Suede Imperial Porter

Breweries: 10 Barrel, Stone Brewing, and Bluejacket
ABV: 9.6%
IBUS: 50

Today, I decided to sample this special collaborative beer as a way of celebrating the nearly 3,000 visitors (and over 100 Facebook fans) I received yesterday after posting the first of my end of the year roundups. It's not often I get more than two hundred visitors a day, and I seldom receive more than two or three likes in a productive week. With this in mind, I initially set out to film a video of myself sampling a beer. The video was taken, but I think I need to work on my "stage fright" (so to speak) before I try to incorporate video of myself onto this website.

I purchased this beer about a month ago, as I trust almost anything with a Stone label, and I'm always excited to try new breweries, especially when they're collaborating with a brewery I love and trust. Neither 10 Barrel nor Bluejacket receives much (any?) distribution down here in Florida, so it was an added bonus to discover some new talent. As a fan of dark beer, I think this will be up my alley enough to review for many newcomers to get a feel for what I do. While drinking this beer, I perused tunes from spacey krautrock and drone inspired rockers The Cosmic Dead, at a friend's recommendation. Sufficiently psychedelic, and appropriately new to me for such a new and exciting beer.

Upon initial pour, the beer is quite fragrant, yet nothing too strong is revealed outside of the traditional porter style. For a beer with as many unique and compelling ingredients as Suede boasts, I'm surprised that the flavors aren't more pronounced. However, this isn't necessarily a complaint, as the rich yet sweet balance that is created (mostly from the avocado honey, I assume) works like a charm, providing a smooth drinking experience. I've never had calendula flower in anything before, so I'm not entirely certain what to be searching for with that, but the jasmine is probably too subtle to be a dominant flavor in something as bold as an imperial porter. The beer is rather syrupy in its body, but there are no syrupy flavors fortunately, just a pleasant sensation in my mouth. This is definitely delicious, although not so much of a groundbreaking beer as it is a thoroughly enjoyable take on a familiar format. If I gained nothing else from this beer, it's that I need to add 10 Barrel and Bluejacket to my list of breweries to seek out.

Southern Tier Brewing Company's Plum Noir Imperial Porter.

Hey folks. It's been a while since I've shared a good drink on here, and what better beer than one I've had sitting in my fridge for nearly five months? When I saw Southern Tier's Plum Noir in the store, I knew I had to have it. However, I also made the mistake of putting it on a pedestal and refusing to drink it until circumstances made for the perfect moment. What I should have been doing was including this in my semi-regular drinking routine.

The beer pours as dark as the "Noir" in the name would imply, with a frothy head that parts way just enough to allow for a decent sip. The nose is surprisingly floral for such a dark beer, and the sweetness of the plums does little to detract from its bitterness, but instead broadens the overall experience. Given that plums are a fruit with such a deep flavor, it's nice to see them getting attention here. There's also the slight coffee note that commonly accompanies darker porters. It works perfectly here. There's a light fizziness that's barely present but just noticeable enough on the tip of my tongue, and there's just an overall pleasant balance to the whole thing. Southern Tier's Blackwater Series is proving to be consistent and fantastic and just experimental enough to intrigue without confusing the palate. While it definitely might be appealing to a niche audience, it's worth trying for any passionate drinkers.

Evil Twin Brewing- Lil' B Imperial Porter

This beer serves as an appropriate way for me to get back to my old hobby of reviewing tasty new beers. It's been a while simply because I've been short on funds and beer isn't cheap. That said, Evil Twin Brewing has been on my "must try" list for quite a while now, and I'm a sucker for beers that pay tribute to musicians, even if they aren't familiar to me. I know Lil' B is a popular rapper, but that's about the beginning and the end of it. Regardless, I decided to snag this brew as a good imperial porter is always welcome in my stomach.

Lil' B (the beer) pours a nice dark brown with a thin, tan head. The nose is relatively subtle and malty, although each sip displays heavy toffee and caramel flavors, with a thinner presence than the darkness would imply. The beer's eleven and a half percent alcohol content is well masked by the sweetness and richness of the flavors, but it can obviously be felt. I'm not sure if this beer is available in a larger bottle, but I probably wouldn't want any more than this drink offers, as it would surely overwhelm both my palate and my alcohol tolerance. While I know almost nothing about the musician with whom this beer shares its name, I'm all for anybody who inspires such a delicious drink. Grab a bottle if you can find it, it's worth getting.