Bent Brewstillery released their newest spirit, Stormbringer, on Halloween. It’s filtering out to retail locations this week. “I wanted something drinkable by itself,” says Bartley Blume of the spiced rum, “something with the right amount of sweetness to balance the burn.” Stormbringer relies a simple spice blend—orange, ginger, cinnamon, and honey. The aroma features a ton of warm citrus notes, … [ Read more]
Insight celebrates its first trip around the sun with a special barrel-aged stout
November 20, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Ilan Klages-Mundt, head brewer and co-founder of Insight Brewing in Minneapolis, carefully dipped a sanitized barrel thief into the oak barrel, took a sample, and squirted the molasses colored liquid into a sampling glass. He was excited, almost giddy, to be doling out the two different samples of 2014 Gravity Well Imperial Stout—one aged in 45 Parallel’s Richmond Rye Whiskey and … [ Read more]
Ten FIDY
March 31, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Ten FIDY ABV: 10.5% IBUs: 98 Pours dark as night but with a red/amber hue like a harvest moon. At first, all I get is rich dark chocolate, but as the beer warms the roasted coffee bean flavor comes out. Full of complex aromas and flavors, this is not cheap gas-station coffee, but rather a … [ Read more]
Samuel Smith Brewery Imperial Stout
February 10, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Samuel Smith’s Brewery Imperial Stout ABV: 7.0%, IBU: 35 Limited-release imperial stouts get all the attention, but this English classic sets the standard! The intense black color and thick tan head is striking—especially when poured in the recommended large snifter. Aromas of coffee, cocoa, and roasted malts builds anticipation for the flavors to come. The … [ Read more]
Lagunitas Brewing Company Imperial Stout
February 10, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Lagunitas Brewing Company Imperial Stout ABV: 9.9%, IBU: 72 While the folks at Lagunitas are known for their hops-driven beers, they are no slouch with malt, either. The Imperial Stout is an opaque brown but not quite black, while the head delicately clings to the side of the glass. The emerging aromas include charred wood, … [ Read more]
Founders Imperial Stout
February 10, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Founders Imperial Stout ABV: 10.5%, IBU: 90 As a brewery, Founders has a great reputation and for good reason. Their Imperial Stout is very dark in color with a dark brown head. The nose is very roasty with a slight alcohol sting. The mouthfeel is smooth and chocolatey and coats your whole mouth. The more you … [ Read more]
Food With Beer—From the Brewer’s Perspective
February 10, 2014 by Leave a Comment
This edition of Deep Thoughts explores the delicious, delicious interplay between food and beer By Dave Hoops This issue, we are going to touch on beer and food, two topics I sure love. My name is Dave Hoops, Master Brewer at Fitger’s Brewhouse in Duluth, Minnesota. In this issue we address two of my favorite topics: … [ Read more]
Colorado Guanabara Imperial Stout
December 4, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Colorado Guanabara Imperial Stout ABV: 10.0% Guanabara is named after the breathtaking Sugarloaf Mountain in Rio de Janeiro, so if you are looking for a broad-shouldered stout to canoodle with and help warm you up, this is your beer. The palate is familiar for an imperial stout, but there are some unique flavors from the use of … [ Read more]
Style Profile: Russian Imperial Stout
December 4, 2013 by Leave a Comment
This issue’s Style Profile examines an oft-cited, if little-understood, style of beer. By Michael Agnew Illustration by DWITT Rich, warming, and impenetrably black, Russian imperial stout is one of the most beloved beer styles. Twenty-five of Ratebeer.com’s top-50 beers of 2013 are imperial stouts. They comprise 16 of the 50 top-rated beers on Beer Advocate. … [ Read more]
