VOID Ego VOID
Tired Hands Brewing Company

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Served from growler into balloon glass, listening to a Prokofiev Piano Concerto. A thin brown head develops on top of this deep brown bodied beer, verging on pitch black. The head eventually disappears completely, leaving a solemn looking glass. VOID is right...

Out of the growler, the aroma is delicate, though smelling mighty tasty. As the beer warms slightly, complex notes of toasted marshmallow, black current jam, roasted coffee beans, dark chocolate, graham cracker, and alcohol all make their presence felt. A truly remarkable aroma that includes influence from the yeast, dark malts, and the partial barrel-aging. It is done with subtlety though, and that makes this "imperial stout" less "imperial." (A good thing in my book.)

VOID ego VOID crosses the palate with a certain slickness, giving you a smooth, dark, and anti-effervescent body experience. It starts with a very juicy malt flavor, with almost zero hop presence minus the balancing bitterness in the finish. Flavors of coffee, toasted marshmallow, cherry cordial chocolates, graham cracker, and alcohol intermingle in satisfying ways, with nothing becoming overly dominant. The barrel character is in the background here, and I think that works in this instance. Then the finish brings a light bitterness, coupled with a dark and roasted aftertaste that shies away from being acrid.

This is not a great style representation, per se, but Tired Hands delivered yet another delicious beer that finds a certain strange way to be unique and stand out from the pack. It's not a monster beer, nor was this beer for pussies. It's a complex, dark treat! I'd hope to see this again someday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First had: on tap at TH (and a growler to follow)

I'll admit, I haven't been the biggest fan of TH's stouts overall...to me, they can be hit or miss. But that can really be said about any brewery. Regardless, they are improving, and this one was a hit, and possibly the best they've done so far. ... Maybe my second favorite to Red Wine OV, but let's not split hairs.

Poured a black void in a glass, topped with a half inch of creamy tan head, retaining as a thick ringlet and leaving some streaks of lacing behind. Chocolaty aroma, notes of oak, anise, coffee, and tame whiskey. I really think it was a great idea to blend this one--it was half fresh stout and half aged 7 months in Tuthilltown whiskey barrels. The whiskey was easily noticeable in the taste, but it was so gently manifested, and with almost no heat at all. Otherwise, nice dark chocolate profile, lighter notes of oak, vanilla, and anise. Very well-balanced, with a body on the fuller side of medium (finally?), smooth and drinkable. Very nice.