Monthly Archives: February 2011

FLYING DOG WILD DOG COFFEE STOUT

On tap, impressive full-bodied Imperial Stout (renamed Kujo circa 2011) bestirs superb fresh ground coffee roast with chewy brown chocolate creaminess atop toasted nut coarsening. Oats-sugared crème brulee, Kahlua, and Bailey’s Irish Cream illusions candy-coat vanilla, molasses, hazelnut, fudge and anise subsidy contrasting espresso-walnut bittering. The perfect winter aperitif, combining the bitter with the sweet in gloriously dramatic fashion.

GREAT DIVIDE CLAYMORE SCOTCH ALE

Stylishly confounding lactic-soured wee heavy lacks expectant sweet Scotch rampage, but impulsive earthen peat soiling above wavered caramel-chocolate malting finds space amongst blackstrap molasses, sour date, cola nut, and fennel illusions. Pungent compost-wafted fungi-smudged damp-wooded soy milking infiltrates chalky cocoa subsidy. Closer to a brown or black ale given low Scotch profile.

MAGIC HAT DEMO I.P.A.

Slick Black India Pale Ale (redefined as Cascadian Dark Ale) may lack sufficient hop bite and malt thrust, but its overall appeal maintains predictable efficiency. Black grape, blackberry, and black cherry (usual Black IPA suspects) reach mildly creamy milk chocolate center. Weedy fennel spicing and terse black currant dicing reach recessive molasses-sapped nut-tinged chicory coffee bittering.