Pick Me Up
Eighty-Eight Brewing Co.
- From:
- Eighty-Eight Brewing Co.
- Alberta, Canada
- Style:
- American Imperial Stout
- ABV:
- 9%
- Score:
- +7 ratings needed
- Avg:
- 4.15 | pDev: 2.65%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 3
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Feb 27, 2022
- Added:
- Nov 27, 2021
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 0
NO SCORE
-
-
We have done sours, westies and a whole lot of hazies, but up to now we have yet to explore the delightful world of stouts in our small batch program. The wait is over!
Thank your brewers for this one as “Pick Me Up” was one helluva labour of love. To achieve max stout and pack in as much flavour as physically possible, we actually needed to brew the beer twice using 5 different malts, loads of flaked oats and then over 15 kg of lady fingers (note from brewers: Do you know how god damn light a lady finger is!!) This big grain bill provides a huge sweet body and layers of roasty flavours.
After the mash, we added milk sugar and boiled the wort for over 2 hours, which helps to caramelize the sugars and create a richer, thicker beer. After fermentation, we added heaps of Madagascar bourbon vanilla, cocoa nibs, and freshly roasted and ground coffee from Calgary Heritage Roasting Co. made specifically for this beer!
The result is a big imperial pastry stout, with a super creamy body, sticky sweetness and a welcoming bitterness imparted from the coffee. Loads of coffee and vanilla up front, followed by rich chocolate, biscuits, and finished off with a nice boozy linger. It’s an entirely drinkable dessert that will become your night cap if you’re not paying attention, just the way we like it!
Thank your brewers for this one as “Pick Me Up” was one helluva labour of love. To achieve max stout and pack in as much flavour as physically possible, we actually needed to brew the beer twice using 5 different malts, loads of flaked oats and then over 15 kg of lady fingers (note from brewers: Do you know how god damn light a lady finger is!!) This big grain bill provides a huge sweet body and layers of roasty flavours.
After the mash, we added milk sugar and boiled the wort for over 2 hours, which helps to caramelize the sugars and create a richer, thicker beer. After fermentation, we added heaps of Madagascar bourbon vanilla, cocoa nibs, and freshly roasted and ground coffee from Calgary Heritage Roasting Co. made specifically for this beer!
The result is a big imperial pastry stout, with a super creamy body, sticky sweetness and a welcoming bitterness imparted from the coffee. Loads of coffee and vanilla up front, followed by rich chocolate, biscuits, and finished off with a nice boozy linger. It’s an entirely drinkable dessert that will become your night cap if you’re not paying attention, just the way we like it!
Recent ratings and reviews.
Reviewed by ChrisCage from Canada (AB)
4/5 rDev -3.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev -3.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
A- Pours a semi hazed dark brown root beer color, with an impressive caramel colored head that starts out at minimum two fingers thick, before gently settling down into a thick layer with large bubbles around the outer ring. Carbonation is of course too hard to tell but the lacing is nothing to see, as there really isn't anything there....only an oily looking dark film around the inside of the glass.
S- Coffee, dark and milk chocolates, vanilla bean, ground raw cocoa, cream, caramel/toffee creme, vanilla wafer English style cookies, and lactose for sweetness, alongside dark toasty malts, Earthy tones, dry Oats and an ever so slight hop bitterness.
T- This tastes like a Tiramisu! Creamy coffee, vanilla beans (freshly crushed), cocoa/milk/dark chocolate richness make up the bulk of the flavor, with brewers yeast, charred and chocolatey dark/black malts providing a slightly astringent bitter traditional stout flavor that lingers long after the swallow. There is also a lingering hop oil bitterness that is present on the palate too. The alcohol is noted at times, as I'm getting a metallic jaunt every now and then, especially as this warms up.....this aside, it is a pleasantly balanced milk stout in terms of taste!
M/O- This is a relatively creamy beer, with medium-full body and the carbonation I feel is just right....zingy at first, and eventually settling into a smooth, richly flavored brew that shows the time it took to produce. I rather enjoyed this on its own but would be delicious with a coffee cake, or as an accompaniment to dark chocolate. Could use an improvement in the looks but otherwise a very decent beer!
Feb 27, 2022S- Coffee, dark and milk chocolates, vanilla bean, ground raw cocoa, cream, caramel/toffee creme, vanilla wafer English style cookies, and lactose for sweetness, alongside dark toasty malts, Earthy tones, dry Oats and an ever so slight hop bitterness.
T- This tastes like a Tiramisu! Creamy coffee, vanilla beans (freshly crushed), cocoa/milk/dark chocolate richness make up the bulk of the flavor, with brewers yeast, charred and chocolatey dark/black malts providing a slightly astringent bitter traditional stout flavor that lingers long after the swallow. There is also a lingering hop oil bitterness that is present on the palate too. The alcohol is noted at times, as I'm getting a metallic jaunt every now and then, especially as this warms up.....this aside, it is a pleasantly balanced milk stout in terms of taste!
M/O- This is a relatively creamy beer, with medium-full body and the carbonation I feel is just right....zingy at first, and eventually settling into a smooth, richly flavored brew that shows the time it took to produce. I rather enjoyed this on its own but would be delicious with a coffee cake, or as an accompaniment to dark chocolate. Could use an improvement in the looks but otherwise a very decent beer!
Reviewed by Beersnake from California
4.19/5 rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
4.19/5 rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
Poured from a can at fridge temp. Pours a nice black with light brown head. Very carbonated. Head sticks around for a minute or two.
Nose is coffee, cherries, dark chocolate, lactose, toffee, and a bit of marshmallow. A nice roasted malt note starts to pick up steam as it warms a bit. Oak and leather. Getting a slight red wine note as well.
Taste is really nice. A definitely impact of both sweet and bitter. Sweet candy and toffee mixed with a heavy roasted malt flavor. Woody and earthy. Vanilla is there, but the bitterness overpowers it a bit. Coffee grounds, a touch of black licorice, molasses, and dark chocolate. A really nicely balanced beer.
Mouthfeel is medium-bodied. As far as imperial stouts go, it's a bit on the thinner side. This one is easy drinking and a really great beer. Nicely done!
Nov 27, 2021Nose is coffee, cherries, dark chocolate, lactose, toffee, and a bit of marshmallow. A nice roasted malt note starts to pick up steam as it warms a bit. Oak and leather. Getting a slight red wine note as well.
Taste is really nice. A definitely impact of both sweet and bitter. Sweet candy and toffee mixed with a heavy roasted malt flavor. Woody and earthy. Vanilla is there, but the bitterness overpowers it a bit. Coffee grounds, a touch of black licorice, molasses, and dark chocolate. A really nicely balanced beer.
Mouthfeel is medium-bodied. As far as imperial stouts go, it's a bit on the thinner side. This one is easy drinking and a really great beer. Nicely done!
Reviewed by leaddog from Canada (AB)
4.25/5 rDev +2.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.25/5 rDev +2.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
An imperial tiramisu stout with milk sugar.
Appearance - Pours a dark coffee brown with four fingers of frothy mocha tan head.
Smell - earthy and leafy hops, cocoa, coffee bean, vanilla, lactose, roasted malts, a sugar sweetness, and earthy yeast.
Taste - earthy and leafy hops upfront. The cocoa, bold coffee bean, vanilla, lactose, sugar sweetness, and roasted malts come through next. The earthy yeast rounds out the brew.
Mouthfeel - Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Finishes sticky and roasty with a pleasant bitterness from the coffee bean.
Overall - A pleasant tipple on this coolish evening here in Cowtown. A well made stout that serves as a nice evening night cap as the ABV is well hidden.
Nov 27, 2021Appearance - Pours a dark coffee brown with four fingers of frothy mocha tan head.
Smell - earthy and leafy hops, cocoa, coffee bean, vanilla, lactose, roasted malts, a sugar sweetness, and earthy yeast.
Taste - earthy and leafy hops upfront. The cocoa, bold coffee bean, vanilla, lactose, sugar sweetness, and roasted malts come through next. The earthy yeast rounds out the brew.
Mouthfeel - Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Finishes sticky and roasty with a pleasant bitterness from the coffee bean.
Overall - A pleasant tipple on this coolish evening here in Cowtown. A well made stout that serves as a nice evening night cap as the ABV is well hidden.
We love reviews (150 characters or more)! Check out: How to Review a Beer. You don't need to get fancy. Drop some thoughts on the beer's attributes (look, smell, taste, feel) plus your overall impression. Something that backs up your rating and helps others. Thanks!