Dec 30, 2015

Deschutes Brewery The Stoic

Earlier this year I encountered Descutes Brewery Not the Stoic, a beer with a solid depth of flavor and warmth. Now, it’s time to take a crack at the original brew, The Stoic. This 10.9% ABV blend of barrel aged brews, that provided one of the more unique drinking experiences of the year.

With portions of this beer aged for 11 months in Pinot Noir barrels and Rye Whiskey Barrels, the beer also has the addition of beet sugar, Belgian candi sugar, date sugar and pomegranate molasses within it’s amber depths. I was expecting the beer to be cloyingly sweet, but it’s not — the pomegranate helps break that up a good bit.

Appearance

A frothy head drops slowly atop the muted, amber brew.

Deschutes Brewery The Stoic photo

Aroma

Belgian yeast, pomegranate, vinous notes, a touch of vanilla and plenty of booziness fill the nose smoothly.

Taste

Tangy pomegranate, a vinous influence, light wood and booze dominate while dark fruits and caramel rest comfortably in the background. I don’t pick up much of the rye barrel influence in the mix. There’s a moderate sweetness and a light tingle that lasts for a good long while as the warming finish fades slowly. This is not a small beer.

Overall

This is an interesting beer to say the least. The pomegranate adds a much needed brightness to a warming and sweet beer. I love the barrel influence on this beer, but wish the rye influence shined through a bit more. Other than that, I’d certainly pick up another couple of bottles for a little cellaring — this brew is a good candidate for a little time in the basement.

Rating: 4/5

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