The start of the week found me at Barley's, my favorite bar in Greenville, for a beer. I took a seat at the bar with no particular desire, but my true loves of dark beers and IPAs were able to join forces in Stone Brewing Company's Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale with Espresso Beans. This beer is a Black Ale (also known as a Black IPA or Cascadian Dark Ale), which is a relative newcomer in terms of beer styles. As a definite high gravity beer coming in at 8.7%, it was the perfect nightcap in my opinion.
Poured pitch black into a standard pint glass, it showcased a perfect, creamy head. Aromas were of chocolate, coffee, and alcohol, all relatively subtle. As the flavors are typically somewhat different from the aromas, this particular beer was pretty consistent with those same notes and added a lingering, bittering aftertaste. The mouthfeel was thick, maybe more so than I would have expected.
While I would probably like a little more from the espresso beans and a little less of the alcohol notes, overall, this is a delicious beer worth trying and one fitting to be having at a bar in contention for Stone's Most Bitter Bar.
Cheers!
Poured pitch black into a standard pint glass, it showcased a perfect, creamy head. Aromas were of chocolate, coffee, and alcohol, all relatively subtle. As the flavors are typically somewhat different from the aromas, this particular beer was pretty consistent with those same notes and added a lingering, bittering aftertaste. The mouthfeel was thick, maybe more so than I would have expected.
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