Black Sun

Brewer: Three Floyd's Brewing Company, Munster, Indiana
Alcohol Content: 6.5%

Official Description from Brewer:
"Black Sun has a nose of coffee, roasted malts and piney hops. This medium bodied stout has a broad depth of maltiness and a clean dry finish. "

Wilk's Take:
Here I am doing something I vowed never to do: write a full review of a Three Floyd's beer.  Sure I dabbled in little paragraphs here or there, but to take the approach on a full bomber?  The rationale behind never doing a full review came from the fact that there are far too many Three Floyd's apologists in the world.  Believe it or not, these guys can make mistakes.  Sure they have the best beer in America, but that doesn't mean all their beers are the best beers in America.

As is well documented on this blog I love stouts.  I can't seem to get enough of them and would drink a bomber everyday if my liver would let me.  Black Sun is no exception.  When I pulled back the cap and heard the carbonation escaping the bottle, I could detect the coffee and roasted malts before the cap could clink on the counter.  The undercurrent of hops was oh so subtle that upon first whiff you never would know they existed.

Black Sun did not pour thick.  Three Floyd's labels it a medium bodied stout, but on shear liquidity alone you could almost use the word light instead.  Curiously though, there was significant lacing on the glass as I drank so there is some staying power here.  The aroma was in full effect in the glass and the hops were more noticeable.  At 50 IBUs Black Sun is not the most bitter beer in the world, but the hops definitely kick you in the teeth.  If I didn't know any better I would say that Black Sun resembled more of a black IPA than a stout, but no IPA has had the flavor as this.

Black Sun is a great stout in its own right and with its hop character can certainly over power any other stout you may consider drinking in the same night.  Its uniqueness certainly requires admiration but no admiration reserved for Dark Lord or even current brewery favorite Zombie Dust.  Although, if you were to line this bottle up next to an oatmeal, chocolate, or imperial stout I'm not sure which would be more intimidating.

Suggestion: In the end, if you are typical a hop head like my good friend Brett, and you are looking to stick a toe in the stout pool, Black Sun is the perfect entry.  If you're a stout head and you want a change of pace, you could do much worse.  This one certainly will be purchased again before the supply runs out (if it hasn't already).

Value: Three Floyd's is very easy to come by in my neck of the woods and for $8, I would say the value is there.  Then again, I bought it a while ago so I'm not exactly sure it was $8, but since that seems to be average price, I'll risk it.

Michelle Factor: Although Michelle was a champ at B.I.G. Winterfest and downed more beers than I could have ever imagined, she didn't want to give this a go.  She's sick, so her taste buds are skewed anyway

World Wide Stout

Brewer: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Milton, Delaware
Alcohol Content: 15-20%

Official Description from Brewer:
"YES! This is the beer you've heard so much about. Dark, rich, roasty and complex, World Wide Stout has more in common with a fine port than a can of cheap, mass-marketed beer. Brewed with a ridiculous amount of barley. Have one with (or as!) dessert tonight!"

Wilk's Take:
Somewhere on a shelf, a lone bottle of Dogfish Head's World Wide Stout cried out to me, practically begging me to buy it.  Honestly, I admit that I have not really had a Dogfish Head beer until this very moment.  I know that seems odd because Sam Calagione has done as much for the craft beer movement as anyone.  At least he has been well publicized.  But when you have a reputation for brewing good beer you must be doing something right.  Now I could have gone with the standard 60 minute IPA, but no, I go for a little rarer sighting, the World Wide Stout.

Between the realm of chocolate liqueur and rubbing alcohol lies the aroma of World Wide Stout.  It is simultaneously inviting and repulsive.  Granted, the repulsion is based on years of childhood illness where I inhaled rubbing alcohol as a method to clear chest congestion, so it might not be a fair comparison for this beer.  There is something definitely pungent about the smell that makes you think you'll lose a few nose hairs in the process.  I drink it anyway.

For a stout, the look of the beer is anything but.  As I poured it out of the bottle into my trusty pint glass I couldn't help but notice a deep amber color reflected from my kitchen lights.  This is not the used motor oil I love seeing, but it wasn't off putting either.  There was also a distinct liquidity about it that betrays the normal heavy of stouts wallowing in snifter glasses at your run of the mill craft beer establishment.

The taste is definitely akin to port wine.  It has to be.  Something that sweet can only remind you of dessert.  There is no bitter here, but Dogfish Head advertises World Wide Stout to be 70 IBU.  Even when you let it sit on that back of your tongue you are not getting anything remotely close to 70.  My fellow drinkers can confirm, but 70 is on the higher end for an IPA, which this is a far cry from.

Suggestion: I'm a sucker for stouts and World Wide is no exception.  It's good.  After a long day of work and a good meal, unwind with one, if you can find it.  With the heavy alcohol content you won't be surprised to find that it comes in a stand alone 12 oz. bottle.

Value: Definitely not a value buy.  For $8 you could get a couple bombers and even a six pack of good beer that could hold its ground to World Wide Stout.  Of course, it's usually from a local brewer and straight from their tap room.

Michelle Factor: She took the picture, does that count?  She passed on sampling.  Just not in the mood I guess.

Bourbon Barrel Stout

Brewer: Bluegrass Brewing Company, Louisville, Kentucky

Alcohol Content: 8.5-9%

Official Description from Brewer:

"This complex stout has aromas of bourbon, oak and dark roasted malts. Full-bodied, silky stout aged in Bourbon Barrels for 60 to 90 days. The aging process produces a smoky richness from the deep char of the barrels. Roasted barley flavors of chocolate and coffee develop as the stout continues along. Finishing hints of vanilla and bourbon finds it way down the back of the pallet."

Wilk's Take:

After my encounter with Bourbon Barrel Stout at the Valpo Brewfest and how exceptional the BBC RIP was that I already sampled, I made the effort to buy myself a four pack of the stout for some sampling.  After giving away three of the bottles I actually was able to enjoy the fourth prior to dinner last night.  And with the rare, warm October weather it was while working the grill.

Forgiving BBC their spelling error in the description (insert "Kentucky intelligence" joke here; I won't because I've heard the same lobbed at me about Indiana while working in Chicago) I can honestly say that not one word of what they think of their beer is a lie.  I, as evidenced by the blog, am never so succinct in my description of these beers.  BBC must pay someone to come up with this stuff.  (They do, he's called the brewer).

Bourbon Barrel Stout pours like a watered down beer.  There is no thickness to it whatsoever and I poured it, like I do all my beers, to have minimum head.  This isn't the used motor oil that stouts and porters can give, this is the fresh stuff right out of the quart!  And the aroma!  If you like bourbon, or any kind of whiskey, you will love the sweet air surrounding this beer.  You would think that you just got a Maker's neat and not a beer.  I really like that in these barrel beers.  Two Brothers did it well with their offering at the Illiana Brewfest as well.

There's not much more I can say about this beer that hasn't already been said.  If you consume it too quickly, you really miss out on the bourbon notes.  The chocolate and coffee undertones are prevalent no matter how fast to take it in, but are a supporting cast at best to the star of the show.  Low and slow my friends; that's the mantra you want to repeat to really get the best out of this beer and really appease your palate!

Suggestion: It's obvious right?

Value:  About $7-$8 a four pack if memory serves me correctly.  Not a steal by any stretch of the imagination, but good for a night of mellow consumption.

Michelle Factor:  M:"I taste chocolate."  W:"But did you like it?"  M:"I wouldn't drink a whole bottle if that's what you're asking.  Can we get some more of that pumpkin ale?"  W:"ABSOLUTELY NOT!  How about we try another pumpkin ale later."  M:"Anheuser Busch, big deal.  You love Michelob Golden Draft."  W:"Touche my dear, touche."

Obovoid

Brewer: Boulder Beer Company, Boulder, Colorado
Alcohol Content: 6.8%

Official Description from Brewer:

Obovoid - 1. An ovoid with the broad end toward the apex.  2. A fun word!

"Something tells us that you're going to love Obovoid Oak-Aged Oatmeal Stout.  Perhaps it's the color - as dark as deep space.  Or the aging on oak that adds an earthy character to its roasted notes.  Maybe you crave the bittersweet chocolate finish derived from the abundance of black and chocolate malts.  Or quite possibly the rich, smooth mouthfeel and creamy, off-white color head tickle your fancy.  But most likely, it's the perfect blend of "all of the above" that makes Obovoid a stout lover's dream"

Wilk's Take:
As we already know, Hoppin' Frog's B.O.R.I.S. was the impetus behind this blog.  Therefore, when I am searching the shelves at WiseGuys for beers to celebrate American Craft Beer Week how could I not stop and stare at another oatmeal stout.  The one oddity about Obovoid is that Boulder Beer Company limits the release of this beer from October-December.  The date stamped on the bottle is January 18, 2011.  Lying can be oh so delicious sometimes.

Obovoid poured perfectly.  The color, as I'm sure you've noticed in the last three posts, is nice and dark and oh so beautiful.  I promise I'll move to IPAs next week.  In the meantime I am totally in love with this week's selections.  Obovoid had a bold yet smooth aroma that is very inviting and keeps it's scent from start to finish.  The roasted malt yields a chocolate and toffee note.

Once you take in Obovoid you need to let it linger in your mouth.  The aroma and the warmth of your own breath bring out this intense flavor that is very velvety.  The finish is intensely coffee however, which could be the only drawback in this beer.  Much like B.O.R.I.S., Boulder ages this ale with oak.  The R.I.P. and the Silk Porter from earlier in the week were not aged near oak and you can clearly tell the difference.  Now, the earlier beers were porters and this is a stout, but this should make no difference.  Porters can easily be aged in oak barrels.  I'm saying oak should be the way to go in the future, but for the sake of keeping this blog going I will diversify.

Suggestion: Run to the Internet, go to Boulder Beer Company and find where you can land this brew.  Drink away and enjoy aplenty.  It was very smooth and very easy to drink.  With the lower alcohol content it is easy to drink.

Value: $7.50 for a 22oz bottle.  Obviously I appreciate the beer.  The value, that's a different story.  At only 6.8% ABV I am shocked for a stout.  I'd rather buy a more potent beer for that amount.

Michelle Factor: Not applicable.  Michelle refused to take a swig of this brew, with it looking and smelling like all the rest she didn't want to walk down a path that she's already taken.  Needless to say, she'd probably not enjoy it.