Happy New Year! Last night I brought in the new year with a growler of 2 Paws Black Talon IPA (American Black Ale, 6% ABV, as of the writing of this blog post, the website is still under construction) and two other southern beers thanks to a buddy from North Carolina – Olde Hickory Lindley Park (bourbon barrel imperial stout brewed with honey and raspberries, 10% ABV) and Terrapin Liquid Bliss (American Stout brewed with peanuts and chocolate, 6.7% ABV, IBUs 23).
I mostly got toasted malt and chocolate in the aroma of Liquid Bliss. Up front there was a sweet flavor of chocolate, with a slightly bitter finish. The peanut butter flavor was there, but a very enjoyable chocolate flavor dominated this brew.
Lindley Park poured one of the blackest, thickest stouts that I’ve poured in awhile. The brewery website suggests that this will cellar very well, and would be a great beer to open at Valentine’s Day – my valentine doesn’t really enjoy beer the way I do, so I didn’t wait. Big flavors of chocolate and of course raspberries, with a slight hint of bourbon. Generally, I’m not a huge fan of fruit beers, but this one blends nicely with the toasted malt and chocolate. I think it actually would be very nice after aging a bit.
And now I’m settling in to watch my Michigan Wolveines with a good Michigan beer, Short’s Cup a Joe Coffee Cream Stout (7% ABV). Go Blue!
