Tag Archives: Imperial Stout

Canned Imperial Stout? Ten Fidy and Cinnamon Rolls

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It’s not every day that I get a chance to drink great craft beer from a can, especially not an Imperial Stout. Today is my lucky day, since my friend Ingo (of Sad Robot Brewing fame) was kind enough to bring me a can of Oskar Blues Ten Fidy (it was released at Systembolaget earlier this spring) when he was visiting Finland recently. I have really good experiences from trying some of their other beer (Dale’s Pale Ale, Deviant’s Dale and G’Knight), so have quite high hopes for this one. I baked some Cinnamon Rolls earlier today also (recipe inspired by the one found here), which I had planned to enjoy while sipping on the beer. Hopefully the flavours will complement each other.

oskar_blues_ten_fidy

  • Brewery: Oskar Blues Brewery
  • Country: USA
  • Style: Imperial Stout
  • ABV: 10.5 %
  • Size: 355 ml
  • Bought from: Gift
  • Beer Advocate
  • RateBeer

I don’t have much information on this beer, but what I’ve gathered from around the internet, it is an Imperial Stout, has an ABV of 10.5%, has been brewed with 2-row malt, chocolate malt, roasted barley, and flaked oats, and has been bittered to a whooping 98 IBU. There are some rumours floating around on homebrew forums that the name comes from the fact that the final gravity of the beer is 1.050 or perhaps 10.50 degrees plato, but it is more likely that FIDY is an acronym for Fuck the Industry, Do it Yourself (this was also what founder Dale Katechis stated in their Brew Dogs episode). Anyways, it’s not everyday you get to try this complex of a beer from a can, so am really looking forward to having a taste!

[easyreview title=”Oskar Blues Ten Fidy” cat1title=”Appearance” cat1detail=”The beer pours pitch-black and you can directly see the beer is very viscous. Almost looks like motor oil pouring out of the can. A tan-colored fluffy head is formed with the pour, but it collapses quite quickly, leaving brown drapes of lacing along the glass. Looks really delicious!” cat1rating=”4.5″ cat2title=”Smell” cat2detail=”The aroma is really nice as well, and I get tones of dark chocolate and vanilla in the beginning, followed by roasted malts and coffee. These are balanced by some sweet caramel tones, which hint the taste will be sweet as well. The aroma is rich and strong, even though I still have a slightly stuffed nose from just having a flu. Can’t tell at all that the beer is 10.5%, as the alcohol is well hidden behind the other flavors. Really nice and inviting aroma!” cat2rating=”4.5″ cat3title=”Taste” cat3detail=”The flavour is similar to the aroma, beginning with some roasted tones dominating. Here, the chocolate and vanilla aren’t as strong, rather I find that the roasty and toasty malt tones are in the center together with notes of coffee. Behind this you have a slightly sweet bready maltiness, that ends in a semi-dry and quite bitter finish. I prefer slightly sweeter Imperial Stouts myself, and I like how this one is balanced by the huge bitterness. Again, I can’t tell this is 10.5% ABV. I get a slight warming feeling in the mouth, but no boozy flavours. Really nice!” cat3rating=”4.5″ cat4title=”Mouthfeel” cat4detail=”The beer has a really thick and full body, which together with the low carbonation level makes this a great slow sipper. Not a beer to drink in the sun or as a thirst-quencher, but it definitely suits a cold spring evening as today. The roasty notes and bitterness draw away slightly from the drinkability, but the sweetness keeps them quite well under control.” cat4rating=”4″ summary=”Overall, a really nice beer, and one of the better Imperial Stouts I’ve tried. The flavours are complex and strong, but they come together really well, making a well-balanced and delicious package. The chocolate, coffee and vanilla notes make this a perfect dessert beer. This shouldn’t be oak/barrel-aged, so not sure how the vanilla notes have entered the picture, but they work really well! The high bitterness works well, but I think I would have preferred a couple of IBUs less. The beer paired well with the cinnamon roll, as the sweet, sugary and cinnamony notes complemented the rich and roasted flavors really well.”]

Homebrew: Big Black Stout

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Next Sunday, I thought I’d attempt to brew up a really big and strong Imperial Stout, influenced by some of the great American representatives: Yeti, Parabola, Speedway Stout, Storm King, BCBS etc. I am aiming for an OG of around 1.124, and to get that high I think I’ll collect some extra runnings and boil 2-3 hours in several kettles, before combining the worts in one kettle and adding the hops. The malt bill will hopefully lend a thick body, with a ton of coffee and dark chocolate tones. I’m not expecting too much of the yeast (WLP007), and I think this will end up with a final gravity between 1.030 and 1.040, giving approximately 11 to 12% ABV. Hopping will be kept simple, with one bittering addition of Herkules and one flavour addition of Mittelfrüh. Aiming for around 70 IBU, to balance out the alcohol, roast and sweetness. When fermentation is finished I’ll bulk age it in a keg together with some oak cubes. Can’t wait!

[beerxml recipe=http://beer.suregork.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/big_black_stout.xml metric=true cache=-1]

 

Homebrew: Imperial Stout

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It’s always a good idea to think ahead, especially when brewing beer, as many styles require several months (even up to a year) of maturing, before they reach their prime. This is especially the case with darker beers and/or beers with a high alcohol content. During maturation, hot and alcoholic tones typically decrease, astringent roasted tones typically become milder, and the flavours as a whole typically blend together better. So what I’m trying to introduce with this post is our next brewday (hopefully tomorrow), during which we will brew an Imperial Stout for next winter. By brewing it now, it will have around 6 months to mature before the first snow falls (hopefully).

The recipe will be pretty much based on the Black Panther Imperial Stout I brewed up in November 2011. Only this time we are brewing up a normal size batch (20 liters) and hopefully won’t have to add any DME to get to the correct original gravity.

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Homebrew: Bottling and kegging day

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Today I bottled the batch of American IPA that I brewed up a month ago with a friend. Bottling went smoothly (from the keg) and the beer tasted very nice already.

I also kegged the Black Lodge Imperial Stout, which was tasting really promising. Lots of roasted malt, coffee, and some dark fruit tones, together with a slight amount of heat (which I guess is from the chili). Gravity had dropped to 1.028, giving the beer an ABV of 9.3%. The beer will bulk age in the corny keg for at least two months, maybe more, before I bottle it.

Homebrew: Black Lodge Imperial Stout Part II

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Today I brewed up the Black Lodge Imperial Stout mentioned in the previous post. Everything went quite well, and even hit my target original gravity of 1.100, so this should end up around 9.0-9.5%, depending on how dry it ferments. Might have to add some more coffee, cherry juice concentrate and chili before bulk aging, if the flavors aren’t strong enough. Fingers crossed this turns out good. Recipe and brewday pictures below.



The ‘special’ ingredients. From left to right: The resiny and piney Chinook hops (douglas firs of the Northwestern woods), the candi syrup (the dark soul of Windom Earle), the coffee beans (damn fine coffee), the chili (something that will really light your fire), and the cherry juice concentrate (the best cherry pie in town).
 

Cutting up the Cheyenne chili.
 

Weighing up the coffee beans.
 

The four hop additions.
 

The mash. Thick and smelling good!
 

Lautering into the kettle. The beer is very dark and thick as you can see.
 

Boiling. I needed to boil off lots of water to hit the high gravity.
 

Enjoying a damn fine cup of joe during the boil.
 

Adding the juice after flameout.
 

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Homebrew: Black Lodge Imperial Stout Part I

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Tomorrow I will be brewing yet another beer, but this time around I will be using my old brewing equipment and I will be making a smaller batch (12 litres). The beer I will be brewing is the Twin Peaks-inspired Black Lodge Imperial Stout, first mentioned in this post. I have revised the recipe a little since the last post, adding some Dark Candi Syrup, changing around the malt bill and bumping up the gravity slightly.




This Imperial Stout will be around 10% ABV, and contain some:

  • Damn fine coffee (Brazilian Yellow Bourbon Coffee Beans at flameout and perhaps in the secondary)
  • The best cherry pie in town (Cherry juice concentrate at flameout)
  • Something that will really light your fire (A Cheyenne Chili Pepper at flameout)
  • The dark soul of Windom Earle (Dark Candi Syrup at flameout)

Hopefully the flavors don’t clash too much with each other, and instead merge into a dark and complex whole. I plan to keep the beer in the primary for about a month, and then move it to a keg for a couple of months of bulk aging. To reach the 1.100+ OG, I plan on using a two hour boil, and no sparging. I will also try to crush the grain really fine. I might have to make a smaller beer out of the second runnings, as I guess a lot of sugar will be left in the unwashed grains. Recipe will be posted in tomorrow’s brewday report.

A trio of Juhani’s homebrews

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Today I will be tasting and reviewing a trio of my homebrewing neighbor Juhani’s homebrews. The beers include his #24 Dubbel (with Orval dregs?), #28 ‘Ryssänpelko’ Imperial Stout and #42 Blonde Ale (brewed with yeast harvested from a bottle of Lente Blond). I’ll be starting with the latest, #42 Blonde Ale, moving on to #24 Dubbel, and finishing off with #28 Imperial Stout. This should be interesting!

  • Brewery: Juhani’s homebrewery
  • Country: Finland
  • Style: Belgian Ale
  • ABV: 4.7%
  • Size: 330 ml
  • Bought from: Gift
  • Not on Beer Advocate
  • Not on RateBeer

 

This should be a Belgian-style blonde ale, and it has been brewed with a tin of Coopers Lager extract (1,7 kg), 700 g Brewferm light DME and 300 g sucrose (20 l batch, OG 1,044, FG 1,008, ABV 4.7%). It has been hopped with Styrian Goldings, and the yeast (as I already mentioned) has been harvested from a bottle of Lente Blond. Let’s see what it tastes like!

[easyreview title=”Juhani’s #42 Blonde Ale” cat1title=”Appearance” cat1detail=”The beer pours with a brilliantly clear golden color, and a large fluffy white head, that collapses quite slowly. Nice appearance! The second pour was hazier, as I poured in some yeast as well.” cat1rating=”4.5″ cat2title=”Smell” cat2detail=”The aroma is spicy, phenolic, yeasty and has slight fruit notes as well. The aroma reminded me quite a bit of the Tripel I brewed last December. No off-aromas, and it would be hard to tell this is a homebrew from the aroma alone. Typical Belgian-like aroma, difficult to give any tips for improvement. As the beer warms up you can pick up some alcohol notes as well despite the low ABV.” cat2rating=”3.5″ cat3title=”Taste” cat3detail=”The flavor begins with a slightly honey-like, almost sweet, maltiness, and also features many of the tones present in the aroma. There are spicy and phenolic yeast tones (reminding me of coriander), together with a slightly citrusy and grassy hoppiness. The finish is quite dry and has a subtle bitterness. The flavors are quite well balanced, but the spicy yeastiness is definitely in the center. With the second pour they become even more evident.” cat3rating=”3.5″ cat4title=”Mouthfeel” cat4detail=”The beer has a medium-light body with a medium-high carbonation level. Quite refreshing and definitely a nice beer for the summer!” cat4rating=”4″ summary=”Overall a really nice Belgian-style blonde ale, that is both refreshing and tasty. Can’t find many faults in this, just some slight alcohol notes in the aroma, which are acceptable for the style. This is gonna be a good beer for the summer! Good job!”]

  • Brewery: Juhani’s homebrewery
  • Country: Finland
  • Style: Abbey Dubbel
  • ABV: ?
  • Size: 330 ml
  • Bought from: Gift
  • Not on Beer Advocate
  • Not on RateBeer

 

Next up is the Dubbel. I unfortunately have no information about this brew, but if I remember correctly Juhani added some Orval dregs to this batch, so it should contain some Brettanomyces bruxellensis. Should be interesting, since I haven’t had many Brett beers before!

[easyreview title=”Juhani’s #24 Dubbel” cat1title=”Appearance” cat1detail=”The beer pours with a slightly hazy dark amber color, and a cream-colored head that quickly collapses.” cat2title=”Smell” cat2detail=”The aroma is a lot subtler than the last beer, with much less phenolic yeast, and more tones of dark fruits and red berries. There is a strange off-aroma as well that I have noticed in some of Juhani’s beers before, reminding me a bit of plastic.” cat3title=”Taste” cat3detail=”The flavor begins with a sweet maltiness, drawing to tones of dark fruits, red berries and raisins, but it is quickly taken over by a plastic-like (maybe even burnt) flavor that could be detected in the aroma as well. Not sure what the origin of this off-flavor is, but have tasted it in some of his earlier beers before, but beers from his latest batches have been free from it.” cat4title=”Mouthfeel” cat4detail=”A medium body and carbonation level, with a slightly acidic/astringent bite.” summary=”Unfortunately it seems as if there was something wrong with this beer, as the plastic-like aroma and flavor made it impossible for me to finish the bottle. If it is from an infection via contaminated gear, Juhani has hopefully been able to get rid of it, as I haven’t tasted it in his recent batches.”]

  • Brewery: Juhani’s homebrewery
  • Country: Finland
  • Style: Imperial Stout
  • ABV: 9.5%
  • Size: 330 ml
  • Bought from: Gift
  • Not on Beer Advocate
  • Not on RateBeer

 

The last beer of the night is the Imperial Stout. I have limited information on this brew as well, but it has been fermented with Westmalle yeast (harvested from a bottle?), aroma-hopped with Amarillo, and it should have an IBU around 90 and an EBC of around 115. I think it contains malt extracts, but am not fully certain.

[easyreview title=”Juhani’s #28 Ryssänpelko Imperial Stout” cat1title=”Appearance” cat1detail=”The beer pours pitch-black with a compact tan-colored head that collapses quite slowly.” cat1rating=”4″ cat2title=”Smell” cat2detail=”The aroma is dominated by tones of roasted malt, coffee, vanilla, coffee, and caramel. I couldn’t really detect anything from the Belgian yeast in the aroma. There is some alcohol in the aroma as well.” cat2rating=”4″ cat3title=”Taste” cat3detail=”The flavor begins with roasted flavors drawing from roasted malt, coffee, dark chocolate and ash. The flavors are then coupled with some caramel and vanilla. The finish is sweet and quite bitter. The bitterness is smooth and I wish it was a bit more pronounced, even though it apparently should be around 90. The flavors are quite balanced, but the roastiness is definitely in the center. Really nice! Only complaints are that the roastiness is just slightly astringent, and it seems just slightly one-dimensional.” cat3rating=”4″ cat4title=”Mouthfeel” cat4detail=”The beer has a full body and medium carbonation level. This is definitely a slow-sipper. The astringency draws away some points.” cat4rating=”3.5″ summary=”Overall a really nice Imperial Stout, and the flavors are definitely down my alley with the roasty coffee-like tones. Liked this a lot more than the last Imperial Stout I tasted from Juhani, and this was my favorite of the trio. The beer was missing some complexity, and was a little astringent, but otherwise not much I would change. Maybe raise the bitterness just a bit? Otherwise, a great beer!”]

Thanks Juhani for the beer!

Founders Breakfast Stout

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  • Brewery: Founders Brewing Company
  • Country: USA
  • Style: Imperial Stout (Oatmeal Stout)
  • ABV: 8.3 %
  • Size: 355 ml
  • Bought from: Online, 5 euros?
  • Beer Advocate
  • RateBeer

    •  

    A rich and complex Imperial Stout might be a strange beer to drink on a warm summer night, but after some really hoppy and bitter IPAs I felt the urge for a chocolatey and coffee-like Imperial Stout. I tried this (legendary) Double Chocolate Coffee Oatmeal Stout during my trip to Amsterdam in January, and immediately fell in love. I also tried brewing my own version of it in January, and it turned out surprisingly good. This Imperial Stout has been brewed with flaked oats, chocolate, cacao nibs, and Sumatra and Kona coffee, to give it a thick mouthfeel combined with flavors of chocolate and coffee. Only bacon missing, and this would be a perfect breakfast. The bottle also features artwork of a baby eating from a bowl on the label, and this label caused the beer to be banned from Systembolaget in Sweden. For the same reasons we will probably never see this beer at (Arkadia) Alko either. The bitterness is reported at 60 IBU. Hopefully this tastes as good as I remember!

    [easyreview title=”Founders Breakfast Stout” cat1title=”Appearance” cat1detail=”The beer pours pitch black with a thick consistency, and a tan-colored head is formed, that collapses quite quickly without leaving any lacing.” cat1rating=”4″ cat2title=”Smell” cat2detail=”The aroma is dominated by tones of coffee, dark chocolate, roasted malts, licorice and caramel. Fantastic aroma if you are a fan of these kind of darker complex Imperial Stout tones. Bordering to a 5.” cat2rating=”4.5″ cat3title=”Taste” cat3detail=”The flavor is dominated by similar tones present in the aroma. Coffee, chocolate, roasted malts, caramel, ash and the slightest dark fruits come together in a bittersweet harmony. The finish is semi-sweet and quite bitter, but the flavors play together very well. The coffee and chocolate go great together, and even though they dominate the flavor, they don’t take over completely. As the beer warms up, the alcohol sweetness becomes more evident, and the flavors become stronger.” cat3rating=”5″ cat4title=”Mouthfeel” cat4detail=”The beer has a very smooth and full body and medium-low carbonation level. The beer feels thick as well, and as it passes through the mouth you can feel it stick to the roof of the mouth. This is definitely a slow-sipper, a not something you want to have a warm summer day on the beach.” cat4rating=”4″ cat5title=”Overall” cat5detail=”A fantastic beer, that was as tasty as I remembered. The aroma and flavor are complex and full-packed with dark roasted tones that go together fantastically. The coffee and chocolate are present, and balance perfectly with the roasted malts and bitterness. A very drinkable beer for being this big. I haven’t had the chance to try out too many Founders beers, but they seem to know what they are doing. If you ever get the chance to try it out, do it!” cat5rating=”4.5″ overall=”false”]

    Beer Tasting Evening

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    I organized another beer tasting event together with a couple of friends (Kimmo, Marcus L. and Marcus N.) yesterday, and this time we tasted through a total of 21 different beers (we had 24 beers total, but didn’t taste through them all). Out of the 21 beers, 8 were homebrews (one of my own, two from Marcus L., and five that our Swedish friend Ingo had sent us; Thanks for them!). Most of the beers were fantastic and we had a great time. We also had some tasty homemade hamburgers and potato wedges to fill out stomachs between the beers (thanks Marcus L. and Marcus N. for making them!). Here is a picture of the whole line-up:

    The line-up included:
    Back row, left to right: Cigar City Jai Alai, St. Feuillien Saison, Black Isle Goldeneye Pale Ale (not tasted), La Trappe Witte (not tasted), Southern Tier Iniquity, Green Flash Imperial IPA, Bear Republic Big Bear Black Stout, Southern Tier Backburner, Norrebro Pacific Summer Ale, De Molen Hemel & Aarde, Brewdog IPA is Dead – Galaxy, Brewdog IPA is Dead – Challenger, Brewdog IPA is Dead – Motueka, Brewdog IPA is Dead – HBC, Brewdog Hardcore IPA (not tasted), Brewdog DogA.

    Front row, left to right: “1 AM” – British Yeast, “1 AM” – American Yeast, Citra IPA (mine), Slinka V IPA, PMX II – Sällskapsporter, PraktPretto II – Ale, Slinka V IPA (again), Zum Zum, Grabthar’s Hammer – Imperial India Pale Ale.

    We began the evening by trying out Brewdog’s IPA is Dead series:

    The beers poured with a similar golden-amber color and a slight white head that left some lacing. The Galaxy version was slightly hazier than the rest of the bunch. The Challenger version featured an earthy, grassy and slightly citrusy aroma, that pulled my mind towards ‘English’-style ales directly. The flavor was the least hoppy of the bunch, and you could get tones of caramel, toasted malt and red berries, along with the earthy and herby hoppiness. The Galaxy version had an aroma featuring tones of mango, passion fruit and grapefruit. The flavor was similar, featuring strong tones of grapefruit, citrus, resin and some tropical fruits. The bitterness of the Galaxy version felt the harshest and most present. The HBC version also featured tones of tropical fruits (mango) in the aroma, but had more of a grassy feel. The flavor felt the sweetest of the four beers, and featured tones of citrus, currants and some grassiness. The Motueka version featured tones of dill and lemon in the aroma, and it reminded me a bit of the tones you get from the Sorachi Ace hop. The flavor contained some tones of tropical fruits alongside the lemon which was present in the aroma already. The beers all had a medium body and a medium-low carbonation level. My favorite of the bunch was the Galaxy version.

    Next up was a foursome of homebrews (My Citra IPA, and Ingo’s Slinka V IPA, Zum Zum and PraktPretto II):

    Again the beers had a similar appearance, all being slightly hazy, having colors in the golden-amber range and having white to off-white heads. The Citra IPA featured tones of passion fruits, lychee, mango and some alcohol in the aroma. The flavor began slightly sweet, with honey-like tones, which are joined by hop tones of tropical fruits. The finish is quite smooth and with some bitterness. The beer had a medium body and medium carbonation level. Slinka V IPA featured tones of caramel and ‘fruity bubblegum’ in the aroma. The flavor was quite different, moving towards resiny and earthy hop flavors, and a bitter finish. The beer had a medium body and low carbonation level. Zum Zum was a little strange, as according to the label it should have been a beer with a low IBU but loads of hops (I was expecting a beer in the style of an American Pale Ale), but it felt more like a Hefeweizen. Both the aroma and flavor was dominated by spicy phenols, some banana and yeastiness, which are typical of the Hefeweizen-style. The beer had a light body and a medium carbonation level. I wonder if this was infected? PraktPretto II (an English Ale, hopped with EK Goldings, 5.9%, 30 IBU, 1.055->1.010) featured earthy and grassy tones in the aroma, and it felt very true to the style. There was some cherry in the aroma as well. The began with a sweet maltiness, that was joined by some earthiness. The flavors were well balanced. The beer had a medium-light body and a medium carbonation level. This was my favorite of these three Ingo beers.

    After this it was time to try two of Alko’s summer beers, St. Feuillien Saison and Norrebro Pacific Summer Ale, and Marcus L.’s two homebrews (the same Amber Ale base, but fermented with S-04 and US-05):

    The saison poured golden-yellow with a fluffy white head. The aroma was mostly spicy (Belgian yeast tones), with some slight citrus. The flavor was quite light, with the same spicyness from the aroma and a dry finish. The body was light and carbonation level was medium-high. Refreshing summer beer. The Norrebro Pacific Summer Ale poured golden-amber, with a minimal white head. The aroma contained tones of caramelly malt, honey, and a slight fruity hoppiness. The flavor was similarly malt-dominated, with bready and caramelly flavors dominating, with a slight grassy hoppiness in the background. The finish was quite dry with not much bitterness. The body was medium-light with a medium carbonation level. The “1 AM” ales were amber colored, with slight off-white heads and a oily texture. Both beers had a caramelly and malty aroma, with the British version having some red berries in the aroma as well, while the American version had some ‘dishcloth’ tones as well. Both beers were quite bland in flavor, featuring mostly maltiness and some sour undertones. Both beers had a light body and medium carbonation level. Both were probably passed their prime unfortunately.

    After this we started to get hungry, so we cooked up some burgers and potato wedges. While cooking we enjoyed Cigar City’s Jai Alai IPA (unfortunately no picture or tasting notes, but see this post from when I tried it last), full-packed with citrusy hoppiness. After dinner we moved to the heavier beers, and poured up Ingo’s Grabthar’s Hammer (9%, 101 IBU, 1.086->1.018, Amarillo, Riwaka, Cascade, Chinook, and Summer hops), Green Flash Imperial IPA, Southern Tier Iniquity and Southern Tier Backburner:

    Grabthar’s Hammer poured with a hazy amber color and a white head. The aroma featured tones of sweet tropical fruits, citrus and slight alcohol (the aroma was similar to his Slinka V IPA). The flavor began with a sweet maltiness, that is joined by tones of tropical fruits and citrus. The finish is quite sweet with a huge bitterness. There are slight solvent tones present as well. The beer has a medium body and medium-low carbonation level. Green Flash Imperial IPA poured with a golden color and a really fluffy and large white head, that collapsed leaving tons of lacing. The aroma featured a sweet citrusy and herby tone, that felt really familiar, but that none of us could pinpoint. Maybe it was tangerine, which Summit hops are known for. The flavor was dominated by hoppy tones of resin and lemon, and the finish was quite sweet and bitter. The beer had a medium body and medium carbonation level. Southern Tier Iniquity (Black IPA) poured very dark brown (almost black), with a off-white head. The aroma contained tones of roasted malt, spices and a slight hoppiness. The flavor began with some roasted tones and caramel, and it was joined by some resiny hop tones and a bitter finish. The beer had a medium body and medium carbonation level. Southern Tier Backburner (Barleywine) poured with a dark amber color, and a slight off-white head was formed. The aroma was nutty, malty and caramelly, and the flavor was similar. The flavor was dominated by very sweet caramelly tones, together with a nutty maltiness and a slightly bitter finish. The beer had a full body and a medium-low carbonation level.

    The final beers of the evening were the Imperial Stouts and Porter. Brewdog’s Dog A, De Molen Hemel & Aarde, Bear Republic Big Bear Black Stout and Ingo’s PMX II Sällskapsporter (6.8%, 30 IBU, Magnum, EK Goldings, 1.062->1.010). Fortunately I had read warning notes on the internet about opening the Hemel & Aarde, as when we opened it in the kitchen sink, 75% of the contents came out in a beer fountain.

    Dog A poured pitch black with a minimal tan head. The aroma featured tones of roasted malt, coffee, chocolate and some fruitiness from the chili. The flavor was intensive, featuring roasted malt, coffee, caramel, chocolate and some warming chili tones. The beer had a full body and a surprising amount of carbonation (medium level). It was very drinkable already, but I think it will improve with some aging. Hemel & Aarde was a bit hard to comment on, because of the small amount of beer that remained for tasting. It was also pitch black and no head was formed during pour. The aroma was full of smokey whisky tones and some roastiness. The flavor was similar. The beer had a full body and low carbonation level. Shame about the gusher, since it would have been nice to try more of this beer. The Big Bear Black Stout poured pitch black with a cream-colored head. The aroma was quite light compared to the previous two beers, and it featured tones of roasted malt and coffee. The flavor was also surprisingly light, with roasted tones of coffee and chocolate. A slight tartness was present as well. The beer had a medium body and medium carbonation level. The Sällskapsporter also tried to come out of the bottle when opening, so it poured with a black color and a massive cream-colored head that collapsed quite quickly. The aroma was quite light, with some roasted malt and coffee, together with a slight sourness. The flavor was mostly roasted malts, with a very dry finish and slight bitterness. The body was medium-light with a medium-high carbonation level. I wonder if this was infected as well?

    Overall I’m very happy with the evening, as there were some fantastic beers. Personal favorites were Brewdog IPA is Dead Galaxy, Cigar City’s Jai Alai, Green Flash Imperial IPA and Brewdog Dog A.

    Juhani’s Imperial Stout (Homebrew)

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    • Brewery: Juhani’s Homebrewery
    • Country: Finland
    • Style: Imperial Stout
    • ABV: ?
    • Size: 330 ml
    • Bought from: Gift
    • Not on Beer Advocate
    • Not on RateBeer

     

    Today it’s time to try a homebrewed Imperial Stout, brewed by Juhani (a homebrewer who lives a couple hundred meters from me). It will be interesting to try someone else’s homebrewed beer, as I’ve only tried other people’s homebrews a couple of times earlier. The crown cap is marked “#18B P”, so am assuming this is his 18th batch? I unfortunately don’t have any further details on the beer (e.g. ingredients etc.). So let’s see what it tastes like! Thanks Juhani for the bottle!

    [easyreview title=”Juhani’s Imperial Stout (Homebrew)” cat1title=”Appearance” cat1detail=”The bottle opens with a nice poof, and foam starts gushing out of the bottle immediately. After letting the bottle settle a couple of minutes in the kitchen sink, the beer pours pitch-black, with a slight cream-colored head, that quickly collapses, leaving no lacing along the glass.” cat1rating=”3.5″ cat2title=”Smell” cat2detail=”The aroma is dominated by tones of roasted malt and dark fruits. There is slight alcohol present in the aroma as well. Overall, the aroma is nice, but wished it would have been a bit stronger and less pronounced in the ‘dark fruit’-department (but that is just my own personal taste, and not a flaw in the beer). As the beer warms up, the alcohol in the aroma becomes more evident.” cat2rating=”3.5″ cat3title=”Taste” cat3detail=”The flavor is similar to the aroma, with roasted malts, ash, and dark fruits dominating. There is a slight spiciness in the background as well. The finish is quite dry and has a nice bitterness. Again, the dark fruits are not entirely to my own liking, but still nice flavor.” cat3rating=”3.5″ cat4title=”Mouthfeel” cat4detail=”The body is medium-full, with a moderate-high carbonation level. Unfortunately the carbonation level is too high both for my own taste and the style in general, and it makes drinking the beer a bit more difficult.” cat4rating=”3″ summary=”Overall a good Imperial Stout, that unfortunately has a couple of flaws (too high carbonation and a bit too dry finish), which makes drinking it a bit difficult. It featured some nice aroma and flavors, but I personally like Imperial Stouts with more coffee, chocolate and hop tones to them, hence the lower points. Having no idea what the recipe is, I think the beer would do better with a slightly lower fermentation temperature (to remove some of the alcohol from the aroma), some chocolate malt, a higher mash temperature, and less carbonation. Looking forward to trying more of Juhani’s beer! Thanks again for the bottle!”]