Second Meeting of the Twin Cities Perfect Pint Beer Club

The Twin Cities Perfect Pint Beer Club met on Friday the 13th for celebration of porters, stouts, and other black beers. What better night than Friday the 13th to delve into dark brews. Appropriately enough, thirteen people were on hand at the home of club member Kevin Butler to sample an array of eight inky ales and lagers. The evening started with Guinness Stout. Although this beer has become ubiquitous, you just can’t talk about porters and stouts without including Guinness. And besides, it’s a darn fine beer. Next was the first of two black lagers, the malty Kulmbacher Mönchshof Schwarzbier. More toasty than roasty, with touches of caramel and a crisp dry finish, this beer was a favorite of the group. We followed that with another classic, Samuel Smith’s Oatmeal Stout. Rich and creamy with a malty sweetness and coffee roast, this beer remains one of my all-time favorites. Next was the Cygnus X-1 Porter from St. Paul’s Flat Earth Brewing. I like to support the local brewers at events, and the Cygnus porter with it’s deep coffee roast and hints of rye spiciness is one of my favorite locally brewed beers. Those who have been agreed that the Thursday afternoon growler sales at Flat Earth are worth checking out.

After the Flat Earth we moved into the realm of big beers with Lion Stout from Sri Lanka. The second lager of the night, this beer exhibited loads of dark fruit flavor under a thick roast malt center. While some found it too roasty for their taste, it was a winner for most. From there we moved on to an even bigger stout, Storm King Imperial Stout from Victory Brewing of Pennsylvania. I find this beer to be more drinkable than many imperial stouts. While full of flavor, it has a light body for the style and a relatively high hop presence. The group was about evenly split on this one, with many finding it to be too bitter for their taste.

Finally we entered the realm of specialty black beers with Smoke Jumper form Left Hand Brewing. An imperial smoked porter that weighs in at 9.2%, this beer melds coffee and chocolate roast, licorice, and a pronounced campfire smoke into what I found to be a delightful beer. The reaction was somewhat mixed, with many finding the smoke to be too much. To paraphrase one participant, “I didn’t dislike it as much as other smoked beers I have had.” Finally it was on to desert with Choklat from Southern Tier. Like bittersweet chocolate syrup in a beer bottle, this one was a real crowd pleaser. Those who did not care for it at first changed their minds once we added a scoop of vanilla ice cream to their glass. A chocolate stout float is one of the truly great desert experiences. The last black beer of the evening was Bell’s Expedition Stout. I had wanted to bring this for the event, but was unable to find it. Kevin, our host for the night, was generous enough to share two bottles from his own cellar. Thanks for that.

Thanks to everyone who came. It was a great evening. Everyone learned. Everyone tasted great beer. Sharing great beer with good company can’t be beat. Be sure to keep an eye out for the next event.