GI Night Stalker Question

Its a hoppy stout......not anymore

 

If you like hoppy stouts then I wouldn't buy it. I find it way to hoppy fresh, so it's probably just about right for me.

 

I've really enjoyed it with some age on it. Had a 2010 a few months ago and it was still solid. I'm hoping they are still good, cause I still have 1 left. The hops do drop off, but I think that is a good thing (not fan of hoppy stouts or black IPA's).

 

Won't have hops, Though I haven't had the 2010 recently I would love to hear how its developing since i still have a few bottles in the cellar, post back after you try one.

 

That is the first bottling. 3 years ago I thought it was a sweet molasses bomb as a fresh beer. I can only guess that it is even more so now with the hops faded back.

 

We also had a 2010 not too long ago cellared since it came out. It was delicious.

 

2010 batch? Should be solid.

The 2012 was just... off. I thought I got an infected bottle but apparently I'm not the only one who experienced the off taste, t'was reminiscent of soy sauce.

 

Can i ask where in MI you found it. I would love to get my hands on a bottle or 2

 

Dude, you are not kidding. The last bottle I had was so damn good that I held onto the last bottle I had. Planning to open it before the year ends. I think it cellars as good as some of the best of them.

 

The hops were crazy when that batch was fresh, and the totally complete deterioration of them in 12 months was equally crazy. It was a chocolate bomb by that point, I'm sure it's even more malty now.

I'd snag them up in a hurry, unless it's the hops you are interested in. The 2011 batch is long gone, so you can't age that one, and the only bottles from 2012 still on shelves are from the "infected" batch (see bottom). Can't rely on aging those.

It was so hoppy fresh I would have thought it an IPA if blindfolded. I mean, it didn't even have any roast flavor, so I guess I can sort of see where you thought it a sweet molasses bomb...minus the part about it being sweet, that is. It didn't taste like a stout, that's for sure.

Now when it was one year old it was definitely quite sweet, very chocolatey and molasses-esque. The hop flavors were all from the dry-hopping and didn't last long at all.

Autolysis of yeast cells is what causes that, and it is not an infection, if anything it's the opposite of infection. Rather than healthy but unwanted wild yeast cells virulently growing in the beer when you don't want them, autolysis involves unhealthy yeast cells dying a miserable death. Still the brewer's fault, of course, as it implies they didn't take good care of their yeast bank.

And there were two (maybe more) batches of 2012 NS, at least one of which was fine. Not as good as the 2010, but better than the 2011, and generally fine. The autolytic one that's still on shelves everywhere due to bad word of mouth is the 11/19/2012 batch.

 

I myself like finding excuses to drink on days I told myself I would stick to water.

 

had a November 2012 hoppy with a touch of stout. was good but the hoppyness got annoying after awhile more into the traditional stout and imperial but if you enjoy some hops wirh your stouts then it will be a hell of a beer for you

 

I had one maybe 6 months ago....I still certainly could tell it had been hopped. I mean yeah it was chocolate and thick but some of those fruity flavors were still there just in a different way.

It's amazing beer fresh and a different but amazing beer aged.

 

Very interesting, I've only had the 2010 and the 2012. I still see quite a lot of NS sitting on the shelf of my go to distributor. Thank you for posting the wiki article, interesting and informative.