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Hopping Down that Trail

Stillwater Artisanal/AZ Wilderness
Stillwater Is Nothing Big Bunny Is Everything Stout*
*AZ Wilderness approves this message
Imperial Chocolate Milk Stout
8% ABV
Brewed & canned in Stratford, CT
Stillwater Brewer and Owner: Brian Strumke

Dark deep chocolate espresso with a half inch tan head. Wow the aroma of chocolate, chocolate, chocolate! Both milk and dark. Also espresso and a toastiness. Drinking in more dark chocolate but there is milk too. It’s also kind of like a baker’s chocolate cookie which I love to eat. Deep coffee/espresso and I’m talking good espresso that you get in Italy or even at Cafe Zurich in Barcelona. They make a fabulous one. Back to the beer…I’m getting a bit of hazelnut too. Absolutely delicious, and I don’t want to put my glass down.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: surprisingly it only makes it a bit bitter, so if you like it bitter, then go for it.

This is my second Stillwater. First was their Extra Dry Sake Style Saison which is a complete polar opposite to the Bunny but they both are consistently fabulous. This chocolate bunny is not like the type you get in your Easter basket, but I wouldn’t mind it if it was. It’s a much greater quality. It’s like trying to compare one of those minis that you get around Halloween to a great Belgian dark chocolate truffle. Awesome collaboration with AZ Wilderness too. Now, I have to track down one of their non-collabs around here.

@stillwater.artisanal @azwilderness @BeerBoutiqueInc @twelvepercentbeerproject @cheezits #stillwater #brianstrumke #beer #stout #chocolatestout #chocolatemilkstout #cheezit @worldbyglass #nomad #pairswithcheezits #stillwaterartisanal #arizonawildernessbrewing #CT #AZ

 

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Mixmaster Brewmaster

Stillwater Artisanal
Extra Dry Sake Style Saison
Water, malted barley, sake rice, hops, yeast
Hops: Citra, Hallertau Blanc and Sterling
4.2% ABV
Stratford, CT
Brewer and Owner: Brian Strumke

Golden pear yellow pour with Cava-like bubbles. Before the glass even gets near my nose it’s popping with tangerine, grapefruit, a little pear, serious vibrant tingle, and something lightly toasty. Maybe imagining it but reminds me a little when the rice gets a little crispy at the bottom of Bibimbap. Sipping and they weren’t kidding on the label about extra dry! There’s also light pear and lemon and maybe just the tiniest bit of pineapple. At end a touch of bitter like seared rice or some wood. This is a refreshing wake me up saison that would be great with oysters on the half or some bbq eel, or maybe even better some extremely lip burning hot Thai food.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: IN NO CASE SHOULD YOU PAIR THIS WITH CHEEZ-IT’S! Bleah! Ugh! Don’t do it! No, no, no!

Love the back story of Stillwater. Brian Strumke wasn’t always a brewer, from what I’m reading he was an internationally known DJ. I am still trying to find one of his sets, so if anyone has a link, please send it to me. From there he went from mixing tracks to mixing hops, yeasts, and all other sorts of ingredients in his backyard, and now look where that has him now. Can’t wait to see what brew he has on deck next.

@stillwater_artisanal @BeerBoutiqueNYC @twelve.percent.beer.project @twelve.percent.nyc.metro @cheezits #stillwater #brianstrumke #beer #saison #sake #cheezit @worldbyglass #nomad #pairswithcheezits