “Imperial Baltic Stout,” a style they’ve created to classify this 10% imperial stout brewed using German lager yeast. I previously wrote about how Westbrook was crowdsourcing a name for the beer. They passed over the “(country) (dessert)” mold – much to the chagrin of some of my friends – and instead decided to honor Westbrook Head Brewer Scott Koon. The beer’s been hyped as a massive roasty bottle of goodness suitable for immediate enjoyment or delayed satisfaction.
But the question still remains: Is it better than Mexican Cake? Let’s walk the plank and find out.
The roasted qualities used to promote the beer are certainly strong on the nose, which has a full, sweeter dark chocolate note with the hint of rich coffee behind it. As opposed to most imperial stouts, which have a really thick, rich smell, the lager yeast dampens that and creates a richer, smoother overall quality to the nose while leaving it a bit dry. It’s still definitely an imperial stout, but smells a bit different from your usual entry in the style.
There’s a very light bitterness on the front of the tongue that imparts a bitter dark chocolate flavor. An almost salty quality arises in the middle of the mouth, complimenting the burnt coffee flavors nicely. That roasted flavor continues into the finish and wraps up with this really dry, cocoa powder-like taste on the end. After a few sips, you get this chalky taste over you entire palate, which when mixed with the roasted notes gives off that salty quality. It’s very fitting for the name. The alcohol gives a very slight punch on the finish but hits you in the chest – and the head – after a bit.
One of the biggest complaints I’ve heard about Cap’n Skoon is “it’s not Mexican Cake.” To be honest, I really hate that criticism, because to me it’s as if everyone is writing off the beer for being different. I think a lot of people went in expecting Cap’n Skoon to be a clone of Mexican Cake, or just destroy it all together. Mexican Cake was a phenomenal beer, I don’t deny that at all. But in its own way, Cap’n Skoon is just as great and inventive as it’s 1-year-old brethren. Using lager yeast in a stout is a nice and creative touch. It certainly made it one of the more unique imperial stouts I’ve had.
Did I like Cap’n Skoon as much as Mexican Cake? Honestly, no, I didn’t. But by no means does that make it a bad, disappointing or lackluster brew. The roasted qualities were a perfect match with the dryness the lager yeast imparted. It’s still young, and I think revisiting it after a few months will give me and everyone else a better feel for what the beer really has to show.
Cap’n Skoon is a great beer to cap off a big year for Westbrook. The growth and inventiveness of the brewery has really surprised me, and 2013 will certainly see both grow and expand even more.
Big Boss Aces & Ates
Big Boss Brewing Co.
Raleigh, NC
Aces & Ates Coffee Stout
8% ABV
My first experience with Raleigh’s Big Boss Brewing came about a year ago when a friend who had recently relocated there brought me a few bottles of their Hell’s Belle Belgian-style pale ale and Bad Penny brown ale. Having never heard of them, I was excited to see what they had to offer, but … well, I’ll go with “underwhelmed” to describe my first experience.
Things have been much different since then. My opinion of Big Boss began to change after having Harvest Time, their fall seasonal made with pumpkin and spices. And after Bryan at This Is Why I’m Drunk shipped me some of their Aces & Ates coffee stout.
From what I gather, Aces & Ates is a fan favorite. This year the former draft-only stout has been tweaked and is now a bottled 8% coffee stout brewed with coffeee from Larry’s Beans, which is adjacent to the brewery. The brewers – of both the beer and the coffee – got together and paired a variety of beans with the beer until they settled on one particular brew for the brew.
One bottle was all it took to officially file me in the “fan” category.
The obvious deep, rich coffee note is very reminiscent of fresh-ground beans brewed and then mixed with cream. It’s a rich, sweeter overall coffee note with the overlay of an almost chocolate milk character. Behind all that are some more roasted malts and just a very slight citrus character, sort of like a grapefruit.
The taste starts with a bit bite of bitterness on the front from the coffee. It’s got a very smooth mouthfeel with a good pop of carbonation on the finish that works well with the bitterness. That citrus hoppiness comes through in the middle of the tongue. There’s definitely a big grapefruit flavor to it. The roasted coffee is strongest on the back. It sits on the back of your tongue and lingers for a long, long time. The chocolate milk from the nose is very strong in the flavor. Instead, it’s a very bitter dark chocolate. That’s cut nicely by the hop bitterness in the middle of the mouth.
I love a good coffee stout and it’s clear a lot of thought went into making Aces & Ates. Knowing both brewers sat down and picked out a bean that would best compliment the beer gave me a better appreciation for it, and they certainly succeeded in giving me a better opinion of their brews.
Westbrook Dark Helmet
Westbrook Brewing Co.
Mt. Pleasant, SC
Dark Helmet Schwarzbier
5.9% ABV
In my previous reviews of Grand Teton’s 5 O’Clock Shadow and Jack’s Abby Cascadian Schwarzbier, I’ve talked about how the black lager style has been a welcomed change to the standard lager formula. The strong roasted notes remind me more of a good stout or porter than the bland sweetness you get with a lot of lagers.
But Dark Helmet one of one of Westbrook‘s two fall/winter seasonals eschews the roast-centric flavor for more of a richer, more chocolate-heavy beer, while still keeping that biting roasted note prevalent.
Also, it’s a nod to Spaceballs. And who are you to not appreciate that? Major Asshole?
The beer is black as Rick Moranis’ soul. The pour is pretty thin and the head is pretty minimal. There’s about only a finger of a light brownish head that settles pretty quickly but leave a slight film over the top. The lacing’s really weak and watery but there are some slight alcohol legs.
The nose has a big, sweet chocolate note to it backed with a bit of a light roasted quality. It’s not as coffee-forward as a lot of other schwarzbier There’s just a little bit of a rye bite to it. It’s got a very luscious, smooth nose to it, a bit less biting than I remember from last year’s batch.
There’s a good bite of bitterness on the front of the tongue. There’s just a slight carbonation to it and it’s very smooth across the palate. On the back of the tongue, the flavor starts out with a creamy and bitter dark chocolate note. That gives way to a lighter roasted quality with a sort of fresh coffee bean quality to it. The bite from the rye comes up again on the back. For a sessionable beer, it’s something more suited to sipping slowly.
May the Schwartz be with you.
