Stone Xocoveza

My "Twelve Beers of Christmas" fun from Midtowne Bottle Shop (Harrisonburg, VA) continues with Stone Xocoveza, a holiday/New Year stout brewed with cocoa, coffee, peppers, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Founded in 1996 by Greg Koch and Steve Wagner, Stone is among the top ten largest craft brewers in the United States. With several locations in California, Stone are now embarking upon eastern expansion with a brewery in Richmond, VA and another in Berlin, Germany. While I know them most for Arrogant Bastard and Oaked Arrogant Bastard, their Pale Ale is considered to be their flagship brew.

Behind door #2: Stone Xocoveza, Mocha Stout, 8.1% alc., 12 oz. bottle

C: Black

N: The coffee and chocolate are to the front with unmistakeable hot pepper notes (redolent of Mexican hot chocolate -- by design) beyond them

P: Damp earth, dark roast coffee and cocoa nib bitterness to the front, then a bit marshmallowy around the middle, with some of the pepper heat (very subtle) presenting itself towards the back 

F: Long with lingering chocolate and pepper notes (flavor not heat) that continue to bounce off of one another

In conclusion: Given the number of additional components there's a fear that it will come off as a hodgepodge of flavors. However, this is Stone we're talking about and all the flavors balance one another beautifully. It's a surprisingly easy drinker for a big, celebration beer with a long lasting finish. And as an added bonus, as the beer sits in the glass and warms a bit the flavor profile sings ever louder.

Jura Superstition

This no age statement release from the Jura distillery (situated on the wee island to the north of Islay) supposedly contains whiskies in the 13-21 year old range with 13% of the vatting being peated malt. Those are higher ages than your typical non-age statement (NAS) release and given the price I find it highly doubtful that the components are that old.

Behind window #14: Jura Superstition, 43% alc., £27/$41

C: Amber

N: Three distinct layers: very briny on top -- burnt green sticks, window putty, wet cardboard, and (here comes a weird one) diaper cream (and not in a bad way!) in the middle -- very subtle notes of strawberries, butterscotch, toasted almonds and mallow 

P: Wet straw, more wet cardboard, wholewheat toast, a little woody, a little nutty

F: Short and a little briny with the slightest suggestion of warm toffee

In conclusion: Just not for me, I'm afraid. There are Jura lovers in this world but I'm not among them.

Sincere thanks to Master of Malt's Drinks by the Dram for the sample.

Firestone Walker Velvet Merlin

I'm fortunate to have an excellent privately owned beer retailer near me. Midtowne Bottle Shop in Harrisonburg, Virginia has only been on the scene for a year and a half but it offers a wonderful selection from session IPAs in cans to sour Belgians in 750ml bottles to growler fills of some of the best beer currently available in the United States. At this time of year Lauren, the owner, builds "Twelve Beers of Christmas" boxes. This year's boxed offerings are sour, IPA, and dark. I bought a dark pack for $35. Now I plan to kick off this blog's beer reviews by reviewing one a day from now till Christmas.

First up is California's Firestone Walker with Velvet Merlin, their oatmeal stout. Firestone Walker, a collaboration between two brothers-in-law, was founded in 1996. While the majority of their distribution is in California that's set to change with this summer's acquisition by Belgian brewer Duvel Moortgat. Firestone Walker are known for their hoppy beers and barrel aged program.

Behind door #1: Firestone Walker Velvet Merlin, Oatmeal Stout, 5.5% alc., 12 oz. bottle

C: Black

N: Dark malt to the fore with hints of cappuccino 

P: Quite velvety on entry, robust dark malt notes with coffee and bitter dark chocolate

F: Good length with lingering chocolate notes

In conclusion: Despite the lack of head retention this is a tasty enough oatmeal stout from Firestone Walker. It's not up to the epic standards of Wookey Jack, their black IPA, but it's still a lovely beer for the season.

GlenDronach 12 Year Old

Aberdeenshire's GlenDronach distillery, originally known as "Guid Glendronach," was purchased in 2008 by the BenRiach Distillery Company (who added Glenglassaugh to their stable of distilleries in 2013). Their 12 Year Old is matured in a mix of Pedro Ximenez and Oloroso sherry casks. 

Behind window #13: GlenDronach 12 Year Old, 43% alc., £29/$44

C: Color

N: The malted grain takes center stage but there's a good, clean rubberiness and fruity notes, too, suggestion of brown sugar with cumin edges -- the brown sugar develops over time

P: There's a lovely strong coffee punch before more malted grain enters the fray, yeasty and bready with some oak towards the back of the palate

F: Short to moderate, pleasantly warming and sweet with whispers of Fox's Turkish Delight in the very back -- the brown sugar becomes more pronounced as time passes

In conclusion: After the disappointment of last week's Dalmore 15, this GlenDronach shows what competitively priced sherry whisky has to offer regardless of chill filtering and entry level alcohol strength. Worth investigating.

Sincere thanks to Master of Malt's Drinks by the Dram for the sample.

Caol Ila 12 Year Old

Islay's powerhouse distillery produces approximately 3.5 million liters of spirit annually with the vast majority going into Diageo's Johnnie Walker Black label. Sitting on the very edge of the north shore it's a very short trip from the ferry terminal at Port Askaig to the tasting room. As a result, Caol Ila is a very popular stop for the island's tourists.

Behind window #12: Caol Ila 12 Year Old, 43% alc., £34/$51

C: Bright gold

N: Leads with peat and coastal sea breeze but push through that and there are hints of green banana, US Smarties, and cow barn

P: Wonderfully peppery and bright with fresh lemon zest and just a hint of seaweed

F: Long and lingering with more freshly cracked black pepper, barbecued pineapple, and camp fire ash

In conclusion: Such a great representation of what Islay has to offer. Its brightness and freshness is representative of standing at the distillery and putting your face into the wind: bracing!

Sincere thanks to Master of Malt's Drinks by the Dram for the sample.