Beer of the Weekend #195: Dark Truth Stout
Having put down 466 words in my novel tonight, I think it is time for my nightcap: Dark Truth Stout, brewed by the Boulevard Brewing Company of Kansas City, Missouri.
A sad realization: I passed the Boulevard brewery on my way through KC this summer. I had no clue; it is right off Interstate 35, just past the Kansas border and south of downtown. However, I highly doubt I would have stopped. I really wanted to get home and end that trip.
Another realization: I hung my useful calendar on a nail, so I can remove it for beer portraits. Hooray for flexibility.
Serving type: One 12-ounce bottle. There is an actual “best by” date printed on the bottle: 07/09/11.
Appearance: Straight pour into a tulip. I wanted some head, and I got some: four fingers worth of thick, very tanned foam that dissipated slowly. The color is an opaque black.
Smell: Surprisingly faint, even after it warmed. At first the aroma is very funky. It almost smells like a cross between muskmelon and rubbing alcohol. Underneath that are aromas of Belgian yeast, roasted dark chocolate, coffee, molasses, and some sweet caramel.
Taste: The mouth feel is very thick and creamy. I can already feel myself getting heartburn. The flavors blend smoothly: Belgian yeast, dark fruit (mostly plum), roasted dark chocolate, a little bit of coffee, and a woody, barrel-aged presence (like some Scotch have). Speaking of Scotch, the end of each sip is very warming with an alcohol sting, which couples nicely with the roasted malt bitterness.
Drinkability: This is the first Smokestack Series beer I have had from Boulevard, and I am very impressed. The dark truth about this one is it is a very good imperial stout.
Fun facts about Dark Truth Stout:
-Style: Boulevard calls it an Imperial Stout, but BA classifies it as “American Double/Imperial Stout”:
-Price: $2.99/bottle at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Serving temperature: 50-55ºF.
-Alcohol content: 9.7 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: BA suggests buttery cheeses (Brie, Gouda, Havarti, Swiss), chocolate, “digestive,” beef, smoked meat, game meat, and grilled meat.
-IBU: 60.
-Color: Boulevard pegs the color at 225 an “EBC” measurement. I have no clue what that is.
-The Boulevard website recommends drinking Dark Truth Stout in a tulip glass, which I did.
-Dark Truth Stout is part of Boulevard’s Smokestack Series of beers, which are a collection of beers that include “both traditional styles and daring experiments” crafted by the brewers. Some are year-round and others seasonal. Dark Truth is available year-round.
The Quiet Man’s grade: A-.
A sad realization: I passed the Boulevard brewery on my way through KC this summer. I had no clue; it is right off Interstate 35, just past the Kansas border and south of downtown. However, I highly doubt I would have stopped. I really wanted to get home and end that trip.
Another realization: I hung my useful calendar on a nail, so I can remove it for beer portraits. Hooray for flexibility.
Serving type: One 12-ounce bottle. There is an actual “best by” date printed on the bottle: 07/09/11.
Appearance: Straight pour into a tulip. I wanted some head, and I got some: four fingers worth of thick, very tanned foam that dissipated slowly. The color is an opaque black.
Smell: Surprisingly faint, even after it warmed. At first the aroma is very funky. It almost smells like a cross between muskmelon and rubbing alcohol. Underneath that are aromas of Belgian yeast, roasted dark chocolate, coffee, molasses, and some sweet caramel.
Taste: The mouth feel is very thick and creamy. I can already feel myself getting heartburn. The flavors blend smoothly: Belgian yeast, dark fruit (mostly plum), roasted dark chocolate, a little bit of coffee, and a woody, barrel-aged presence (like some Scotch have). Speaking of Scotch, the end of each sip is very warming with an alcohol sting, which couples nicely with the roasted malt bitterness.
Drinkability: This is the first Smokestack Series beer I have had from Boulevard, and I am very impressed. The dark truth about this one is it is a very good imperial stout.
Fun facts about Dark Truth Stout:
-Style: Boulevard calls it an Imperial Stout, but BA classifies it as “American Double/Imperial Stout”:
The American Double Stout gets some of it inspiration from the Russian Imperial Stout. Many of these are barrel aged, mostly in bourbon / whiskey barrels, while some are infused with coffee or chocolate. Alcohol ranges vary, but tend to be quite big, and bigger than traditional Russian Imperial Stouts. Most tend to have cleaner alcohol flavors, higher hop levels, and more residual sweetness. Very full-bodied with rich roasted flavors far surpassing normal stouts.
-Price: $2.99/bottle at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Serving temperature: 50-55ºF.
-Alcohol content: 9.7 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: BA suggests buttery cheeses (Brie, Gouda, Havarti, Swiss), chocolate, “digestive,” beef, smoked meat, game meat, and grilled meat.
-IBU: 60.
-Color: Boulevard pegs the color at 225 an “EBC” measurement. I have no clue what that is.
-The Boulevard website recommends drinking Dark Truth Stout in a tulip glass, which I did.
-Dark Truth Stout is part of Boulevard’s Smokestack Series of beers, which are a collection of beers that include “both traditional styles and daring experiments” crafted by the brewers. Some are year-round and others seasonal. Dark Truth is available year-round.
The Quiet Man’s grade: A-.
Comments
Post a Comment