The Bar Towel

Many of you probably got this memo, but the Black IPA was in the brew store today.

Having one now - it's nice stuff. Just very quickly: nice aroma of citrusy and piney hops mixed with coffee, appearance is a la Robust Porter, even at 100 IBUs, taste isn't overly bitter, but again juicy hops finishing with the coffee/chocolate roast. Thought it was boozy at first, but 1/4 through the bottle it's tasting more mellow. Aroma and the middle part of the taste might be my fav parts.

A little too drinkable, perhaps

Not sure if I like this better than fermium, but it's pretty close.


Also, and maybe even cooler, because it was a surprise, they had some 25th anniversary bottles (750 ml, with the white labels) of an Imperial Bean Espresso Stout - never even heard of this beer.

It was a two bottle limit thing, so hopefully you guys can find some on Monday. If it's as good as Mike Lackey's other Imperial Stouts, I'm sure it will be good.

In the LC starting this week apparently, if you can't get it in Etobicoke, but get it while it's fresh!

Yeah the Vanilla Bean Imperial Espresso Stout is a bonus 25th Anniversay release and is very very good. If the twitter account is correct, there was just 288 bottles released to the public. Well worth seeking out.

Yes, I think they tweeted this on Halloween Wednesday. Haven't cracked mine yet.

midlife crisis wrote:Yes, I think they tweeted this on Halloween Wednesday. Haven't cracked mine yet.

Had it tonight (vanilla bean espresso, that is) yeah, it's pretty great. The vanilla, I thought almost gave it a kind of "bourbon barrel" taste...the coffee was nice, but a little more subtle. Not a lot of carbonation and a nice creamy body to it.

Still a big beer - I really struggle with these 10% bombers when I can't convince my wife to have some. I need a good champagne stopper.

Picked up both on Friday as well as the Alpino (Jalapeño) ale. The Black IPA was great and like Jeff mentioned above scray drinkable. Also had the Vanilla Bean nice coffee flavours upfront, not real stong expresso and then a smooth vanilla finish. Just wish it a more full body. The Alpino ale was pretty interesting as well, not a Jalapeño fan so it didn't do much for me.

Really enjoy this beer. Probably the best Black IPA I've had after Wookey Jack. Great hop nose and flavour, with enough roast malt flavour to avoid being one of those pointlessly black IPAs.

I would probably rank the 25th Anniversary releases as such:

1. Robust Porter
2. Imperial Black IPA
3. Vanilla Espresso Stout
4. Saison

For me personally.

Black IPA
Vanilla Bean Expresso Stout
Robust Porter
Saison

Edit: I heard the next release is going to be a barrel aged imperial stout and I really hope it tops the list when released.

Cale wrote:
I would probably rank the 25th Anniversary releases as such:

1. Robust Porter
2. Imperial Black IPA
3. Vanilla Espresso Stout
4. Saison

This would probably be mine as well - there's still one more, though, right? I thought the Vanilla Bean Espresso was a "bonus".

I recall hearing something about a sour...

JeffPorter wrote:

Cale wrote:
I would probably rank the 25th Anniversary releases as such:

1. Robust Porter
2. Imperial Black IPA
3. Vanilla Espresso Stout
4. Saison

This would probably be mine as well - there's still one more, though, right? I thought the Vanilla Bean Espresso was a "bonus".

I recall hearing something about a sour...

The last one is a bourbon barrel aged imperial stout, I believe.

Please, God, let it be Stalin's Choice.

cmadd wrote:Please, God, let it be Stalin's Choice.

Although - would they release something they've already done for project x? And man, how many barrels would they need to use if it's going province-wide.

cmadd wrote:Please, God, let it be Stalin's Choice.

TheSevenDuffs wrote:

cmadd wrote:Please, God, let it be Stalin's Choice.

DO YOU KNOW?

It would have to come out relatively soon, though, would it not? I know they're kind of behind with their releases, but would they release it in 2013?

it's been in barrels for a few months... i think they are expecting it to slip into 2013 before release (and suspect that may be why there was the "bonus" 25th brew).

I think stalin's choice was a trial run at the recipe, but not sure it's the same as the final product. perhaps Lackey will chime in.