Well here we are. April 1st is upon us. Baseball has started and so has the April Dirty Thirty! First up to bat is…
Adroit Theory B/A/Y/S Imperial Stout
Imperial Stout
The Mud Hound Sessions
Critical Information:
My Experience:
– Pour
Poured from a corked bottle into room-temp mug. Beer warmed up to about 50 degrees (recommended 52-56). Deep, dark black color not even penetrated by iPhone flashlight. Small head with not much to hardly any carbonation.
– Smell
Strong smell of cherries accented with some rubbing alcohol and hazelnut (a little angry that it says cherry and hazelnuts those on the bottle. I got the cherries right off the bat before I read it then was able to find the hazelnuts after).
– Taste
Potent. But hey, it’s an imperial stout. I could really taste the cherries and some woodiness. I sensed some black licorice too.
– Mouthfeel
It coats the mouth very smoothly without any carbonation.
– After taste
I’m typing this while drinking it so as I write this I feel the alcohol content and cherries lingering. The coating left from the previous sip/gulp keeps the flavors active for 2+ minutes.
– Food
This would be an after dinner dessert drink. I could see it being paired with an ice cream or anything with whipped cream.
– Overall thoughts
This beer is 80 IBU but you wouldn’t know that unless you read the bottle. It is also, as I said earlier, potent. The strength of the flavor is definitely in conjunction with the beer style. Personally I’m not the biggest fan of the high-alcohol content imperial stouts (even though I will gladly drink a regular stout any time of the day). However this is a local beer made by a new brewery and real, regular people. That definitely helps me enjoy the beer more.
Score: 5/10
Brewery and B/A/Y/S Information
Adroit Theory was started in 2011 by Mark and Nina, the owners, and Greg joined this March as the brewer. Nina decided on Adroit which means “clever” or “skillful with the hands.” Mark chose Theory because, “it captured the theoretical, boundry pushing concepts we try to put into our recipes.”
They hope to have the build out of our warehouse done later this summer, and with the proper licenses in place, have a few soft openings this fall.
B/A/Y/S is, “an acronym based on the lyrics “Black As Your Soul” taken from a lyric by a Nine Inch Nails song. Given the mysteriouos and multi-layered dimensions in the bottle artwork, we thought it was a clever turn of phrase. Plus it perfectly describes the pitch black aspect of the brew.”
What’s different about B/A/Y/S from other imperial stouts is that it’s aged on Chestnut wood. “Chestnut is virtually extinct, and we have to take reclaimed wood from old barns etc, and plane them down into staves. The Chestnut gives an earthiness to the stout that I have not tasted anywhere else. When paired with the cherries and hazelnut additions, I think it really works.”
Thought for the Day
One thing I truly believe is that beer tastes better when you can connect with it on a personal level. Knowing who the brewers are and what went into making the beer makes any beer better. I hope Adroit Theory keeps pumping out new batches and continues to succeed. This was a great start to April Dirty Thirty. What did you start #AprilDirty30 with?
Short On Beer 