It’s Saint Patrick’s Day weekend! And, for the next three nights, my wife and I will be tasting four different beers! We’re on our 3rd and final day — AND we have a special guest in my Mom!
So, please, go get your favorite beverage, sit down, kick back and enjoy as we do our tasting!
Our first beer is…
BEER: Wreck Alley Imperial Stout
BREWERY: Karl Strauss Brewing Company – San Diego, CA
ABV: 9%
MATT: 3/5
DANIELLE: 3/5
CANDY: 2/5
LOOK: Dark like mud
SCENT: Coffee, dark chocolate
MOUTHFEEL/TASTE: Slightly thick mouthfeel. Dark chocolate and dark coffee. Slight vanilla finish. Very bitter.
FINAL REFLECTIONS: Decent lead-off and enjoyable if it wasn’t so bitter, Wreck Alley feels like it needs some sort of sweetener to offset the bitterness. It does have a very small vanilla finish but it’s not enough to make this your typical dessert beer.
BEER: Curieux (Belgian Style Golden Ale)
BREWERY: Allagash Brewing – Portland, ME
ABV: 10.2%
MATT: 3/5
DANIELLE: 3/5
CANDY: 3/5
LOOK: Gold and slightly hazy
SCENT: Slight citrus, honey, hops, malt
MOUTHFEEL/TASTE: Slightly thick mouthfeel. Tree fruit and honey on the tongue but nothing in the way of bourbon. You do get a nice alcohol flavor on the back end.
FINAL REFLECTIONS: A slight improvement on the last beer, with some sweetness on the tongue. Nice tree fruit element and honey on the back end which just carries this thing all the way down. A good beer by Allagash.
BEER: Dragon’s Milk (Bourbon Barrel Aged Stout)
BREWERY: New Holland Brewing – Holland, MI
ABV: 11%
MATT: 4.25/5
DANIELLE: 4/5
CANDY: 4/5
LOOK: Dark with some light in it
SCENT: Chocolate with marshmallow, slight coffee
MOUTHFEEL/TASTE: Slightly thick mouthfeel. A nice mix of coffee, chocolate, vanilla cream, and whipped cream.
FINAL REFLECTIONS: Whereas Wreck Alley led us off with a very bitter chocolate excursion, Dragon’s Milk has this game down with a perfectly rounded stout with a nice balance of coffee, chocolate, and vanilla. It’s incredibly enjoyable and always a classic.
BEER: Bourbon County Brand Stout
BREWERY: Goose Island Beer Company – Chicago, IL
ABV: 14%
MATT: 3/5
DANIELLE: 3.5/5
CANDY: 3/5
LOOK: Dark like mud
SCENT: Has a strong alcohol scent like a port
MOUTHFEEL/TASTE: Slightly thick mouthfeel. This tastes like a port. If it wasn’t for the carbonation, you’d think this was a port.
FINAL REFLECTIONS: Far too sweet with a LOT of alcohol. I’m not sure I’d serve this with a dessert. I’d serve Dragon’s Milk before I’d serve this. I’d serve Port before I’d serve this. It’s not a bad idea, it’s just not great in execution.
FINAL THOUGHTS: We had fun this St. Patrick’s Day and this was a nice way to close it out. Dragon’s Milk won the day with its nicely rounded stout. Overall, a great tasting of a dozen beers! Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!
HEAR OUR FINAL THOUGHTS:
NEXT WEEK: Join us for another great tasting!