Samuel Smith, Oatmeal stout... as an ingredient!

Sorry for the image quality this time!

This time we're not talking about beer... only. Once again it was time to try something that has been haunting in my mind for a while. A stout mud cake. Even the idea of the two simple enjoyments of life brought together makes my mouth water.

I took a round in the local Alko (liquor store) for searching a good stout for the cake and I noticed one of my favorite Stouts, Sam Smith's Oatmeal stout (http://www.samuelsmithsbrewery.co.uk/oatmealstout.html). And the thing with this beer is NOT the suitability for the vegans... :) The perfect company here would had been the Imperial Stout from same brewery but unfortunately that one hasn't been found in the local stores for a while.

Simple person as I am I didn't want to make my life harder than it was necessary so I trusted to the good old recipe. I had tried this one ones earlier to surprise my fiancée on her birthday. I could say it was a success. ;) So here is the list for the ingredients you'll be needing:

100 g of butter
2 ½ dl of sugar
2 eggs
1 ½ dl of wheat flour
3 table spoons of cocoa powder
1 tee spoon of vanilla sugar
less than 1 dl of stout

This time (for some odd reason) I wanted to try if I could make the impossible possible. I was going to try to make the mud cake as carbomanic (yes, us too... and no, beer is not counted ;) friendly as possible. This is where it all could go wrong too. Instead of sugar I used this Sötin sweetener (https://www.hyvinvoinnin.fi/tuote/9421/Sotin-sokeriton-sokeri) that is basically Eritryol that has 0 kcal. This together the fact that I used almond flour instead of wheat flour makes it a healthy cake. This also takes one bit off the taste which again is balanced with the presence of the stout. Sweet!

So, what you do is that you melt the butter and let it cool. Meanwhile you can whip the eggs and the sugar. I added the stout to the whipped eggs and sugar and noticed the problem that the beer foams quite a bit. This is not alarming as I learned later. Add the dry ingredients and the melted butter. Pour all this to a cake tin (I used bit over 20 cm of diameter but smaller does the trick as well). warm the oven preferably a bit earlier to 175 degrees C and let it stay in for a 25 minutes. And after this... enjoy!

I used the rest of the beer to be served with the cake. A perfect fit I must say! As mentioned earlier this is a beer that I first met many many years ago. Back then it was a beer that really stopped me thinking that is it really so that a beer can have a even this different, interesting yet smooth and dark taste? The answer was explicit: Yes it can. This can be also noted as a setout to my love for stout.

The beer itself then:
Color (8) is pitch-black with a brownish gloom. The foam is beautiful light brown thick and rich. The foam gives a nice touch to the feel of the beer in mouth.
Aroma (9) has notes of sweetness and spiciness. Both coffee and vanilla can be found as well as some summer flowers.
Taste (18) is fruity, sweet malts in the beginning shifting to a roasted malts on the body. Quite dry and aftertaste includes some bitterness of the citrus. Leaves a taste of syrup to the mouth after some time.
Overall (8) score comes from the awesomely balanced package. The aroma and taste replicate the same notes and the color is just plain beautiful with the foam being the finishing touch.

Total score for the stout is 43/50 if I'm not mistaken.

This is a combination that I suggest for you if you're thinking of a way to surprise the lady in the house. I'd say this fits most of the cases. At least at our house I had less than 1/4 th of the cake to taste and the rest was eaten by the women department in our house. Conclusion: even though this was once again a bit experimental cooking it performed the duties of a huge bunch of flowers. ;)

To be seen in the future... A black hole.

Brewdog, Tactical nuclear penguin

Some kerosene for our little friend from the Antarctica...? Quite close! I wasn't not sure how this name should describe the beer itself before checking the description from Brewdog web site (http://www.brewdog.com/tactical_nuclear_penguin):

"The Antarctic name, inducing schizophrenia, of this Ÿber-imperial stout originates from the amount of time it spent exposed to extreme cold. This beer was initially double barrel aged for 14 months; maturing in the deep, rich oak of Scottish whisky casks. After this epic maturation the beer was then frozen, then frozen again, then frozen again."

This reveals also the fact that is usually quite much discussed among the beer enthusiasts; Is it really beer anymore? In a way I would like to say yes and at the same time I understand the other opinion as well. As we all understand this beer is strong. Actually so strong (32 % ABV) that it's not possible to reach with traditional fermenting methods. At least it's not too easy. And here is the thing that separates the old purists from the more open minded, new wave beer fanatics. The key word here being the "traditional". The unique technique used to produce this beer is a way of generating something new. Exposing the already strong beer to extremely cold temperatures making it freeze strips away the "unnecessary" water. This again lifts the ABV %. Brilliant! Repeating this various times makes it a Brewdog product with tons of attitude.

How did I come across with this stuff then? Having some good experiences with Brewdog beers before (some of which you can read elsewhere in from this blog) I had also heard about the existence of these extreme beers in some restaurants (none of which too close to my home) and that they can also be ordered straight from the Brewdog web site. First option means that there's only a small portion that you can have at a time as the laws regarding alcohol are what they are here. I thought that I'd take my chances on the second option and ordered a bottle of this amazing brew with another, limited edition beer for the royal weddings, The Royal virility performance (rated the 5 th best or worst idea on the BD blog: http://www.brewdog.com/blog-article/the-best-and-worst-brewdog-innovations). The first order was actually not a success as I received the long-awaited package in the following condition:

Notice the brown ominous coloring at the bottom of the package. And yes. It was the little penguin that took the hit. A sweet little creature decapitated. :( The only thing I got from this batch was the awesome aroma and allover splashed dark brown coloring of the brew.

I'm happy though that the claiming process for the damaged goods worked like a dream and the reunion with the once dead penguin was a fact with a replacement sent straight from the brewery. This was actually the first time I bought alcohol online. I can't say that it would had been the last one as despite the little negative hit and the extra effort in the form of waiting. Btw, the bottle comes with a plug used to seal the bottle while not in use... yes, at least I didn't drink it all at once. :)

Then came the long-awaited moment of tasting this brew for the first time. A special occasion in the sense that it was the strongest beer I had tasted so far. Poured a small portion to an Riedel aroma glass and started the journey on yet another Brewdog roller-coaster. The first thing that needs to be mentioned about this beer is the already mentioned ABV 32 % strength. Now I know that's not the top number on the market as Brewdog has outdone it not once but twice but that's still something not too many have reached.

The color (8) is dark but not black as there's this reddish gloom. Reminds me of a light cola. Dark, yet passing through some light. Against the light the color could be described as a dark copper.
Aroma (8) is very complex including notes of dry cherries, rowan berry, alcohol (really!?), oak, burned malts, tar and fudge, red berries, liquorice, scent of cellar and the burn sugar. The first thing that came to my mind that I couldn't at first connect to anything was actually a scent of glue.
Taste (16) red berries, and dry cherries, notes of burned malts, liquorice with citrus, once again rowan berry and slight tone of alcohol, sweetness from oak. Very complex!
Overall (8) The overall score comes from the complexity of the aroma and taste. The taste is not that much of an enjoyment but a really nice experience as a beer. I loved the cherry and oak notes and the oily feeling in the mouth that the 14 moths in the whisky casks bring to this awesome piece of work. It has the balls, it has the taste and it has a mission. It's a craft beer with no compromise. Still I'm not that impressed beer-wise, or then it just tops my wildest dreams and I don't even understand yet how remarkable liquid I've held in my hands ;)

Total score for the little penguin is 40/50.

The next and natural continuation after this would be the ABV 41 % Sink the Bismark! (http://www.brewdog.com/sink_the_bismark) from Brewdog. That's yet another step that's been taken further in the race of the highest alcohol percentage. According to the legend there was a takeover attempt from the Germans with ABV 40 % beer before StB but it ended ugly. As a closure for the war Brewdog also made this extremely rare edition of The End of History (http://www.brewdog.com/blog-article/341), ABV 55 %, and only 12 bottles made, each of them stuffed inside either a roadkill stoat or a grey squirrel. It's more than obvious that this stuff was not going to be too cheap and thus I at least had to pass the chance I had, as 1 of these bottles ended up to the Beer Hunter's restaurant in Pori, Finland. On our summer vacation trip I saw the still closed bottle in the restaurant but the bartender frightened me away from this creature with the prize of a sip. There aren't too many notes written of this drink but the one I suggest comes from an old military friend of mine and you can read it here: http://www.maistuvamallas.fi/node/186.

So, I guess that's it for this time. As these blog entries keep coming at long intervals I suggest that you logon to Facebook and like the page I made for the My wonderful world of beers. You can find the page here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/My-wonderful-world-of-beers/163546743724406?sk=wall

On this Facebook site I'll send some updates of beers tasted on tighter pace. These beers might or might not be the following blog entries. The new blog entries are posted on this page as well. I'll keep on testing some new things related to beer in future as well and this page let's me do a bit shorter updates on the issues faced and more real time.

Until next time... Perkale! ...or is it actually Imper Ale...!

The handsome trio from Nøgne Ø + one fine lady

First of all I have to apologize to all of you as there has been no entry on this blog for a (too) long time. I could give some excuses like having a summer holiday or that I'd been busy or such but as I'm not into giving excuses I'll just state that it doesn't matter. What matters is that we get back on track!

One thing I thought I'd try and change is to divide the ratings into 4 separate items and score them: Color (1-10), Smell/Scent/Aroma (1-10), Taste (1-20) and Overall impression (1-10). With my math this gives a range between 4 and 50 points to a beer. This should maybe somehow reflect the beer better and also make it easier for you to follow.

So let's give it a try! This time we're going to meet a powerful trio I'd like to call forwards plus a very sweet cheerleader. These beers were not tested one after another which would had given some kind of a understanding of the smaller differences between them but as these beers are so strong the outcome would had been a nasty one after having to drink all of these... plus I wouldn't had had the chance to enjoy every tasty drop of each of them.

So I started with the India Pale Ale. A 7,5 % of alcohol IPA. This beer was bought from a local Alko liquor store and tasted it at home.

Color (9) is a beautiful reddish mead-like color that is quite clear with a gentle pour. Second pour adds the cloudiness to the beer but gives a lot more flavors to it. Not much foam on this beer.
The scent (9) gives a nice range of berries and fruits with a bitter pine nut-like note which most probably comes from the Chinook hops used (Cascade used as well). This Pine comes up even more on the second pour.
The taste (18) is a roller coaster of sweetness that includes sweet fruit from the hops on the head, some rather nice sweet malt (Maris Otter, Munich, Wheat and Caramel malt) with a bitter twist on the body and again back to dry malty and spicy aftertaste with some more pine and marsh tea- like taste. The aromas of the beer change a bit drier when the beer warms up a bit.
Overall (8) the taste is an awesome ride through different kind of nuances ending up to a nice forest tones. As sweet and bitter (EBU 65) it is I'd try it with some barbeque which is also what Nøgne Ø would recommend.

So the total score for this beer is 44/50. We will see how this works in the future and what does it mean. :)

Second on the line was the Imperial India Pale Ale #500, a 10 % alc. vol. version big brother of the earlier tasted IPA. According to the description it is a game of numbers: 5 hops, 100 IBUs, 5 malts, 10 % of alcohol = 500th batch of beer. This was so inviting ad that I needed to dig deeper into it and give it a go.

The color (8) is similar to Finnish home-brew haziness but in lighter brown, honey-like color. Cloudy, not so clear, thus a bit lower score.
Scent (9) includes sweet berries like blackcurrant and raspberry, fruitiness grapes, citrus and rowan berry. That's like the most interesting mixture there is!
Taste (19) The head of the taste introduces a lot of berry-like malty sweetness (Malted barley, wheat, rye and oat) with a bitter twist on it from the hops (Chinook, Simcoe, Pasific gem, Centenneal and Nelson Sauvin). Spiciness and the 100 IBU's is not on the background in this one, that's for sure!Aftertaste is semi long and dry with some spices. If you keep on tasting (smack your mouth looking like a fool) you will find some notes of grapes again.
Overall (9) This beer gives you a lot! It's one of the best craft beers so far. It introduces a delicate scent and a complex set of different tastes that all fit together. It's unfiltered and unpasteurized, bottle conditioned and top-fermented. All this means it works like an Activia yoghurt, gives you the bacteria that makes your stomach work. ;)

Total score for the Imperial API #500 is 45/50.

Next on the line was a special edition beer. The 3rd edition of the famous Dark Horizon series (read the beginning of the story here: http://www.nogne-o.com/offretired-beers/dark-horizon-1-edition.html). I think that Nøgne Ø is describing it the best possible way:

"Best described as an imperial stout on steroids, this dark and rich brew is sweet enough to be your dessert or accompany your richest crème caramel. Due to its strength and concentrated flavor it is best shared."

This is the first (and if I'm not quick enough I might miss the 2 first ones) beer from the DH series. The 3rd edition is a 15,5 % alc. vol killer that has got some coffee extract on it. Weird combination one might say. Weird? Yes. Good? Abso-freeking-lutely!

Color (8) The color replicates to me the finnish home made Salmiakki-Kossu, a mix of liquor and salty liquorice. It's a bit grey rather than all black. Looks a bit dirty to me. Some have said that it's looking like cola and that I understand, comes from the "no foam" looks of it, just like cola after you let it settle down for a while.
Aroma (9) Liquorice, coffee (no surprise there), nicely burned malts with a lot of sweetness on it.
Taste (10) You've got the extremely sweet head on the taste (my spouse tasted it and she was not expecting the sweetness according to the face she gave me ;D), roastedness is present all the way and some spiciness noted mostly due to the level of alcohol. Some rowan berry on the back of the roof of your mouth. The bitterness (100 EBU) is well balanced with the alcohol level covering the mind stunning EBU edge away. The taste of  alcohol is then again well hidden with the sweetness. This layer of different tastes is brilliant! Creamy coffee comes somewhat surprisingly in the end (contrast to the aroma). The aftertaste is bittersweet and includes notes of burned sugar. That's actually what's in it.
Overall (8) This might be the best tasting beer I've ever tasted. Might be because it is on the edge of "do we call it a beer" -step to me. Yes, the fermentation process and all apply but the added coffee on it... mmmm, I don't know. That's why I take of one point of what it could be and leave it to 8. If you think of the complexity and the variance of the taste as a richness then this is the Robin Hood of the taste buds as it takes the thing to a whole new level.

So one of the best experiences so far turned out to be  worth of 45/50 points.

Then the mystery lady... It actually comes from the same samily as the trio above. This summer after our Summer party we decided to jump on a bus and go to Turku where after many turns we ended up to my beloved restaurant Old Bank. They happened to have this beautiful view to offer me:

From this family portrait I chose to have the on on the left, Sweet horizon. Sweet horizon is a 14 % of alcohol member of the horizon series and packs a huge mount of sweetness in it, if you missed that one somehow. :) This was maybe not the beer to drink in the end of the evening, but still I would say it was well worth the shot!

Color (8) There is a song by a Finnish band Kotiteollisuus that is called Tuonelan koivut and in the lyrics there is this rhyme "Järvi syvä, kuin synkin suru on. Musta, kuin yön taivas, pimeä." translates close to "The lake is as deep as the deepest sorrow. Black as the nightly sky, dark." That is the comparison and the note I've made for the color. No foam on this one either.
Aroma (7) Strong fumes of alcohol that reflect also notes of raisin and plum. A lot like a young port wine.
Taste (13) Close to thick flavors of red wine. Plum and raisin. Raisin and plum. Also notes of coffee and sugar. And then those two mixed together.
Overall (7) This beer is a desert itself. Do not take a desert to go with it! It was more simple and less complex that I anticipated.

Total points for the lady are 35/50.

So. We reached the end of our blog entry this time. Please inform if there is some thoughts that were raised up while reading this. Is the new way of organizing stuff good or should I just dismiss it and go with the old style?

And just to keep you waiting (hopefully not as long as now) here's some pictures from the summer showing that I really was working for this blog all my vacation and that I did it all for you my dear readers! ;)