August 18, 2012 - BeerMistress

I’ll admit it, there’s something missing in my life… though it might not be what you would expect.

 

Brewery Tours.

 

Since my adventures in Ontario for Craft Beer Week, and meeting some of the brewery representatives, I promised myself that I would get out to some of my local breweries and experience what they have to offer.  I am fortunate enough to live near Philadelphia, PA which is a mecca for craft beer.  I could spend every Saturday for a month at a different brewery or two, learn about their concept, sample their wares, and buy some souveneirs.

 

I am failing.  The ONE day that I had marked on my calendar for weeks in advance to finally get out to a brew tour, a hurricane came through.  Everything shut down, and I would have felt ridiculous braving wind, rain, and flooded roads in the hopes of landing some free beer samples.

 

In the meantime, I’m starting to daydream about the places that I want to visit, and lay out an itinerary in my mind.  Without a doubt, Weyerbacher Brewery in Easton, PA is toward the top!

 

Today’s beer is Weyerbacher “TINY.”  This beer is anything but tiny.  A mysterious looking 750mL bottle, this Belgian-Style Imperial Stout has me very excited.  It pours thick and black like a Russian Imperial Stout would.  The head is brown, dark, and fluffy.  The beer is completely opaque, dark as night, and unflitered.

 

I take just a moment to smell because I’m too excited to wait much longer on the sip.  TINY smells roasty, and a little metallic,  with some warm, nutty and malty scents.  Time to taste!

 

Wow does this beer pack a punch!  It’s no surprise that it weighs in at a heavy 11.8%ABV, and boy does the flavor keep up.  TINY feels thick in my mouth but has quite a bit of carbonation.  Other than that, it almost has the flavor of a cask-conditioned beer.  The flavor is rich and full- a mix of smokiness and bitter dark chocolate.  The appearance resembles a stout, but the after taste surely doesn’t.  It’s got the finish of a mature belgian beer.  My senses are confused – the look and the taste certainly do not match up, but both are lovely.

 

If you’re looking for a quintessential winter beer, with a complex flavor and a rare style, indulge in some TINY. And if you are a true Belgian lover, try this for something new and adventurous, yet strikingly familiar.