Coffee Oatmeal Imperial Stout from Terrapin Brewing

As I write this, I'm sipping on a seasonal beer from Terrapin Brewing in Athens GA called Coffee Oatmeal Imperial Stout. I'm drinking it during the wron season, since this is their Winter seasonal, but Florida doesn't have much in the way of seasons anyway. We know it's winter when we have to wear our slippers to get the newspaper in the morning. The four seasons are generally called "Warm, hot, hotter, and hottest". But I digress.

Terrapin's Coffee stout is actually made with coffee, unlike some others that derive their 'coffee' flavor from highly roasted malt. The coffee probably inhibited the head, since there is almost none. The stout poured the color of used motor oil. The coffee flavor is quite prominent, and there's a touch of sweetness as well. Mouthfeel is nice and smooth from the oatmeal. Alcohol is 8.1%, but you wouldn't guess it from the flavor. It does sneak up on you though.

It's interesting to be drinking this because a few years ago I made a coffee Imperial stout as one of my early homebrews, and it was very similar to this. The alcohol level was a little less and the texture wasn't as creamy, but the coffee was just as prominent and flavorful. This is a good beer - check it out.

Homebrewed Spiced Holiday Stout

Each year, I brew a holiday beer for the winter, and I'm always looking to surpass the previous year's brew. For this winter, I formulated a Spiced Imperial Stout, using traditional holiday spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, coriander, allspice and vanilla. I also added a secret weapon - 4 ounces of Jim Beam Bourbon. This is definitely an over-the-top sipping beer that's great for a nightcap. I used twice as much malt as I usually use, and beefed it up some more with 1/2 lb of Muscavado dark brown sugar. Muscavado is the richest, darkest brown sugar available. The beer pours inky-black, with ruby highlights and no head. The flavor is full of molasses, licorice, and dark sweet fruit. It is most certainly not a beer to be had with dinner. It's dessert all by itself. Alcohol level is probably around 12%, so it's very warming. I think this is my finest holiday beer yet. It's exactly what I was working toward.

Another Day of Brewing

Things have been a bit lax around my home brewery lately. Jobs and life seem to have gotten in the way of conscientious brewing. Yesterday, my wife and I finally bottled my Vanilla Bean Porter, after a month in the fermenter. It should be ready just in time for Thanksgiving. I tasted the uncarbonated beer as we prepared to bottle it, and found that it didn't have the vanilla flavor I was looking for, so I added some vanilla extract to each bottle. Hopefully, I didn't go overboard. We also bottled our Florida Pyment, made from Muscadine grapes, which are native to the Sunshine State, and Orange Blossom honey. It's aging beautifully.

Every year I brew a special holiday beer, something with lots of alcohol and lots of body. Last year it was my Winter Warmer, brewed with dates and lots of spices. This year, I decided to brew a Spiced Bourbon Imperial Stout. It started fermenting within hours of pitching the yeast, and it's still going strong. I created the recipe by combining a couple of recipes from two different books I have, and then tweaked it some more. I expect that it will be black as ink, with a full body and about 10% alcohol. I hope it's ready for Christmas, but I have my doubts. I'll be reporting on it when I'm finally able to crack the top on the first one. In the mean time, my Porter should be ready in about 2 weeks. Stay tuned.

Heavy Seas Peg Leg Imperial Stout

I went looking for a rich dark beer to go with my burger tonight, and found Clipper City Brewing's Heavy Seas Peg Leg Imperial Stout. Clipper City is based in Baltimore, MD. I haven't had an Imperial Stout in a while, so I was looking forward to it. It poured a deep dark oily black with a small tan head. It had a creamy smooth mouthfeel, and tasted of chocolate, coffee, dark fruits and licorice. There was a lot of sweet roasty malt too. At 8% alcohol, it fits easily into the Imperial Stout category. This was exactly what I was looking for tonight.