Barrel Aged Black Metal

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.

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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.

Prairie Artisan Cherry Bomb!

I think The Runaways always knew what they were talking about.  And the folks over at Prairie Artisan Ales in Tulsa, Oklahoma have followed suit with the Cherry Bomb!, a imperial stout aged on cherries, chili peppers, coffee, cacao nibs, and vanilla.  The 13% ABV brew pours black with a small tan head and smells of chocolate, coffee, cherry, vanilla, and some hints of cinnamon and spice.  The flavor is a mix of dark chocolate, cherry, and coffee along with those cinnamon and spice notes to finish things off.  This is a great desert beer.

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Anthem Uroboros Stout

A couple of days after Christmas, i drove up to Oklahoma City to visit my sister and her family.  I will never cease to amazed that you can find damn good craft beer in Oklahoma.  During my visit, i had the Uroboros Stout from Anthem Brewing.  Pouring black with a tan head, the 8.5% ABV brew smells of malt, sugar, chocolate, and maybe a hint of pepper.  The flavor is biting and just slightly bitter, the chocolate and sugar notes keeping things level along with a hint of oak and spice.  Great, great stuff.  Good on you Oklahoma.

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Prairie Artisan Rainbow Sherbert

We're finally starting to get some fall weather around here (which means it's in the '80s), but here's one last summertime brew to taste before the days really start to shorten.  Prairie Artisan Ales' Rainbow Sherbert is a sour ale that pretty much tastes like...you guessed it...rainbow sherbert.  The 5.1% ABV beer pours a slightly hazy gold with a little, quickly dissipating white head.  Aromas of fruit, citrus, and an overall tartness abound.  Flavors of orange, pineapple, and raspberry hit first with some sourness on the back end along with just a hint of funk.  Drink this as a farewell to the summer.

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Prairie Artisan Double Dunk

Illness has blanketed my household the last few weeks, with adults and kids alike getting bouts of flu or worse.  I've been battling a walking pneumonia myself, which hasn't been very fun.  Lots and lots of coughing.  But, i did manage to have a few tasty brews over Thanksgiving, and one of the best was my post-dinner dessert beverage, the Double Dunk Imperial Stout with Oreo from Oklahoma's Prairie Artisan Ales.  The 11.9% ABV brew pours jet black with a quickly dissipating tan head and smells of chocolate, cream, and roasted malts.  The flavor was a little boozier than i was expecting, but sweet and smooth as well, notes of chocolate and cream hitting the palate like a decadent dessert, all with some hints of Oreo throughout.  Yum.  It's a great, night time winter brew.

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Anthem Golden One

I spent the last few days in Oklahoma visiting my sister, and aside from visiting the zoo, swimming with my sons and my nieces, watching some thunder storms roll in on the patio, and splashing around in the puddles that ensued, i managed to have a couple of beers.  And the Golden One, a Belgian-style blonde ale from Oklahoma City's Anthem Brewing was the perfect accompaniment.  The beer pours a hazy gold with a foamy, but quickly dissipating white head and smells of grains, yeast, and fruit, with a subtle hint of hops.  The flavor is light and sweet with notes of banana, pineapple, and a subtle punch of spice, and the whole thing comes in at 7% ABV.  What a wonderful patio beer.

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COOP Ale Works DNR Belgian Strong Ale

This last weekend, i got to visit my sister and her family in Oklahoma, an all too short trip, but a fun one nonetheless.  Naturally i managed to squeak in a couple of local brews before leaving, and the one that left the biggest mark was the DNR Belgian Strong Ale from COOP Ale Works in Oklahoma City.  The beer pours a nice and cloudy amber with a quickly dissipating white head and smells of yeast, spice, fruit, and a little vanilla.  Flavors of banana and spice are at the forefront of this 10% ABV concoction, with some notes of fruit, molasses, and booze on the back end, all in a fairly dry finish.  Top notch.

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Prairie Artisan Ales Bomb!

Way back in the good old days, when i was still on vacation, my mix of Southern California beers was interrupted by a powerful little brew out of Oklahoma.  Prairie Artisan Ales' Bomb! is a beast of a beer.  Coming in at 13% ABV, this imperial stout aims to put hair on your chest.  The beer pours a dark, midnight black and smells of coffee, chocolate, vanilla, and malt.  The flavor combines those aromatic elements nicely, but throws in some ancho chile peppers to liven things up a bit.  The subtle heat from the peppers mixes well with the coffee and chocolate flavors and creates a pretty unique tasting beer, though it is definitely of the post-meal variety.  Skip desert and have a Bomb! instead.

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Mustang Washita Wheat

Sure it's early.  Sure it's a work day.  But, with a beer like the Mustang Washita Wheat from Oklahoma City's Mustang Brewing Company, who cares?  I'm usually not one to tout on anything from Oklahoma, but this brew is pretty damn tasty.  The beer pours a hazy gold with a light to medium body and some wheat aromas.  The taste is heavy on the aforementioned wheat, but with mild hints of citrus and sweet fruit.  This is a great beer for a hot, summer day.  Thanks Oklahoma.

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