Darktober

Darktober 8: CoCoNut PorTeR

~ LobaBlanca

Brewer: Maui Brewing Co.
Location: Lahaina, Hawaii
Type: American Porter
ABV: 6%

Aloha and mahalo for joining me for another week of Darktober!

Why the Hawaiian speak, you might wonder? It fits in with this week’s theme: Work Travel Beers.

I love to travel, and I have been incredibly lucky these past few years to visit some amazing places throughout my own home country, thanks to my job.

Admittedly, most of the time I’m so slammed with work while in these locales that I don’t ever really get the chance to see anything more of that area beyond the hotel in which I’m working for that particular event. However, on luckier excursions, I get to see more and experience more. Maybe even sneak in a brew or two. Those happy discoveries are what will be featured this week, starting with…Maui Brewing Company’s CoCoNuT PorTeR.

For my own sanity, I’m only going to write the name like it’s printed on the can one time. And, yes, I did just write “can.” You can see it right there in the photo. Some people contend that cans are better than bottles because they protect the beer from the elements better. Obviously, they’re superior in their ability to block out light. Beyond that, however?

I’m admittedly not a fan of this particular containment option. I think that beer allowed to settle too long in a can begins to take on the metallic overtones of its container. That might very well just be my own craziness going on, but, if I have to have my beer in any way other than on-tap, I’m going to go with bottle over can if possible.

Maui Brewing Company, however, only uses cans to contain their brews.Regardless of my personal opinions about this, I decided that I really needed to give Maui Brewing a go while in Honolulu, if only for the joy of ticking off Hawaii on that mental brewery map in my brain. I picked up a multipack of two beers each of their three primary offerings

Darktober 6: Dark Starr Stout

~ lobablanca

Brewer: Starr Hill Brewing Company
Location: Charlottesville, Virginia
Type: Irish Dry Stout
ABV: 4.2%

I made a promise to myself when I first decided that Saturdays would be reserved for stouts that I would not dub them “Stouturdays.” I’m sticking with that promise…but in a way that still gets out there yet further evidence of my addiction to portmanteaux.

For our first trip to stouter days (I’m sorry!), I’ve chosen Dark Starr Stout, from Charlottesville, Virginia’s Starr Hill Brewery. This is another relatively local brewery of which I’ve only just begun to take note. They’ve been operational since 1999, but since moving to newer, bigger digs in 2005, they’ve been slowly expanding out from their Blue Ridge-nestled comfort zone, to include Tennessee, both Carolinas, and finally Maryland.

I’ll give you a little hint of what’s to come: This won’t be the only Starr Hill appearance this month.

It is, however, my very first experience with their beers. Dark Starr, which looks to be their darkest year-round offering, is an Irish dry stout in the tradition of one of my very first dark loves: Guinness. Subsequently, it’s been a very long time since I had this type of stout, because it’s been a very long time since I drank a Guinness. Not since I ruined everything by drinking a Guinness fresh from the brewery. Nothing sold in this country with the name Guinness stamped on it can in any way compare, so I just gave up trying. I guess that it’s just too long a journey from Ireland to here for the beer to retain its fresher flavors, even with those silly plastic rockets or ping pong balls floating around in the container. Damn you, Guinness factory, for being so far away!

Anyway. So Dark Starr Stout. Burnished obsidian pour with a reserved yet lush head, and you’re immediately awash in vapors rich in roasty, toasty, malty, nutty decadence. It was such a satisfying bouquet that I paused for a moment just to inhale it a little longer than usual. Beautiful nose on this beer. Beautiful.

Then came the first sip. To me, a properly crafted stout should be like “Reveille” for your tongue’s platoon of bitter buds. Dark Starr hit every note with almost pitch-perfect accuracy. It’s not an aggressive stout, but it’s still striking in many ways: satisfying mouth feel and a cascade of pleasantly bitter flavors such as fresh black coffee, dark chocolate, pumpernickel toast. The finish is dry (as it should be) and leaves behind just the faintest trace of sweetness.

From start to finish, this stout did not disappoint. It also brought the familiar one-two punch that stouts always carry for me: a warm comforting heaviness in my stomach and an inescapable wave of “stout” sleepiness. As I said before, stouts are “meal” beers to me, and this one was a very satisfying serving. I’m quite elated to have finally tried this beer and look forward to my next Starr Hill experience.

Darktober 4: Duck-Rabbit Porter

~ lobablanca

Brewer: The Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery
Location: Farmville, North Carolina
Type: American Porter
ABV: 5.7%

Zipping down the I-95 corridor a little ways from our last beer stop, we find ourselves in the quaint (read: so-small-you-might-miss-it) town of Farmville, North Carolina, home of The Duck-Rabbit, a microbrewery that’s been working its dark magic since 2004.

It’s an interesting little factoid about why the name and why the optical illusion for the logo. Prior to becoming a professional brewer, founder Paul Philippon was a philosophy professor. The philosophical nature of a similar duck-rabbit diagram from a favorite text continued to speak to him, even after he left that world. And so he decided to use the concept of the perspective of The Duck-Rabbit as a way to link his former and new lives.

Beyond the philosophical bent of the question, however: Why Duck-Rabbit? Because they’re “The Dark Beer Specialist,” of course. At least according to their label. Indeed, the lightest of their regularly produced beers is an amber ale. Beyond that, it’s all brown ales, porters, and stouts.

Definitely my kind of brewery.

I’ve previously had their milk stout in a bottle, and I had a chaser of their porter on tap with a beer flight I did at a North Carolina brewpub. I remember this porter was one of the standouts of that flight, so when I found a bottle of it this far north, I decided to give it a better opportunity to impress me.

The initial pour reminded me far less of a beer and more of a cola: swiftly forming head with a five-second soda pop fizzle that disappeared before I could even carry the glass and bottle over for their close-up. This is an incredibly carbonated beer, more so than I was expecting. Gives it a lightweight, burbling mouth feel and leaves you (or me, at least) feeling a little…well, let’s just say I could have given Barney on The Simpsons a run for his money after drinking this beer.

This porter carries with it the delightful coffee undercurrent I love about dark brews, plus there’s a scent of subtle sweetness each time you raise the glass for a drink.

The taste, itself, however, hits you in a way reminiscent of passing your tongue over the contacts of a nine-volt battery: electric jolt with a jarring metallic aftertaste. It’s not a terrible sensation, but it’s definitely much different from the fresh, mellow beer I had on tap the first time I tried this one.

I don’t think I’ve ever found a beer that tasted better from the bottle than from the tap (although I’ve had a a nice bottle-aged brew or two that could definitely put up a solid fight for the title), but I have definitely found beers that simply do not bottle well at all. This might be one of them. That’s fine with me though: Just means it will be one of those rare treats for when I’m lucky enough to find it on tap. Emphasis on rare, indeed, since Duck-Rabbit is only distributed in North Carolina, eastern Tennessee, Georgia, parts of Virginia and Pennsylvania (why they skipped Maryland in this sweep is a mystery to me…must have something to do with our lame state liquor laws…)

Darktober 3: Lucky 7 Porter

~ LobaBlanca

Brewer: Evolution Craft Brewing Company
Location: Salisbury, Maryland
Type: American Porter
ABV: 5.7%

Welcome to where we finally go off-road from the path of recognized and reliable flavors, denizens. Traveling slightly downwind from Delaware’s Dogfish Head, we find ourselves on the outskirts of Ocean City, in Salisbury, Maryland.

Ah, Salisbury. If only that scholarship had come through, I could have been a minion of Sammy Sea Gull rather than Testudo. Looking back, though, I realize that my life would be a lot less…Loba had I not ended up at UMCP, so I’m not put off by the way things played out at all.

What is off-putting (oh, the glorious segue!) is Evolution’s Lucky 7 Porter, today’s Darktober candidate. Prior to this beer, I’d only ever tried one other Evolution brew: their Primal Pale Ale. I received it as a birthday present, primarily because it has a howling wolf on its label (wonder why that would appeal to me?). I knew I couldn’t be an objective judge of this beer, however, because of my intrinsic aversion to pale ales. I also knew that I couldn’t judge the entire Evolution line based on this one beer, which is why I was willing to give Lucky 7 a proper go.

Nothing groundbreaking about the deep, rich color, although I was a little surprised by the immense fizzy head of bubbles that grew atop the darkness but quickly dissipated.

I know I haven’t mentioned the quality of the nose yet in my reviews. I hate using terms like that because it makes it sound like I actually know what I’m talking about. I don’t, denizens. I’m just really good at pretending. However, one of the main reasons that I like to drink my beers in a glass rather than from the bottle is because I do enjoy getting that double-whammy of sensory stimulation from being able to smell what I’m drinking.

The reason I’m finally mentioning the nose this time is because…it’s actually one of the first down notes of this beer. I’m sure that it’s something unique to my wonky palate (writes she who once described a sparkling wine as “tasting a bit like French fries”) but this beer smells unhappily like a bar of soap.

Once I forced myself beyond the unappetizing smell and took my first sip, my opinion of the beer sadly did not improve. Starting with a weak, watery mouth feel, this beer shifts to a mulchy m

Darktober 2: Indian Brown Ale

~ lobablanca

Brewer: Dogfish Head
Location: Milton, Delaware
Type: American Brown Ale
ABV: 7.2%

Continuing to ease into Darktober through happy, familiar beers, I’ve decided to pay a little tribute to the first microbrewery in which I fell in love: Delaware’s own Dogfish Head.

I wasn’t a true beer believer for a very long time, sticking mostly to the harder liquors for my quest for inebriated satisfaction. However, as I began to realize that, yes, Virginia, there was more to beer than bland offerings from mainstream American companies hell-bent on world domination through mediocre, barely flavorful brews, I began to better appreciate the world of craft beer to which I had been previously denying myself.

One of the first craft breweries to which I completely gave myself was Dogfish Head. Because of the proximity of the brewery to where I live plus the fact that one of their brewpubs popped up within reasonable driving distance…well, it just made sense to give them a proper go.

Now, I’ve heard rumor that some people have described Dogfish Head beers as “Best. Beers. EVAR.” I wouldn’t go that far, and I think that the people who do go there might be limiting themselves in craft beer experiences. However, I will say that if you are looking for one solid, reliable brewery to which you can pledge your alcoholic fealty? Dogfish Head would not be a bad choice.

Their Indian Brown Ale is actually quite an interesting follow-up to my first featured beer. Whereas Port City has only been in the beer brewing business for almost two years, Dogfish Head has been working on their craft since 1995. It shows, from their more unique offerings right down to their everyday reliables…like this one.

Deep, somber darkness topped by a thick-yet-quick-to-dissipate pillow of foam, this beer is what I suspect Port City Porter dreams of becoming. Eloquent flavoring and a ridiculously creamy mouth feel, with full frontal coffee haunted by hints of chicory and mocha. If you’re very patient, you’ll even catch the flutter of brown sugar across your palate as you move your way through this delightful beer.

Drinking this brew makes me realize how muted and subdued and…safe Port City’s porter is, and how far they have to come to become a bonafide Big Dog in the craft brew business. Not to say that I don’t still think that Port City’s dark offering is amazing, because it is. However, I think I may have forgotten how absolutely captivating Dogfish Head’s Indian Brown Ale is. Such a reliable everyday beer and a true delight to drink.

Dogfish actually offers quite a few amazing beers. The downfall of the company, however, comes with the fact that their more unique offerings are prohibitively priced. For example, I adore their World Wide Stout, which, at 18-percent ABV, is this stunning experiment in packing as much alcohol and flavor and sensory overload as possible into one beer. I’ve had it both from the bottle and on tap, and both experiences carry with them ripples of indescribable amazing (only because I don’t have to describe them for this review).

The down side is the fact that one bottle of World Wide Stout can go as high as $10 in some areas. It’s shockingly even more expensive on tap. And this is the modus operandi for several of Dogfish Head’s more daring brews, which means that the willingness to be daring that gives them their edge over other craft breweries is greatly diminished by the fact that so many of their brews are priced outside of normal beer-buying parameters. A shame, really. Prices that high are definitely a detractor from what is a producer of truly high note beers.

That being said, Indian Brown Ale is reasonably priced and consistently flavorful. I can’t say that Dogfish Head is still my number one craft brewery, but it still holds a solid top place in my heart, thanks in part to the continued reliability of steadfasts like this dark beauty.

Darktober 1: Port City Porter

~ LobaBlanca


Brewer: Port City Brewing
Location: Alexandria, Virginia
Type: American Porter
ABV: 7.5%

Let’s hear it for the home team!

I decided to kick off Darktober with a local theme (I’m very lucky to live in the epicenter of some amazing craft beer action), and by giving the first spot to a brew that has been the stand-out new discovery for me this past year.

Port City Brewing Company is relatively young, having only started distributing its beers in 2011. I discovered a couple of their offerings in a cooler at a little sandwich shop in Old Town Alexandria, mere miles from where their brewery is located. The owner seemed very enthusiastic when she saw that I’d selected a bottle of Port City Porter to go with my roast beef sandwich and exclaimed that it was the best porter she’d ever had.

Based on the relative youth of the brewery, I took this as her simply being a good salesperson. I’m happy to admit that I was mostly wrong in this assumption.

While not “the best” I’ve ever had, this is a surprisingly delicious, robust porter. It pours a beautiful dark espresso color with a soft tawny head. The flavors are decisive yet smooth: nutty, roasty, chocolatey, all married together with notes of earthiness and something slightly astringent on the switchbacks. It coats your mouth well but never becomes cloying, and maintains the delightful effervescence that I love about a porter. To me, it’s the effervescence that keeps porters from turning into a heavy, heady “meal” of a beer like stouts can often become. Also, at 7.5-percent ABV, you’re left with a pleasantly buzzy warmth flowing through your veins at the end of this pint.

I’ve yet to experience this porter on tap, but I can only imagine it’s even more wonderful than it is in bottle form. This is definitely a solid, reliable “go-to” beer that’s always nice to have on hand, whether it’s accompanying a tasty roast beef on French bread or you’re craving some liquid relaxation to accompany movie night on the couch.

Because Port City Brewing is still relatively young and relatively small, their distribution range is limited. According to their Web site, you can only find their beers in Maryland, Virginia, D.C., and North Carolina, although I have heard some people mention that they’ve seen it appearing in stores in Philadelphia. I wish them continued success, because if the rest of their beers are as amazing as their porter, they are producing some spectacular brews.

Darkness Is Falling…

~ LobaBlanca

Somehow the summer has slipped from my grasp. Shadows spread more quickly each evening. Leaves scrape their crisp crunchy husks across the sidewalks, dragged by ever-cooling autumnal winds.

The Darkness is coming, denizens.

Fall is always a querulous time of year for me. I love the turning of the trees and the crispness of a beautiful, sunny October morning. However, I detest the encroachment of darkness and chill upon my evenings. Also, fall is the liaison between my favorite season and the season I abhor.

I decided, therefore, that something needed to be done to help ease me into the doldrums of winter. Plus, I’m being pulled in about a million different directions at the moment and it’s really starting to wear me down. What better way to alleviate some of the stress than to decide to take on one more project?

Therefore, I’m officially announcing that tomorrow will mark the beginning of Darktober. (Seems that I like making a special event out of this particular month of the year, eh?)

Seems that I have been quite the busy little beer collector of late. After visiting two different stores that had amazing and reasonably priced beer selections (two things that are incredibly difficult to find in the area in which I live), I ended up with several new single beers…to go along with the plethora of beers already in the refrigerator. And, of course my beer preferences tend to lean as dark as my soul.

How, then, could I manage to get this surplus of dark beer under control in a fun way that would encourage inebriation and a chance to pretend to know what I’m talking about? Say it with me…

DARKTOBER.

The rules are simple. I’ve set up a spreadsheet (I love spreadsheets), to help me track all the different beers I have right now. I’ve organized them thematically (I’ll explain the themes at the beginning of each new week), with two additional themes set at the end of each week: Every Friday will be dedicated to an Octoberfest/pumpkin-themed beer, and every Saturday will be dedicated to a stout. Oh, and Sundays will be beer-free, because…well, because Loba’s liver needs a break every now and then.

I’m actually incredibly excited about this adventure. While there are some beers that I have already tried and am including simply because I think they’re wonderful and would like to share those feelings with you, many of the beers are ones that I have never had before. So this is going to be a learning experience as well! Bonus!

Also, it’s another way to encourage me to get back to blogging here at the lair. I’m hoping that some of the many projects that are currently pressing down upon me will ease up soon and I’ll be able to blog more regularly about some of the more pensive topics that have been banging around in my brain. Until then, however, enjoy a beer review or two on me 😉