Beer of the Weekend #1,104: Zach’s Mexican Donuts

Sis had a holiday concert on the night of the Iowa State-Iowa men’s basketball game, so I gave my tickets to my neighbor … a Cyclone fan. He’s a great guy who is awesome with my kids, so I gave him the tickets for nothing. However, I knew he would give me something at some point, and he did: a custom sixer, which included the beer of the weekend: Zach’s Mexican Donuts, brewed by the SingleSpeed Brewing Company of Waterloo, Iowa.

Serving type: 16-ounce can. “CANNED ON 10/23/24” is printed on the bottom.

Appearance: Poured straight into a nonic pint glass. The can overflowed when I popped it open, so it seemed overfilled. The color is black. Two fingers of light tan, bubbly, buttery head settles slowly and evenly.

Smell: Chocolate, coffee roast, something weird like old dish soap (maybe it’s the glass), vanilla, caocao nibs.

Taste: Smooth, roasted, spicy. Roasted malt, coffee, chocolate, vanilla, and a spice blend that I cannot decipher; it excites and lingers on the taste buds. The nibs are noticeable and linger as well.

Fun facts about Zach’s Mexican Donuts:

• Style: Oatmeal stout.

• Price: Letting a Cyclone fan watch the Cyclones win at Carver.

• Alcohol content: 5.6 percent ABV.

• IBU: 20.

• I was browsing Mosher’s Tasting Beer recently and read this about pouring for great foam:

To get the best head on a beer, pour boldly down the center of an absolutely clean glass. It will foam up, but this is good. Really. Allow it to settle and then repeat until you have a full glass. By delaying gratification and allowing a large amount of foam to build up and then shrink, you have created a dense, creamy foam, filled with tiny, long-lasting bubbles. As a side benefit, you have knocked some of the excess gas out of the beer, and the result will be more like the smooth creaminess of draft beer. (p. 75)

I used to do straight pours but not like that, so I gave it try and it worked pretty well.

The Quiet Man’s grade: B.