The following blind tasting was done on at the spur-of-the-moment. We (my buddy Lorenzo and I) decided, since we have been on a Stout kick as of late, we would put our palates to the test. Can we guess some of our favorites among the flight or will a newcomer emerge? Without further ado, let the tasting begin… Bottle #1: Guessed Green Flash Double Stout - Actually Bell’s Expedition Stout Appearance: opaque, black, , cinnamon head (little) Bouquet: dark chocolate, hints of coffee, anise, prune, Taste: hops, bitter (overpowering), malt, dark coffee, prune Mouth feel: chalky, foamy, good weight, lingering, spice, Overall: 82 Bottle #2: Guessed Bell’s Expedition – Actually Sierra Nevada Narwhal Appearance: black, light head retention, low carbonation, lacing Bouquet: hops, malt, raisin, yeast, slightly muted due to complexity, dark fruit Taste: coffee, hops, malt, toffee, semi-sweet chocolate, nutty, sweet Mouth feel: spiciness, foamy, smooth, dry, refreshing, clean, lingering Overall: 88+ Bottle #3: Guessed Terrapin W&B – Actually Green Flash Double Stout Appearance: dark, good head retention, watery, bubbly Bouquet: coffee, caramel, toffee, hops, malt Taste: coffee, caramel, malt, hops, Mouth feel: lightweight, oily, smooth, watery, crisp Overall: 87- Bottle #4: Guessed Founders BS- Actually Terrapin W&B Appearance: dark, good head retention, light carbonation, amber Bouquet: COFFEE! dark chocolate, caramel, brown sugar, Taste: coffee, chocolate, caramel, malt, brown sugar Mouth feel: frothy, light, clean, lingering, creamy Overall: 93+ Bottle #5: Guessed Sierra Nevada – Actually Founders BS Appearance: dark, opaque, light head, foamy, light head retention, bubbly Bouquet: coffee, caramel, sweetness, chocolate Taste: coffee, malt, kind of bland - inconclusive Mouth feel: thin, Overall: could not rate (palate shot!) No matter the scores, we had a blast tasting these great beers. I'll keep it to a minimum of 3 or 4 next time and not drink as much of them as not to kill my taste buds or palate. Have a great Sunday, gents!
Don't feel badly, lotsa folks who think they could identify beers blind would have trouble actually pulling it off, myself included. Ask a BA named Arbitrator if this isn't true. It is quite instructive to do this every now and again. Really makes you pay attention to your palate, doesn't it?
Absolutely, Dave! I have only been collecting beers for about a month (cigars for 15 years and wine for 3 years) and I am just being introduced to stuff I walked past for years while at the wine store. I have a history of writing cigar reviews and, as of 2010, a wine diary. This is a whole 'nother animal...and I enjoy the hell out of it! Thanks for commenting. I'm new here, but I hope that I can contribute when I can.
I did as well. I think this will be a new phenomenon within craft beer. Beer and Cigars are a GREAT pairing. Really enjoying even a relatively cheap cigar and stout/ipa/barleywine combo
I'd like to host a local event where we pair cigars/beers. Nothing new as far as us doing wine/cigars around here, but this would be on another level considering the brews I know about now.
Just off the top of my head, I would go with a cigar that has very similar characteristics as the barrel it was aged. So, something that has tones of oak/vanilla, dark fruit qualities, and or something leathery or bean-like. The 3 off the top of my head are Montecristio (more vanilla bean, earth-like flavors), Cohiba (vanilla, some grassiness, creaminess), and Ramon Allones (a little bit of spiciness and dark fruit-like). And not to be a snob (which I am far from), but these are all the Cuban profiles.
Good god, man! What three particular beers? And how is it drinking? Getting ready to crack a Weyerbacher Insanity myself in a bit.
Haha come to any of our beer tastings, some members of the group are both cigar and beer geeks, and we all enjoy a break for a good one.
