2015 - The Year Of The Squarian

Happy New Year!! Welcome to 2015, "The Year Of The Squarians" as dubbed by The Kid With The Green Backpack - XV… If you're unfamiliar with the work of XV, I suggest getting acquainted with the music of this young Kansas resident via your favorite music source!! With the new year, the common accompaniment are resolutions, typically a few things in each individuals life that they wish to achieve in the coming 52 weeks… Though I rarely wait 'til a certain date to induct change into my life, this year I decided it was time I make a change and I gave myself a resolution - DRINK MORE BEER!! It may seem to be a juvenile resolution, but it's a reasonable one that can be somewhat easily accomplished and is inherently fun!! To clarify, by "more" I'm speaking in terms of variety and style, not an increase in total beer consumed… I rarely consume more than a bomber in a standard session, and hardly ever pick up anything larger than a 4-banger - MAYBE the occasional 6'r making its way into the fridge… Picking up smaller quantities at a more frequent rate will allow me to try more brewer's products more frequently, whilst not overindulging in alcoholic beverages… So to those who've decided this will be the year they have the rock hard body they've always wanted - More power to ya, and I hope to catch ya at the beach!! You bring your six pack, I'll bring mine…

Pig Minds Brewing - Joe Daddy [Barrel Aged Imperial Coffee Stout] (22oz ---> Red Wine Glass : 9.0% ABV)

An admittedly easier resolution to accomplish, I waited a very short amount of time to get working on mine... An extremely aggressive pour rendered a nice three inch tall, dark brown head, which sat atop what seemed to be an extremely full bodied brew…The head faded pretty rapidly with no traces of lacing, and left behind a very faint retentive cap… The quart of oil in the glass let not the slightest hint of light shine through, which further supported my suspicions of this beer's fuller body… A gentle stir and the beer released heavy aromas of coffee, then, to a lesser extent, chocolate and spice, and finally some traces of dark berries… It does allow the alcohol to creep through a little, which hopefully will not be extremely present, as 9% isn't an outrageous ABV by any means… The taste is immediate that of coffee, as expected, but it's not as bitter as many other coffee heavy stouts I've encountered, which is pleasant… The chocolate elements serve as a nice supporting role in the forefront of this brew, with the oaky notes barely showing their presence in the beer at this point… Midway through, the sweetness of caramel shines through alongside some fruity components, which somewhat balance out the full on coffee assault with a nice contrast of sweetness… The finish allows for more coffee presence, which is consistent throughout, but here is where the barrel qualities really begin to flourish… The chocolate and spice notes that were present on the nose begin to reappear more strongly, but with an oak influence added to them, and as it warms up, the fruit qualities become more prevalent as well… The oak aspects are basically exactly that, adding only a woody ambiance to  it's accompaniments, which "soften" the other flavors… Mouthfeel on this brew is fantastic, being quite full, the marathon of flavors it hosts has a sturdy base to display themselves upon… Overall, this extremely smooth delight was pleasurable in all facets and would be an easy choice in enjoying again… Another great brew - Cheers!!