As I often boast, one of the benefits of writing a blog like this, is that other beer-blog friends often find themselves with bottles to share. A few weeks back, Troy Burtch (http://greatcanadianpubs.blogspot.com/)and I met to discuss some TBW stuff, and during the meeting, he also gave me a pair of bottles. Stone Hammer was one of them. This is a beer I know well, having had it on tap/cask at Volo in the past. I’ve never had it in bottle before, and have never really made notes about it, so I’m pretty excited.
Stone Hammer - F&M Brewery
From a 341ml ISB with no freshness date, the beer pours an opaque black with a dark mocha head of fairly dense bubbles. There are hints of red at the edges of the glass, but the beer is basically black. The gorgeous head drops to a dense film that hangs around most of the glass and leaves a nice bit of lace. Aroma is magical. Coffee and leafy hops and dark grains hinting at burnt sugar. All in marvellous balance. Oh dear, I almost don’t want to drink it, in case it doesn’t live up to it’s nose. The good news is, it holds up well. The coffee’s roastiness balances so well with the charred malts, it’s uncanny. It’s a bit less punchy than it’s aroma, but is a wonderful mix of roasty coffee and burnt sugar, with a nice hop that doesn’t dominate the other flavours, but rather dries out the finish, which lingers a little smoky and bitter. The mouthfeel is a little light, though the oatmeal certainly adds some density; much more so than a Guinness. I want this on tap, and I want a lot of it. I could easily drink this as a regular go-to, if I could find it regularly. Just wonderful.
2 Comments