Dogfish Head's World Wide Stout: a Kick in the Teeth

I figured I was in for a mouthful when cracking this one open and boy was I ever right. I'm not sure I've ever had a 12oz bottle that took me longer to drink than this one.

Even after taking it out of the fridge a half hour or so before opening it, the beer was still way too cold to be enjoyable. When over-chilled, you get a touch of roast and a touch of dark fruit, but what you primarily get is the 18% ABV of this beast. Based on my impressions of World Wide Stout cold, I really thought I was going to hate this.

Only when it begins to warm and the surprisingly high carbonation begins to fade does WWS come into its own. That is not to say that the 18% goes away; it's 18% for Pete's sake. When it warms to a proper drinking temperature, it really opens up and becomes much more complex in terms of flavor. The booziness of it is always there with you in the passenger seat, but it's no longer what drives the beer. The dark fruits (raisins, plums) really come out as the temperature rises, along with a hint of smoke, coffee, and caramel. It is a pretty sweet beer, yet is never cloying.

The carbonation at first really detracts from the thickness and weight of the beer, but once it calms down a bit, you get a sense of how thick and mouth-coating this beer really is. It's not milkshake thick (ala: Dark Lord), but it is heavy and filling.

All in all, by the time I was finished with this, I was sad my glass was empty. It took me almost two hours to drink it, but the hours were well worth it. This is the perfect beer to exemplify what serving temperature does to a beer's taste and smell. I'll probably have a hard time justifying the upwards of $10 a 12oz WWS commands, but I would love to try to get my hands on an aged bottle or two to see how it has mellowed with time. Overall, a great effort from DFH which is far, far better than their other big beer I've tried (120 minute). I'd recommend it if you haven't tried it before and also recommend perhaps splitting it with a friend. This was definitely the only thing I drank that night.

Day 49 (9/11/2011): Pizzeria Paradiso (Washington, D.C.)

I had been meaning to visit Pizzeria Paradiso since the first time I stayed in Dupont Circle for work last year. Good beer and good pizza? Very little can beat that. They have a great tap and bottle list and have a good happy hour on drafts during the week.

I ordered a 2007 Cantillon Iris, a wonderful unblended lambic that uses only pale malts and utilizes a 50/50 mix of dry and wet hops (More info here). This beer has a bit darker of a body due to the malt bill; almost amber rather than the typical straw color. Iris is definitely sour just like any other unblended lambic, but it has a slight caramel flavor that helps to counter a tiny bit of the tartness. A great beer for sure. Not my favorite sour, but it's definitely up there. I'll give it an A-.

They also had Founders Breakfast Stout on tap, so I got to try my first of these this season. If you like coffee stouts, this is your beer. The coffee flavor was a bit overwhelming for me, but it is what it is. There's definitely a ton of roast in the taste and then the rest is almost like a beer iced coffee. It seemed like the carbonation was high for an imperial stout, as well. I'm going to have to get some bottles of this to re-review, because I remember finding this a lot more outstanding than I did here. B+ for Breakfast Stout.

The meal was absolutely amazing. I started off with a caprese salad, with mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, sun dried tomatoes, and basil, all covered in good, tasty olive oil. I was starving and scarfed it down before taking a picture.

For my pizza, I got an 8" Atomica, which featured salami, black olives, hot pepper flakes, and mozzarella. And not the crappy, shredded stuff that has become standard fare on pizzas today, but creamy, slightly browned real  mozzarella. I also added sausage to it, which ended up being a great choice. The chunks of flavorful, spiced meat added a lot to the pizza. Overall, a great pizza. Probably one of the better ones I've ever eaten before.

I definitely will be back to Pizzeria Paradiso again (most likely the next time I'm in town). Like I said before good beer and good pizza. Can't beat it with a stick!

Founders Breakfast Stout
Style: American double/imperial stout
ABV: 8.3%
IBU: ?
Beer Advocate: A/A+
Ratebeer: 100/98

Cantillon Iris
Style: Unblended lambic
ABV: 5%
IBU: ?
Beer Advocate: A-
Ratebeer: 99/96

Day 25 (8/18/2011): Creme Brulee by Southern Tier Brewing Company

I've been waiting to try this one for quite some time. The summer seasonal for Southern Tier's Blackwater series, Creme Brulee (I'm not going to waste my time using all the symbols and whatnot) was supposed to be released in June, but was pushed back a couple months for whatever reason. Regardless, I got my hands on a bottle.

Creme Brulee definitely is not your typical summer seasonal. A big, imperial stout flavored to mimic, you guessed it, creme brulee is a far cry from your typical light colored, thin bodied, refreshing outdoor drinking beers.

It pours a brown just short of black with a finger or two of tan head. Leaves thin lacing, but not a ton of it. It smells tremendous: burnt sugar and cream, milky, with a good deal of vanilla and butterscotch. Definitely smells sweet. There is next to no roastiness evident in the nose, but the almost 10% shows up some with a little booze.

The taste surprised me. While you do get a lot of the vanilla and caramel that is in the nose, the taste is a bit more subdued and features the roasted malts a lot more. While I'm a little let down that the taste wasn't as bold as the smell, it's certainly no slouch in the taste category and it's probably much more drinkable this way.

The mouthfeel is thick and creamy; probably one of the smoother big stouts I've drank even with the lingering burn from the alcohol. The carbonation is a tad higher than I expected, but it helps counter some of the thickness.

While this certainly is not an everyday beer, it is a great "dessert beer" and I wouldn't mind trying this a few more times as the weather cools down. It easily is one of the most unique smelling beers I've ever had the pleasure of trying, but it's not a particular drinkable beer. It definitely has its place, though. I'm looking forward to trying the rest of the Blackwater series as I get the chance. I give Creme Brulee by Southern Tier Brewing Company a B+.

Style: American double/imperial stout
ABV: 9.6%
IBU: ?
Beer Advocate: B+
Ratebeer: 98/64

Purchased from Market Wines at Findlay Market for (I believe) $9.99. Available where Southern Tier products can be purchased, but it is a seasonal, so grab it while you can. 

Day 4 (7/28/2011): Péché Mortel by Brasserie Dieu Du Cel

I'm going to keep this one short because, hey, it's Friday and I really don't want to be sitting in front of my computer. I've been meaning to try this one for quite some time and as a Ratebeer top 100 beer, I had hopes. It was actually just as good, if not better, than I had hoped it would be.

It poured your typical imperial stout black as night, with about a half inch of tannish foamy head. The smells were largely chocolate, charred grains (without smelling burnt), and as you expect from a coffee stout, very, very strong scents of good, freshly ground coffee beans. It's actually brewed with fair trade coffee, which will please those of you with soft hearts. I was more so interested in the beer, but it's a nice addition.

The taste is espresso, but not overwhelmingly so. It's just the perfect amount and it melds great with the sweetness and chocolate taste of the beer. The hops are there, but don't take over, only providing a slight bitteering finish. I like my stouts on the sweeter side, so all of this is the perfect combination.

It is definitely low carbonation and somewhat thick, but it's not the sipper that you would expect. The 9.5% ABV is pretty much completely hidden, with no burn at all.

This is a great beer and it deserves every bit of the acclaim it receives. Every bit of the flavor is perfectly balanced, but if are more of a fan of drier stouts, you might not like this as much as I did. Overall, I don't think I could ask any more of this beer. It's a bit pricy for a little less than twelve ounce bottle, but you're paying for quality.

I give Péché Mortel by Brasserie Dieu Du Cel an A rating. Unlike the last beer reviewed, this one is available in the Cincinnati area, so you don't have an excuse not to try it.

With that, I am signing out an picking out a beer to drink. I'll see you tomorrow with a review of it!

Style: Imperial stout

ABV: 9.5%

IBU: ?

Beer Advocate: A/A+

Ratebeer: 100/98

Acquired via a trade from a Beer Advocate in California. Thanks! I've seen this available in Cincinnati, I believe at Dutch's. I'm sure you can find it elsewhere, though.