Saugatuck Blueberry Maple Stout

February 19, 2021

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I love blueberries. Just not in my beer…any beer. But I keep trying them. So I seen this one today, and gave it  go.

Todays tastings are out in the garage. i do alot of them out here, but today.. its -2F out here. The beer is not,, just me and everything else is.

As I crack the 12oz can open I already get a whiff of blueberry before I even pour. And I’m already not sure if that is good or bad. Blueberries are not usually overpowering like this.

As I pour it into my frozen sample glass, there is more of the blueberry and a sweet candylike aroma. Is that supposed to be maple? Could be. Maybe the blueberry is just overstepping it.
But even with those two big aromas up front, there is the slightest bit of roast there too.

The tan head shows up about 10 seconds after the pour in a nice little cascade show, which is always nice to see. Plus it sticks around quite a while, but that may be because of the -2F.

As expected, the first taste is blueberry. Except… while I determine that its indeed blueberry,, its the fakest blueberry fake job that has ever been faked. But,, damn it. I kinda like it.

Now that sweet candy thing does taste a bit like maple. but also in a fake way. But again,, I like it. Its got a familiar taste to it that I just cant grasp.

The smooth roast is more in the Black Malt realm,, not like roast barley, but it does just a hint of the coffee in there. And peeking thru all the rest of the stuff, is the faintest bit of hop,, almost wanna say, like an EKG hop.

Bam! now I know what it tastes like. Waffelos cereal,, from the 80’s. Yea thats it. Like you squeeed a box of it into your glass.

6% will keep you around for a little while, but it is kinda sweet and heavy. Heavy, or full body for sure, but not sryupy. Out here in the cold its perfect, but indoors, one or two would fill you up pretty quick I think.

I was sure I wasnt gonna like this beer because of the blueberries,, but they are so fake tasting that.. I do! I loved that cereal and this is a dead ringer for it. So it makes sense.

I think I’m gonna go back today and get more of this.
Take your 4.5/5

Black is Beautiful oatmeal stout

January 28, 2021

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A local brew. Titletown Brewing’s Black is Beautiful stout. Labeled as an Imperial Oatmeal stout.
I picked this one because it is NOT nitro. As you may remember, I am not a nitro fan.

Black gets poured in the usual Titletown mug. Sure it’s black..ish But not black black like I was hoping. Dark dark dark brown is a better descriptor.  Thin tan head that really disappears fast.

A bit of hops in the first nose of it.. but also something like a gloopy under attenuation. It could be that oatmeal, but not like any oatmeal aromas that I ever had. There is a bit of a chocolate note with a slight roast. But both are in the background of that sweetness.

By now the head is completely gone as i take that first sip. I was looking to evaluate the roast, but got totally distracted by the mouth feel and body.
It’s so thin and dry? Not sure dry is the word.completely the opposite of what anyone would think an oatmeal stout would be. Like a stout made with alka seltzer water.

But… Ya know what… I like it.

A bit of roast here. Not much, but enough. And not as much chocolate as in the aroma but it’s there. I think the dryness of it just makes it disappear from your taste buds too quickly.

Just enough bittering to be noticable. Just balancing what every sweet there is. This body is still distracting me. First it’s a nice body then it disappears to nothing.

There is a bit of hop taste but I think I feel the hops more than taste. Not sure how to describe that, but you will know what I mean when you try this beer.

Odd beer to be truthful.  I like it.  But not sure why. Maybe because it’s not like anything else?

Especially since it starts as feeling like it’s going to be a sweet, heavy beer.. but ends dryer than dry at the end and completely hiding its 8%.

I certainly can drink this… early and often. But its very confusing as to why I like it.

All in all my taste buds say 4/5.

Morning Latte. Is it a beer?

October 21, 2020

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If you have been reading this blog for any length of time, you probably have gathered that I do not,, or usually do not, like beers with things added to them.
Fruit beers.. no.
Bourbon.. um pass
Coffee.. uh uh.
Except maybe this one. Maybe.

Mornin Latte Imperial Coffee Milk Stout.
A big ol 9% milk stout from Toppling Goliath

From the name. I was was expecting a few things as I was watching this beer being poured.
First the Imperial part. Big roast aroma and especially taste. Second. Over powering coffee bitterness and maybe those celery notes from the coffee grounds. (Usually not from canned, this is more of coffee grounds and tapped beers) Third. That lactose taste all up in your face.

I was wrong on all counts.

It is a pretty beer though. Black. Very black. With a tan head that sticks around alot longer than I would have expected in a coffee beer.

But even just sitting there in front of me I am getting aromas of coco and…. Oatmeal? Maybe chocolate milk. Yea.. that’s it. Chocolate milk. But no roast. No hop. (I look at the can again to see if I grabbed the right one… I thought this was supposed to be a stout)

I’m not disappointed in the the aroma,, just caught off guard I think. It’s exactly the smell of a Monster Mocha or Starbucks iced coffee.

And it tastes the same as those aromas. Coco, chocolate milk and caramel. Caramel like those wrapped caramels. But again… No roast, or coffee for that matter. (Again I look to see if what I’m drinking is what it’s supposed to be)

The heavy body is so creamy, but not anywhere near as oily as it looks in the glass. I swear I nearly forgot I was supposed to be drinking a beer. Definitely forgot it was 9%. It’s a great drink that’s for sure. 
But it’s so far from being a stout, that I’m not sure I or they should be calling it a stout.

A stout should have roast. Somewhere. And a coffee stout should have coffee notes.. somewhere.
And just what is the threshold for going from being a beer with “stuff” in it, to a drink with a bit of beer in it? This is definitely the latter, and I am finding it hard to find any reason to call this a beer.

I like what ever this is tho. As I’m looking at Untappd, all I see is beer this, beer that, your beers, friends beers. So it appears I must have to rate this as a beer, not just as a drink.

So with that in mind, I give it a 1/5. This is not a beer to me. But it is fantastic. And would love to see this at the coffee shop.

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