Beer!

[Ryan Ruck]

I'm going big tonight. In fact, this may be the highest ABV beer I've ever tried but I'd have to go back through my tasting notes here to see for sure.

Tonight I'm having a collab between Short Throw Brewing and, a brewery I haven't had anything from in a while, Evil Twin. This is Even More Nobility Imperial Stout.

It's no secret that Jeppe from Evil Twin likes to do it big, and that's the attitude we took with Even More Nobility. We took his Even More Jesus stout approach and flipped it over our Low Brow Nobility stout. Then we did it big by adding amounts of toasted coconut and maple syrup that approach ridiculous. But we're good with that. Huge dark chocolate Mounds meets maple glazed Long John vibes.

Poured the blackest of black into a Snifter with a smallish dark brown head. In addition to the highest ABV beer, this may also be the most black. Has a sweet aroma with a good bit of chocolate and maple combined with roasted coconut and a hint of coffee. LOTS of coconut in the flavor accompanied with sweet maple and chocolate. The body is so heavy it's downright chewy () and matches the whopping 15% ABV which is expertly hidden and only really comes through in a finishing warmth. If you didn't know how much of a punch this packs it could mess you up pretty easy! () A really fantastic brew!

[Ryan Ruck]

Sadly another weekend comes to a close, here and gone.

I'm going to close it out with one purchased alongside last night's review, another from Grainworks - It's Peanut Butter Chocolate Time

Internet veterans will get the name and can art!



(I actually took this pic since all the ones out there sucked )

Contains: Peanuts, lactose.

Where ya at? This luscious milk stout is made with real peanut and cocoa to bring home the magic of everyone's favorite combo. It's Peanut Butter Chocolate Time! There ya go!

Poured black (not as dark as Even More Nobility!) into a Snifter with a moderate tan head. BIG peanut butter smell with milk chocolate. The same goes for for the flavor. This is not at all complex but you're getting exactly what's advertised! The body is medium-heavy and this clocks in at 7.4% ABV. Pretty tasty brew and another good showing from Grainworks!

[Toad]

With the lactose, was it a sweet stout? (Not a fan of the Milk Stout genre.)

[Ryan Ruck]

With the lactose, was it a sweet stout? (Not a fan of the Milk Stout genre.)

Which one would that be?

I actually like milk stouts pretty well though sometimes they don't like me.

[Ryan Ruck]

The first measurable snow of the season seemed like a good time to pop open some Rusty Rail Snow Flyer



Poured black into a Snifter with a large, tan head. A definite chocolate and hazelnut aroma. Flavor is a bit on the light side with mostly chocolate and only a little hazelnut. Some sweet malt. Body is on the thinner side. ABV weighs in at 5.5%. Not bad at all.

[Ryan Ruck]

This chilly weekend is most definitely a stout weekend!

Tonight is on the left, tomorrow is on the right.



That's Epic's Big Bad Baptist Chocolate Mint Imperial Stout and Epic's Big Bad Baptist Double Jam Imperial Stout

We made Chocolate Mint with loads of fresh mint and boatloads of extra cacao nibs. The iconic chocolate & mint duo greet your taste buds first, then melt into a whiskey & coffee finish.

Poured pitch black into a Snifter with a sizable, dark brown head. Notable mint smell along with chocolate malt and a bit of booze. The chocolate is a lot more muted in the flavor than the mint. Not overly sweet. The body is medium heavy with a fairly robust 12.9% ABV. Pretty damn good! That said, I do think I like Southern Tier's Thick Mint a little bit more still.

[Ryan Ruck]

As mentioned, tonight is Double Jam!

Double Jam pours dark, like the cup of coffee you had with your toast this morning, but the notes of excessive blackberries and raspberries elevate the flavor similarly to the way a little bit of sugar does. This fruity Baptist is for berry lovers, coffee lovers, and beer lovers alike!

Poured black into a Snifter but not as dark as the Chocolate Mint with a slightly lighter brown head. Big berry scent with sweet chocolate. The berry flavor is mostly raspberry with chocolate and slight oak. Weighty body and an 11.6% ABV to go with it. Unsurprisingly, yet another great Big Bad Baptist.

[Ryan Ruck]

Kicking off the Super Bowl weekend!

Clown Shoes Exorcism At Sunset Imperial Stout

A priestly Party Crasher saw demonic evil strolling by The Sunset Grill, disguised as a dirty cretin sporting Crocs. He was like, "What? I don’t think so!" then whipped out his bible and cast away evil. To commemorate, we bourbon barrel aged Undead Party Crasher.

Poured pitch black into a Snifter with a medium sized, light brown head. A great aroma dominated by bourbon and oak with chocolate and roasted malt. The flavors reflect the aroma in an excellent blend with none overshadowing the other. Finishes with a boozy warmth and oakiness. The body is medium-heavy and the ABV weighs in at 10.75%. Just an excellent tasting and drinking brew!

[Ryan Ruck]

Figured for the kickoff of WW3, what better beer than one with armor on it!

Named after the Tri-State’s service members assigned to the 4th Marine Division call sign, Operation Flintlock honors those that served during the Pacific Campaign in World War II, those standing guard today in austere environments around the globe and boasts notes of coffee, finishing with hints of vanilla. While you savor that first sip following your own daily grind, relax knowing that a portion of the proceeds for Operation Flintlock are donated to support local children through the Marine Corps Reserve “Toys For Tots” philanthropy. Operation Flintlock, earned, never given. Semper Fidelis!

Poured black into a Snifter with a thin, khaki head. Smells of sweet chocolate, malt, and cinnamon. Has flavors of vanilla, cinnamon, honey, bready malts, and light cocoa. Comes in at 6% ABV and is medium bodied. Not as much ABV as I normally like to see in a stout but the flavor is on point! Delicious!

[Ryan Ruck]

Having another in the Baptist series from Epic tonight. This one is Son Of A Baptist

Son of a Baptist is an 8% ABV imperial stout. It is not barrel aged like its father, Big Bad Baptist; instead its flavor profile was designed to highlight the complex and often unique flavors of small batch coffees. Instead of sourcing a coffee that would play well in a beer we sought out creative and innovative roasters, then asked them which beans they’re passionate about. Each resulting release of Son of a Baptist is widely different depending on the coffee selected. Some are fruity and sweet with notes of jam and chocolate, others are rich and earthy with a big roasted finish. Each limited release will return to the Roaster’s home market where the beer and the coffee can be sampled side by side.

As the description states, various small batch coffee producers were used to make this. Mine features coffee from Roasting Artisanal.

Poured black into a Snifter with a large, brown head. This one has a decidedly dark roast flavor for it's coffee profile, along with some sweet malt and cocoa. Not at all bitter. The body is medium-heavy and a touch creamy with an 8% ABV. As with the rest of the Baptist series, a great brew!

[Ryan Ruck]

A little late for Mardi Gars but starting the weekend with some Hi-Wire 10W-40 King Cake



Poured black into a Snifter with a decent size tan head. Has an aroma of coffee, chocolate, cinnamon, and brown sugar. The flavor closely reflects the smell with a slightly bitter coffee aftertaste and a hint of pecan. The body is medium-heavy and comes in at 8% ABV. Pretty dang good like the rest of the 10W-40s!

[Ryan Ruck]

To wrap up this seemingly short weekend, I'm trying out a beer from a local brewery I haven't tried before.

This is Caribbean Night Out from Wooden Cask.

Bourbon barrel-aged imperial porter with coconut.

Poured nearly black into a Shaker with a sizable light brown head. Strong aroma of coconut. The strong aroma of coconut is matched in the flavor profile and accompanied by oaky bourbon flavors. The body is creamy and surprisingly robust for a porter and weighs in at 10.2% ABV. This may well be the best coconut based beer I've had to date, a distinction belonging to Kona's Koko Brown. On the off chance you can find this Northern Kentucky brew, I highly recommend.

[Ryan Ruck]

Wrapping up a hard working weekend with another brew from Wooden Cask since they impressed me so much with Caribbean Night Out.

This is their Maple Corruption.

Our bourbon barrel aged Scottish stout, Corruption, aged again in ex-maple syrup barrels.

Poured black into a Snifter with a sizable light brown head. A very inviting maple and oak scent with a touch of toasty malt. Lots of maple and oak flavor with the mentioned toasted malt. Super smooth body with a nice 10% ABV that finishes off with a boozy warmth. Very tasty! So far Wooden Cask is 2/2 and quickly becoming a local favorite!

[Ryan Ruck]

Wrapping up the on call week with a local brew from Braxton, another collab with Graeter's. This time the flavor is Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip Milk Stout.

Stout brewed with lactose, cacao nibs, and raspberry puree.

Poured a deep reddish brown into a Snifter with a reddish tinged light brown head. Smells of sweet, dark chocolate and raspberries. Has a well balanced flavor of sweet chocolate and raspberries with a bit of malt. Medium weight, slightly creamy body with a 7% ABV. Very tasty!

[Ryan Ruck]

Got a couple new ones I'm going to have to add at some point. Have tried a couple new ones between that last one and tonight.

Tonight's is one from Oskar Blues, whom I haven't had in a while but, in the middle of the Summer heat, their Lost Grog Tiki Wheat.

Sailors of old never missed their daily ration of grog - unless it was lost at sea. Uncover the mysteries of Lost Grog Tiki Wheat, a tropical, tiki-inspired wheat beer fermented with coconut cream and apricot revealing flavor combinations found only in treasured tiki cocktails of yesteryear. Bold, exotic flavors mix with a hint of spices for an epic beer aisle discovery.

Poured a hazy medium gold into a Shaker with a big foamy white head. Has an aroma of wheat, banana, and stone fruit which also comes through in the flavor profile. Both scent and taste are a tad muted though. Body is medium-heavy and this has a respectable 7% ABV. Not bad and pretty refreshing. Could stand to have the flavor punched up a little.

[Ryan Ruck]

Sadly, my time off is coming to an end and I'm wrapping it up with a brew from Listermann: S'morty



(Old pic of the 1st batch. New batch is canned with higher ABV.)

Don't even trip, dawg. This pastry stout is packed with vanilla, chocolate, marshmallow and nutmeg. Crack open a bottle 'cause it's time to get SCHWIFTYYY!

Poured pitch black into a Snifter with a big, dark brown head. Has a sweet scent of cocoa, lactose, and slight graham cracker. Lots of sweet chocolate with what really does taste like some slightly charred marshmallow along with some graham cracker. Has weighty body and a well hidden 8.5% ABV. Some real good stuff!

[Ryan Ruck]

Starting this weekend off with another Listermann brew: Boats and 'Goes

Dry hopped kettle sour with mangoes, vanilla, lactose, and sabro hops.

Poured a hazy, medium gold into a Shaker with a big, foamy white head. Lots of mango and tropical fruit hops in the smell. Flavors of mango, sweet lactose, with mild tartness. Body is medium-heavy and creamy with a 7.8% ABV. I like it! A tasty sour!

[Ryan Ruck]

Tonight I'm having a new brew from a new brewery.

This is Roak Peanut Butter Cup Devil Dog Oatmeal Stout





Pours black into a Snifter with a moderate tan head. Big scent of peanut butter and chocolate you can smell some distance away. Taste is dominated by sweet chocolate with the peanut butter following on. Some malt and a light bitterness. The body is medium with a nice 8.5% ABV. Not at all complex but damned tasty! Definitely recommend!