Our Tastes-- Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout

Funny to me how when you look at English or "Old World" beers that they introduce the beer on the label as though they are fighting in a boxing match. In this corner weighing in at 1pint 2.7ml (550ml, 18.7oz is a "Victorian pint") Samuel Smith Old Brewery Tadcaster The Celebrated Oatmeal Stout reads the entirety of this beer. A clear bottle, like Newcastle, delivers this dark brown libation to my pint (best enjoyed in a goblet). The aroma is malty, sugar-coated raisins. Lattice is light and feathery on the pint. Taste is a velvet bitter sweetness of oats. Samuel Smith's Oatty was actually commissioned to be made, because of 1977 oatmeal stouts were gone. Best at 55F, no abv listed, but light by necessity.

Our Tastes-- Steelhead Extra Stout

The Enabler got this next one from the Beer of the Month Club courtesy of Bootleg Bonnie. Steelhead Extra Stout pours an opaque black with thick frothy brown head. Heavy chocolate malt nose with a good balance of hops. The label looks oddly like another stout I know of with a trout on the front? The taste on this one is of a heavy grain bill that finishes with a burnt coffee aftertaste. The alcohol is there in part but the oaky flavor and bitterness is what captures the mouth, mouthfeel is full and warming. The yeast bed at the bottom was a welcomed sight and looked thick enough to re-culture. About a quarter into the pint the head is gone and reflects a black pool. 6.6%abv with a sigh of contentment.

Our Tastes-- Budweiser American Ale

I told myself after InBev bought the longest standing American icon in brewing that I wouldn't drink anymore of their products as the board lined their pockets with euro from the Belgians and Augustus I rolled over in his fermenter. American Ale surprisingly is a nice departure from the usual Bud swill. It pours an amber/copper with a quickly flattening head. No lattice to mention. The aroma is a great traditional Cascade (which leads me to believe there may have been something to the rumor of Bud buying up stores of hops, either to destroy them to cut the competition or I guess eventually using them in this brew). Overall a drinkable beer that now comes in a pry-off embossed long neck. 5.3%abv

Our Tastes-- Saranac Season's Best

Saranac's Season's Best is a Nut Brown Lager with a rich clear medium brown shellacked pine. The head retains a nice slim white foam. The aroma is a biscuity malt and toast. Taste for this one is a "lagery" slight hop that makes for a different seasonal offering. Made with Munich and Biscuit malts then bittered with Tettnang. A relatively medium/heavy mouhtfeel and 5.3%abv. I'd drink a couple of these.

Our Tastes-- Dogfish Head World Wide Stout

Continuing with a night of apparent darkies, DFH World Wide Stout, makes me yearn for St. Patty's at the OAA (which may or may not be there) very soon. I am not having this one in a deep tulip but I will if need arises have it in one. WWS pours a 10,000 mile oil change, with the noise of fresh Rice Krispies, that quickly quiets as though milk has over softened them. No need for a "beer clean"glass on this one because you can't see through it anyway! The nose is heavy with raisin, plum fruitiness almost killing the malt bill I know this one must contain. There is a slight translucence to the color after settling, which allows some (like a blackhole) light to pass. A taste of heavier vanilla and roasted, toasted malt like none other that I have had. Silk as it passes thougth the teeth and I can only imagine the hops needed to balance this center ring circus act. 18+%abv, 372kcal/12oz. There is a late season grumbling like no other, beyond Phil seeing his shadow yesterday. I can think of nothing better than 6 more weeks of bone-chilling cold to freshen the ole tastebuds and close the ranks of great friends around a warming brew.

Our Tastes Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron

I have been dying to try this brew since I picked up a case of them a while back. the newest addition to the DFH family of brews is Palo Santo Marron (literal translation is Holy Tree Brown). It pours like liquid night, with little ot no head that is a creamy (quickly dissipating) oatmeal cookie brown. The aroma is a slightly oaky, vanilla heavy malt. An unfiltered brown ale aged in handmade Paraguayan Palo Santo wood brewing vessel's, each at 10K gallons each (the largest wooden vessels since Prohibition). A wonderful very full mouthfeel and taste that is driven by the 12%abv. Malt, vanilla, bittering hop, rich desert, oh and 12%abv. This is a supremely built beer and yes I said built, literally from the ingredients to the aging vessels.
0026hrs-- an hour and 15 minutes later I just finished, this beer is HEAVY!

The Bees' Knees Mead©

When I was up at BlackStone a few months ago, Red (denoted here in pink) and I came across a rather novel word, "Brewmaster's Jacuzzi". It was the 2 gallon bucket that the fermenters were blowing off into, kind of made you want to put your feet in and soothe them. Well to help aid in the lowering of blood pressure, I introduce the "Brewmaster's Aquarium". Much like the calming effect of goldfish in a dentist's office, watching The Bees' Knees continue to bubble after 30 days is guaranteed to do the same. Working on getting Red (denoted here in pink) and Travis (T-rav?) to do a CABS meeting once things have settled in the summer, after nuptials. And yes, in the background that is 42-A* going to bottle on the morrow.
"To do something in space is irrelevant, but to make good beer, that is something."
~Vaclav Klaus