St. Patrick’s Day is just next week but, if you’re like us in Buffalo, the festivities will begin this weekend. At the request of my best friend, I’ll be making my Guinness Cupcakes for a party on Saturday this year, but if you’re more into chewy brownies than mini cakes, this recipe should do the trick for you.

Beamish Stout Brownies

Preheat oven to 375° Butter a 9×13" baking pan and set aside.

In a bowl, whisk flour, cocoa powder and salt until combined well. Set aside.

In a double boiler or your microwave, melt butter, bittersweet chocolate and chocolate chips, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in melted chocolate mixture and beat until smooth. Add in flour mixture, mixing well. Whisk in Beamish, then drop toffee bits into the batter, and gently fold.

Pour into baking pan and bake for 25 minutes, or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool brownies to room temperature and dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Cheers!

TAGS [ COOKING WITH BEER | BEAMISH BROWNIES | IRISH STOUT BROWNIES | BAKING WITH BEER ]

I’ve had a number of pumpkin ales in my time but never a pumpkin stout, let alone an imperial pumpkin stout. When I received this from USA Beer Trends I looked it up right away, to find out exactly what "Divine Reserve #9" was; as soon as I read its style, I couldn’t wait to try it.

This particular Divine Reserve has an ABV of 11%, so after tasting the Oskar Blues Ten Fidy just an hour before, I was expecting some heavy alcohol in the nose and palate. This however, was not the case. It poured a deep black with hints of crimson and a thick, caramel colored head. And its aroma? Damn. It smells straight up like fresh baked pumpkin pie. I’m floored that the high alcohol content isn’t overtaking this. Floored. Nutmeg, cinnamon and sweet pumpkin, through and through.

Not gonna lie, though… typically I don’t dig on super spiced beers. The only pumpkin ales I’ve loved, for example, are the ones that have hints of spice and pumpkin. Divine Reserve 9′s aroma had me a tad worried, since it was so very much like pie, but I went into my first sip with an open mind and heart.

The taste. I could not help but savor this imperial stout. It tastes of pumpkin pie; all pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, gingerbread… with just a hint of alcohol in the finish, accompanied by a bit of caraway and dark chocolate. How St. Arnold achieved such a complex, sweet brew with an ABV of 11% is beyond me. Its medium-heavy body was exquisite and a perfect match to the taste and aroma. Honestly, I’ve never had a better pumpkin beer and cannot thank Larry enough for sending it in my care package.

Cheers to St. Arnold; Divine Reserve #9 is a well brewed, high octane pumpkin stout, no doubts about it.

TAGS [ BEER REVIEWS | IMPERIAL STOUTS | IMPERIAL PUMPKIN STOUT | ST. ARNOLD DIVINE RESERVE | DIVINE RESERVE 9 ]

I decided to make Ten Fidy the first to taste, of my four beers from USA Beer Trends. I love dark, thick brews, so I was very much looking forward to trying this Russian Imperial Stout.

As I’m pouring, I’m thinking, "so far, so good." It looks thick as hell and dark as night, like motor oil, straight from the can. Impenetrable. The 2 finger head was a caramel color that made it all look oh-so-inviting, despite the fact that it dissipated some quickly.

When I took my first whiff, I was blown away by the smell of alcohol. I wasn’t expecting it to be quite so noticeable at 9.5% ABV. This much alcohol I expect from the 13% Bourbon County Stout, but I didn’t quite expect it here… not that that’s a bad thing, just unexpected. Behind the alcohol aroma, I found hints of bitter chocolate and a bit of malty sweetness, somehow sneaking through.

Oskar Blues Ten Fidy which, according to the website is actually 10.5% ABV (my can of Ten Fidy said 9.5%), tastes very much like dark, bitter chocolate and coffee with sweet molasses and a very noticeable alcohol flavor. After taking in the nose, I expected this and it certainly delivered. The only area that I felt it was lacking was in the mouthfeel, quite honestly. From its pour and aroma, I really thought it would be a heavier brew. I mean, I’m a HUGE fan of Oskar Blues Old Chub, their Scottish ale, and if I remember correctly, the Old Chub has about as much body as this Russian Imperial Stout.

Overall, I found this stout dark and complex, just how I like them; I only wish there had been a bit more body. Would I drink it again though? Yes. Yes I would.

Thanks again to Larry at USA Beer Trends for passing it along!

*****Post Update 3/11/10*****

After enjoying 11 stouts at the Good Beer Club meeting yesterday, Ten Fidy being one of them, my opinion on its body has slightly changed. I’m not sure if I had a funky pour for this review or what, but the Ten Fidy was definitely one of the heavier bodied stouts I tasted at the club meeting. That being said, I simply had to update this post.

Cheers!

TAGS [ BEER REVIEWS | RUSSIAN IMPERIAL STOUT | OSKAR BLUES | TEN FIDY | IMPERIAL STOUTS ]