Flat Earth
Stillwater Artisanal Ales

this one has been staring me in the face around town for months now, usually i am all over the new stuff from stillwater, been a longtime fan, but the price on this one really gave me pause, so expensive, yeah truffles i know, but it seems absurd. still, i did it finally, and i am glad i did, its a nice glass of beer, although maybe a can better shared than consumed solo. its thick and leggy and sticky, close to black, really viscous, surprisingly with a short and sturdy mocha colored head, not much sediment or anything for an ageing adjunct stout can, looks nice. i have to ask, why the burnt caramel? this is already plenty sweet without it, enough malt depth that this seems unnecessary, and it takes its job as counterpoint to the earthy umami salty truffle and lava salt combination too far, throwing this out of balance a little for me, obscuring the more interesting elements, and making it hang on my teeth too long, its too much. the aroma and flavor are still cool though, the truffle is wet and earthy and fragrant, tasted most right in the center of this, and accentuated nicely by the salt, which may add some minerality here, but it being lava salt seems hard to place with all the other dark corners this has. tons of roast, a nice espresso layer, a hint of leather, raisin, and cognac, good complexity in the base beer, and i think the truffle is an awesome addition. brown sugar sweetness through the whole thing makes it heavy to me, especially with all this body and warming alcohol, molasses too, and a hint of vanilla late. it warms up well but it gets hot, a lot of beer in this can. ambitious offering and well made, but i could do with a lot less of the caramel element, seems like a hedge against potential weirdness, but i wanted this weirder. cool collaboration, i wish there was a way to get these out here cheaper, but exciting just the same. seems to be holding up just fine on the warm shelves...

 

16 ounce can, canned on 02/25/21. Thanks to Brutaltruth for this one! Served in a snifter, the beer pours dark brown/black with about an inch tan head that stayed around a little while. Small amount of lacing. I like the aroma, the brew smells like caramel, burnt/charred malt, saltiness, earth, dark fruit and some dark chocolate. Taste is similar to the aroma, but with the addition of some smoke and coffee flavors. Nice mix of roasty, fruity, earthy and sweet flavors, with no one flavor overpowering the others. Mouthfeel/body is full, it's rich and slick with a low/moderate amount of carbonation. 13% ABV is hidden well here. I thought this was a good overall imperial stout, definitely worth picking up if you come across some!

Well looks like i got this for i forget how much, under $8. Poured it out by the campfire firepit here on a chilly 45 degree december evening in the city. My neighbors are screaming and yelling and making a hubbub as i crack open this interesting beer. Poured out a deep copper color as far as i could tell by the fire light. Very little head. Nothing particularly unique about the smell, it's pretty much dark fruit and raisin, grape, maybe some licorice. Have to admit though the smell is mingling with a slight smoke from the campfire. Taste is almost exactly like the nose. Dark fruit, cherry, raisin, molasses, fig, kind of a sweet and bitter taste, perhaps leaning toward coffee but it's not quite bitter enough. A bit of chocolate to round it out. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with light effervescence. This beer is not really unique or interesting, mostly just a solid brew for everyday stout drinking. It'll put hair on your balls for sure as it's sweet dark and dangerous at 13%, but it's just not quite enough of a standalone brew to give it the highest marks. The fire continues to rage, I will enjoy the rest of this beer.

I got a can of this beer from my local beer store located just around the corner. It poured an opaque dark with no head and no lace. The scent had vanilla and toffee flare. The taste was nicely balanced and easy to sip with vanilla and molasses malt base and touch of salt and dark chocolate presence. The mouthfeel was fuller in body and had smooth carbonation. Overall it is a great beer.

 

16oz can poured into a tulip. Insanely dark opaque body, oily and viscous with a dark mocha head and a dark film left all over the glass. Dark, burnt caramel and notes of salinity poke through, rich and complex and full and warm. Notes of unsweetened bakers chocolate and espresso as well...there is really minimal sweetness, though I also catch some notes of dark fruit and smoke. Overall this is very rich and complex and an enjoyable treat.

 

 

Picked this up at ShopRite Liquors last week as I hadn't had anything from Stillwater in quite some time. Of course, the description of this beer was anything but typical and the taste turned out to be the same way as this was a dessert in a can in so many ways. That was evident well before it fully warmed up!

No doubt that this was going to have a dark pour to it as this was chocolate in hue with a minimal head of mocha. That lacing was just as sparse as there were just a few scattered spots left as i worked my way through this. For as thin as the liquid appeared to be, it was completely opposite of what this was in actuality. Lots of sticky and burnt caramel, exotic coffee, rich chocolate, and stinky truffle in the nose as some cigar smokiness, outbursts of salt, hints of burning pepper, weedy hops, dark cherry, thick tree sap, and sticky bourbon came through in the taste, which melded together so effortlessly. This almost reminded me of something from a hypothetical marriage between a Kane or Carton brew but in the end, this was something that only Stillwater could concoct as it was so complex, odd-sounding, but completely pleasing and new at the same time.

A bit of booze came through everything, which is a massive understatement given how potent this was. Some raisin and dark fruit lingered in the aftertaste along with cacao and roasted coffee as the underlying slickness in the mouthfeel was easily balanced by the dry nature and aftertaste of this brew. Canned on 2/25, this was as fresh as could be and dare I say, fresh-roasted? I know this wasn't coffee but would anyone be mistaken for thinking this was like that? No sediment at the bottom of the liquid and no regrets in buying this as this was one of the most pleasurable beasts of a brew that I've had in some time, if not ever. Stillwater's not for everyone but if you like your beers different, edgy, and eye-opening, reach for this and take to time to savor it for all it's worth.

Poured without head into a Rastal Teku glass. The nose isn't strong, but what there is, is of roasted coffee/chocolate.
The taste in this collab is unique. First up is a welcomed smokiness followed by a sweet, smooth swallow that belies the 13% ABV. In that swallow is a taste of malty raisin, vanilla and coffee with that curling smokiness, cigarlike.
The finish. It's smooth and smoky. even hoppy with a warming booziness.

From the 1 pt can in a snifter. This exceptional brew pours a
rich obsidian with a nice head of brown dissipating foam that
settles to a thin ring with light lacing. Nose of earthy malts,
rich roast and char, light cream, dark cocoa, subtle woodsy
coffee, and sweet brulee. Flavors hit the WOW factor with
earthy malt notes (black truffle I would garner), dark
fruits of black and raspberry, dark coffee touches, woodsy
malt notes, rich roast and char laden malts, and subtle
salinity I did not detect in the nose. Nice mouth feel; full
body, smooth, coating, slick, rich, light carbonation, and a
earthy, warming, bitter malt finish with a touch of salt.

Of note; warmth brings a nice anise note to the table which is
very welcoming.

Overall-----one of the best and most unique brews I have had in
ages. Truly a sipper.

Excellent!

Cheers