Beered-up Cranberry Sauce

We have so many reasons to give thanks this year: family, friends, the local beer community, playing with our food, etc. We hope you have full bellies and happy memories from the annual feast.

I thought I would share a recipe that I made yesterday. I'm that girl who makes up things as she goes in the kitchen, rarely following a recipe. I was making some side dishes for the feast with the family, and Nathan has an intense love for cranberry sauce. It doesn't even have to accompany turkey. He just loves cranberry sauce. When we first met and started doing the holidays together, he was happy with the gel crap that comes in a can. After this, I don't know that he will ever look back at those dark, dim days. In fact, this recipe is about as easy as opening a can.

I used Zaftig's I Believe in Santa, a Christmas ale. It's a porter with orange and vanilla and just a hint of cinnamon. I thought it would go quite well with the orange in the sauce. Southern Tier's Choklat Oranj would also do well, if you can't get a hold of the Zaftig (which is available only on draft currently). I have also used a raspberry ale in the past, but I prefer the notes that this porter lent to the sauce.

Beered-up Cranberry Sauce
12-ounce bag fresh cranberries
1/2 cup local honey
2 fresh mandarin oranges
1 cup Zaftig I Believe in Santa Christmas Ale

Rinse the cranberries and place in a medium pan over medium-low heat. Add in the honey and beer. Zest the oranges into the pan, then halve and squeeze them to juice them. Stir to combine. Simmer until the cranberries pop and it turns into a sauce-like consistency, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.

I think this would be a fantastic, festive addition to a wheel of baked Brie cheese. The tartness of the sauce would go fantastically with the creaminess of the Brie. It just may appear on my tailgate table tomorrow.

Behind the Tap Presents: Battle of the Beers Vol. 1 Columbus Hoppy Wheats

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So, this is only our 10th blog post this year. This is very uncharacteristic of us. Yikes. Well, truth be told, life gets in the way of things. I hope we can remember how to properly do this. Jesus, it's been over 2 months since our last post. We hope you loyal readers haven't forgotten about us.

In this (hopefully) continuing saga, we will put two similar beers in a match up against one another. We'll pick them apart in our typical review (read: unstructured banter).

For this first one, we've picked Sideswipe's Pixelated Sun and Zaftig's Hoot-spa Wheat.

Zaftig is a small brewery in Worthington, Ohio that focuses on big beers. We're reviewed one of their beers before (ZBS if you want to backtrack on our reviews). Their facility is based in an industrial complex with a garage feel to it (there are 3 in Columbus I know of like this; Zaftig, Sideswipe, and Actual). 

Sideswipe is a small brewery that's not far from the Grandview circuit. We planned on reviewing their Elegant Hoodlum smoked stout, but ended up drinking it. Twice... oops. Their facility seems like a mirror image of Zaftig's (Zaftig's garage door is on the left of the entry door, Sideswipe's is on the right). Also based in an industrial complex, be warned that your GPS will lie to you trying to get here (sending you past the road you need to turn on, then in a circle, then back to where you actually need to turn). Enjoy the mispronunciations the GPS gives you though (M.C. Kinley road, instead of McKinley and Ski-oat-o Harper instead of Scioto Harper (for those not from the region- it's pronounced 'sy-o-ta') and completely at a loss when it comes to Schrock). M.C. Kinley is an up-and-coming hip-hop artist in my mind.

Now, yes, we know the guys at both breweries. Craig O'Herron at Sideswipe is a hell of a guy and a hell of a brewer who started his operation with just him. A one man show of brewing, bottling, sales, and delivery. He since has a loyal crew of people who have helped him. Zaftig has a similar story, only with 3 guys who started the company. More recently, we've both been volunteering with the guys at Zaftig... yes.... This seems now like this is going to be a biased post, but believe us, it's not. We're keeping all of our personal ties out of this (we are still pretty hardcore into the local craft beer scene, which is rather supportive) in order to justly bring you our unbiased breakdown and hopefully entertaining review of the both.

Availability:

Sideswipe's Pixelated Sun is available in both 22oz bottles as well as on tap, 6% ABV. Zaftig's Hoot-spa is available on tap only at the moment (Zaftig does have bottles, but Hoot-spa is currently not in bottles), 8.5% ABV (a session beer by Zaftig's standards). If you would like to buy a keg of Hoot Spa, merely call, text, email, or respond to this post to Jennie.

Color:

Well, As you can see in the picture, the Sideswipe is a little more golden/straw in color, Zaftig is a little darker, almost a light amber. Both have great clarity and carbonation. It's funny, every time I pour a Hoot-spa in the tap room, I envision it coming out as lightly as the Pixelated Sun is from the bottle. We visited Swideswipe's taproom recently, and the keg had recently kicked, so we have not had it on tap.

Aroma:

Ok, this is where the differences start to come out.

Sideswipe Pixelated Sun: 

Citrus, tropical (Citra) almost caramel like at times. -N-

I requested that Nathan leave mine out of the fridge since he poured his a couple hours ago. What? I like my craft beer at nearly room temperature. I hope that isn't a problem for you. Most good beers should be enjoyed well above fridge temp. But anyway, let's dissect this aroma. I am picking up a ton of Citra in all its lychee and gooseberry and vague grapefruit and lemon glory. A bit of caramel sweetness comes in to play, as well as some lovely wheat characteristics. -j

Zaftig Hoot Spa:

Sweetness, a little dank with grapefruit (Amarillo). -N-

This is more sweet grapefruit, like the bruleed grapefruit my mom used to make on New Year's morning, with a little tropical, stone fruit (July's best plum?) coming through, with a note of winter wheat to make you say to yourself, "Hey self, not only have you forgotten how to type, but you are also forgetting how amazing this smells." Faint notes of my near-and-dear Triscuits appear, as if I had liquified a box and added some hops. This is a beer I can (and often do) drink all day long. And I'm not always a fan of wheat beers. This is like a familiar T-shirt that you forgot about in the back of your closet. That comforting aroma just comes in to remind me how much I enjoy this beer. -j

Flavor:

Pixelated Sun:

Lighter bodied, smooth drinking wheat with tropical tones that make you long for porch drinking or in the pool at your friend's house. The wheat isn't predominant like most wheat beers. Just faint hints in the background to remind you it's summer. The tropical and citrus notes from the hops come into play more toward the middle and back end of the sip, riding off in a juicy blast of awesome as it slides down your throat. This leaves a bit of hop resin on the tongue, like a good pale ale does, but not nearly as much an a IPA. Citra in a wheat, fuck me, why haven't I done this in a home brew?! We would have won last year's wheat beer home brew competition if we would have used Citra instead of El Dorado. Jolly Rancher flavors my ass! Eh, at least we took 4th and our proteges took 3rd  -N-

Shit, that reminds me, we are about to endure a shortage of Citra. I think that is one hop that should not be proprietary but necessary for all brew houses, be they home or professional breweries. Biased as I might be toward this particular hop, it has certainly earned its popularity with both craft beer lovers and home brew lovers alike. 

Let that be your warning. Zombie Dust is likely about to become even harder to obtain than it is currently. I don't know about you, but I have given up on that beer. If I come across some, fine, I'm certainly not going to ever hate on it. If I have to go out of my way for it, though, it's not worth it. I promise you there are better all-Citra hop bomb APAs and IPAs out there. This might not be an all-Citra American Pale Ale, but it is a Citra bomb of deliciousness. . For those of you who aren't complete hop nerds, Citra, as previously mentioned, give off big citrus, lychee, and gooseberry notes. While it's definitely a wheat beer in mouthfeel, the wheat lets the hops shine through beautifully. -j

Hoot Spa:

Medium bodied, yet smooth drinking with sweetness balancing out the hops. Toward... who created that word 'toward,' it's such a weird word... Toward the front there's a whole array of flavors happening where it's hard to pick apart. There are grapefruit, caramel, faint tropical, toffee, and other notes that i can't quite put my finger on that lead you on a flavor adventure that makes you forget you're drinking a wheat. There's some grapefruit that hits toward the back end, leaving you longing for more. This isn't your typical wheat, my friend, no. This is a god damned journey of trying to pull out long forgotten words from your vocabulary to give proper descriptive phrases to convey the flavor sanctuary that is resting upon your taste buds. -N-

Nathan described this so well that I don't know how much I have to add. I did hear one person with a very esteemed palate tell me that the only flaw he found with this was that the alcohol flavor was too predominant. My palate can't even tell that this is as, ahem, sessionable as it is at 8.5%. I really don't pick up a note of the alcohol, but then again, my palate isn't world-class. It's good, but then again, it's also ever-evolving to the point where it is starting to annoy me. But that is a topic for another day, perhaps even another blog. Anyway, go back and re-read Nathan's description again. Because that flavor journey should be yours. -j

Overall:

Breaking down two different beers and comparing them side by side makes me realize that I've done too many reviews and judging of competitions. These are both fantastic brews that you should check out. They are two different beasts among themselves. There is no clear winner in this category, just because they are each so unique. Go, venture outside of your norm an accept these great examples of hoppy wheat beers into your life. Will it help you find the answers in life? Maybe. Well, maybe not, but you'll have no regrets doing so.After all, it's just beer.  -N and j

Winner:

Go, taste both and make your own decision. You won't be wrong either way.

Pairings:

Food Pairings: Pluot tart

Cheese Pairings: Humboldt Fog. Maybe with some dried apricots on the side. And I don't even like apricots (j)

Music Pairing:  "The Next Storm" by Frank Turner (describes Ohio's stormy Summer to a T)

TRiNiTY Brewing Super Juice Solution

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In case you have been living under a rock in Columbus, Ohio, TRiNiTY. Brewing is the new kid in town. An esteemed and much-lauded brewery out of Colorado Springs, we are very excited to have them here. We haven't made it out to any of the launch parties -- yet! We do plan to hit at least a couple over the weekend. You know, kid and work schedule bullshit that comprise our daily lives. If you make it out to one and happen to snap a pic with Saison Man himself, Captain of the Pirate Ship at TRiNiTY, load it to your favorite social media site using the tag #selfieswithSaisonMan. Because why the hell not??? 

So there I stood, gazing upon the TRiNiTY selection at my favorite bottle shop, having decided to make one last stop on the way home to get my kid from school. I hadn't enjoyed any of the offerings at this particular location, although I loved both the Chilly Waters and Elektrick Cucumbahh. And by "loved", I mean that I fucking crushed so hard on both of those beers, as different as they are. Both are excellent examples of their respective styles, and with such funky yet understated yeast that perfectly complemented each beer. I ended up selecting the Super Juice Solution, well, because we are avowed hopheads and love our IPAs. If you have been following us for any amount of time, you should recall that Nathan has created a deity solely to glorify hops, Hopsus. 

So, this Super Juice Solution intrigues me greatly. I have enjoyed the couple of sour IPAs I have had. This one is aged on Lactobacillus delbrueckii (you might know it better as yogurt bacteria), which should lend a lovely pucker to the mouth. Insert Jamie Lee Curtis discussing her regularity here. This is a lovely pale orange color, with about a half inch of tightly laced white head. There are some yeast rafts of sediment floating throughout my portion, which is not surprising. The aroma on this is fanfuckingtastic. Floral and tropical hops (think a lot of ruby grapefruit) meld with a sharp contrast of sour apple in the nose. Drinking it, notes of peach, ruby grapefruit, passionfruit, pineapple, mango, and yes, barnyard come in to play. I expected the barnyard to lend more of an offensive flavor than I am getting from this; instead, it is faint and complementary. All of the flavors complement each other rather nicely. It is an especially juicy IPA, with no pine or bitter grapefruit to it at all. Hell, I bet this would be a killer IPA without the lacto and barnyard, but with it, it is elevated to a whole other level of interesting. The body on this is moderately thin, which doesn't surprise me, considering it is rather sessionable at 4.1% ABV. That being said, it's not nearly as thin or watery as so many session IPAs tend to be. Carbonation on this was moderately high, also about what should be expected, without being a bottle bomb. 

Overall, this is rather well done. I am looking forward to trying Red Swingline, which is another sour IPA from TRiNiTY, and the entire Swingline series. As well as anything else I can get my hands on from them. Hell yes. Oh, and do yourself a favor. In case you didn't know, absolutely do NOT pour this (or any beer from TRiNiTY) into a Boston shaker pint glass. Not only will you incur the wrath of Jason, but worse, you stand to lose out on the beautiful aromas that are present in this beer (and most other beers). 

4.75/5 caps

-Jennie

We enjoyed the Elektrick Cucumbahh with the guys from Zaftig last night. Zaftig makes BIG beers, but this saison was interesting. General consensus was interesting- unlike anything else on the market. The nose is not what the flavor reveals. The nose is off-putting for some (myself included), but the flavor was a fresh burst of Summertime memories with fresh, crisp cucumbers, slight esters that lent themselves perfectly to the flavor concoction that was the Elektrick Cucumbahh.That was my first TRiNiTY brew. Tonight, I delve into a half bottle of Super Juice Solution. 

This has had time to warm a little while Jennie spilled her fangirl all over the blog (and I vegged out to Trailer Park Boys). A long day doing factory work deserves beer. This past week and a half has not been easy. Fucking end of month, fucking end of fiscal quarter. It's a day like this that makes me appreciative of the craft beer industry; letting me temporarily forget the sheer hell that I inflict on myself, reaping the rewards of flavor after enduring a gauntlet of mental and physical agony day in and day out. I've been looking forward to this since Jennie sent me a text that we were reviewing this tonight. Today was exceptionally rough, but not to bore you, don't ever work in a factory. Please make me that promise. I'm not yet 30, but I'm in constant pain. Learn from my mistakes.

I seem to have deterred, venting about the disdain I have for my job. I seem to be forgetting about my 'fun' job: reviewing beer in a sheer Gonzo style. Then I get sidetracked by Spotify fucking with my music selection with ads (I'm too cheap to get "Spotify Premium"). Go fuck yourself stamps.com ad, I'm trying to veg out to music.

I'm a dick. I'm an asshole, a stuck-in-my-ways douche. I poured my half into a shaker pint. I can't leave my time-tested ways of my Flying Dog glass, though. She and I have all kinds of memories together (Oh, all the brews she's released into my mouth). Judge me if you want, I'll suffer the wrath of Saison Man when I meet him. Regardless, this is what I'm doing.

This, as previously mentioned, has warmed up. It's a hazy pale orange/golden color with still some head sticking around, reminding me to drink this instead of being Dicky Fucking Betts and rambling (the WORST Allman Brothers Band song if you catch the reference, Duane-era was the best). The aroma on this is a heavenly paradise of freshly-cut grapefruit, tropical fruits and sour apple (as previously mentioned by She-Who-FanGirls). The aroma hasn't changed from Jennie's depiction of it. Time for the true test, the flavor. The initial sip is interesting. Peach, Mango, and Tropical fruits take a forefront while a weird, dank yeast flavor dances in the background. They play well together. Jennie described it as barnyard, I don't get barnyard, as much as, well.... Fuck, I can't really say (for the safety of the kids)... Working on a farm growing up, I can say it's not barnyardy. The flavors blend well with the slight puckering, phlegm-inducing sour notes that gives memories of housing on Shock Tarts and War Heads until my tongue was bleeding. This drinks smooth until the sour note kicks in, then it is almost "Chewy?" (reference to The Simpsons episode where Homer becomes a food critic and is consulting the dog for descriptions).

This is my second TRiNiTY brew, I'm looking forward to trying more. They are interesting to my palate. They are something off the radar, so-to speak, from my norm. I've done due diligence in training my taste buds to pick out malt and hops, but this is a whole other realm. 

4.6/5 Caps

-Nathan-

Food pairing: I totally want to use this beer in a citrusy vinaigrette toss with some fresh spring greens.
Cheese pairing: Butterkasse
Music pairing:   Frank Turner "Wanderlust" (hint)

Behind The Tap's Top Ten Beers of 2014

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Enjoy this review with Frank Turner & Jon Snodgrass "Happy New Year"

As we draw to the close of another year (thank goodness it's almost here!), we bring you our favorite beers that we drank this year. There were quite a few great brews to choose from, but these were the ones that stand out in our memories. Also, because we let the blog lapse for so long while my father's health was declining, there will be a significant amount of honorable mentions that were enjoyed and yet not reviewed.

Jennie's Favorites of 2014 (in no particular order):

Fat Heads Hop Juju
The mere, distant memory of this beer has me salivating for spring, when I will run all over Columbus in search of this. That chase will be well worth the effort in order to obtain this elixir of the gods.

Bell's Black Note Stout
This beer is as elusive as the Hop Juju, if not more so. An annual release that is a bourbon-barrel aged imperial stout, it reminds me exactly why Bell's is my favorite brewery. Boozy yet not too much with the bourbon, deep and dark with beautiful roasted and chocolate notes. I'm looking forward to having this again soon.

Jackie O's Paw Paw Wheat
While not a new beer in 2014, it was new to us, and so good that it earned a spot here. It's almost wine-like in its composition, delicious and bubbly and everything you would expect from a brewery with a cult following. And yes, I enjoyed it even more than Oil of Aphrodite, Dark Apparition, and barrel-aged Wood Burner (which, to be fair, was the most exquisite smoked beer I have had). This is light, refreshing, and quite possibly the best wheat beer I have ever had.

Toppling Goliath PseudoSue
A magnificent pale ale from a remote location in Iowa, Toppling Goliath has knocked it out of the park with PseudoSue. No wonder this beer is a hot commodity on the trade market. Any beer that causes Nathan and I to discuss divorce and him to get a job with Toppling Goliath in order to sleep in the stockroom must be worthy of a solid spot on our year-end list. (We didn't review Assassin, but we did have the good fortune to taste some of that deliciousness. It is every bit worthy of being on this list, as well, if only I had taken better notes!)

Weasel Boy Barrel-Aged Anastasia
Another offering from a fantastic stout night back in February, this beer was better-priced than most of the other "whales" we enjoyed, and if possible, even better tasting than most. I recall it being quite silky and with just the right amount of bourbon against a fantastic stout base. No wonder it has been awarded so many medals in the major competitions. I look forward to having this again very soon, especially if it means heading out to Weasel Boy (who also makes a mean rye beer, Wolverine).

Nathan's Favorites of 2014 (in no particular order)

Zaftig ZBS
A newer brewery in Columbus (opened in January) that puts out stellar beer. This is their BA Stout, and when it's available, it goes fast. This is a tap-room only release, so follow them on Facebook and Twitter to find out when it will be released (along with their other limited batches). This was- need I repeat it- KBS Killer.

Homestead Artists Series Vol II: Time (The Revelator)
You don't think with us being the founders, nay, discoverers of Hopsus that this would be a stout heavy list, did you? It's pretty balanced this year though- 4 stouts, 4 IPAs 1 pale ale and 1 wheat. Regardless, this locally made IPA was stellar enough to still long for this 11 months after first consumption.

Deschutes Chasin' Freshies
A juicy grapefruit, pine, and tropical hop bomb with an amazing aroma. We just started getting distribution of Deschutes this year and I look forward to trying more of the selections.

Flying Dog Kujo
Another fine selection from our epic stout night at World of Beer. One of my favorite beers of all time (ssssshhhhh! Don't tell the hops!). An amazing coffee stout that's 8.9% and tastes like a fresh cup of joe. This beer is what gave us the nickname Keg Killers a few years back.

Barley's Bourbon Meyer Buckeye Stout
A peanut butter chocolate stout that's bourbon barrel aged.... Let that sink in while your breathing increases and heart rate raises... Bourbon Barrel Aged Peanut Butter Chocolate Stout... It's available from time to time at Barley's Ale House. Follow them on Facebook to find out when those releases are.

Honorable Mentions (reviewed):
While narrowing down the 50-some-odd brews we reviewed this year, some just couldn't make the cut to the final 10. These are great beers and you should go find them.

Founders KBS 
Schlafly Tasmanian IPA 
Seventh Son Humulus Nimbus
Bell's Hopslam (draft-- because it is such a different beer on tap than in the bottle, different enough to still qualify for Jennie's favorite beer.)
Fat Heads Hop Stalker

Honorable Mentions (not reviewed):
We are sorry to these breweries that with the year we had (read: death, death, death, depression) we did not have the opportunity to fully review your beers. We did, however, enjoy them and thought enough of them to give them an honorable mention.

NoDa Hop, Drop, and Roll
Yup, hops. Copious amounts of hops. We obtained this from a friend/fellow beer writer after her visit to North Carolina. We should have thoroughly reviewed this as we thoroughly enjoyed this. Hopefully, soon, we'll obtain more and give it te proper Behind the Tap treatment.

Homebrew: Peter Schroder's Fired Up Angel (Eximius Brewing)
A beautiful stout with vanilla and scorpion peppers. I have often joked that the scorpion peppers must have been handled by angels, because their presence is so smooth and subtle. There is a lot going on in this beer, but between the silky mouthfeel and the hint of heat set against a beautiful stout, this beer still rings closely in my tastebuds' memories. If I am still talking about it a month after drinking it, it is certainly good enough to be a commercial brew. Actually, let's take that further: I would put this up against any commercial brew and it would outshine them. I had the honor of entering this into a competition for Peter, and the unanimous mutter around the table and in every conversation head since is that this is the best use of pepper ever in a beer. The beer took second place in the competition, but man oh man, I wish I could put this on my list of beers actually reviewed for the year, because if it wasn't my favorite beer of the year, it was right up there.

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