Another Jagged

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I think this is the 4th version of Jagged now. I’m still trying to get a rough, roasty, bitter stout. But all I keep getting is smooth, chocolat-y stouts… That everyone loves.

Yes they are great beers, but I’m looking for something… Jagged.

I know it’s my water. I’ve tried different profiles meant for stouts, but they still come out smooth as a babys ass. 3 lbs of roast in a 5 gallon batch should give some sort of bite.

This batch was my water with baking soda in the mash. It left me with a decent body stout.. but still not jagged. It took 40 points at the midwinter homebrew comp which is a big national contest.. so it almost made me keep it where it is…but I want a rough one.

Think the next one I’ll start using some distilled water to see if that helps. But till then I’ll enjoy this one.

Perrin Reserve 2020

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Perrin Reserve 2020 imperial stout.

A buddy picked this up for a last minute Xmas get together. And wow does this smell great.

Beautiful black pour but little head. But bourbon barreled beers do that sometimes. But wow. Just from pouring the chocolate notes are jumping out of the glass. Sweetness, but even though the bottle mentions lactose,,it does not really smell like lactose.

Taste is the same. Big chocolate. And… Sawdust? But in a good way. (Not sure how sawdust ends up being a good thing.. but it is here) then toasty, then raisins. Ooh this is fantastic. So smooth.

But notice I didnt say anything about bourbon. It’s noticably absent. But you can tell there is big alcohol. And at 12.5% you should.

Body is perfect. Not thick, not think or watery. Firm bitterness keeps this from being too sweet. This is great. It just keeps getting better further down the glass.

If you can find this, I highly recommend this one. 4.5/5 and possibly higher by the end of this glass.

Rhoades Scholar Stout

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South Shore Brewery Rhoades Scholar Stout.

I have had this stout before, but for some reason I don’t see a review on it. So I’ll do it again.

Not really much info on the 12oz bottle its in, Not even what style of stout it is. So I’ll look it up as I drink it.

Nice blast of Co2 as I lift the cap. On the pour I’m getting a thick plume of tan head. Really nice. A good inch+ of very thick foam. While black, its not completely opaque. There is deep brown highlights where the light is peeking thru along with a good amount of carbonation bubbling up the glass.

Getting a fair amount of chocolate just from pouring. But will need a moment to get the full aroma as this thick head is staying put. Ok After giving the beer a chance to breathe a bit and a few swirls, I am really getting the chocolate now. Very grainy, like Victory/Aromatic/Special Roast kind of grainy. Does smell very sweet, but not the lactose kind. Malty, crystal malt sweet. Nothing for hops or yeast really. There is a bit of Roasted barley aroma,,  it’s there, but not really upfront.

The head is starting to drop a bit now with some more swirling. The first thing about the taste here, is that grainy, wet grainy thing. Not sure its the biggest taste, but the one that grabbed my attention first. Then the roasted barley comes out. But not the big roasty coffee-ish blast.. Its more subdued. But now we are getting hops. Nice Goldings like hop taste. Not much, but really hits the spot in this beer. 

Medium body with a wierd foamy mouth feel. Sure it’s higher carbonation, but that foamy thing.. not sure what to make of that.

It’s bittered perfectly, and a good thing or it probably would be too sweet.

I like this beer a lot. But I don’t see what style they are calling it. I if I had to put it in somewhere based on this bottle,, I’d maybe go Irish Stout,, but it’s far to carbonated for that,.. maybe very tame foreign extra stout? 

I Iike it. 4 out of 5. 

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