Something Something Something Something Dark Side

I have a sweet tooth, I love chocolate, and biscuits. I like things that are full of malts and caramel. I drink far too much coffee. I like deep flavours and intensity. I used to be scared of dark beers. Their blackness intimidated me. That was until I realised that many of my favourite flavours can be packed into a stout. I can't say I prefer them over heavily hopped pale beers, because they aren't really comparable. But I certainly like to end an evening with a dark beer. Venturing into four dark beers in succession is a new experience for me, and an opportunity to compare and contrast some flavours.

166: Barista, Summer Wine Brewery, 4.8%
Not an especially strong abv for a dark beer, an espresso stout. Boy does it do what it says on the tin. Deeply flavoured with heavily roasted coffee, and hints of caramel. Absolutely delicious. I do enjoy when a beer is thicker than this (not sure if this is the right terminology), but I suppose that is down to the 4.8%.

166: Dark Arts, Magic Rock, 6%
Doesn't give off heavy aroma, slight burnt caramel. Tastes of hazlenut and buerre noisette. Ridiculously delicious. Not sure I agree with the tasting notes on the bottle of liquorice, blackberries and figs, but perhaps that is my taste buds.

167: Milk Stout, Left Hand Brewing Company, 6%
My first milk stout. Brewed with lactose I believe. Chocolately smells. Sweeter tasting than the previous two beers, perhaps that is the lactose. Smooth, and not particularly bitter. Would have been nice to eat with icecream I think, the smoothness would have worked well.

168: Saint Petersburg, Thornbridge, 7.7%
A Russian Imperial Stout. Not sure what imperial infers... with IPAs it seems to lead to a stronger more complex beer. Seemingly the same is true for this stout, as has a whole additional dimension. It still is sweetish, with notes of coffee, but also has a slight tang to it, and it richness adds to the intensity. The more you drink, the better it gets.

I think comparisons between light and dark beers should not be drawn because they are two totally different entities. I also think think it is hard to pick a favourite dark beer, when they display such robust flavours, and great variation. Barista was all about the coffee, Dart Arts had totally different predominant flavours. I would buy all of these beers again and again and again.

The Session 66: The One Beer to Rule Them All

A difficult topic from drinkdrank for a non brewer let alone a newbie beer drinker. My brewing experience (pouring a tub of hops into the big silver boily thing) probably doesn't qualify... Also, I've tried relatively few beers (not doing bad for a few months, but still, haven't even begun to scratch the surface) so my favourites have been borne of a small sample. So far on my beerticking journey, my favourite types of beer are IPAs and porters or stouts. Anyhow, I've thought about the subject... My perfect dream beer:

Imagine a screwball ice cream. Or a everlasting gobstopper. Or half and half pizza. Or sweet and sour chicken. Or chocolate covered pretzels.

All of the above combine two scrummy things in one. My idea is that of the impossible. A Willywonka-style beer creation. Beers have such vastly different characteristics that makes comparisons impossible and unfair between styles.

So to, my genius idea. A two tone beer. IPA on the top. Porter on the bottom. Defined layers, like a traffic light lolly or an old school cornish pasty. Two things in one. To satisfy both my favourite types of beer and tastes. A bitter flavoursome fruity top, followed by a dessert of rich, coffee smoothness.

Alchemy impossible, perhaps, entering the realms of fantasy, definitely but it'd be pretty ace. And the name... Doubale Troubale.