Sherpas Summer Vacation
Forager Brewing Company

 

The Forager Brewery menu says "Sherpas Summer Vacation- on Nitro", but I must propose their summer brew is a totally balanced brewing art masterpiece, also sold as "Forager Chocolate Coffee Oatmeal Milk Stout - On Nitro".

Was served at the Forager tasting room, direct from their chilled tap into a room temperature 12 ounce pre-rinsed tulip glass. A couple of rests were needed between partial fills of the glass to allow the nitro to separate from the dark pour and segregate a half inch head. It was the bartender's intention to ultimately provide a complete pour, but not rush the process by pouring off the still-forming head to rapidly add more from the tap.

When served, the brew was deeply dark, and it was capped by the tan self-forming small bubble nitro head. The dark, almost black liquid was nearly opaque at the bottom taper of the glass.

From the escaping air from the head, the hints of chocolate and coffee entertain the nose. A taste via sips below the head, confirm the milk chocolate notes of the nose, a few of the dark chocolate, essences, but none of the undesirable bitter chocolates on taste. The Coffee in the brew is an excellent taste companion for the Chocolate and is taste balanced perfectly with the flavors and mouth feel provided by the Oatmeal, Milk and Nitro components. The brew master's assistant indicated that the coffee was brewed locally. The brew master had excluded any bitter coffee notes, but I realized later that night, the caffeine was not excluded.

Although this stout is very smooth and someone else might be inclined to drink all of it while it was chilled and still had a measurable head, I savor the flavors and migration of taste essences during the interval as the stout approaches room temperature and after the head has become lace. Near the end of the now palm-warmed glass, I perceived hints of toasted pecans that had been hiding amongst the coffee and chocolate.