Big City Brewing Company
Kingston, Jamaica
Imported by G. K. Skaggs, Inc., Irvine, CA
A strong Foreign-Style Stout with a big roasted malt component, followed by a sweet thick notes with charcoal-wood characteristics. Medium-to-not-quite-full-bodied. Finishes dry with a touch of a pucker.
ABV: 7.6
ABW: 6.08
COLOR: N/A
BITTERNESS: 30
ORIGINAL GRAVITY: 1070
AVAILABLE: AL,CA,DE,FL,IL,IN,LA,MI,MN,NY,PA,SC,TX,NJ,VA,WV
If you think Jamaica beer means Red Stripe, think again. This beer is the antithesis of Red Stripe, but I can happily report first-hand that Jamaica Stout goes down just as easily in Jamaica’s heat as that ubiquitous beer. This stout pours into the glass a deep dark mahogany. Aromas of alcohol and toffee greet the nose—and the first sip verifies those suggestions, but also offers bursts of burnt sugar and rum. Even at 7.6 percent ABV, this stout is light on the palate, so you can enjoy a Dreadlock Holiday—no matter where you are.
(K. Klemp) Black as ink, an aggressive pour produces two inches of creamy brown foam that is rather short-lived. The aroma is quite unlike other strong stouts. There is some fruit (plum), a subdued measure of roasted grain, and what I can best describe as port wine or brandy. The palate is light and dry for a foreign extra stout. The flavor mimics the nose, the roasted, burnt sugar notes are mellow, but gritty and tangy, with the fruit and wine character just as prominent. It finishes with a light, lingering molasses sweet/tart note and roasty bitterness.
Lisa Morrison, aka The Beer Goddess, writes about beer whenever and wherever she can and also gets to talk about it on a weekly radio show in her hometown of Portland, OR.
Author of the Good Bottled Beer Guide and The Book of Beer Knowledge, Jeff Evans is an eight-time editor of the CAMRA Good Beer Guide. More of his writing can be found at www.insidebeer.com.
