Since the world is supposed to end this year, I figure I might as well go out with a bang, so I’m proud to announce the Imperial Stout that wasn’t supposed to be!
It’s got huge hop character like your favorite IPAs, but is roasty and smooth like your favorite stouts. It’s smooth and warming, making it a great brew for chilly nights! Friends have said nothing but great things about this one, and I’m really proud of how it turned out. I think the reason this one did not go as far south as the last one did (come on over for a dark strawberry ale sometime) because I didn’t venture too far out of my wheel house. This was supposed to be a black imperial IPA, but I got fairly ahead of myself while planning and didn’t check to see how it would handle some of the malts. Mike says I need to use software when planning, and given my past two results, I think he may be on to something. This turned out to be a pleasant surprise when I poured my first bottle and instead of seeing a blackish IPA with an off-white head on it, I saw a viscous dark stout with a big, frothy, caramel colored head on it. My first tasting was a rather pleasant surprise. Definitely the best beer I’ve done so far. Thanks to Kyle for helping me bottle it.
A shot of the sample from bottling day. I couldn’t taste the stoutness yet.
Comments
