dark days

Suddenly, it's spring!  Fluctuating temperatures, rain rushing in and out, you'd think it was the Midwest.  But no, it's not that unusual here either.  The walking weather has gone a bit down hill these last few days, the streets being wetter than is optimal.  For me that means stout weather!  OK, stout weather is always, but there's less dissent when it's chilly and drizzly.  Not that I care about dissent anyway, but...well, onward!  North Coast has an intriguing stout all bottled up, one that triggers a little nostalgia for me.  I'd be surprised if anyone else remembered the Rasputin Fan Club, but he remembers.  There he was, just waiting in the shelf.  How can you resist that face?

Hello there!

Almost feel like I should apologize for putting a Russian stout on the beer towel...

It pours out perfectly, with a rich, dark color and a good head of foam on top.  The smell is subtle, not giving much away.  But, oh what a taste!  It's a rush of bittersweet, fruity, chocolatey, slightly woody and smokey.  It takes a while to sort it all out, but it has a pleasant complexity in spite of the number of different touches to it.  There's something enchanting about it, like it's hiding something for the end.  A mysterious beer, making promises and...well, it's delicious to the end.  Can't say I got any great insights on the nature of existence at the bottom of the glass, though.

Supplier: Palma Brew
Price: €5.80

way out there

Finally, one of my favorite beer styles comes back into the mix, stout!  Old No. 38 Stout has come all the way from California, trailing some redwood smoke behind it, surely.

Did HE ever drive it?

It has a sweet smell, maybe a little dark chocolatey, and is otherwise typically stouty - dark color, beige, moderate head, and vaguely thick looking.  The flavor is strongly bitter at first, but swiftly followed by a sharp sweetness.  It's kind of like a dark chocolate filled with milk chocolate. It's a perfect fall evening beverage, smoky and filling.  The taste remains even from start to finish, raspy and calm, without getting too bitter or too syrupy.  A small snack might be a fine complement, something a bit salty, or a dark chocolate cake.  Something too sweet wouldn't be so good for the taste balance, though.

Ohhhh-eeee-oooo

Supplier: The Beer Garden
Price: €5 (but loyal customer I got it free this time!)