Beer of the Weekend #172: Kalamazoo Stout
The beer of the weekend is Kalamazoo Stout, brewed by Bell’s Brewery, Inc. of Comstock, Michigan.
I was unsure exactly what to get this weekend, but I have been craving the dark, creamy, and roasted characteristics of good stout and porter. Back Road Stout has already been reviewed, and I am keeping Anchor Porter in my back pocket for sometime in the future, so I browsed the stout/porter shelf in Dirty John’s walk-in cooler for a worthy brew to quench my thirst.
I needed to wing it since I am obviously not blessed with the gift of beer osmosis and had done no prior research. Kalamazoo Stout stood out because it seemed to be Bell’s basic version of the style and a good starting point to explore the brewery’s plethora of dark offerings. Along with Kalamazoo Stout, Bell’s brews Cherry Stout, Special Double Cream Stout, Java Stout, Expedition Stout, and Porter. On draft at Bell’s is Rye Stout, Smoked Stout, Oatmeal Stout, Trumpeter’s Stout, Milk Stout, and Harry Magill’s Spiced Stout. These guys love stout/porter. Porter and Kalamazoo Stout are Bell’s year round offerings.
Serving type: Six 12-ounce bottles.
Appearance: Straight pour into a pint glass. The color is a beautiful opaque black; no light pass through when I held it to my lamp. Three fingers of thick, chocolaty-tan head developed and dissipated slowly, coating the inside of the glass with a nice lacing.
Smell: The aroma is very enticing, but also on the faint side. Prominent roasted coffee, dark chocolate, roasted caramel, and just a slight hint (thankfully) of black licorice.
Taste: Oh, heavenly nectar. Bitter roasted coffee malts that, in the aftertaste, remind me of espresso. The other minor characters are dark chocolate, toffee, a little bit of caramel, and a hint of brown sugar sweetness.
Drinkability: The flavor is bold and invigorating; drinking a bottle for breakfast sounds like a good idea. I am impressed, and also a little frightened by the prospect of drinking Bell’s Java Stout, which must be pretty sinister if it is more coffee flavored than this.
Fun facts about Kalamazoo Stout:
-Style: American Stout. BA has this to say about the style:
-Price: $9.99/sixer at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Serving temperature: 45-50ºF.
-Alcohol content: 6 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: BA recommends barbecue, buttery cheeses (Brie, Gouda, Havarti, Swiss), earthy cheeses (Camembert, Fontina), chocolate, beef, shellfish, smoked meat, game, and grilled meat.
-Kalamazoo Stout’s webpage includes this tidbit: “The brewer’s licorice we use is gelatin-free, making it acceptable for vegetarians.” Way to go, Bell’s. Shamefully, as a vegetarian, I had no clue what gelatin was. It is a gelling agent used in Jell-O and pudding and is made from the boiled bones, skin, and tendons of animals. Shit. After a little searching, I stumbled on a BA webpage — http://beeradvocate.com/articles/279 — that outlines the animal-based ingredients used in some beers. This is insanely sad information, but does not put me in quite the ethical dilemma it would if I were a vegan.
The Quiet Man’s grade: A-.
I was unsure exactly what to get this weekend, but I have been craving the dark, creamy, and roasted characteristics of good stout and porter. Back Road Stout has already been reviewed, and I am keeping Anchor Porter in my back pocket for sometime in the future, so I browsed the stout/porter shelf in Dirty John’s walk-in cooler for a worthy brew to quench my thirst.
I needed to wing it since I am obviously not blessed with the gift of beer osmosis and had done no prior research. Kalamazoo Stout stood out because it seemed to be Bell’s basic version of the style and a good starting point to explore the brewery’s plethora of dark offerings. Along with Kalamazoo Stout, Bell’s brews Cherry Stout, Special Double Cream Stout, Java Stout, Expedition Stout, and Porter. On draft at Bell’s is Rye Stout, Smoked Stout, Oatmeal Stout, Trumpeter’s Stout, Milk Stout, and Harry Magill’s Spiced Stout. These guys love stout/porter. Porter and Kalamazoo Stout are Bell’s year round offerings.
Serving type: Six 12-ounce bottles.
Appearance: Straight pour into a pint glass. The color is a beautiful opaque black; no light pass through when I held it to my lamp. Three fingers of thick, chocolaty-tan head developed and dissipated slowly, coating the inside of the glass with a nice lacing.
Smell: The aroma is very enticing, but also on the faint side. Prominent roasted coffee, dark chocolate, roasted caramel, and just a slight hint (thankfully) of black licorice.
Taste: Oh, heavenly nectar. Bitter roasted coffee malts that, in the aftertaste, remind me of espresso. The other minor characters are dark chocolate, toffee, a little bit of caramel, and a hint of brown sugar sweetness.
Drinkability: The flavor is bold and invigorating; drinking a bottle for breakfast sounds like a good idea. I am impressed, and also a little frightened by the prospect of drinking Bell’s Java Stout, which must be pretty sinister if it is more coffee flavored than this.
Fun facts about Kalamazoo Stout:
-Style: American Stout. BA has this to say about the style:
Inspired from English & Irish Stouts, the American Stout is the ingenuous creation from that. Thankfully with lots of innovation and originality American brewers have taken this style to a new level. Whether it is highly hopping the brew or adding coffee or chocolate to complement the roasted flavors associated with this style. Some are even barrel aged in Bourbon or whiskey barrels. The hop bitterness range is quite wide but most are balanced. Many are just easy drinking session stouts as well.
-Price: $9.99/sixer at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Serving temperature: 45-50ºF.
-Alcohol content: 6 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: BA recommends barbecue, buttery cheeses (Brie, Gouda, Havarti, Swiss), earthy cheeses (Camembert, Fontina), chocolate, beef, shellfish, smoked meat, game, and grilled meat.
-Kalamazoo Stout’s webpage includes this tidbit: “The brewer’s licorice we use is gelatin-free, making it acceptable for vegetarians.” Way to go, Bell’s. Shamefully, as a vegetarian, I had no clue what gelatin was. It is a gelling agent used in Jell-O and pudding and is made from the boiled bones, skin, and tendons of animals. Shit. After a little searching, I stumbled on a BA webpage — http://beeradvocate.com/articles/279 — that outlines the animal-based ingredients used in some beers. This is insanely sad information, but does not put me in quite the ethical dilemma it would if I were a vegan.
The Quiet Man’s grade: A-.
Comments
Post a Comment