New Beer Weekend #204

Brilliant!!

I got the saltiness!

 

Finally back to share a new beer with you. Been frantic past couple days. this is Side Project Brewing , out of Saint Louis, Missouri and their 10% La Cosecha Maplewood Coffee Crawl IMperial Coffee stout.
Beer sent to me by @not2quick Thank you!

onto my review:


Sampling a cellar temp 12 oz can of this beer. Date stamped 9-19-2024, so has to be a best before date. Received in part of a trade.
Beer has been in my cellar since I received it about 2 months ago.

beer pours motor oil black and sits very dark in my glass. Only a minimal dense tan head foams up around the edge of my glass with nothing else to speak of, even after an aggressive pour, as recommended on the label.
the aroma is roasted malt, coffee beans, and very dark high cacao chocolate. No hops, no booziness either and Im not getting anything for barrel character either. Coffee definitely dominates the nose.
First sip reveals a soft textured, medium bodied beer that have very spacious, almost non-existent carbonation. The beer drinks very easy for higher ABV and it feels a little thinner than I expected, and certainly doesnt have any coating or stickiness.
I find this to be a very coffee forward stout and not quite as robust physically as I would like, but the beer tastes good and is enjoyable. Glad to have tried it.
4.14 in the BA DB

 

Popped on the season 2 premier of House of Dragons and cracked my last (I think?) mystery beer from @Roguer . This one is "She Told Me She Was 18%!"



I'm a bit gun shy after the last blind beer, but here goes nothing ...

Appearance: Pours a dark cola brown color. Not much in the way of a head.

Aroma: Notes of roasted malts, vanilla, cocoa, and coffee comes through - especially as the beer warms up.

Taste: Taste has notes of roasted malt, cocoa, vanilla, coffee, some light hoppy notes and a touch of heat - I believe this beer is 18%.

Feel is fuller bodied, hefty, the kind of beer you sip throughout an evening. Prickly, bright carboation. Dry on the finish.

So, Im guessing its an American Imperial stout with some adjuncts. I dont think its barrel aged as I did not get much in the way of barrel aging. Outside of that, I do not have much else to say.

As for a rating, lets go, 3.75 | 4.25 | 4.25 | 4.25 | 4.25

 

And the reveal?



Welp, its barrel aged and in Rye whiskey casks on top of that - I just did not get that at all. I think the heavy coffee masks the barrel aging. Oh and its 16% - not 18%, but it's close enough. Either way, it is delicious.

look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25 = 4.22 (rDev +9%)

Seems like I liked this a lot more than most people, but I historically really like rye whiskey barrel aged beers, so not surprising that the flavor profile worked for me here.

 

I thought that would be a fun one to throw in. I didn't love it; I didn't hate it; but an 18% rye whiskey BA imperial stout with coffee - and with an awesome name! - is worthy of mystery beer status, I believe.

You, sir, chose one hell of a potent beer for a closer. Sleep well!

 

Twas my one and only of the day ... but yea, this will be knocking me out any moment.