Beer Me: Variety Week

Truth be told, Sierra Nevada beers don't really do it for me. There are a couple seasonals that I like but I don't go out of my way to buy them otherwise. This was a single bottle purchase that looked interesting enough so I forked over my $2.79 and went on my merry way. Also, I thought the name was super cool.

From the site: "Narwhal Imperial Stout is inspired by the mysterious creature that thrives in the deepest fathoms of the frigid Arctic Ocean. Featuring incredible depth of malt flavor, rich with notes of espresso, baker’s cocoa, roasted grain and a light hint of smoke, Narwhal is a massive malt-forward monster. Aggressive but refined with a velvety smooth body and decadent finish, Narwhal will age in the bottle for years to come."

Lots of cocoa going on here and pretty high on the alcohol content at 10.2% ABV. Apparently, due to its imperial stoutness, this one ages well but who has time for that? I wouldn't buy a 4 pack of this but if you can get a single, it's worth trying. Very dark and a 60 on the bitterness scale, just so you know what you're getting into.

These were just quick tastings at our local store. Don't worry, I'm not going broke buying beer.

Two Brothers North Winds Imperial Stout: Not a lot of information on their site about this one but I enjoyed it. Warmth of an imperial stout but not heavy on the coffee flavor. Also not sure how much it costs. I'm going to guess $10.99 / 6 pack.

Ballast Point Victory at Sea: This one wasn't even listed on Ballast Point's site. What gives? I did find that it is an American Porter at 10% ABV. We liked this one too. Lots of coffee here with a little sweetness too.

Troeg's Troegnator: This is a Double Bock from Troeg. (pronounce like rogue with a T on the front) If you've never had a double bock before, you should definitely give it a try. Sorry about the glare in the pic. This was another single bottle we purchased but I'm sure the 6 pack is at least $11. Troeg's doesn't come cheap. 

From their site: "Troegenator Double Bock is a dark, strong lager.  It pours into a glass with a bronze to brown color, fluffy white 

head and bready malt aroma. The Troegenator leaves a rich, 

warming feeling and subtle spicy flavors. The style, Double 

Bock, dates back a century or so ago. During periods of 

fasting without solid foods, the Monastic brewers relied on 

the Double Bock; a stronger, richer beer to fulfill their basic 

nutritional needs. Known to them as "liquid bread," a Double 

Bock has a strong malt aroma and rich chewy body. In the 

spirited tradition of naming a Double Bock using the suffix "-

ator," we give you Troegenator to provide warmth and 

nourishment all throughout the year."

This one also has a sweetness that I enjoyed. Really smooth 

and tasty.



And last but not least......

Granitbock: This bock-style beer is from Austria and it is 

PRICEY. $7.99 for a bottle. That's a 12 ounce bottle, nothing 

larger. But as luck would have it, the grocery store was 

selling tastes for a buck. 


From their site: "The Granit Bock is brewed in large granite open troughs. The granite stones are then heated to be white hot and added to the wort. This causes the sugars in the malt to caramelize around the stones and gives the beer lovely caramel and roasted flavors. It also gives the Granit Bock a unique smoked flavor. 

Yeast is added about 1 hour after the white hot rocks have been added to the wort., allowing for an open fermentation. The Granite Bock is then matured for several months on the cool cellars under the brewery."

This one was sweet with a lot of molasses flavor on it. I liked it a lot but would never pay that price for a whole bottle. The dollar tasting was enough for me and John drank most of that.

And thus concludes a beer whirlwind. I have to admit, I might be a little beered out. It's possibly time for me to return to my first love, wine. For some reason, while I still like drinking wine and do so (I just don't post about it) I don't get as excited to try new wines as I do in seeking out new beers. I don't know what that's about. But this weekend, I didn't really care what we ended up bringing home as far as beer goes. Which is odd for me. Perhaps it's the season and the fact that the seasonal options right now don't excite me. Plus, our little wine club hasn't met for a few months due to hectic schedules but maybe my wine love will be rekindled with that. Who knows?