Pubcast 290 – The Stout Show

Now the weather has turned a little cooler, it’s time to take our annual look at Stouts, which somehow seem to be more prevalent during the fall and winter months. Joining us on our dark and malty tasting trip are Church Street head brewer TJ Bachorz, with Church Street brewer Chuck Fort, and friend of the show and beer nerd, Tom Ryan.

This weeks episode was recorded back in the Brit and Yankee pub a couple of weeks ago when BJCP judge and brewing font of knowledge, Mark Naski, was in town, and of course he brought plenty of samples collected on his way from Boise ID., where he now resides.

Although we are focusing on Stouts, Mark starts off our show with an award-winning Altbier from Wyoming, and then we go dark and heavy.  Chuck talks about first time impressions of GABF, the panel tries to define pastry stouts, and what is a virgin barrel called – is it just a barrel? We also devise a new beer measurement scale to describe smoothness, the Chuck Scale – watch out for beers with 5 Chucks of smoothness! And our final beer has the pressure built up, and could be a gusher…find out if it was!

Stay tuned for our bonus beer review of Pepita from Scratch Brewing, and hear TJ’s experience of visiting the brewery in Ava, IL.

Brews sampled:
Altbier, Altitude Chophouse and Brewing, Laramie WY, Altbier, 5.5% ABV
Avery Brewing, Boulder CO., Vanilla Bean Stout, barrel-aged stout, 10.8% ABV
Buffalo Creek Brewing, Long Grove IL., Xerxes, chocolate bacon stout, 5.8% ABV
Crooked Fence Brewing, Sins of Our Father, barrel-aged Imperial Stout, 9.5% ABV
New Oberpfalz, Russian Imperial Stout with Coconut and Vanilla, 9.2% ABV
Sketchbook Brewing, Baby, There’s Cold Brew Inside, Milk Stout with cold-brewed coffee

Bonus BeerScratch Brewing, Pepita, Ale brewed with pumpkin seeds, 4.6% ABV

Play the show from the Podbean player, or our player below…


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