Way back in the long ago when i first started getting into craft beer, there were only a handful of places in the greater Austin area to get it. There were a couple of bottle shops that were actually gas stations with impressive beer selections, a couple of pubs with the same, and a small smattering of breweries whose taprooms were makeshift affairs, picnic tables in parking lots and whatnot.
Jester King was out in the country, a farmhouse with picnic tables on ranchland instead of asphalt. It was a meager operation back in the day, especially compared to their layout and spread now, and it's where i tried their Black Metal imperial stout for the first time some 10 or so years ago. One of my all time favorites, even if the style is not quite in the brewer's wheelhouse anymore these days. Recently, they teamed with Tulsa's
American Solera for a barrel aged version of the brew, and i was fortunate enough to get a bottle over the holiday. The 12% ABV brew pours black with very little head, a thin, brown fizz that dissipates almost as quickly as it appears. Aromas of chocolate, vanilla, nuts, and alcohol are present, with the flavor following the nose, a kind of boozy mix of chocolate, hazelnut, and oak, something nice to sip on during the melee of Christmas.
Visit the brewer and the other brewer.
I never would have thought i'd still be writing this blog 10 years later when i started it back in the day. It's been a lot of fun, and i hope that any of you that ever came across it were able to try some of these wonderful beers. Signing off.
