Dogfish Head Bourbon Barrel Aged Worldwide Stout

Dogfish Head debuted its World Wide Stout back in 1999. The brewers offered not just a stout, but one that set itself apart from the entire family of stout beers. Most stouts are pitch black, with a strong malt backbone, and usually aromatic and taste elements that feature chocolate, coffee, cocoa, or roasted grains. They are also generally low in ABV, ranging from 4% to 6% but could go as high as 8% to 12% if it is an imperial stout.

Dogfish Head and its brewers sought to transcend even the imperial stout with its World Wide Stout. Everything about this beer is more than the average stout. Somehow, the beer appears more black than a typical stout. Its aromas feature deeper tones of coffee and roasted grains. Its flavors feature fuller notes of the same elements. And, as for its ABV, that runs anywhere from 15% to 20%. For that reason, the World Wide Stout is basically an experience onto its own. 

But, the brewers have not rested with simply the World Wide Stout. They have continued to experiment with the beer, producing versions of the stout like a Barrel Aged World Wide Stout. As a fan of barrel aged beers, I bought a four pack when I was at Dogfish Head's brewpub in Rehoboth Beach. I also did what the brewers suggest, cellaring the beer for a period of time. Now, I have had a chance to enjoy the beer, and, like its predecessors, the Bourbon Barrel Aged World Wide Stout is that singular experience. 

The beer pours pitch black, like motor oil or obsidian. The aromatic elements feature more of the bourbon barrel, which is not unexpected with barrel aged beers, but also a strong alcohol presence (which is also not unexpected given its 18.3% ABV). There are hints, not of coffee or chocolate, but of a boozy fruit, like blackberries or cherries, which I found to be interesting. Those elements came through in flavor as well, providing an unexpected sweetness.

As with anything that has a very high ABV, this is a beer for sipping and enjoying over a longer period of time. It is definitely worth the experience, even though it can be quite pricey in the store. Still, it is worth purchasing to try and keep around whenever you want to just sit back and relax.  Until next time ...

PEACE.

Blackbeard's Breakfast (Revisited)

"On your way now. And tell the world that you sailed with Blackbeard."

- Blackbeard

If one sailed with Blackbeard, what would one eat? Historical accounts noted that, generally, pirate vessels generally stocked themselves with meat, vegetables and perhaps even fruit. There are stories of how one pirate - Francois L'Onnais - offered in 1666 to leave the port of Maracaibo if he was supplied with 500 head of cattle. Another pirate, Henry Morgan raided a Cuban town seeking a ransom of 500 cattle. Even when they were successful, pirates still had issues. For example, what do you do with 500 cattle at sea? The possible answer lies with another pirate, Jean Tocard, who occupied the Mexican port city of Tampico in 1682 for the purpose of slaughtering cattle. 

Notwithstanding these stories about cattle, the cuisine aboard a pirate ship could hardly be equated with the menu of a steakhouse. Fresh ingredients don't last long with the salty air of the open seas. After the first few days or weeks, the menu aboard a pirate ship would feature more salted and pickled options than fresh meat or vegetables. That fresh steak would have more likely been a salted strip of jerky better used as a belt than as something that could be digested in a stomach.

I write all of this because I got to thinking about this question as I poured a bottle of Blackbeard's Breakfast, a porter brewed by Heavy Seas Brewing just outside of Baltimore, Maryland. What would Blackbeard's breakfast actually look like? Once I took a sip of the beer, those thoughts quickly subsided.

Instead, I got lost in the pitch black color of the porter, graced only by the caramel notes of the foam. Those are shades or hues that probably resembled the salted, jerked meat ate by pirates after weeks at sea. In any event, the brewers note that the beer is their take on an imperial porter, and, in that regard, an oily black beer is right on target. 

The Blackbeard's Breakfast also hits all of the other notes for an imperial porter. There were the aromatic elements of the roasted malts, twisting together with the aroma of the dark Sumatra coffee from Chesapeake Bay Roasting Company. (I always like it when brewers incorporate local ingredients and locally-owned businesses as part of the creativity in the brewing process.) I could also get the faint whiffs of the alcohol coming from the beer being aged in bourbon barrels. That aging also made its way into the taste of the beer, with a strong bourbon backbone upon which the coffee notes and roasted malt flavors were layered, as well as the ABV, which is 10%.

Heavy Seas' Blackbeard Breakfast is perhaps one of the best imperial porters that I have had in recent memory. In fact, it may the best one that I have had in a very long time. If you can find it on a store's shelf, it is definitely worth the price. However, given it is only a limited release, chances are one will have to wait ... just like a pirate ... for a fresh new release.

ENJOY!

P.S. As it turns out, I previously reviewed Heavy Seas' Blackbeard's Breakfast over two years ago. I did not realize that fact until after I posted this review. In any event, the previous review can be found here. 

The Cuivre

Over the past several years, I have reviewed over 180 beers.   My general rule is that I review only beers that I like.  (As the old saying goes, if you have nothing good to say, don't say it.)  Quite a few times in the past, I have said to myself, "this is the best beer that I have had."  As I write this post, I find myself saying that again.  The beer in question is the Cuivre, the seventh anniversary ale brewed by The Breuery.  

This is not my first encounter with a beer from The Breuery.  I have previously reviewed the Saison de Lente, a Belgian style saison, The unique characteristic of that beer, according to the brewers, was the use of Brettanomyces or wild yeast.  While I liked that beer, it was not one of the best that I ever had for that style, whether a saison or a brett beer.  That award would go to Birrificio del Ducato for its Nuova Mattina (Belgian-Style Saison, which is also a finalist for one of my all-time favorites) and the Orval (breet beer).  

But when it comes to an English Old Ale, the Cuivre is the best one that I have ever had.  The Cuivre is the seventh anniversary ale for the brewery, "loosely brewed in the English-style old ale tradition" using the "house Belgian yeast strain" and then blended using the solara method.  I learned a lot about this method back in 2006, when I was in Emilia Romagna and visited Acetaia del Tuono, which used that method to produce balsamic vinegar.  The solera method requires a series of barrels, each one filled with the product at a particular interval, such as a year.  Eventually, you have the oldest vintage, followed by the next, and the next, until you get to the youngest vintage.  Some of the oldest vintage is removed from the barrel and bottled.  That barrel is then filled with some from the second oldest vintage.  The barrel with the second oldest vintage is filled with some from the third oldest vintage and so on.  This method is commonly used for balsamic vinegar, wine and brandy.  Not so much for beer. 

The solera process is what gives the Cuivre its distinct personality and sets the beer apart from nearly every other beer.  The Cuivre is not so much a beer, as it is a digestif like brandy.  

The Cuivre pours a dark earth brown, like newly tilled, moist soil right before the first planting.  As the beer rests in the glass, aromatic elements of sherry, leather and tanned hide greet the nostrils.  These are not typical ethers one would expect from a beer.  There are more common elements, such as oak and vanilla there as well.  The aroma provides a warning.  This is not a beer that is to be consumed quickly.  It is to be sipped, enjoyed slowly over the course of the night.  

That warning is reinforced by the taste of the Cuivre.  The beer contained many of the notes that were present in the taste of the beer.  There was a lot of boozy dark fruit, such as plums and figs, along with sugar, vanilla and notes in the beer.  Although I don't drink brandy, I would think that there was some brandy notes as well.  There was definitely some notes that could be likened to that digestif.  

The Cuivre is an excellent beer and, like the Nuova Mattina, would be among the finalists for one of my all-time favorites.  It is too bad that this beer was brewed for the 7th Anniversary of The Bruery.  It makes me wish that every day for The Bruery could be its 7th Anniversary.  Until next time ...

ENJOY!

Crime

Beers brewed with peppers are quaint.  And I have tried many in my time.  Some draw inspiration from Oaxacan Moles, such as New Holland's El Mole Ocho or Ska Brewing's Mole Stout, which inevitably include the use of chiles like ancho peppers.   Other brewers just brew beers with chiles, like Rogue's Chipotle Ale.  With these beers, it is more about the heat, rather than the style.  

While I love Mole beers, I have to say I am also a big fan of the chile beers as well.  That is what drew me to Stone Brewing's Crime, a supped up version of its Arrogant Bastard.  The Crime is a blend of the Arrogant Bastard and the Oaked Arrogant Bastard, both of which are aged in Kentucky bourbon barrels and then finished with jalapeno, serrano other chile peppers.  The brewers produced this beer for, in their words, "those who adore both pain and pleasure (but mostly pain), those who should know better and those who don't know better."  They continue, "[t]he result is something unsuitable for the faint of heart, mind or palate."

Well, I am certainly not one who is faint of heart, mind or palate, especially when it comes to chiles.  I have over a dozen different types of peppers and chiles in my spice drawer and pantry, covering the entire range of the Scoville scale.  So, I'm game for this beer.

I bought a bottle of Stone's Crime, 2015 version. According to the brewers, the beer is "hoppy with lots of oak and malt."  I would agree with that assessment.  The hops are clearly present up front, competing with the peppers' piquancy.  The malts are present as well, but they definitely play a second fiddle.  This role is not only secondary to the hops and the peppers, but also the bourbon.  

As for the finish, the brewers note that there is a "[l]ong finish [that] reveals oak, vanilla, bourbon and malt that produce caramel flavors with peppers adding a pleasant tamarind, subtle tropical fruit flavors and significant heat."   Once again, the brewers are mostly on target.  There was definitely oak and bourbon, but I could also sense the vanilla.  These elements came together, and I somewhat sensed the a caramel flavor with a tamarind note.  I did not sense any tropical fruit flavors though.  There was, however, a good sting from the peppers.  Much of that heat was felt on the back of the palate and throat as the beer went down.  

Overall, this is a great beer and a good companion to Stone's Punishment, which I previously reviewed.  In some respects, this beer is better than Punishment because the chiles do not completely overwhelm the other aromatic and flavor elements.   Definitely worth a try.

ENJOY!

Barrel Aged Butcher and Brewer

It has been more than a year since I did a beer or wine review.  The reason is simple.  I was posting fewer and fewer recipes due to the lack of time that I had to write the posts.  I was also cooking less for a period of time, but I was still having a beer or a glass of wine.  I did not want Chef Bolek to become a beer or wine blog.  So, I decided to hold off on any further beer or wine reviews until I started cooking more and started posting more.  

Well, I am cooking more, but not posting more.  Nevertheless, I realized that a total hiatus of beer and wine reviews may not be a good thing.  This is particularly true when it comes to beers or wines I may never find again. i come across some beers and wine by happenstance.  One of those beers was the Big Belgo Bourbon Stout from Butcher and Brewer.

I was in Cleveland for a while about a year ago when I was in a local grocery store that just happens to have a large beer selection.  While I was perusing the beers, I came across one bottle of one beer that stuck out.  It was sandwiched between multiple selections from other breweries.  Just one beer.  For one brewer.  And it was a brewer that I had never heard of before. 

For those who know me, the name is something that naturally caught my attention.  Butcher and Brewer.  It is a local restaurant, market and brewery located in downtown Cleveland.  Its menu offers a range of cured meats and cheeses, along with small and big plates.  As for the beers, the Cleveland Brewing Company provides the brews, which run the gamut of styles.

The Big Belgo Bourbon Stout is a "Belgian-Russian" Imperial Stout that is aged in bourbon barrels.  I am not quite sure what is a "Belgian-Russian" Imperial Stout.  While the Belgians brew a variety of dark strong ales, I am not sure there is a history of Belgians brewing Russian Imperial Stouts (as that style originated in England). 

Nevertheless, this Belgo Bourbon Stout makes one forget about history and classification.The beer pours a pitch black, as one would expect a Russian Imperial Stout.  A thin foam builds up and quickly recedes to reveal the beautiful blackness beneath.  The aromatic elements of the beer feature the bourbon up front.  The mellow tones of the bourbon greet the nostrils, followed by a slight oak of the barrels and a little of the yeast.  As for the taste, it is first and foremost bourbon whisky.  The bourbon is such the star that it shines over the other elements, such as the yeast and malts.  Those back-up elements are there.  A slight note of coffee or chocolate lingers in the background.   I would have liked to have tasted a little more of the malt, but it could not make its way out of the bourbon.  

Overall, this is a very good beer. As it turns out, this is not the first Belgo-Russian Imperial Stout that I have tried.  (I previously reviewed an offering from Stone.)  While I have grown to like the taste of bourbon in a stout, the strong bourbon presence makes this a definite sipping beer.  One that can be enjoyed while writing a review about it.  The beer definitely makes me want to return to Cleveland, and, check out the Butcher and Brewer in person.  If the beer is this good, I can only think of how good the charcuterie could be....

ENJOY!

Owning a Full Sail

Recently, a very good friend brought a bottle of the Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout  from Full Sail Brewing over to the Savage Boleks' household.  He picked up the bottle because it is an independent, employee-owned brewery. (We both have devoted our professional careers to working to further and protect the rights of employees, individually and through labor unions.)   Back in 1999, Full Sail divvied itself amongst its forty-seven employees.  The move, which turned Full Sail Brewery into an employee-owned enterprise, is a move that the brewery believes to be one of its proudest moments.

But that is not Full Sail Brewing's only accomplishment.  Full Sail also has its own award-winning water treatment plant.  It also distributes spent grain to nearby farmers, uses sustainable filtration system, packages its products in recycled paperboard, and supports hundreds of charities and events throughout the year.  Clearly a long list of accomplishments for a relatively small brewery.

Turning to the Bourbon Barreled Aged Imperial Stout, this offering from Full Sail displays some of the best characteristics of wood-aged beer.  Obviously, aging beer in oak barrels imparts some wood aromas and/or flavors to the beer.  The key is what barrels to use.  When brewers use bourbon barrels, they are often looking to add some more sophisticated flavors such as vanilla, caramel, toffee, or cocoa.  The brewers at Full Sail used those bourbon barrels to great effect with this Imperial Stout.  The beer itself pours a dark, inky black, which is as dark as night.  There is an off-white foam that develops as the beer is poured but it recedes and gives way to the blackness of the beer.  As the beer is brought to the nose, there is a clear sense of strong roasted malts and provides a foreshadowing of the alcohol content in the beer.  Each sip of the beer presents a roasted, almost coffee flavor, that is paired with chocolate and cocoa powder.  The use of the bourbon barrels is done very well.  While the alcohol makes itself present in the aroma, it is much more subtle or subdued in the flavor of the beer. 

My friend bought this beer at a local beer and wine store.  Full Sail has done a lot to increase its distribution in recent years and its beers -- like this Imperial Stout -- can be found at beer stores with larger selections of craft beer. Many thanks to the very good friend who brought me this beer ... you know who you are.

ENJOY!

Shaggin in the Wood

A Scottish proverb says that "double drinks are good for drouth (or thirst)."  The brewers at Tyranena channeled that proverb with their Shaggin in the Wood, which combines Scotch Ale with Bourbon barrels (although, without the bourbon). This beer is another of Tyranena's "Brewers Gone Wild! series.  I have previously reviewed the Bitter Woman IPA, another of the series; and, while both beers are from the same series, the Shaggin in the Woods was much more interesting.  

The Shaggin in the Woods originated as another, uniquely-named beer, "Sheep Shagger."  The Sheep Shagger is a Scotch Ale, brewed with 2-Row, Pale, Amber, Brown, Promise and Smoked Malts, as well as Northern Brewer and Golding hops.  The brewer took the Sheep Shagger and aged seventy percent of it in bourbon barrels.  The aged beer was then blended with the remaining thirty percent to, as the brewer describes it, "harness the same big caramel malt notes and smokiness that made the Sheep Shagger delectable, with added elements of bourbon and wood."

Shaggin in the Wood pours a bronze, almost rust color.  As the beer warmed in the glass, I could sense aromas of oak and bourbon, with tones of caramel and malts wrapped around those two elements.  The oak predominated over the bourbon, but the reason may be that the bourbon was merely waiting for its time to shine.  

With each sip of the beer, the bourbon begins to emerge.  Although it was present in the first sip, it became more pronounced with each taste.  Other flavors that also emerged, such as caramel and toffee.  As I tried to identify each individual flavor, I was impressed with how each one melded together to provide an enjoyable taste.  Normally, I have some reservations about bourbon aged beers (primarily due to the fact that I do not drink bourbon).  However, this beer was very drinkable, even for people like myself who ordinarily steer clear from hard liquor.  

This beer is available at stores in Wisconsin and Illinois.  This beer came from a Binny's located in suburban Chicago.  

ENJOY!

The Beer That Does Not Exist ...

There is a beer that does not exist.  Search for it on the brewer's website and you are left with nothing.  Literally, nothing.

But there are rumors.  If the beer existed, it is a "robust stout," brewed in secret.  If the beer existed, the brewers trained the beer in bourbon barrels for four months.  Having passed that training, the beer faced its final test ... being bottled flat in a bottle and re-fermented with Champagne yeast.  That is, if the beer actually existed. 

There have been sightings.  Anywhere from 1,000 to 1,200 cases ... total during a year.  Those cases hide in the crowd of millions of barrels of Miller Genuine Draft, Rolling Rock and Bud Light.  Very rarely, individual bottles emerge on the store shelves, only to be strike at the hearts of beer aficionados and beer lovers, like myself.  

After one long and bad day, I was staring at the store shelves, looking at dozens of beers that I've seen in the past.  Then, I caught a glimpse of the beer that does not exist.  One bottle.  No price tag.  I turned to the employee stocking the shelves and asked him, what about this beer?  He said, it was the last bottle.  Someone asked the employee to set it aside, but the employee felt that he could not do that. The bottle re-emerged on the shelf.  I grabbed the bottle and, as I looked at the label, the employee explained that the store had gotten only one case, which had basically been sold within a couple of days.  There was only one bottle left.  I asked how much the beer cost, as if it actually mattered.  The decision had been made. 

So, I purchased a bottle of the beer that does not exist ... Brooklyn Black Ops.  The Brooklyn Brewery, and its head brewer Garrett Oliver, brew this beer in the style of a Russian Imperial Stout aged in Woodford Reserve bourbon barrels.  The brewer describes the beer as "creating big chocolate and coffee flavors with a rich underpinning of vanilla-like oak notes."  This description is actually an understatement.  

The Black Ops pours pitch black, with a caramel hued foam. The aroma gets the nose with Woodford bourbon and Madagascar vanilla.  Perhaps the aromas of Bourbon vanilla, i.e., vanilla from the island of Bourbon in the Indian Ocean.  Wherever the vanilla came from, its sweetness and alcohol warm the drinker before even the first taste.

The taste of this beer ranks as definitely one of the best barrel-aged beers that I have tasted and, one of the best beers that I have tried.   The chocolate, bourbon, and vanilla elements were clear and well-defined.  These flavors dominated the front and middle of each taste.  As the finish emerged, the coffee flavors arose and grabbed the edges of the tongue.  As the beer is consumed, the warmth from the 10.7% ABV becomes noticeable, or maybe that is just the smile of contentment.

With only 1,000 to 1,200 cases produced a year, the Black Ops is hard to find.  It is also quite expensive, at $25.99 a bottle.  However, in this case, the beer is definitely worth the price. 

ENJOY!

Widmer Brothers Barrel Aged Brrrbon

Oregon is home to a lot of craft breweries.  And I mean, a lot.  Like the most craft breweries per capita of any state in the nation.  One of the more well known Oregonian craft brewers is Widmer Brothers.  The Widmer Brothers -- Kurt and Rob Widmer -- have been brewing beer since 1984.  Their claim to fame is that they pioneered the American-style Hefeweizen.  That beer is quite successful, because you can find it at a lot of restaurants and bars across the country, not to mention in six packs in beer and wine stores.

Yet, Widmer Brothers Brewing is about more than a Hefeweizen.  The two brothers have what they call their Brothers' Reserve, which is a series of one-time beers.  The first two beers were Cherry Oak Dopplebock and the Prickley Pear Braggot.  But, as the days get shorter and colder, fruity beers are no longer "in season."  Instead, winter brews are in, and the third Brothers Reserve is a winter brew called Barrel Aged Brrrbon.

As the name suggests, this beer is aged in Kentucky bourbon barrels. But before one gets to aging the beer, the brewery starts with 2-Row Pale, Carapils, Caramel 10-L, Caramel 80-L, and Dark Chocolate malts, as well as Alchemy Hops for bittering, along with Simcoe and Cascade hops for aroma.  Once the brewing is completed, the beer is aged for four months in the bourbon barrels.

According to Widmer, when you drink this beer, you should be able to smell caramel and vanilla and taste the soft oak flavors with a sweet but subtly dry finish.  When one takes a sniff of this beer, they are greeted with a subtle, boozy whiff of bourbon, with the vanilla aroma.  As you stare into the dark brown beer before you, the beer looks like it has been aged.  The brown color has a look that suggests something more like a hard liquor than a beer.  Despite the aroma and the look, the beer does not overwhelm you with a bourbon taste (unlike some other bourbon-barrel aged beers that I've tried).  The bourbon flavor is smooth and complements the flavors that are typically found in a beer.  I have to say this is one of the better barrel aged beers that I've ever had and I would recommend it to someone who has not tried this style of beer before. 

As one would expect, the Barrel Aged Brrrbon has an ABV of 9.4%.  It comes in a 22 ounce bottle for about $12.99.  I found this beer at Whole Foods Market.  Given it is a limited, one-time production, it will become harder to find as time goes by. 

For more information about this beer, check out Widmer Brothers.

ENJOY!