Beer of the Weekend #207: Wrasslers XXXX Stout
Well, this became a week of beer, didn’t it? I have no complaints, but I need to watch myself. If I let myself go, I could drink beer every night…which I seem to have done pretty well the last four days.
Tonight’s dessert/nightcap is Wrasslers XXXX Stout, brewed by The Porterhouse Brewing Company of Dublin, Ireland.
BeerAdvocate styled the name “Wrasslers 4X Stout.”
Here’s an interesting tidbit: the city of Dublin is independent from the County of Dublin, so it is technically not part of a county like many Irish and UK municipalities.
Serving type: One 330 ml (11.2-ounce) bottle. No freshness date or batch code.
Appearance: Straight pour into an imperial pint glass. The color is an opaque black; no light passed through when I held it to my lamp. Two fingers of bubbly, but thick, tan head developed and slowly dissipated to leave a billowy lacing.
Smell: Major roasted chocolate bitterness that is balanced by sweet milk chocolate. It has that nitro aroma similar to the Big Three, despite the fact it is bottled conditioned and unpasteurized. It reminds me of milk for some reason. There are also aromas of caramel and toffee. Overall, it is very inviting.
Taste: The “major” roasted chocolate from the aroma also plays a major role in the taste, which I love. The roasted chocolate is also complimented in bitterness by roasted coffee, which did not announce itself in the smell. This puppy has tons of tone and flavor compared to its nitro boosted brethren, and it is also a touch smoky. As the pint warms, the bitterness subsides slightly and lets a little lacto creaminess smooth it out. There are also flavors of sweet caramel and toffee. Each sip leaves a nice bitter, hoppy, smoky aftertaste tingling the back of the tongue and mouth.
Drinkability: At $4 a bottle, it gave me my money’s worth. Compared to the Big Three it is noticeable and exceptional. Very decent stuff.
Fun facts about Wrasslers XXXX Stout:
-Style: BA classifies it as an Irish Dry Stout.
-Price: $3.99/bottle at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Serving temperature: 45-50ºF.
-Alcohol content: 5.7 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: BA recommends barbecue, Latin American cuisine, chocolate, smoked meat, and grilled meat.
-Here is some verbage from the back label:
Be warned, this is a truly traditional stout. Originally brewed in the 1900s and favored by Michael Collins. A full flavored dry stout, with abundant roast malt flavors and hops bitterness. With Goldings hops for aroma this beer is a true classic.
No the best piece of copy, but I suppose it will do. However, I am more disturbed by the complete lack of British English spelling variants; “favored” and “flavor” instead of “favoured” and “flavour.” What the fuck is with that?
-Also, what the fuck is up with the cap? Take a look at this thing.
It is a funky combination pull-tab and cap all in one. I suppose it is an experimental third way to combine the freshness locking power of pry off caps and the convenience and efficiency of twist offs. It’s kind of like the bottling equivalent of Keynesianism.
-There really is not much information about the beer online. The Porterhouse Brewing Company — which seems to be part of a restaurant/hotel/entertainment venue, and claims to be Ireland’s largest “genuine” Irish brewery — says nothing about any of its beer online. Weird.
The Quiet Man’s grade: B+.
Tonight’s dessert/nightcap is Wrasslers XXXX Stout, brewed by The Porterhouse Brewing Company of Dublin, Ireland.
BeerAdvocate styled the name “Wrasslers 4X Stout.”
Here’s an interesting tidbit: the city of Dublin is independent from the County of Dublin, so it is technically not part of a county like many Irish and UK municipalities.
Serving type: One 330 ml (11.2-ounce) bottle. No freshness date or batch code.
Appearance: Straight pour into an imperial pint glass. The color is an opaque black; no light passed through when I held it to my lamp. Two fingers of bubbly, but thick, tan head developed and slowly dissipated to leave a billowy lacing.
Smell: Major roasted chocolate bitterness that is balanced by sweet milk chocolate. It has that nitro aroma similar to the Big Three, despite the fact it is bottled conditioned and unpasteurized. It reminds me of milk for some reason. There are also aromas of caramel and toffee. Overall, it is very inviting.
Taste: The “major” roasted chocolate from the aroma also plays a major role in the taste, which I love. The roasted chocolate is also complimented in bitterness by roasted coffee, which did not announce itself in the smell. This puppy has tons of tone and flavor compared to its nitro boosted brethren, and it is also a touch smoky. As the pint warms, the bitterness subsides slightly and lets a little lacto creaminess smooth it out. There are also flavors of sweet caramel and toffee. Each sip leaves a nice bitter, hoppy, smoky aftertaste tingling the back of the tongue and mouth.
Drinkability: At $4 a bottle, it gave me my money’s worth. Compared to the Big Three it is noticeable and exceptional. Very decent stuff.
Fun facts about Wrasslers XXXX Stout:
-Style: BA classifies it as an Irish Dry Stout.
-Price: $3.99/bottle at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Serving temperature: 45-50ºF.
-Alcohol content: 5.7 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: BA recommends barbecue, Latin American cuisine, chocolate, smoked meat, and grilled meat.
-Here is some verbage from the back label:
Be warned, this is a truly traditional stout. Originally brewed in the 1900s and favored by Michael Collins. A full flavored dry stout, with abundant roast malt flavors and hops bitterness. With Goldings hops for aroma this beer is a true classic.
No the best piece of copy, but I suppose it will do. However, I am more disturbed by the complete lack of British English spelling variants; “favored” and “flavor” instead of “favoured” and “flavour.” What the fuck is with that?
-Also, what the fuck is up with the cap? Take a look at this thing.
It is a funky combination pull-tab and cap all in one. I suppose it is an experimental third way to combine the freshness locking power of pry off caps and the convenience and efficiency of twist offs. It’s kind of like the bottling equivalent of Keynesianism.
-There really is not much information about the beer online. The Porterhouse Brewing Company — which seems to be part of a restaurant/hotel/entertainment venue, and claims to be Ireland’s largest “genuine” Irish brewery — says nothing about any of its beer online. Weird.
The Quiet Man’s grade: B+.
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