Chocolate Imperial Stout

This particular beer review is a bit different. It is different in the sense that none of you will actually be able to buy it. “What’s the point, then?” you ask. Well, I wanted to swing things a little differently today and talk about homebrew beers as a whole. Don’t really know anything about it? Yes, it’s a geeky thing you can do in your mom’s basement with your friends. But it can be much more.

Anyone that is truly serious about beer has at least looked into brewing at home. Those who are completely obsessed actually do it.

I’ll admit – I haven’t taken the plunge quite yet. I’ve got a reasonable amount of book knowledge without any physical application. A real expert, right? Yeah , that’s me. I’ll tell you what, though: I’m excited enough to write about the art of homebrewed beers, and hopefully that’ll push me over the edge.

My cousin, though, has taken the plunge. In fact, he’s already three years into the hobby. The guys he brews with have been doing it for close to twelve. So what is this all about? “I like good beer, what can I say?” my cousin Dominic starts out. “Plus, I like the challenge of trying to create something to be proud of, and the fellowship that comes with the many hours involved in the process.”

Dominic was kind enough to send me (by proxy) one of his “Three Stooges Brewing” Chocolate Imperial Stout beers. It came in a plain brown bottle with a home-printed label to identify its contents. I thought it would only be done justice by pouring it into the correct glass, so I chose a tulip-type snifter to allow some of the more subtle characteristics to work their way out of this gorgeously-dark ale.

Initial taste is pretty rockin’, with that classically dark roasted malt prevailing (as it should in a good stout). The chocolate portion of the namesake is displayed as a nice undertone to the whole lot – much more subtle than in other distinctly-chocolate beers I’ve tasted. I’ll be honest – I prefer it this way.

The finish was, to me, the most interesting part – It almost finished like a port wine, leaving traces of booze and grain long after the main ingredients have disappeared from your palate. Dominic says this particular beer is around 7.5% alcohol; that’s the ‘Imperial’ part.

Overcoming my selfishness to drink the beer myself, I allowed my buddy Gunar (www.mad-avenue.com) to have a sip. “Wow – that’s really good for a homebrew…”

My thoughts exactly.

So while you can’t buy this beer, at least not yet, the point is that there’s an entirely different world out there that most people don’t ever venture into. That’s okay ; that’s what makes home brewing unique and totally rad. If you’re really curious, there is a lot of material to read out there:

www.beertown.org – home of the American Homebrewers Association
www.homebrewtalk.com – Good online forum for discussion, learning, and advice.
www.morebeer.com – Good place to buy homebrew equipment.
www.howtobrew.com – Excellent introduction to ho mebrewing.

There’s something to get you started – I think you’ll rather enjoy it should you choose to take the plunge. I know I’m going to do so. Call me out on it a couple months from now, and see if I’ve made anything cool.

And now for the rating. I’ve been complaining for the past couple of reviews that a couple of the categories bother me, as their qualities don’t necessarily make a good beer. What I’ve done is taken the system and completely revamped it into something that seems a bit more fair. To keep consistent with my past reviews, the rating will still be out of 100. Also, beers will be compared to others in their category with regards to rating, otherwise we might fall into the trap of regarding a more complex beer a better beer when in actuality it may not be. Any feedback is certainly welcome.

Body: (16) - This guy isn’t as much of a mouthful as many other stouts, and has more of a two-dimensional feel than the depth and breadth that I was hoping for.
Nose: (18) - I absolutely loved the way this one hit me when in the tulip glass. The chocolate was certainly prevailant and rich. I don’t know whether this beer was brewed from a malt-extract or the barley itself, but I certainly couldn’t tell one way or another.
Character: (15) - Again, a bit ‘flat’ in overall complexity, where I was hoping to be knocked off my feet. Props for choosing to do something different. This one certainly has room to grow.
Originality: (20) - It’s a homebrew – certainly an advantage for this category in that regard. There are a few chocolate stouts to which this can be compared, but none that I’m aware of with such a nice finish.
Versatility: (14) - let’s be honest here – this beer isn’t for everyone. Non-beer drinkers won’t really care for the highly-alcoholic finish, or the impression the dark malt gives to the drinker. Pair it with a busy pizza, any red meat, or a spicy Italian or Mexican dish.

Total: 84 out of 100 – certainly respectable. Definitely for a homebrew.

For those that don’t know, it’s quite difficult (so I hear) to achieve commercial-level consistency and complexity with inexpensive homebrew equipment. Sterilization of absolutely everything is key, along with proper temperature throughout the entire fermentation process. I’m definitely impressed, and I hope to make something similar someday.

Beer: Chocolate Imperial Stout
ABV: approx 7.5%
Brewed by: Three Stooges Brewing (Homebrewers)
Reviewed by: Jameson Huckaba