New Belgium Brewing X Perennial Artisan Ales - Lips Of Faith Series: Salted Belgian Chocolate Stout [Stout Brewed With Chocolate] (22oz ---> Left Hand Pint Glass : 9% ABV : 35 IBU)
There are few things in life as satisfying as watching Minnesota hockey and enjoying a finely crafter brew… They're out there, but the list is fairly short… And much the like the fashion world, with the changing of seasons, breweries also begin to release "season specific" styles, and hockey season is a good indicator that winter warmers are soon to be bountiful in any liquor store… With it still being fall, I figured a "Belgian" chocolate stout would be a light introduction before I dove fully into the winter beer mindset… But when the holiday season fully kicks into gear and Grandma makes her sugar cookies with a Hershey kiss on top, they wouldn't be heavenly without the dose of salt she adds to the recipe to balance out the sweetness… Thus, a salty chocolate stout is one I'm in no hurry to pass up!!
It poured as close to black as it could, whilst still allowing a few scarce rays of light to shine through it… A nice inch and a half, tan head formed, composed of decent sized bubbles and faded pretty slowly, leaving behind some admirable lacing… Immediately on the nose are the scents of sweet chocolate, with some yeast aromas not far behind… The roasted malts aren't absent by any means, contributing some nutty accents, which somewhat resemble the smell "Reese's" cups!! First tastes on the palate are the chocolate flavors, and again the yeast notes are also notably present, more than just about any other stout I've ever tried… Mid-palate the malts again add a nutty sweetness that mingle quite well with the hops, which are fairly mild, but still add a nice contrast of flavor with it's light "herby" presence… The finish let's some darker berry flavors get their shine on a little bit, and it's MAYBE the only place where one could detect any amount of salt… 'Cause at this point I feel it's addition was most likely minimal, and that whatever salt was added was done so not as a flavor element, but simply to add some depth and complexity to the more powerful flavors in the brew… The mouthfeel is excellent, as it has some creaminess to it, but it isn't overbearing by any means, which rounds the brew out quite fantastically… Overall, this is a brew that started off good, and progressively kept getting better and better!! As with any stout, as it warms up, the flavors present themselves more and more… And since all the flavor elements presented are delicious and well balanced, this is a beer I hoped wouldn't end… Another great brew - Cheers!!
No comments:
Post a Comment