Sunday Beer Blog: Petroleum

Valentine’s Day was celebrated in the best way ever this year- Deadpool on the big screen! I also got roses and beer, but Deadpool truly took the fucking cake. In honor of a perfect holiday spent with my man, I decided to make this blog entry a bit mushy. There are hearts, there are roses, and there’s beer. Go ahead, throw up in your mouth a little. At least make those gross, dry-heave noises.

No really, take a minute.

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Ok, so the Valentine’s beer was Petroleum. It was an imperial stout by Belo, a brewery out of Brazil.  I was intrigued by this one due to its being brewed with cocoa powder. The label itself advertises a beer “loaded with cocoa chocolate and coffee aromas”. As I’m sure you’ve noticed I love a good chocolate beer, so this was a must try for me.

Upon first poor it was clear this beer was well named. “Pours like oil too,” were the first words out of my husband’s mouth, and I quickly noticed there was zero head to speak of. The brew was as black as I’ve seen, and had an extremely yeasty smell.

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Still having faith in the label’s description, I took a sip. As luck would have it, Derek did too. (We usually wait for each other so we can read each other’s expression, or beerspression if you will, but not this time.) Derek’s initial take was it was certainly a sipping beer. Mine was it sips like oil too. Sips is redundant. That’s not by accident. This beer has a pleasant taste, but please dear reader, sip it.

While there was a chocolate flavor, I was reminded of many a coffee stout I’ve tried in the past. The mouthfeel is thick and chewy, so it was hard to tease out the sweetness. This was not a beer I’d crave and the flavor lingers long enough to remind you not to believe everything you read on labels.

Brewer: Belo

Beer Style: Imperial Stout

Region: Brazil

Alcohol Content: 11%

Purchased: Anchorage Wine House

Sunday Beer Blog: Shakespeare Oatmeal Stout

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I am an unabashed word-nerd, so when I saw this brew on tap it was lurve! I point this out because it’s important for you to know, dear reader, that there is zero chance this post is unbiased. This beer could have been the worst. It could have been a delicate combination of flavors such as rotten eggplant and earwax, and I would still have nothing but glowing things to report.

“If you love those yummy Harry Potter jelly beans, you’ll love this!”

“Who hasn’t wondered what old eggplant tastes like blended?”

“Smoooooooooth.”

With that warning done, this brew was quite good. (Trust me.) It pours a night-black with foggy clarity. Initial sniffs return with yeast and sweetness. Rogue describes Shakespeare as a “mellow chocolate stout” created with “free range coastal water”. I include the first descriptor because it’s aligned with my thoughts. I include the second because it made me laugh out loud. I’m Alaskan. I read “free range coastal water” and I think moose pee. Indelicate, I know, but the absolute truth. See how I would like this beer no matter what?

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This stout was smooth, dark chocolate in view, and milk chocolate in taste. It was very easy to drink and fit the winter weather perfectly. I was surprised by the carbonation level- higher than most stouts. The only possible negative I have is it did have a slightly bitter aftertaste that lingered.

I know I would usually have a comment from my husband included that would give you another opinion, but my drinking buddy was Chowder. (He insisted I drink it all by myself. He’s a very thoughtful chihuahua.) Instead, I leave you with wise words from the bard:

10. Macbeth: Act 2, Scene 3

Drink sir, is a great provoker of three things….nose painting, sleep and urine. Lechery, sir, it provokes, and unprovokes; it provokes the desire but takes away the performance. -Shakespeare

Beer Name: Shakespeare Oatmeal Stout

Beer Style: Stout

Brewer: Rogue

State: Oregon

ABV: 5.8%

Purchased: Anchorage Wine House