Edible and Audible

On the lookout for a new beer to try (no, it’s not all fancy cocktails in this household) Laura came across a gem, Brooklyn Black Ops Stout, a limited release stout from Brooklyn Brewery that is aged in bourbon barrels for 4 months. It has some of the typical chocolate/vanilla/coffee presence that a good stout often carries but felt a bit lighter than most stouts to me, perhaps due to the strong presence of the bourbon which provides a noticeable alcohol tang, cutting through, yet still in harmony, with the other flavors. The beer is bottled in a champagne-style magnum, but that’s not the only characteristic it shares with the bubbly wine – this beer has champagne yeast added to the bottle after aging has occurred (which leaves the beer flat) and re-ferments in the bottle, giving you the joy of the champagne pop when you open it and probably contributing to the lighter feel mentioned earlier. Another characteristic they share – this beer is 11% ABV, do yourself a favor and drink it slower than I did.