Thursday, February 25, 2010

Beer tasting with the family

So tonight when I got in town my dad grabbed a few beers at the World of Beers in FL while he was visiting with friends from the Canada. We sampled the Hitachino Espresso Stout, RCH Old Slug, & Coopers Best Extra Stout. I won't go as in detailed as I would since their are three of them but here are the reviews I wrote while sampling them.

Hitachino Nest Espresso Stout
From: Ibaraki, Japan
Style: Stout
Commercial Description:
Caramel, roasted, black and chocolate malts provide an explosion of coffee like flavors. The strong espresso character comes from the addition of espresso beans to the boil. Notes of vanilla, dark fruit , cocao and chocolate. The very unusual character of Hitachino Nest Espresso Stout stems from the fact that Kiuchi Brewery is using the recipe of a Russian Imperial Stout as base. Pitch black color, big brown head. Aromas of chocolate, roasted bitterness, black currants, dark fruits.



 Appearance: It pours a black and slightly oily with a thick, brown and a solid lacey head 3.9/5

Aroma: Aroma had a big dark, roasted malts, coffee, with a hint of soy and cocoa powder. 3.5/5

Mouthfeel: Had a very bitter after taste for me for some reason. I didn't like how it felt on my tongue after drinking it.  2.9/5

Flavor: Is very unique and if you like the coffee stouts (I personally don't) it has loads of bitter espresso, chocolate, and roast up front with notes of vanilla  leading to a bittersweet, roasty finish. 3.6/5

Overall Impression: Medium bodied with solid carbonation. Overall I did not care for it only because of the bitterness the malts left in my mouth. Don't get me wrong it is a good beer to try, but for me I will pass on drinking again. 5.9/10
Total: 19.8/30- Not bad


RCH Old Slug
From: Weston-super-Mare, England
Style: Porter
Commercial Description:
In the old brewery we had a problem with slugs getting into the brewery. As the beer leaves a trail down the glass as you drink it like a slug, that's how the beer was named. A delicious traditional porter with a full bodied taste of chocolate, coffee, blackcurrant and black cherry with a good aroma. A near black colour with a good white head when served through a tight sparkler.
Pale malt, crystal malt, black malt; Fuggles and Goldings hops.

 Appearance: Poured a nut brown ale color, it was a little dark color? With a small beige head. I liked the look 4/5


Aroma:  The aroma of chocolate with a hint of coffee. A little burned malt. 3.5/5

Mouth feel: Medium body, very smooth and lite with some flavor to the kick. 4.5/5 

Flavor: The taste is very smooth! Dry and some bitter. The aftertaste is bitter sweet. I really liked the after taste 4.1/5

Overall Impression: I enjoyed this porter. It was smooth had some nice choclate flavor to it. It did not over power your palate. I could drink more of these at one sitting. 7.5/10 
Total: 24.1/30-Good

Coopers Best Extra Stout
From: Regency Park, South Australia, Australia  
Style: Foreign Stout 
Commercial Description:
You want bitter? You got it! Very malty with a strong roast barley flavour. Black as pitch and so thick you could just about eat it with a spoon. An excellent stout.

Apperance:Deep brown-black with a moderate beige head. 3.4/5

Aroma: Sweet coffee and candy like aroma. 3/5

Mouthfeel: On tasting there’s was the slight fizz carbination which I thought would be annoying but which fortunately soon fades into a mouthfeel which is oily, and yet works surprisingly well. 3.6/5

Flavor:  It tastes initially of coffee, then lots of earth with a hint of cough mixture before a beautiful and lasting smokiness takes over.3.4/5

 Overall Impression: Definitely a beer for sipping rather than gulping - but so good that I found myself sipping it at a dangerously intoxicating rate. For some reason I didn’t have high expectations of this, but it turned out to be very good indeed. 6.5/10

Total: 20.4/30 Good

Always a good time drinking with the family. I will be brewing Saturday. Going to make a summer ale wheat beer I put together. Finally will get to brew with some help!

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