Nurse Pepper
Evil Twin Brewing

 

 

 

 

Served on tap at Carolina Ale House, 9oz snifter

A- pours opaque black with no head or lace at all, looks more like coffee

S- peppery, almost habanero-like but not too much or unpleasant, some dark chocolate notes along with a bit if roasted malt.

T- it's got a bit of a tanginess to it, notes of dark dry chocolate, the spicy pepper is noticable but not too hot, just enough to feel it on the finish. Some smoky malt, finishes dry with just a bit of pepper heat

M- medium body, low carbonation, just a little thick on the mouthfeel, finishes a bit syrupy and slick

O- an interesting take, the sweet and spicy flavors are well balanced, what it lacks in appearance and aroma it makes up for in taste

 

On-tap at Beachwood Brewing

Pours dark brown in color with an off-white head. Woah, intense nose on this! Super heavy on the smoke and chipotle aroma with a smell that’s almost reminiscent of the fire from charcoal on a grill. A bit of burnt wood and roast, too. The flavor is quite spicy and has sort of a hot sauce/BBQ sauce feel to it. A touch fruity from the peppers and a lot of roast and smoke. One of the more intense chili beers I’ve had.

 

 

Draft serving in a snifter, 9-10 oz. pour.

Jet black body with a layer of creamy mocha foam on the surface that stuck around for a good while. Swirling the glass brought about some random arcs of irregular spotty lace around the edges.

Dry roasty aroma, unsweetened dark bakers chocolate, hint of smokiness from the chipotle, nicely integrated but subtle.

Taste is also refined but subtle, the chile heat is minimal, but there's a persistent twinge that builds over time. Dry dark chocolate and roasty malt notes, a subtle, smoky sweet chipotle element, smooth and creamy feel, no astringency or harshness, slight bitterness from the roast. Pleasant and drinkable, no rough edges. Haven't had the Chipotle Porter from Mikkeller, but this seems to be a direct descendent from that lineage.

On tap, 4/13/12 at Blue Monk in Buffalo, NY.

Appearance: Dark as night with a half inch tan head that dissipates quickly.

Smell: Some porter roast characteristics but the peppers stand out. Looking forward to digging into this one.

Taste: You get a hint of your typical porter flavor up front but the peppers quickly take over and dominate through to the finish. Hot peppers linger, but I don't find them quite as excessively hot as Stone's Chipotle Porter. Quite drinkable and very enjoyable for a pallet that enjoys maybe an above average kick. An hour later it's like I just had my first sip.

Mouthfeel: Thick and creamy like your finer porters, and could possibly pass for a stout on the lighter side.

Overall: This was by far the best "hot spicy pepper" beer I've ever had. Granted I've only had a few, but they were either too strong or too weak. I like this much better than his brother's version - much hotter. Perfect balance (for me), and I'd definitely get this again.