#280 Belhaven – Scottish Stout

Name: Scottish Stout
Brewery: Belhaven ( Dunbar, Scotland)
Style: Stout
ABV: 7%
Source: Waiheke Wines

Before I get on to talking about this beer, I just want to take a self-indulgent moment to say I can’t believe there are only 85 beers left until this thing is over! (And actually more like 80 because I’m still a bit behind on posts).

I know that sounds like heaps (what kind of a person utters the words “only 85 beers” anyway?) but it’s actually only 11 and a bit weeks – which incidentally is just one week longer than Kim Kardashian’s marriage lasted.*

But it’s still really too soon to be thinking about the end (except for choosing a final beer), so I won’t launch into any reflective ramblings just yet. I just wanted to let you know that it’s coming, and if there are any beers that you think must be included in the final 80, please do feel free to suggest them.

Anyway, this stout! It was bloody delicious and it went exceptionally well with Mum’s slow-cooked beef stew.

It poured really dark brown and retained a thin but creamy tan head. It smelled of lightly toasted wood, brown sugar and chocolate, then the mouth it was sweet and milk-chocolatey before the hops kicked in for a dry and slightly bitter finish. It had a smooth mouthfeel with very little carbonation, and was still light enough to be refreshing. I loved it! I really did.

And speaking of stout, did you know Mariah Carey was once criticized for drinking Guinness while breastfeeding?**

*I thought my blog might see a last-minute surge in popularity if I started to include more pop trivia.
** See above .

#138 Epic Epicurean – Fig & Coffee Oatmeal Stout

Name: Fig & Coffee Oatmeal Stout 
Brewery: Epic Brewing Co. (Auckland, New Zealand) 
Style: Stout
ABV: 8%
Source: Epic  Brewing Co.

Ever since I started this blog I’ve been wondering what beer I might drink on Christmas.

I thought I’d either have something ridiculously lavish and expensive, like Pliny the Elder, or go the other way entirely and just drink a Steinlager (which is red and green, after all).

And then a couple of weeks before Christmas, just as I realised I was broke and heading begrudgingly toward Steinlager, this beautifully bottle of Fig and Coffee Stout arrived in the mail.

We had it for breakfast with glazed ham and freshly baked bread rolls. (And, admittedly – Heinz tomato ketchup. It’s a tradition.)

This is the first time in about 15 odd years that I haven’t had bubbly with breakfast, and the first time I’d ever had a stout in the AM, but dammit, if it didn’t just work. 

It worked wonderfully well as a breakfast beer (better than any official ‘breakfast beer’ that I’ve tried), because it tastes predominantly like fresh espresso. I guess it’s probably caffeinated too, which might me why I felt surprisingly perky after drinking it. Then again that might have been the 8% ABV.

It worked as a Christmas beer because it was special – intensely aromatic (espresso and chocolate-covered hard caramel), with a smooth, full mouthfeel and satisfying bitter finish. I can’t say I could properly distinguish the fig and coconut flavours, but I’m sure they added something.

Oh! I just remembered. Someone else has already done a way, way better job than I ever could of writing about this beer. If you want to know the ins and outs of this brew (literally, there is a strangely satisfying video of the figs being pulled out of the brew kettle), then read Epic co-brewer Kelly Ryan’s post on his blog beeRevolution.

And then come back to my blog! Because I’m heading to Mexico in three hours and shit’s about to get LOCO up in hurr!*

*note that by loco I mean posts will generally be shorter, more intermittent, and badly written due to tequila and chilli intake. Not more fun. (But then again they might be.)

 

#87 Coopers – Stout

Name: Extra Best Stout
Brewery: Cooper’s (Regency Park, SA, Australia)
Style: Stout
ABV: 6.5%
Source: Beer, Wines & Spirits (K Rd, Auckland)

I am really, really going to make this a quick post for once.

I had this yesterday, which was in fact International Stout Day. I’m not sure where this came from or why stout gets its own day and other beer styles don’t, and I’m not even going to Google it because I really have NO TIME!

I love the Coopers Stout. In fact, even though I buy the Sparkling Ale and Pale Ale more – this is probably my favourite. It’s punchy and decadent and bittersweet, with dark choclate and roasty coffee notes as well as a hint of marmite and dark fruits. Unlike some stouts which are a bit  rich and gloopy, it’s also refreshing enough to drink when you’re really thirsty (which I was). And, it’s only $5.99 for 750mls. Bloody ripper!

There. I just wrote a post in under 3 minutes flat. Now, like a marathon runner I go… off to drink today’s beer!

#56 Epic Thornbridge Oak Barrel Aged Stout

Name: err, Thornbridge Oak Barrel Aged Stout?
Brewery: Epic Brewing Co. (Auckland, New Zealand)
Style: Stout
ABV: 6.8%
Source: Epic Brewing Co.

It feels like ages since I’ve had a stout (at least a week I think), so when it started raining like a mo-fo last night I jumped at the chance to get all dark and wintery with my beer again.

The Epic Thornbridge Stout (and this oak barrel aged version)  is a collaboration between Luke from Epic and Kelly Ryan, who at the time was at Thornbridge in the UK but now works for Epic too! I figure that means if Kelly and Luke were Brad and Angelina, this beer would be that movie Mr and Mrs Smith. Y’know? Because it bought them together.

… *cough*… 

I’m going to talk about the beer now.

The smell took me by surprise - definitely not your average chocolate/coffee stout aroma. Imagine sitting in a leather armchair in a room full of oak  furniture and old books, sipping on a vintage port and eating some black forest gateau. Then throw some vanilla and green apple lollies into the mix and you have… A very confusing and probably quite inaccurate description of a really great smell.

Those flavours come through in the taste, along with a burst of hoppy bitterness, roasty malt and coffee. It’s not too sweet, the mouthfeel is smooth, and the finish is dry.

I reckon this is an excellent stout – it has big, interesting  flavours but isn’t too heavy. I thought the oak was really prominent  and it seemed to tie all the flavours together really nicely, so I’d be interested to see how the original compares.

Cheers to Epic for the tasty beer, and apologies for comparing it to what is presumably a terrible movie. I haven’t even seen it. Honest.

#41 Guinness – Special Export Stout

Name: Special Export Stout
Brewery: Guinness (Dublin, Ireland)
Style: Stout
ABV: 8%
Source: The Beer Store

I said I’d drink a Guinness in honour of Ireland’s Saturday night victory, and drink a Guinness I did. I should point out now that I’m not actually mad on rugby, I just like seeing the underdogs win. Also I had this bottle of Guinness in the cupboard and I didn’t want to wait until St Patrick’s day to drink it.

This isn’t an ordinary Guinness, it’s a Guinness Special Export Stout. I bought it from The Beer Store who describe it as a “special version of bottled Guinness for Belgium, France, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands.” Does that mean it wasn’t made for the Tauranga carpark where I drank mine?

It poured really thick and black  with a medium tan head, and I could tell as soon as I sniffed it that it was much bolder than regular Guinness. The first aroma was distinctively of Marmite, then caramel, chocolate, and all things dark and malty. The taste was similar, but heavy on roasted malt and really bitter.

While some Guinness drinkers might find this version a bit full-on, I personally liked it a lot more than the original. It has a full mouthfeel where I find normal Guinness a bit watery, the flavours are bigger, and it doesn’t have nearly as much of a metallic taste. The only disadvantage is that it’s damn strong, meaning you can’t knock it back like the other stuff.

#37 Tuatara & Galbraith’s – Vasta’s Velvet

Name: Vasta’s Velvet
Brewery: Galbraith Brewing Co. & Carl Vasta (head brewer at Tuatara)
Style: Cask Conditioned Stout
ABV: 6%
Source: Galbraith’s Alehouse

I feel like I’m a bit late posting this because this beer was released a whole week and a half ago, which sounds ridiculous except that it’s probably only going to be around for another week – less if I go back to Galbraith’s in the weekend and drink it all.

This was actually one of three collaboration beers that I tried last night – along with Mike’s/Liberty Brewing’s Taranaki Pale Ale, and the Yeastie Boys/Malthouse Lady Marmalade. They were all worth writing about, but I went to Galbraith’s specifically for the Vasta’s Velvet so I’m picking that one for my post.

And guess what? It was bloody lovely! It smelled like Christmas at Grandma Jane’s house – sweet sherry, dried fruit and chocolate, with more savoury flavours coming through on the tongue. There was marmite, malt, lightly toasted wood and a spicy dry bitterness to finish. It was smooth as butter and had a full mouthfeel without being thick or sticky. I’d say it’s the perfect beer for a rainy evening (and lord knows we’re not short of those) at a cosy pub like Galbraiths.

I’m worried I won’t get to write posts on Lady M or the Taranaki Pale Ale  because they’ll probably be gone when I next go back to Galbraith’s (why can’t I write posts from my tastings last night? Because my complicated blog rules forbid it, that’s why), so I’d like to Big Up them both now. The Mike’s/Liberty IPA was a crisp and joyous explosion of fruity/bitter hops, and the Yeastie Boys Lady M was a tasty, well-balanced and highly sessionable English Ale.

Claps all round!

#28 Little Creatures The Dreadnought

Name: The Dreadnought (Single Batch)
Brewery: Little Creatures (Fremantle, Australia)
Style: Foreign Stout
ABV: 7.4%
Source: McCoppins (Fitzroy, Melbourne)

Despite really disliking the bottle shape (probably because it reminds me of how I might look at the end of this year), The Dreadnought is now the second best Australian beer I’ve ever had. Sure I’ve only tried seven and two of them are VB and Fosters, but that doesn’t stop this from being a winner!

The Dreadnought (foreboding name huh), is a foreign stout, and is the latest single batch release from Little Creatures.

When I poured my first glass – pitch black with a small head – I was feeling slightly unenthused at the thought of drinking another rich, gloopy stout. I was thirsty, and I didn’t want to spend all night with an ISH (Imperial Stout Headache) which I’ve had a few too many times already in the past week.

Thankfully this turned out to be completely different.

The aroma is tricky to describe – nothing overwhelming, just some sweetnesss, a bit like a banana lolly I reckoned, and a hint of savoury smokiness.

It was lighter and more refreshing than I’d expected, and the flavours were pleasant and uncomplicated. I imagined a hint of soy, licorice, and roasted coffee, but if it tasted like any of those things then it wasn’t overt. What I can be sure of is the bitterness, which lasted right though and gave it a lovely crisp edge. I know I’m supposed to drink craft beer really s l o w l y – but beers like this make that almost impossible.

And now… I’ve been waiting for an excuse to get Talking Heads into a post, and I think I better take my opportunity now. Here’s a great song called And She Was, from the Talking Heads album, Little Creatures!

#22 De Molen Hemel & Aarde

Name: Hemel & Aarde
Brewery: Brouwerij de Molen (Bodegraven, Netherlands)
Style: Imperial Stout
ABV: 9.5%
Source: The Beer Store

OK, so tonight’s post is going to be a bit all over the show thanks to the 9.5% beer I’m drinking so just bear with me.

I started out tonight with a Hallertau Luxe – took the photo and everything. Unfortunately I had eaten an eclipse mint about 20 minutes before I tried to do the tasting and, unless luxe really does have a strong minty vibe, I think my taste buds were ruined. I made an executive decision to pull the plug on it (after I had finished the bottle of course) and crack open something I thought could stand up to the mint.

Enter Hemel & Aarde.

I knew as I got this close to my nose that it was going to be one of the weirdest beers I’d ever tried. It will be difficult to explain so here’s a pic of my very profesh tasting notes:

As you can see I’ve underlined Smoky – peat, because this was one of the most discernible flavours, owing to the fact it’s made with heavily peated malt. More predictable stout flavours were there – coffee, dark chocolate and spice – but there was something else, something really strange. I wrote down feet, sweat, cheese, fermented fruit – none of which are quite right.

I just had a look on ratebeer.com to see what other people are saying, and I see Hemel & Aarde has an almighty score of 100 overall. I also see that most other people seem to be describing pretty normal stout characteristics, so maybe I’m the only one who found this bizarre. Could it have been the dreaded mint!!?

I thought I better test it on my flatmates just to be sure, and I think Hollie summed up my feelings nicely when she said “I feel overburdened by it.”

I want to say I love this beer because it’s different, but truth be told it’s not quite for me. The warm, sour, sweet, funkiness of it is making me feel slightly ill… Not at all helped by all the booze.

Even if I didn’t go crazy over this one it’s always great to try something totally new. And who knows – maybe just I got a funny bottle? Maybe I need to try it again without the mint? Maybe I just need to stop this drunken rant and go to bed…

#14 Three Boys Oyster Stout

Name: Oyster Stout
Brewery: Three Boys (Christchurch, New Zealand)
Style: Oyster Stout
ABV: 6.2%
Source: Glengarry Ponsonby

I said earlier today that my palate wasn’t refined enough to pick up on things like oyster flavours in a beer, and I thought I’d just make absolute sure of that by taste-testing a Three Boys Oyster Stout.
The things I do in the name of research!

The Oyster Stout does indeed contain Bluff oysters, which to me seems both wonderfully decadent and borderline bonkers.

I’ve just done a bit of research (Wiki’d it) and apparently the first known use of oysters in the brewing process was in 1929 in New Zealand. Cor, first that, now Rex Attitude – Kiwi brewers certainly are are a pioneering bunch!

Apparently the protein in the oysters give the beer a bit more body*… and a lot of people say that if you drink more than six of them you will actually start talking like a pirate. Nah, nobody says that, some people do that they can detect a hint of sea/brine/oysters when they drink it though.

The OS pours an almost pitch-black with a decent tan head. It smells of bitter roasted coffee, and dark chocolate. Once in the mouth I also got other subtle flavours – soy sauce, little a herby/medicinal note (licorice?) and something like the strong, dark treacle that my grandma used to give me on a spoon as a kid. It’s slightly spicy with a nice bitter kick at the end, and has a smooth, full mouth feel. Unfortunately – or perhaps actually quite fortunately, I just couldn’t pick up on any shellfish.

Arrr, matey, ’tis a fine stout indeed!

*According to my dad people used to put dead rats in cider for the same purpose. Somehow less appealing, no?

# 8 Renaissance Craftsman

Name: Craftsman
Brewer: Renaissance (Blenheim, New Zealand)
Style: Chocolate Oatmeal Stout
ABV: 4.9%
Source: Victoria Park New World

I said yesterday that the cold weather was making me crave this, so tonight I decided not to muck about. The Craftsman is my favorite chocolate beer, made with high-quality cocoa nibs (how funny is the word nibs?) and organic oatmeal, added for a velvety-smooth mouth-feel.

Just listen to that name: Chocolate Oatmeal Stout. No drink has sounded more appealing to me since the (sadly fictional) mugs of steaming butterbeer on Harry Potter.

The Craftsman pours dark brown with a small tan head which diminishes quickly. The aroma is really chocolaty, and the taste is of fresh roasted coffee beans and high quality, dark bitter chocolate. It’s malty of course, and the sweetness from the chocolate is balanced nicely with a bitter finish. In other words – it’s real yum!

I shared this with my flatmate Hollie (that’s her in the background of the picture) who also really liked it. She makes lovely music that’s best enjoyed (I think) on a wintery evening, just like this beer. Try them together!

Tiny Ruins – ‘You’ve Got The Kind of Nerve I Like’ from Spunk Records on Vimeo.
(also featuring our fat cat Mimu)

PS – I just read on Wikipedia that “Butterbeer was a real drink… made from beer, sugar, eggs, nutmeg, cloves and butter back in Tudor times.” I am absolutely going to find an original recipe for this and make it!