It’s a terrible First World Problem to have, but there are some really good beers that are just too intense to drink half of bottle of. For example, Russian Imperial Stout is a style we love, but even slowly sipping over the course of evening it’s usually too much – too much ABV, too much epic monolithic taste. So, bottles accrue. They multiply, even. It’s a terrible burden – what can beer geeks with a cellar full of beers like this do? Luckily, we have friends who are willing to help out with this dilemma. If you’re splitting one of those bottles between six or more people, you’re getting a small pour like you’d get at a beer festival. And, even better, if your friends each bring a bottle or two, you wind up with your own little beer festival.
So, in the spirit of problem-solving and beer, we organized a small bottle-share last night with four friends, and we collectively put together an amazing lineup:
Hill Farmstead Nordic Saison 2014: This was the only lighter, more delicate beer and we thought it would suffer from comparison with the richer, bolder stouts, so we started with it first. (Wind: Plus, I’m a sucker for anything from my hometown region.) It was delightfully light, refreshing and citrusy. This is a beer Wind and I agreed we could both definitely drink a whole glass of, and it was a great way to start off.
Pretty Things Fumapapa 2015: Unlike many smoked beers, this had a very gentle and smooth smoky character, that blended very well with the creamy stout. But, even still, it’s not something I’d want a whole glass of — but great to have a sample of, to give the smokiness a chance to shine, but not overstay its welcome. (Wind: I’m not usually a huge fan of smoked beers because brewers seem to think that if a little smoke is good then a ridiculous amount is better, but I really loved this. I agree, though, that a full glass would probably have been too much.)
Swamp Head Catherine’s Resentment 2014: A Habanero-infused stout that was painfully (Wind: undrinkably) hot when released, but had now mellowed somewhat. I’ve had a handful of chile beers that I really liked, but most of them are too much for more than a taste. This is another beer that did very well with just a small sample, and even Wind enjoyed it. (Wind: In fact, I loved it – which surprised me a lot. I think we should age any such pepper-infused beers for at least two years in the future.)
Goose Island Bourbon County 2012 and 2013: The ’12 was much boozier and rougher than the ’13, but they were both luscious, chocolatey, and boozy. These were 12 oz. bottles and the most balanced and drinkable stouts of the evening. (Wind: Okay, here’s the only place where Redbeard and I substantially disagree – to me, the 2012 was smooth and delightful, and the 2013, while still quite amazing, was boozier. I thought it would probably benefit from another year.)
Free Will Blood & Guts 2015: We took a break with this sour, which was muted by contrast. It was not too tart, and had a good malty base. (Wind: This got a lot of “Whoa… yeah… that’s sour!” from the group, with that tone of voice where you’re not quite sure if it’s a good thing or not. To me, this was an amazing sour – tart without that raisin-y flavor that sometimes creeps into sours, sour without making your mouth contract in self-defense. Really looking forward to trying more from Free Will.)
Cigar City Hunahpu 2015: This was very spicy, with cinnamon and chili providing a velvety complexity in addition to the booze and chocolate of the base imperial stout. Wind and I had split a 750ml bottle of Hunahpu before, and it was overwhelming. With a small pour, it was great to be able to savor the richness and complexity. (Wind: What he said.)
3 Floyds Dark Lord 2012: Completely different from Hunahpu, Dark Lord is a much smoother beer, with vanilla and coffee dominating. This is a classic monster imperial stout, and I can’t imagine drinking a full glass of it. (Wind: Ditto. Amazing – so glad to have gotten to have some of this. Splitting the bottle provided the perfect amount.)
