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. 

Blackbeard's Breakfast

From a culinary and historical perspective, one might conclude that "Blackbeard's Breakfast" may have been something slightly better than what pirates typically ate while sailing the high seas in the 17th and 18th centuries.  For the average pirate, a meal might have included hardtack or a ship biscuit, a hard square of flour and water.  If there was meat, it usually took the form of salted and dried beef, which, after the curing process was complete, resembled bark off of a black oak tree. 

While pirates may have carved that "black oak" into belts or buttons, the brewers at Heavy Seas produced a thick black porter called "Blackbeard's Breakfast." The brewers describe it as a "robust porter with a new world twist." The beer is brewed with UK Pale, UK Amber, Vienna, Light Crystal, Dark Crystal, Chocolate and Dark malts, along with Target and East Golding Hops. The twist is that it is aged in bourbon barrels and brewed with Dark Sumatra coffee from a local roaster, Chesapeake Bay Roasting Company. The beer is then finished with house made caramel and salt.

Blackbeard's Breakfast pours pitch black, like that salted beef that would have been handed out to pirates as food.  The aromatic elements were a little difficult to ascertain, but there was definitely a hint of the roasted coffee.  

When it comes to the taste of the porter, the brewers describe strong notes of caramel and slight nut character.  With each sip, the character comes forward.  It is definitely worthy of a pirate, as the bourbon is very forward in the beginning, receding slightly as the beer warms (or as the pirate becomes more soused).  The roasted coffee notes become more pronounced as the bourbon recedes, with even a slight note of black pepper in the background.  

Blackbeard's Breakfast is an Imperial Coffee Porter that is brewed by Heavy Seas as a limited release.  The beer is usually available in February of each year. 

ENJOY!

The Nefarious Ten Pin

"It takes character to brew beer with character."  So say the brewers at Ska Brewing in Durango, Colorado.  I have previously reviewed one of Ska Brewing's beers, the Decadent IPA, which had a lot of character.  The Decadent IPA is one of the "Robust Reincarnations" brewed regularly by Ska Brewing.  Another such reincarnation is the Nefarious Ten Pin Imperial Porter.

Just like the Decadent, I would buy this based on label alone (if I in fact bought beer based upon the labels).  Adorning the ska skeleton with a crown and a robe, as well as providing a mace topped with a golden pin, that image could catch my attention from across a store.  

However, no beer can be judged on the label alone; instead, the beer should be judged according to standards such as the Beer Judge Certification Program ("BCJP").  However, the BJCP does not have style standards for imperial porters such as the Nefarious Ten Pin.  The BCJP relegates imperial porters to the catch-all category of "specialty beers." 

Notwithstanding the lack of guidelines, there are expectations, which this imperial porter easily satisfies.  The Nefarious Ten Pin pours a near black color, with a thin, wispy foam that coats the surface.  The brewers describe this beer as "creamy, chocolaty sweet with hints of coffee and bing cherry."   The description is largely correct.  The roasted malts used in the brewing of this beer provides a nice coffee aroma to the beer.  The aroma also has elements of chocolate, but that element is much more prominent in the flavor.  The beer is creamy and smooth, with a good amount of chocolate flavor.  There was a sweetness to the taste of this beer, which helps it to stand out from other imperial porters.  

The brewers suggest that this beer pairs well with sweet, rich desserts, like cheesecake and chocolate.  Others offer some more interesting pairings, such as pizza and Thai cuisine. I am not sure that any imperial porter goes well with either pizza or Thai cuisine, but pairing often turns on individual senses and preferences.  

In any event, this beer has limited distribution east of the Mississippi.  I have been able to find it at beer stores in Chicago, but not in any stores further east.  Still, if you see a bottle, it is worth a try, even if you do not pair it with pizza.  

ENJOY!

Flying Dog Gonzo Imperial Porter

There is something to be said about a brewery whose motto is a quote from Hunter S. Thompson, "good people drink good beer." I think of myself as a good person.  And Flying Dog has some really good beers.  The brewery puts out a range of beers, including the "pack" of year-around beers and seasonal beers.  But it is the Canis Major series, beers like the Double Dog Double Pale Ale and the Horn Dog Barleywine that are true standouts.

Another standout Canis Major beer is the Gonzo Imperial Porter. A run-of-a-mill porter is generally dark, with some taste of roastiness, with flavors like chocolate, coffee, or caramel.  An Imperial Porter is usually pitch black, and very roasty, with substantial flavors of chocolate and coffee.  And that best sums up the Gonzo.

As you can see from the picture, it pours black, with a little foam.  The beer is smooth, but not subtle.  With every sip, you can taste the deep flavors of the beer, which come from the Crystal, Chocolate and Black malts used in the brewing process.  You can also taste the alcohol.  The beer's ABV is about 9.2%  The beer is also a little bitter, with an IBU of 85, coming from Warrior, Northern Brewer and Cascade hops.  Flying Dog increased the IBU by dryhopping the beer with, in the brewer's words, "a shitload of cascade hops."

Imperial porters are a rare breed.  Not every craft brewer makes this style and those who do, usually do it right.  Flying Dog does it right with this beer and I recommend it for those who like darker beers.  You can find this beer in stores that generally carry Flying Dog.

ENJOY!