Cluster Luck
The Bruery

 

Delicious and unique 16oz can from these guys, probably wouldn't chase this one down often as it is VERY nutty, but it delivers as advertised; the can gushed for some reason, could have been my fault. Dark opaque black pour with a dark tan/khaki head that rises and overflows. Salty, earthy, and woody nose, beechwood apparent with a dry salinity...toasted almonds and raw cacao nibs...fully nutty, woody and dry, with mild notes of vanilla tap-dancing at places though this one is not sweet at all really. Fun stuff, just an excellent execution.

super cool beer on tap at their eagle, idaho spot, a collaboration with fonta flora, who i know way more for cool wild beer than for big pastry beers, but here we are, a sign of the times perhaps. this is a neat one though, beechwood and white oak fermented imperial stout with almonds, cacao nibs, vanilla, and sea salt, a fun recipe with exceptional execution, presents as less sweet, more adult, and very original, im stoked to have been able to get into this on tap! near black dark brown and matte in the glass under a short quarter inch of dark burlap colored froth, a little relaxed on the carbonation overall, which is fine in this style, no complaints. there is a mellowness to this that strikes me immediately, like right away this isnt the typical pastry thing, diabetic and huge and adjunct driven, there is a nice and somewhat subtle stout at the core of this, and the wood elements are on display in the aroma in a way i like a lot, not sure i could call out beechwood, but that its not jusyt dripping bourbon is obvious, and the wood instead of spirit is a welcome wrinkle to this. i smell dark chocolate both from the nibs and the malt, and i smell some of the minerality of the sea salt too. interestingly i get the almond and its not all amaretto and marzipan its straight up actual almonds, hard to do im sure, but the authenticity is very appealing. the flavor brings all the elements together really well, almond is there early and late but similar in both phases, there is a chocolate dipped vibe but this isnt all that sugary actually, the nibs have some bitter earthy character that comes all the way through. the base stout also isnt loaded with caramel richness and boiled into syrup, this has only moderate viscosity and the roast stays central. the salt is amazing, it comes in early and is pretty robust, it starts drying this out right away, and i think calls attention to the nut aspect in a really flattering way, and then the whole thing is dry on the finish. i like the consistent woodiness, also a distinctive element of this and i dont need whiskey here. subtle vanilla is all thats necessary, an accent not a dominant player, which adds to the more refined vibe of this, and there is fresh ground espresso character too. i think this is different enough from the crowd to really stand out, and its got less body and permanence on the palate than so many of these. really well done, restrained in the right ways, delicious, well hidden alcohol strength, and lovely use of salt here!