darth vader loves jester king black metal imperial stout

The force is strong with this one.

'My name is Darth Vader, and i approve of this beer.'

Appearance

If this beer were a light saber, it would belong to Darth Vader. This thing pours pitch black with a thick caramel colored head. The head just clings onto the glass, leaving a nice retention around the glass.

Aromas

Chocolate...lots of chocolate. And who doesn't love chocolate? I mean seriously, if a beer smells like chocolate, whats not to like? There's definitely some alcohol presence in the nose too, almost a whiskey-like kick. 

Flavors

This thing is way too smooth for its own good. Smooth, creamy, warming body. Darth Vader obviously approves of this beer (I'm pretty sure he was sipping on this one when he blew up Alderaan). I mean, even Luke would have converted to the dark side for this one. In fact, I guarantee the Death Star has a bar fully stocked with this dark ale. After warming, the alcohol became a little more present, perfect for a cool windy night.

Overall

Amazing. There's a reason why this beer made the Michael Jackson's Rare Beer Club. If/when this one makes its way out of Texas, it will become a household favorite. It has already become one of my favorites. Watch out for Jester King!

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home brew - belgian surprise

UPDATE: Transfered to secondary fermenter today (3/11/11) with hibiscus petals, dates, and figs (couldn't find any fresh cherries anywhere). Great dark golden color and nice aromas so far. Two more weeks until bottling!

It's been a year and a half since I last brewed, but I'm back. It's like riding a bike really. Ever since hearing about the Ranger Creek home brew competition they are holding, I've been excited to get back into this wonderful hobby.

I decided I wanted to make an American IPA...however, it did not turn out so. According to calculations, I brewed something closer to a Belgian Specialty Ale. Whoops...oh well though, I'm going with it. It's in primary fermentation right now, and it's fermenting like crazy.

Here's what I did:

Steeping the grains

After adding the malt

Drinking a Saint Arnold Elissa IPA while the brew boiled

Transfer to carboy for Primary Fermentation

So this Friday, I will be transferring from primary to secondary fermentation. In secondary, I will be adding hibiscus petals and sour cherries. This will definitely be a more bitter Belgian style ale, but hopefully the malty sweetness will balance the bitterness, and I'm hoping the hibiscus and cherries add a nice depth and aroma to it. Only time will tell how this turns out, but there's nothing quite like a bottle of your very own home brew. Cheers!

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