Pike Entire - Wood Aged Stout
From BeerAdvocate Magazine Volume III, Issue II: American brewers have taken wood aging to new levels that have never been seen before, re-creating flavors that traditionally would have been there pre-stainless steel. Add the blending of beer, which Pike has done here, and you open a whole new world of complexities. Big, viscous tan head on top of a crude-oil-colored liquid--another form of black gold, perhaps? Plum pudding aroma of burnt sugars, candied dark fruit and a modest dollop of vanilla bean with a hint of burnt toast and dark-roasted coffee. Slick and smooth medium to full body, you would expect syrupy, but this has a pleasant mouthfeel to it. Roasted flavor never becomes domineering or brash; lots of chocolaty and mild coffee flavors. Toasted cocoa nibs come to mind with an edge of light molasses. Mild warmth from the alcohol, but it mostly stays hidden. The wood character plays up the vanilla sweetness, but then cleans it up at the same time with a layer of tannin dryness. Dried black currants and ripe plum in the back. Quick sting of hop bitterness does not cut through the malt, but does help to balance. Roasty and woody finish. This is a beer to savor every last drop: epic in stature but nothing too bold to not be utterly approachable. This is beer's answer to fine Port wine.