Adam's Beer #10 - Great Divide Espresso Oak Aged Yeti

The old rule is, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” but as I said it is an OLD rule.

Great Divide Brewing Company first came out with their Yeti Imperial Stout in the early 2000’s to rave reviews only to follow up a couple of years later with the Oak Aged Yeti...which was a nice upgrade, but unfortunately they only used oak chips instead of the barrel which limited the oaky goodness.

Now, in the last couple of years, Great Divide has fixed a big beer that made it even bigger by adding Espresso to the mix. I am not sure what I enjoyed more…the beer or the suggested food pairings on the bottle: Breakfast burrito, eggs Benedict, hash browns, cheesecake, and crème brulee.

The dark malts give this beer a taste of burnt sugar and a smokiness that makes this the perfect after dinner beer. The tastes are so big I can not imagine pairing this with any food – the mouthful would overpower any other flavors that I would be trying to enjoy.

Overall I gave this Imperial Stout 8 out of 10. I think if I had another bottle I would wait to open it until next winter…hoping that this mythological creature would take on a whole other form.

Adam's Beer #9 - Baird Dark Sky Imperial Stout

“It's like, how much more black could this be? And the answer is none. None more black.” - Nigel Tufnel

I love purchasing unknown Stouts….Russian, Coffee, Milk, Oatmeal it does not matter, when you unlock the bottle it is unknown what is going to empty out. Will it be watery? Will it be more of a coffee color than black? Will it have a lot of carbonation? This was the fun I had tipping the bottle of Baird Dark Sky Imperial Stout.

Let me rewind for one second to explain that Baird Brewing is located in Japan. For this reason, and this logic only, the beer was purchased. The only beer I have ever had from Japan was Hitachino Nest White Ale, which I love. The Japanese have perfected the Belgian Ale, but can they compete when it comes to the world of Imperial Stouts?

Back to the Dark Sky – the stout poured a stunning black into my pint glass with a small amount of coffee colored head; the name of the beer fits perfectly. As I take in the nose I wonder if I am dreaming…is that a bouquet of hops? I had to run to my computer to find if it was true, and yes they dry hopped their stout with two different types of hops. A strong taste of tobacco and chocolate dominate the first taste while other wonderful flavors peak their head out to say hello as it works its way around my mouth.

Overall I have to give this beer a 9.5/10 – it is very hard for a stout to stand out among some of the best beers around, but the Japanese have seemed to figure it out.

Adam's Beer #2 - Imperial Stout Trooper

Living in Connecticut is very hard for a beer drinker. 3.4 million people, 5,500 square miles and the 4th most densely populated state only has 4 breweries, with only two of them worth mentioning and none of them worth drinking. But has the Constitution State redeemed itself by brewing Imperial Stout Trooper??? It is hard to believe that such a great beer can make it out of the New England Brewing Company especially when they only have three selections to choose from...none of which are any better than bath water.

Originally I bought this beer due to the bottle being a Storm Trooper helmet, but after reading reviews I knew that it was a true Russian Imperial Stout. I popped open the 12 ounces after letting sit in my beer closet (yes, beer closet) for a year. It poured completely opaque into my pint glass with a very light, mocha head that departed just as fast as it came. At 9% abv, the alcohol was masked by roasted malts and bitter chocolate flavors making this one of the smoothest Russian Imperial Stouts on the market. The taste stayed in your mouth for quite some time, very similar to smoking a cigarette.

It seems that a brewery in CT finally has unlocked the secret of making a good beer, I just wish that they would figure out how to make it year-round. I would also like to give myself a pat on the back for not writing any Star Wars references in this write up...the force is strong in this one (doh!)

Overall: 9/10 - one of the most drinkable Russian Imperial Stouts, right next to Victory Storm King Stout