A beer review on Undertaking Wine?!  What the heck is going on here!

Yes, this is not a mistake.  This is a review of a bottle of beer that is no ordinary bottle of beer.  Southampton Pulick House Imperial Russian  Stout bottle offerings every year snatch up and disappear sometimes before we get a chance to look for Easter Eggs.

This bottle was given to me by Lenn Thompson of the New York Cork Report shortly after he moved the world headquarters to Miller Place.  Lenn and those of you who know me, know I am a huge stout fan.  I can’t get enough stouts.  Yes even in the summer with a grilled rib eye.  Though, once the cooler temperatures arrive, Stout Lane is where you will find me living.  When Lenn gave me this bottle he gave to me with a condition attached.  Write about it.

I don’t write about beer.  I am a beer geek, but what the heck do I know about beer writing (you could say the same about my wine writing too).

Well, I finally opened the bottle and here is what I discovered.  That I really like stouts and in the future, I need to buy some and cellar these Imperial Russian Stouts.

I held on to this bottle and decided to open it and share it with my family over Easter Dinner.  Every Easter we gather above the funeral home in Medford and share in our traditional sauerbraten and potato ball feast.  Not your traditional Easter Dinner for sure, but we’re not traditional.  I figured this bottle would go nicely with dinner.

The nose was malty for sure flavors of roasted malt, coffee and dark caramel dominated with hints of cocoa powder and brown sugar.

THe palate brought more to the table so to speak with notes of coffee, chocolate, vanilla, black cherry and candied fruits.  Candied Ginger appeared as it warmed a bit with a interesting dried citrus note.

The finish was try and tasty with toffee and roasted nuts.

I think this was starting to come together, the hops mellowed, but were there.  The malt was taking center stage.  I would have loved to have tried this in it’s youth and defiantly try again a few years down the line.

Thanks Lenn, for giving me this bottle.  Thanks Southampton Publick House for making sure I secure some bottles in the future!

If you wanted to find out more about the current 2013 release, read it over on the New York Cork Report.

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