Beer of the Weekend #322: Schlafly Irish-Style Extra Stout
I hate to say it, but my beer reviewing hiatus was awesome.
Also awesome was Minnesota — the Twin Cities, especially. Though we did not go to Saint Paul, I was very impressed with Minneapolis. Art abounds, it is clean, the downtown is functional, Minnesota cuties are everywhere, and, from what I could tell, there are tons of pubs. Thought another personal transplant is among the least of my concerns, I would definitely move to the Twin Cities.
Alas, though, I forgot to snag some Minnesota-native brew before returning. I was going to visit a liquor store near our hotel before leaving, but we wanted to get ahead of the weather. Plus, the car was packed as it was. No worries, though. Now that I am once again aware of the wonders of Minnesota, I am sure I will be visiting again this year.
Still craving the Medium White North, I visited John’s this morning with the hope of finding one of the lingering sixers of Summit Silver Anniversary Ale. However, I had no luck. It did, though, spot this curiosity way up on top of a shelf near the cooler door: Schlafly Irish-Style Extra Stout, brewed by the Saint Louis Brewery of Saint Louis, Missouri.
Serving type: 12-ounce bottle. The “Bottled with love on” date printed on the bottom of the front label is “12 21 2011.”
Appearance: Straight pour into a pint glass. The color is black; only a few rays of light passed through the bottom of the glass, creating a deep ruby. Two fingers of tan head dissipated to leave a thin lacing spotted with bubbles and a ring around the edge.
Smell: I could smell the roastedness immediately after popping the cap. Lots of roasted malts offer scenes of caramel, chocolate, burnt brown sugar, molasses, and a little coffee. It has an oat balance and smoothness to it, too, and black raspberry and plum emerge as the beer continues to warm.
Taste: Yowza — this is serious stout. It has a very thick mouthfeel and imparts a roasted bitterness that almost leaves the flavors behind. There are flavors of roasted chocolate and coffee (mostly coffee), but the dark fruit — black raspberry, plum, raisin, and cherry — steal the show. Each taste is tinged with booze; it is not overpowering, but it is getting there. However, everything thankfully balances nicely when the beer has warmed significantly.
Drinkability: After a couple more of these I will be lucky to be functional by noon tomorrow. This is a double whammy of dark malts and booze. Next stop: Hangover City.
Fun facts about SISES:
-Style: Schlafly calls it “Traditional foreign-style stout” while BA classifies it as “Foreign / Export Stout.” Here are the details:
-Price: $10.99/sixer at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Serving temperature: BA recommends 50-55ºF.
-Alcohol content: 8 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: BA suggests chocolate, smoked meat, and grilled meat.
-IBU: 45.
-Color: 100 SRM.
-Here is some nerdiness from the beer’s webpage:
-SISES is only available from January through March.
-Coincidentally, I bought an Irish flag last Saturday at the Mall of America.
Though I only have a wee bit of Irish ancestry, I have always wanted an Irish flag. It will be especially useful (as much as a flag can be, that is) on Saint Patrick’s Day.
-Speaking of Irish, the Irish proverb on the front label reads: “A narrow neck keeps the bottle from being emptied in one swig.”
The Quiet Man’s grade: B.
Also awesome was Minnesota — the Twin Cities, especially. Though we did not go to Saint Paul, I was very impressed with Minneapolis. Art abounds, it is clean, the downtown is functional, Minnesota cuties are everywhere, and, from what I could tell, there are tons of pubs. Thought another personal transplant is among the least of my concerns, I would definitely move to the Twin Cities.
Alas, though, I forgot to snag some Minnesota-native brew before returning. I was going to visit a liquor store near our hotel before leaving, but we wanted to get ahead of the weather. Plus, the car was packed as it was. No worries, though. Now that I am once again aware of the wonders of Minnesota, I am sure I will be visiting again this year.
Still craving the Medium White North, I visited John’s this morning with the hope of finding one of the lingering sixers of Summit Silver Anniversary Ale. However, I had no luck. It did, though, spot this curiosity way up on top of a shelf near the cooler door: Schlafly Irish-Style Extra Stout, brewed by the Saint Louis Brewery of Saint Louis, Missouri.
Serving type: 12-ounce bottle. The “Bottled with love on” date printed on the bottom of the front label is “12 21 2011.”
Appearance: Straight pour into a pint glass. The color is black; only a few rays of light passed through the bottom of the glass, creating a deep ruby. Two fingers of tan head dissipated to leave a thin lacing spotted with bubbles and a ring around the edge.
Smell: I could smell the roastedness immediately after popping the cap. Lots of roasted malts offer scenes of caramel, chocolate, burnt brown sugar, molasses, and a little coffee. It has an oat balance and smoothness to it, too, and black raspberry and plum emerge as the beer continues to warm.
Taste: Yowza — this is serious stout. It has a very thick mouthfeel and imparts a roasted bitterness that almost leaves the flavors behind. There are flavors of roasted chocolate and coffee (mostly coffee), but the dark fruit — black raspberry, plum, raisin, and cherry — steal the show. Each taste is tinged with booze; it is not overpowering, but it is getting there. However, everything thankfully balances nicely when the beer has warmed significantly.
Drinkability: After a couple more of these I will be lucky to be functional by noon tomorrow. This is a double whammy of dark malts and booze. Next stop: Hangover City.
Fun facts about SISES:
-Style: Schlafly calls it “Traditional foreign-style stout” while BA classifies it as “Foreign / Export Stout.” Here are the details:
A special style of stout that is brewed bigger than normal for a long journey, the more traditional Foreign / Export Stouts will be found in the tropical regions of the world. Higher in alcohol with a very pronounced roasted character.
-Price: $10.99/sixer at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Serving temperature: BA recommends 50-55ºF.
-Alcohol content: 8 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: BA suggests chocolate, smoked meat, and grilled meat.
-IBU: 45.
-Color: 100 SRM.
-Here is some nerdiness from the beer’s webpage:
Our Irish-Style Extra Stout pours black and is an amped-up version of a traditional dry stout. The addition of both roasted barley and Dark Crystal malted barley give Extra Stout undertones of chocolate, molasses and dried fruit. The beer is generously hopped with East Kent Goldings to balance the sweetness from the malted barley.
Extra Stout is a descendent of the British and Irish porters of the 18th Century. These strong porters eventually became known as strong stout, then Foreign Stout or Extra Stout, depending on origin. Extra Stouts were exported world-wide, gaining popularity in the West Indies, Africa and parts of Asia.
-SISES is only available from January through March.
-Coincidentally, I bought an Irish flag last Saturday at the Mall of America.
Though I only have a wee bit of Irish ancestry, I have always wanted an Irish flag. It will be especially useful (as much as a flag can be, that is) on Saint Patrick’s Day.
-Speaking of Irish, the Irish proverb on the front label reads: “A narrow neck keeps the bottle from being emptied in one swig.”
The Quiet Man’s grade: B.
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