Titletown Dark Helmet

February 27, 2023

stoutmaker review , , , , , , , 1 Comment

Been a long time since I have had me a Titletown Dark Helmet. The local Schwartzbier offering. This used to be one of my favorite beers by Titletown Brewing. Is it the same beer that it was after a couple of years,, and new ownerships? Let’s see.

I’m actually having this one at what they are calling “The Depot” a pub type resteraunt that is where the original Titletown brewing was located, but since moved on to bigger spaces… Just across the parking lot.

Dark Helmet was poured for me into a regular shaker pint with a very nice ligh tan thick head that really stays through the entire drink.

The beer seems somewhat colder than normal, but still get a good whiff of chocolate and sweetness.. along with just the faintest of grain. Nothing harsh or out of place.

And as the name implies, it is dark,, but would not call this black. Deep dark mahogany with nice reddish highlights and clear as a bell where you can get a glimpse.

Yes this does taste as good as I remember. Light, somewhat grainy with background chocolate and a smooth roasty note. Very balanced between the light sweetness and the hidden bitterness to keep it in check. And with that easy bittering comes a softer layer of hop flavor thats is there if you look for it especially the more it warms..

With a much lighter body than it looks like it should have, it still has substance and its spot on carbonation really fills it out..

So a Schwarztbier is basically a dark Pilsner. This version does take a few liberties with that description and does a few things of its own,, but is still a dark, easy going, light drinking that really surprises the non-dark beer crowd.

As said before, Dark Helmet has always been a great beer, but somehow fell off my radar during thier business shuffling. But I amd glad to see that it is just as good as I remember.

If you get to Titletown Brewing, Or the Depot for that matter, don’t pass on this one. If you are in distribution range, it out there in cans.

I as always.. am giving this a 4/5. Enjoy

Good Dog Porter

February 6, 2023

stoutmaker Porter , , , , Leave a comment

So I have been hearing some good things about this beer lately. Its a local, and one that I have had several times before. But,, it just never was something I was a big fan of. But I was assured that things have turned around with it.

The last time that I reviewed Good Dog, it was a nitro pour, but I have had this in bottles before, and this time around it will be a regular C02 pour. So lets get to this.

Served to me in a regular pint glass. Much colder than I would have liked if I had a choice. But it does look very good! A nice light tan head that doesnt really hang around, even with the carbonation bubbles coming up. I wouldn’t say this was black, but about as close as you can get. Very very deep brown. Sure looks tasty.

Aroma is fairly light. A bit of chocolate and some grainy notes. Just the slightest bit of sweetness, but thats about it. Nothing for roast, or hops or any yeast. Yes it is quite cold, but I was still hoping for something.

But in the taste, along with that bit of chocolate, is a bit of back malt. Not big, but there. The sweetness is trying to hide that grainy note, but it is still there. After doing a bit of warming I can start to get just the faintest bit of hop flavor. Old school hops. But just just as with the rest of the flavors, its melding in with everything else. And that is a good thing. Everything is there, just enough to notice, but not standing out. I may have talked my self into detecting a bit of yeast ester, its so faint that it might not even be there, but I do like how what ever that might be made me go look for it.

The body is not what I would call thick, but it definitely not thin. I think that this higher carbonation is making it feel just a little thinner than what it really is. But that carbonation seems to be helping the bitterness. If it was not as carbbed as it is, it would probably feel a bit under hopped. but as it is,, its right where I like it.

Well. I have to say that this iteration of Good Dog Porter is much better than what I have had in the past. It has always been a subtle porter, and it still sort of is,, but its layers now have just the right amount of oomph behind it. I certainly hope that this is the final version, and I am guessing it will be now that Zambaldi’s is in its stride.

I can now say that I like this beer, and am glad for that. Its hard enough to find a decent Porter or Stout these days, much less one that is made mere blocks from me. I am going wo give this a 4/5. And after this one, I am going to go find me a 6 pack to bring home.

AFTER NOTE:

A couple days after that beer I stopped at a different local place and they also had Good Dog on tap. I grabbed one just to see if anything would change in a different local, and happy to say that it was was just as good there,, (for breakfast this time), as the last one. Cheers!

Copperstate Gary

December 8, 2022

stoutmaker review , , , , , , 1 Comment

Got my hands on one of the locals Halloween beers this time.
Copperstate Brewing’s Gary. An imperial stout with cocao nips and aged in rum barrels.

I picked up this 22oz waxed bomber back in October. And I have been waiting. So lets get at this one.

Just by the pour you can tell this is a fairly thicker body stout. And wow, the raisiny or plums aroma its throwing. Even in my small glass, the raisin is everywhere.
But behind that there is chocolate and roast malt, rum notes. There is quite a bit going on, but nothing (except that raisin) overpowering.

What I am not getting in the nose is any hops or yeast. Nor (to my absolute pleasure) any of the modern Imperial Stout syrupy sweetness. This just smells fantastic. 

Black. Black as you can get is what this is. But not much for a head. Just a slight ring aounf the glass. But, that does happen with a lot of barrel aged.

The first taste is just what I was hoping for. Everything that was in that fantastic aroma is also coming out in the taste. Roast, raisin, chocolate, now we are getting some nice hop. the rum is there but staying behind and letting the Stout do its thing.

Another wow. It is so balanced with all that is going on in there. The bitterness is firm. And it one of those bitterings that you feel right on the tip of your toungue, like the good old school bitterings were.

That thicker pouring body feels a bit thinner than it looked like it was gonna be, but again, tat seems to be a part of that barrel aged thing. Plus the  %11.5 is probably keeping the body incheck as well.

Well now. Gary is an Imperial Stout not like I have seen in ages. Not over the top in any part. Not stoopidly over sweet or over boozed. Just an overall drinkable, big stout. This is what I think of when I think Imperial Stout.

I am not only giving this a 5/5 but putting this as one of or maybe the best Stout I have ever had. Copperstate Brewing’s Gary

Older Entries Newer Entries