Beer Review – Beard and Brau Black Snout Milk Stout
Sadly this is the last of my deliver from BIER SHOP.com.au. It certainly is a good beer though. I had been saving it for a special occasion and finally having a Government sounded like a good one to me. Not normally a style I chase but it is a very tasty drinkable beer from a local, Adelaide, brewery that is making a range of really good beer. This time we have Beard and Brau Black Snout Milk Stout.
The beer is a very dark brown, almost black and completely opaque. It pours with a good size tan head. Doesn’t appear like it will pour with a good head at first as it isn’t very carbonated. However, it very well conditioned, produced a nice size head that really lasts and laces well down the glass.
The aroma upfront is dominated by sweet chocolate and mild coffee. I also pick up some bitter chocolate like aromas but I perceive more of the sweetness. The perception of sweetness also comes across from a maple syrup like aroma. There are some more savory aroma of a light smokiness. To me this smokiness almost gives it a cherry tobacco character. This is a good thing.
The beer has a very light body and low carbonation as is appropriate for the style. It still does good job of covering the pallet. It is predominantly a sweet beer with very little bitterness. There is a light smoke flavour in the beer which helps combat the sweetness. The flavour like the aroma is dominated by sweet chocolate and mild coffee flavours. It does have a low level of roasty flavours from the dark malts used in it’s production. The flavours are extremely well balanced making it an extremely drinkable beer. You could quite easily have a session on this beer and , due to it’s relatively low 5.5%ABV, you could still feel ok in the morning.
This is not a beer that jumps out and smashes you around like a big Imperial stout. This is a well made fantastically balanced sweet stout that hits all the marks. If you want to try a great example of the style and tasty and drinkable beer you would be looking hard to find something much better.
If you want to pair it with food I think it would go down a treat with a toasted cheese and onion sandwich. Use some really good cloth bound English cheddar. I would be careful matching it with something sweet as it could get cloying. I would recommend something like a chocolate tart made with really good quality bitter chocolate. Try it with whatever you like just go and get Get some.
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Beer Review – Dieu Du Ciel Aphrodisiaque
The next review from my recent Bier Shop delivery. This time it’s a cocoa and vanilla stout made by Dieu Du Ciel in Canada. The beers name is Aphrodisiaque and it’s one of a range of their beers that have started to appear in Australia. As Unibroue have moved out of Australia Dieu Du Ciel have moved in and brought some fine beers with them.
The beer is very dark brown to black. It is completely opaque. I couldn’t get any highlights even held directly infront of my desk lamp. Makes me think of a black hole as not even light can escape. It pours with a large tan head at first but this quickly dies to a small but persistant head that laces nicely down the glass.
The aroma certainly lets you know this beer has had cocoa and vanilla added to it. This almost comes across as a hazel nut character to me. Although not exactly the same it does tend to remind me of nutella. Also strong are dark bitter chocolate and deep dark roasted malt aromas that impart even more chocolate and some dark coffee character. It does make me think of bourbon because of the vanilla but it’s not a strong bourbon aroma. Overall it is a fantastic combination of those aromas that make for something I can’t wait to drink.
The cocoa dominates the flavour and produces a great bitter character but this is well balanced by the perceived sweetness from the vanilla. The bitterness is a fantastic combination of hops and cocoa that give the beer a great finish. The vanilla gives me the feeling of filling my mouth and sinuses with the aroma which is an exceedingly pleasant experience. To compliment the cocoa and vanilla flavours there is a great malt backbone. This expresses it’s self with rich dark chocolate and dark dried fruit flavours. There is a slight roast coffee character but not strong and it compliments the other flavours well.
This beer finishes very dry with, I think, very little residual sugar. However, the vanilla gives a perception of sweetness that helps to balance the beer perfectly. It feels like it coats my tongue and covers my palate with the range of flavours.
This is an amazing beer and not a typical combination. The combination of the cocoa that gives a more bitter chocolate character and the vanilla to provide a perceived sweetness is, put simply, awesome. The combined aromas and flavours fill both the palette and sinuses for an amazing beer experience. The combination of cocoa and vanilla gives the beer a hazelnut character reminiscent of Doctors Orders Brewing Secret Squirrel. Not a style I would have thought I could drink many of but after one I really want to have more. If I was going to match this with food I think a really sweet chocolate moose or, weirdly a banana caramel pie would be great. If going for something savory I think beef stroganoff would work for me.
You really should check this beer out. A truly great drop. Do yourself a favour and Get Some!
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Beer Review – Hitachino Espresso Stout
I picked up a bottle of the Hitachino Espresso Stout the other night to try. I had never heard of it before and just decided to give it a go. I was well rewarded for giving it a try.
The beer is very dark and almost black. Pours with a large long lasting tan head. At first taste you are hit by strong dark roasted coffee flavours. These come from the dark malts but the beer also has some coffee added to the boil. Also exhibits dark chocolate and dark dried fruit flavours. It’s basically a Russian Imperial stout with coffee added. It’s a great combination. There isn’t really any hop character but it does have a good strong bitterness. It’s perfectly balanced and very drinkable. One of the best beers I have had in recent times and right up there with the best stouts.
Track it down and give it a try.
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