All About Beer Magazine

Beer Talk

Night Train

O’so Brewing Co.

Plover, WI

Eleven malts make up the bill for this monster, including oats, coffee malt, Caramunich and Special Roast. Heavy bodied, almost dry cocoa roastiness, complex sweet on the front but assertive bitterness soon takes that down and leads to a roast finish. Pairs well with dark chocolate and rich, decadent desserts.

ABV: 7.2

ABW: 5.62

COLOR: 86

BITTERNESS: 49.4

ORIGINAL GRAVITY: 1074

AVAILABLE: WI

• Charles Finkel

  Appropriate name for a beer dark as a tunnel when you can almost see the light. Great-looking label is complex, a hint of what the beer is like! Fruity, almost winelike nose with hints of dried fruit, nuts and milk chocolate on the palate. Taste is sensual, full and almost medicinal (in a very good way). Lingering aftertaste is lovely. Perfect with applewood smoked duck breast, cauliflower au gratin and a desert of crème brûlée.

• Charlie Papazian

  A brew that is as black as could possibly be. A brown top head of foam top covers but does not conceal. This is genuinely one for your next night train journey. Big on complex flavors toast, roast, cocoa, fruity, bitter, but balanced and friendly. The word judicious on the label sums it up. Pleasant aftertastes smooth roast and electric hop bitterness titillate throughout this 12-ounce journey. I’ll take my ride on the night train on the back porch of the caboose—even though cabooses are extinct, I can dream. Darkness never looked so good. Say cheese?  Ohhhhhh, a well-aged Gouda would be very good.