Originally Posted by
UVa1981
Here are some beers I enjoy that I've not seen in my scan (this sucker is 847 posts long!!) of this thread:
Stone Xocoveza Imperial Stout. Taste profile: coffee, cocoa (it's a mocha stout), cinnamon. Features English Challenger and East Kent Golding Hops. Generally brewed seasonally, but I'm finding it more broadly now.
Stone Bourbon Barrel Xocoveza Imperial Stout. Much as the Stone offering above, except that it's aged in bourbon barrels and, thus, has some additional notes in the flavor profile.
Blue Mountain Dark Hollow Imperial Stout. Taste profile: vanilla and, because it's been aged in bourbon barrels, bourbon. 10% alcohol by volume; 70 IBUs. I've got nothing on how it's hopped. Available year round.
Blue Mountain Dark Hollow Reserve: Concealed Darkness. Same as the previous offering from Blue Mountain, save that it is aged twice as long and (as of my last knowledge) is available only at the brewery in Afton, Virginia, about 20 miles west of Charlottesvile, as I-64 approaches the base of the Blue Ridge. I've heard that the only bottle 1,400 cases a year.
Broolyn Local 1 Belgian strong pale ale. Taste profile: light, fruity notes with a little cloves thrown in. Long finish for a light beer. Brewed with German malts and hops and Belgian yeast. 9% alcohol by volume. The brewery claims to employ a process of 100% bottle re-fermentation, which process no longer is used much even in Europe, to deepen the beer's palate.
A lagniappe:
Before developing an interest in porters and stouts a few years back, I made a beef stew with Guinness. Since then, I've tried substituting better porters and stouts for the Guiness and found that the Stone Bourbon Barrel Xocoveza takes the stew to its best level yet. Below is the recipe if you want to give it a whirl. It's not overly complicated. In any event, I always use the carrots to make this stew but will add other veggies (wild mushrooms, new potatoes, etc.) that are in season.
Guiness Stew
2 lbs lean stewing beef
3 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons flour
salt, freshly ground pepper and cayenne
2 large onions, coarsely chopped
1 large clove garlic, crushed (optional)
2 T tomato puree, dissolved in 4 T water
1 ¼ cups Guinness
2 cups carrots, cut into chunks
sprig of thyme
(a) Trim the meat of any fat or gristle, cut into cubes of 2 inches (5cm) and toss them in a bowl with 1 tablespoon oil. Season the flour with salt, freshly ground pepper and a pinch or two of cayenne. Toss the meat in the mixture. Heat the remaining oil in a wide frying pan over a high heat. Brown the meat on all sides.
(b) Add the onions, crushed garlic and tomato puree to the pan, cover and cook gently for about 5 minutes.
(c) Transfer the contents of the pan to a casserole, and pour some of the Guinness into the frying pan. Bring to a boil and stir to dissolve the caramelized meat juices on the pan. Pour onto the meat with the remaining Guinness; add the carrots and the thyme. Stir, taste, and add a little more salt if necessary. Cover with the lid of the casserole and simmer very gently until the meat is tender - 2 to 3 hours.
(d) Scatter with lots of chopped parsley. Serve.