Zaftig ZBS

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Zaftig is a small brewery in Worthington, Ohio, basically a mile from the hell-hole that funds me. These guys are amazing. Brent, Jim and Jason are some of the nicest, funniest guys you'll meet. This company started off as homebrewers who moved into the big-time. They've been open for about a year now and produce big beers (2 beers under 9% ABV out of the 12-or-so they have on tap at any given time). The term Zaftig, well, look it up, go ahead, I have time.... OK, now you've looked up what Zaftig means, now you understand why it's perfect for a company that produces big beers.

This particular beer has an interesting life. It started off as their Black Perle stout (which is amazing to begin with), and the mad geniuses decided to obtain a bourbon barrel from Watershed Distillery (also local to CBus) and age it, hence the name ZBS (Zaftig Bourbon Stout). The results are fantastic.

This pours an opaque black with about a fingers worth of tan head that dissipates quickly. Yes, I know this is poured in a pint glass when the proper glassware should be a snifter, but this is my trusty pint glass that's led me through nearly 300 beer reviews. I forget what the ABV is on this, 9.5% or 9.8% I believe. The aroma on this is worthy being made into a candle scent. I would love my house to smell like this. Oak, roasted notes (coffee, chocolate), slight sweetness, slight bourbon. There is a whirlwind of flavors rushing around, trying to pick them out front to back is hard. Initially there is an oak and bourbon blast, then that tapers off as some slight sweetness casually walks you to a nice medley of coffee and chocolate. The chocolate steps aside, leaving coffee-esque tones that linger for a bit. The oak and bourbon come back on stage, so-to-speak, to take a final bow with the other flavors. The mouthfeel on this is amazing. It's medium to heavy, definitely a sipping beer. The carbonation on this is perfect for a stout. The finish on this is slightly sweet, leaving your mouth wanting more, and possibly a cigar. The alcohol on this really isn't noticed while drinking it (read: not boozy like some 9+% beers), but halfway through a pint of this, you'll start to feel the effects of this awesomeness. I finally found a stout I want on a regular basis (as I'm a hop head who loves big, juicy IPAs).

My hats off to the guys at Zaftig for this. I was touting this up as a Founder's KBS killer, in case you skipped the body of the review to just get to the rating.

5/5 caps

-Nathan-

We love the crew at Zaftig! Their beers are wonderful and they are a great group of people. Oh, and I want their brewing system, a big, beautiful Blichmann setup. Le sigh, frugal homebrewer problems. The struggle is real, people.

Candidly, we were debating on reviewing this or just drinking it, as it was a howler that has been in our fridge since Saturday, which was the release party for this. Hence the improper glassware, to be honest. I would have at least put it in a stemless tulip otherwise. But here we are, with our trusty favorite pint glasses. I'm also the girl who will drink straight from the bottle or can sometimes. This is why I consider myself more of a beer nerd than a beer snob. I know (and usually have) the proper glassware for the beer, but I don't always need to use it.

Nathan nailed the appearance. The head on mine has long dissipated but was a finger or so of deep khaki color. As it has warmed the aroma gives way to more bourbon in the nose. Currently this smells boozy as hell. Bourbon with chocolate, coffee, and notes of toasted oak. Taking another deep sip, I'm pretty sure my nose hairs just caught a buzz from this. Silky chocolate and coffee play on my tongue, then the bourbon makes a grand entrance with much fanfare, and that fades to this lovely oak note on the back end that makes me want to lick the barrel. I don't care if I get splinters. By the way, if you can obtain Watershed's products, their bourbon is fantastic, and that is coming from someone who is excessively picky on her bourbon. They also make a fantastic gin. But let us get back to the beer, because we need to discuss the mouthfeel on this. Velvet and satin aren't as smooth as this. Babies' bottoms aren't this smooth. Ron Jeremy doesn't have as many moves as this. Bill Gates isn't as rich as this. I would maybe liken the mouthfeel of ZBS to cashmere, because it's not only soft, but also luxurious and rich. Hands down, the best mouthfeel of a barrel-aged stout I have ever enjoyed. The oak and the bourbon in this are just perfect, when in so many beers I think they overwhelm the beer.

5/5 caps

-Jennie

Music Pairing: Marvin Gaye, "Let's Get It On"
Food Pairing: Chocolate cake, particularly the one made by Piece of Cake in the Short North for the release party (made with Black Perle, the non-BA version of this)
Cheese Pairing: Mascarpone

Knee Deep Imperial Tanilla Porter

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If you have been following us for awhile, you know about our deep love for all things Knee Deep. Belgo Hoptologist won a silver medal at the 2013 GABF. I have already started plotting my procurement of a case of McCarthy's Bane for when season 3 of The Americans starts. We have thoroughly enjoyed every beer we have had from them and look forward to a couple more. For such a young brewery, they are putting out amazing beers and have recently undergone a huge expansion. This was their anniversary brew for their second year. Slainte and we look forward to many more years of your brews!

This imperial porter pours a deep brownish black, as dark as 10,000 mile old engine oil. There is a bit of khaki-colored head that is quickly fading and leaving fantastic lacing on this 10% beast. The aroma is wonderful: dark chocolate, vanilla, a medium-roast coffee all waft past my nose. It doesn't seem overly sweet, which I was dreading. Taking a drink, there is a lot going on in here. Dark chocolate comes through first, followed by faint roasted malts, coffee, and then toward the end, the vanilla shines through. There is a moderate boozy note toward the back end of this, but it is not overpowering. There is almost a wood flavor toward the end that makes me wonder if they barrel aged this, even though there is no indication that they did. This has a medium body, great carbonation, and feels like velvet.

This is another wonderful offering from the great people at Knee Deep. For our first foray into a not-hop-forward beer from them, I am impressed. It's delicious and very warming on a cold, rainy Ohio night.

4.8/5 caps

-Jennie

This has intrigued me more once Jennie audibly said "Wow, what just happened?" while taking her first sip. That's few and far between to where it must be good. I feel lucky/blessed that we are one of few states that Knee Deep distributes to, as we've thoroughly enjoyed their brews. If I ever get to meet the Hoptologist (Brewmaster Jeremy Warren) himself, it would be like meeting a rock star.

We've sat on this for a while with all the things this year has brought us (death, death, death, death, think I'm missing a couple) but are now finally getting to sit and enjoy this on a cold, rainy Ohio night.

This has a deep dark color, as Jennie said, 10,000 mile motor oil. As I sit and blare Union Underground's token album, I delve nose first into this. Fresh vanilla (not that fake candle smelling artificial crap), chocolate, and coffee notes dance around my olfactory senses, bringing the realization that I just sat through 1 song just smelling this. Huh. Fuck. I get it, when Jennie said "Wow, what just happened," I get it now. Dark chocolate cascades the taste buds with espresso lending itself for a second before some vanilla makes an appearance at the party. The vanilla becomes the life of the party, but not too overwhelming to where it starts crashing into shit and wrecking your taste buds. I get the woody notes Jennie mentioned at the very back end, just to add to the awesomeness, yet complexity that my tongue is trying to decipher.

We reiterate that we like Knee Deep and all they have done. We are looking forward to reviewing Hoparillo and the Citra extra pale ale. I just wish that Ohio alcohol limits weren't 12%, so we could get your Hop-De-Ranged (although if someone wants to send us one to review, contact us).

4.8/5 caps

-Nathan-


Cheese pairing: Muenster
Food pairing: Death By Chocolate cake
Music pairing: Ozzy Osbourne, "Bark at the Moon"

Thirsty Dog Rise of Mayan Dog

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We head into International Stout Day with cold, rainy weather here in Columbus, Ohio. Perfect weather for this. It's been a long daunting week doing factory work, with a potentially broken toe from an incident last night. The back and shoulders are in pain, the toe is bumping, time to enjoy something as dark as how life feels right now.

Thirsty Dog is out of Akron, Ohio. I can't believe we've only reviewed one of their beers! I feel ashamed. I could have sworn we've done more. Regardless, Thirsty Dog puts out fantastic brews. We've been sitting on this one for a while. We picked it up with a slew of other beers a while ago from our friends at Wine & Brew Emporium. I believe this might be the next to last from that batch.

The bottle says "Celebrate the new rise of civilization with this bittersweet, big, bold, black beer filled with old world and traditional Mayan spices, including honey and cocoa nibs." 35 IBUs, 7% ABV.

This pours your typical stout color; dark brown, almost black and opaque. No light coming through this. A small amount of beige head on the pour that dissipates quickly. The aroma on this is dark chocolate, caramel, almost a cinnamon scent at times and faint boozy notes. The flavor on this is interesting. There is a lot going on, I'll try to describe the roller coaster ride that slides across the tongue pleasantly. The initial flavor is dark chocolate, then a nice honey flavor comes toward the forefront. The honey gives way to a darker roasted coffee, which leads into a nice spice combo, I'm picking up cinnamon heavy, but there are other spices I'm missing. The spices gracefully bow and leave the stage, allowing some slightly bitter roasted and chocolate notes that ride out to the end. This drinks smooth. Without notice, you look down, trying to take another sip but you realize your portion has vanished. Hmm... Could I have enjoyed it all without noticing? Is there a leak in my favorite pint glass (yes, I know, not proper glassware for a stout)? Did Jennie sneak some while I was lost in thought? Regardless, it's a smooth drinking stout that leaves you wanting more (a huge compliment as I'm not a huge fan in general of stouts, I'm a hop head who loves IPAs).

4.6/5 caps

-Nathan-

Hell no I didn't sneak any while he was lost in thought! While I have been known to do that (cough cough, PseudoSue), I own up to such shenanigans. I'm a little affronted to be accused of such chicanery!

Let's get to this. My partner-in-zymurgy described this quite accurately. He also described the aroma rather well. Dark chocolate, honey, dark coffee, with a little honey and some spices such as cinnamon play across my mouth as I drink this. It's not as sweet as I expected from a beer that so prominently announced the honey, and the finish is almost bitter with chocolate and coffee notes. It has a really good flavor. I think it is a little thin in body, though there is some residual sweetness from the honey. There is almost a black tea-like astringency to this that works well in this beer. And it is most definitely smooth-drinking.

Really, this is only the second Thirsty Dog beer we have reviewed? I'm shocked. I have enjoyed every beer I have had by them, and we have had almost all of their beers. They are a solid brewery making great beers.

4.4/5 caps

-Jennie

Music: The Doors "Riders On The Storm"
Food Pairing: Baklava
Cheese Pairing: Queso quesadilla

Prairie/BrewFist Spaghetti Western

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How does one celebrate the entrance to your craft beer market by a highly touted brewery? By drinking one of their beers you obtained elsewhere, of course. Prairie Artisan Ales is based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and makes some widely touted beers. We happened across this one in a trade and look forward to drinking it. This is a collaboration brew between Prairie and BrewFist out of Italy, and is an imperial coffee stout with coffee, cacao nibs, and yes, spaghetti. As a brewer, I'm scratching my head at the addition of the spaghetti. I can only think it might plump up the ABV and mouthfeel a bit on this. But also, I'm intrigued to know how they did this. Did they put uncooked spaghetti in the mash? Did they use cooked spaghetti? Did it go in sometime other than the mash? These are things a homebrewer ponders.

Yes, I put it in a coffee mug. It's imperial. It has coffee. The mug is kind of tulip-shaped. It works in my mind. The only problem I see is that the mug isn't clear, so you can't get a great idea as to the color and appearance of this. That, and that I didn't have this for breakfast. Will you just have to take my word for it? Perhaps. This poured a deep, rich brownish-black color that is opaque and had a decent amount of light coffee-colored head. The aroma on this is wonderful: coffee, coffee grounds,  bittersweet chocolate, and just a hint of vanilla and booze in the nose. The taste of this is fantastic: Fresh coffee, espresso, bittersweet chocolate and a hint of vanilla all come in to play throughout the taste, with the coffee and chocolate flavors being prevalent throughout the taste. But then there is something else that sneaks in, something different. You can actually taste the spaghetti in here. It's noticed toward the end, and it tastes vaguely like semolina pasta. It just kind of hangs out, doesn't detract from the chocolate and coffee flavors going on, it just adds a bit of a different taste. This is moderately carbonated and really good, but a bit thin in body. It is fairly sweet, despite the bitter flavors going on in here. I want this for breakfast tomorrow.

Tomorrow is Monday. Can we please make that happen?

4.6/5 caps

-Jennie

I hate Sundays. They are harsh reminders of the impending hell that must be suffered until, once again, Friday comes around and leads you into the shortest part of the week. This is intriguing, brewed with spaghetti... hmm... I've heard of random things being brewed into beer (boxes of cereal, bacon. oysters, rocky mountain oysters), but I've never heard of pasta in beer. Eh, why not?

I am drinking this out of the bottle, so unable to tell color. Jennie basically nailed the nose (coffee, chocolate, vanilla and boozy notes) on this 8.7% ABV brew we can't obtain in Ohio. The taste is coffee, more coffee, some chocolate, then more coffee. As the coffee-heavy taste starts to fade, there are some vanilla notes that become more noticeable. Decent carbonation, smooth drinking. Finishes slightly sticky (but not sure if it's sweetness or hoppy, as this does have 60 IBUs).

It should also be noted that this is an 11.2 oz bottle with a note on the label that says "Product of Italy". Those Italians and their 331.2ml bottles...

4.6/5 caps

-Nathan-
Food pairing: This would be fantastic poured over your favorite chocolatey breakfast cereal
Cheese pairing: Porter cheese
Music pairing:  The Carpenters, "Rainy Days and Mondays"