Tasting notes on the following beers accompanied “Drawn Together–The New Nerd Nexus: Beer and Comic Books,” which appeared in our November 2015 issue.
Tallgrass 8-Bit and 16-Bit
ABV: 5.2% |Pale Ale and 6.2% |Double Pale AleTasting Notes: The 8-Bit is a return to simpler times, finding the pleasures that get lost the more we get older and busier and things get more complicated. It’s a throwback to when pale ales didn’t have to have experimental hops and still let the malt into play. Refreshing with a hint of melon and dry, crispy country bread crust. 16-Bit is more complicated, a bit more advanced but with similar honeydew notes, and with the enhancement of resin character. Both pair best with the NES still at your parent’s house. –John Holl
Howard Brewing Action Man Lager
ABV: 5.5% | Vienna-Style LagerTasting Notes: Action Man is one of Howard Brewing’s year-round canned offerings. This copper-colored Vienna-style lager smells like freshly baked bread, and the first sip brings a touch of caramel and subtle sweetness that are kept in check by a pop of spicy hops. It all finishes up rather quickly, inviting another sip. True to the name, this is a beer brewed and packaged for action, wherever you may happen to find it. –Daniel Hartis
Ninkasi Brewing Critical Hit
ABV: 10.4% | Barley Wine AleTasting Notes: The horn flute and 20-sided die on the label seemed to beckon. Tasting notes are for the aged-by-the-brewery 2013 Reserve, the most recent bottling. This impacts with the force of a critical hit, both caramelized and brown sugar in the middle, while a huge bittering layer of earthy and pine-forward hops add support. Chewy, offering a modest warming leanness, and destined to make role-playing games a touch better. –Ken Weaver
Stone Farking Wheaton w00tstout
ABV: 13% | Barrel-Aged Ale with Cocoa & PecansTasting Notes: The newest bottling of Stone’s collaboration with Wil Wheaton and Fark.com’s Drew Curtis. A quarter was aged in bourbon barrels, with wheat and rye included as well as the cocoa and pecans. The barrel aspects certainly aren’t timid, with char, toasty oak and almond aromatics leaping from the glass. This probably falls closest to a barrel-aged imperial stout, but with lots of middle malt notes as well, ranging from pecan-like nuttiness down to more deepness like tawny port into a subtle angle of cocoa. –KW
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