Advent calendar 2024 - Day 7
A strong Imperial Stout plus a small experiment
On Day 6 of Advent we returned to Vista Brewing.
You can always get to my post for the previous day of Advent and the post for the next day through the links in every post.
Remember when I mentioned earlier today in my “day late but not a dollar short” Day 6 of Advent post that we went to Vista Brewing to pick up our Barrel Club allotment? And that you would hear more about the Barrel Club allotment? Well, you didn’t have to wait too long at all.
Today’s brew is Fireside Imperial Stout, one of the two brews in our December 2024 Barrel Club allotment. This is a strong, strong stout, aged in whiskey barrels, coming in at 14.0% ABV, as dark and almost as thick as Texas Tea.*
One could argue with a beer this strong one must sip it. Yes, one can argue, but sipping is something I’ve rarely been successful at. This is a very enjoyable stout, good for sipping quaffing on a brisk, on the edge of winter afternoon like the one we had today.
As for the small experiment - before the pandemic times (do you find yourself using the pandemic times as a baseline in time?) Lynn and I attended a brewer’s dinner at Vista Brewing. We had a four course meal with each course accompanied by a different Vista brew. On the third course, the brewer suggested to not drink quickly, but instead drink slowly throughout the course. The brewer explained that would allow the brew to slowly warm up and that we should pay attention to how the overall taste of the brew changed as it warmed.
Coming in at 14.0% ABV I took my time with Fireside. I enjoyed my first pour patiently while leaving the bomber out so the brew would slowly warm up. My first pour was 37 degrees Fahrenheit (2.8 degrees Centigrade). The taste was strong but smooth. My final pour was close to 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Centigrade). The second and warmer pour was just a little bit smoother (the alcohol bite wasn’t as obvious, though one could reasonably argue that a reason for the taste being smoother was because the alcohol had its intended effect).
The end result? I enjoyed Fireside and I am glad I still have two bombers to enjoy in the future. While I didn’t have anything to eat with this afternoon’s drinking I am confident Fireside would go well with a meal. I can’t ask for much more in a brew than it is good to drink on its own or with a meal.
*Texas Tea is one of those age defining references that someone my age sometimes does. A line from he theme song for the 1962 to 1971 situation comedy “The Beverly Hillbillies” states “Oil that is, black gold, Texas tea.”
What will happen on Day 8 of Advent? I don’t know exactly but I do know that it will involve me drinking a tasty brew.