Maryland Beer Reviews: Full Tilt Brewing Berger Cookie Chocolate Stout

I've been looking for ways to spruce up the blog and video reviews are something I've wanted to do for quite a long time. You would think that talking to a camera about beer is easy, but alas, it is quite the opposite. It took me 3 beers over two different nights to get this to be simply okay. Hopefully, I can grow into being in front of a camera and this will develop into something everyone will enjoy.

The Maryland beer I chose to review to open up 2014 was Full Tilt Brewing's Berger Cookie Chocolate Stout. Watch the video to hear my thoughts and if you have a Youtube account please subscribe to the channel.

Beer: Full Tilt Brewing Berger Cookie Chocolate Stout

Style: Sweet Stout

ABV: 6%

IBU: 36

BBB Beer of the Week: Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout 2012

I decided a few weeks ago that I wanted to start homebrewing a lot more often. I want to do this not so much for the beer, but for the practice. Five gallon batches take quite a bit of time to get rid of so I came up with a semi-solution that goes a little beyond giving away all of my booze. Obviously, in addition to drinking my own stuff, I also like to sample goods from the craft world at large. My commercial stock piles never get too big, but it gets big enough that it prevents me from making a quick enough dent into my homebrew stock. So, I decided that the only beer I will purchase for drinking in my house will be beers brewed in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and DC. Of course, when at a pub I'll gladly partake in whatever my little heart desires. With all that said, Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout came from my current stockpile and was something Deana gave to me for Valentines Day.

Style: Imperial Stout
ABV: 10%
IBU: 51

Appearance: Good lord this beer pours thick. I was amazed how thick it looked coming out of the bottle. For a second, I thought someone turned the gravity down in my house. What else could explain a pour that looked like it was happening in slow motion? Once poured, there wasn't much of a head to speak of. There was maybe half of a finger that was khaki colored and thick.

Nose: The nose on this one wasn't anything you haven't smelled in a stout before. There was the roasted malt, coffee,chocolate, a little black licorice/anise. You're also reminded how this stout earned the title imperial as the booze shines through.

Taste: The initial taste of Black Chocolate Stout was a bit overwhelming.  The mouthfeel was thick. Not surprising after the pour, but you definitely feel it while it's going down as well. I love letting Deana take a sip of my beers to get an idea of what she thinks. Most times, she goes in without any preconceived notions of what a beer should taste like. Her reaction to this stout was that it was "almost like you could chew it". Initially, I felt like the booze could have been hidden a little better and that the booze taste combined with the anise flavor came on very strong. However, after couple more sips it wasn't so shocking to my palate and I was able to manage it a bit better. Oddly enough, with this being called a chocolate stout I didn't see the chocolate playing a starring role. There was a touch of sweetness up front, but the finish was dominated by booze and it completely wiped away all the previous flavors I was experiencing. .

Final Verdict: Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout just seems to be one of those beers that was never meant to be friends with me. I didn't hate it. It just came across as not incredibly balanced and it won't be a beer I'll seek out again in the future.

DuClaw Naked Fish

If you've followed my blog at all you probably remember me referring to Sam Adams as the King of the Well Balanced Beer (or something along those lines). Seemingly every beer you try of theirs puts together the perfect flavor profile no matter the style. Well, if Sam Adams is King then DuClaw is next in line to the throne. Lately, I've been trying more and more of what DuClaw has to offer and nearly every beer leaves me impressed. They're all so full of flavor, and yet, they aren't overpowering at all. It's very impressive. Today, the beer we'll be discussing is their Naked Fish.

Style: Chocolate Raspberry Stout
ABV: 4.6%
IBU: 30

Appearance: It's not every day a Naked Fish turns you on, but that's only because you haven't seen it undressed and outside of the bottle. Pitch black with a massive khaki brown and bread like head, this beer is a real head turner. Even when I take into account the fact that all stouts look tasty to me, the head on this thing makes Naked Fish stand out as a great looking beer.

Nose: There were all kind of things going on with the aroma in Naked Fish, but nothing you wouldn't expect in a fruit stout. Roasted malt, biscuit, a little coffee, a touch of sweet fruit, and a dab of dark chocolate all come through. If that doesn't make you thirsty, then what are you doing ordering a Chocolate Raspberry Stout to begin with?

Taste: Naked fish is a smooth, easy drinker. Not an overly bitter Stout and not unnecessarily fruity either, Naked Fish is an extremely well balanced and drinkable beer. I don't always associate stouts with spring and summertime drinking, but this is one I can see being a go to stout all through the warmer months. In addition to the great flavor, I was also taken with the lighter body.

Final Verdict:  Naked Fish would make a great summer stout. If you're lucky enough to see this one sitting on any local shelves, be sure to pick yourself up a 6-pack. You won't be sorry.

BBB Beer of the Week: O'hara's Irish Stout

Recently, I was reading an article about Irish beers. When I began to think about all of the Irish Beer I had experience with, I quickly realized it wasn't very much. That needed to change and so I made a trip to the beer store and picked up a few different options. Up first, O'hara's Irish Stout.

Appearance: O'hara's Irish Stout has the classic stout appearance. It pours a beautiful cavernous black topped by a 4 or 5 finger khaki colored bready looking head. It's classic, but if you're a fan of a good stout it's totally inviting.

Nose: Again, the aroma is classic stout, but sometimes that's all you're really looking for. There are big hints of roasted malt, a little dark chocolate, and maybe a tiny bit of oat in there.

Taste: O'hara's Irish Stout is a great alternative to Guinness. If you're looking for an Irish beer but you're tired of going to the default of Guinness this beer really represents itself well. And truth be told, it's quite a bit tastier than the king of Irish beers. Just like the nose, the roasted malt is the biggest player here, but it's extremely well balanced. This is a stout that is smooth from start to finish and one I can definitely see myself becoming close friends with.

Style: Stout
ABV: 4.3%
IBU: ?

Final Verdict: I really enjoyed this beer. It's smooth, but with a great roasted malt backbone. The flavors are classic and very well done. I was looking to expand my Irish beer horizons and I'm glad I started here. It definitely showed me that there are some great alternatives to the obvious. O'hara's Irish stout is fantastic.