Ship Bottom Barnacle Bottom Stout
It’s good to have friends that reward you with beer. This growler of Ship Bottom Barnacle Bottom Stout was a nice surprise after an easy week of watching a couple of cats. I had never encountered, let alone heard of this New Jersey brewery prior to this 8.4% ABV imperial stout coming my way. Beyond the style of this beer, there isn’t much more information known about it — it probably contains oatmeal, but beyond that…
And honestly, I don’t really care what else may be within this beer’s opaque depths. This big stout delivers just about everything that I personally want in the style. It’s got a chewy, smooth mouthfeel that delivers a balanced blend of coffee, chocolate, soft roast, grain and a gentle hop bite. The overall presentation of Barnacle Bottom Stout is just about spot with a long lasting, lightly warming finish.
This is a solid, solid imperial stout. The use of oatmeal makes for a velvety smooth mouthfeel while a good amount of chocolate leads the way as the primary flavor while grain and a soft hop bite keep everything in check. The beer is wonderfully textured and damn tasty. If/when I ever head that way in the future, this will be one beer I’ll be on the look out for.