Cygnus X-1 Grand Design
St. Paul Brewing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On my recent growler quest, I finally got to Flat Earth Brewing in St. Paul, the closest brewery to my house. Backwards, yes, I know. My poor excuse is that I am always excited about the new brew, and Flat Earth, while relatively new, isn't the newest kid on the block. I did the tour of the brewery way back in September of 2007 and have always liked Jeff Williamson's beer but was never a zealot. I've wanted to be a zealot. It's hard not to cheer on a former teacher turned brewer, especially since I occasionally dream of the lottery ticket that means I don't have to grade a hundred essays over Christmas break. I recently drank a couple of Flat Earth bottles plus a portion of growler number one to the left, and here's the part where I admit that I was wrong to push Flat Earth to the back of the fridge.

Today's example is Grand Design, a S'more infused version of the standard Cygnus X-1 (Canadian say my notes from 2007) porter. No idea how a S'more gets into a porter, but it's right on the money for this one. Good beer for New Year's Eve that a fairly wide range of folks will enjoy.

Dark brown porter that has glistening ruby highlights when back lit by the soft afternoon winter sun. Tightly bubbled light tan head that's fluffy when poured hard out of the growler. The growler is near the end and I traveled with it in my trunk after being opened at a recent social gathering. Unmistakable chocolate and vanilla in the nose with a slight roast and biscuit underneath. No idea how Jeff makes this into a S'more, but it seems that adding chocolate to the porter's smokey roast is an important element. Vanilla may be ramped upped too, but I need to taste the Cygnus X-1 again to distinguish which part is the base beer and which part is the infusion. Next trip. Smooth and creamy mouthfeel that washes over and lingers nicely. Again, clear chocolate and vanilla on top of an ever so slightly acrid roast, full sweetness that's not cloying and a full malty goodness.

 

 

 

On tap at Stub and Herbs during Craft Beer Week.

A - Pours a deep brown, near black with some red on the edges. No head, no lacing.

S - Nose is sugary sweet with bitter chocolate and some roast. Intruiging.

T - Taste is roast, sugar and bitter chocolate and roast in the back. If I had this in a blind tasing I'd definately say its reminiscent of some kind of chocolate snack, perhaps s'mores, but up front only. The back is distinctly porter and nothing special.

M - A thin, lightly carbonated porter with almost no residual flavors...odd as its sweet up front

O - Overall this is a good, fun beer. Could not have more than one of these at a time. Not sure how they do this but its pretty good

lantern corps beer summit 2010 - day 1, oct 8/2010. Jw347 contributed this one. thanks john!

64oz growler. apparently the cygnus x-1 porter infused with chocolate s'mores.

pours red-brown with a small fine light tan head. the head drops quickly and leaves a bunch of spotty lace as it falls.

aroma is good. dark and milk chocolate. bit of bittersweet chocolate. tobacco. vanilla. whole wheat bread and cracker.

taste is good. loads of chocolate. bittersweet, dark, and milk chocolate all represented. bit of coffee. tons of vanilla. bit of tobacco. whole wheat bread and cracker. medium-low bitterness level.

mouthfeel is good. just over medium body. slightly under medium carbonation level.

drinkability is great! great balance on this one. loved the chocolate character and its interplay with the vanilla. good stuff!