A Well Forged Sword
Central State Brewing

 

 

I did not get a chance to try this fresh, on account of being unaware of its existence. But Central State is continuing to impress me. Apparently several months on, this now has a delightfully subtle orange sweetness, more akin to a tangelo or mandarin. When cold, it primarily comes through on the nose, but as the beer warms it opens up in the palate. In contrast to the popular big stouts of the day, this has very minimal chocolate or dark-roasted malts, instead offering notes of Central State's traditional farmhouse yeast, yielding some nontraditional straw and brightness. A full body and smooth mouthfeel round out an excellent surprise.

Quite a different stout from what I expected, and happily so. At $10 for a 2-pack of tallboy cans, this makes me want to go back down to Indy and stock up on whatever I can find.

 

 

Pours beautifully. Nice 2 finger brown head over a black beer with no light. Aroma, roasty, vanilla, kind of orange creme push pop. Taste, starts off with a sweet kick. More of that push pop taste. Finishes with a coffee type bitterness. Mouthfeel, very creamy beer. Feels fantastic. Overall- this surprised me. These flavors and aromas all come off well together. It's not just an adjunct stout where you get what they say is in there. It comes across as effortless to me. I like.