Couch Surfer by Otter Creek Brewing Company
Trying a brew from a brewery from Vermont, that I have not tried before. Vermont hosts a bunch of awesome breweries that pump out some amazing craft beers. For such a small state, there is a plethora of breweries to visit and choose from. Some popular breweries in Vermont are: Long Trail, Magic Hat, Harpoon, Otter Creek, Alchemist and this is just a few of them. Tonight, I am trying a brew from Otter Creek Brewing Company. Otter Creek Brewing Company is having their 25th anniversary this year in August. In 2010, Otter creek expanded and added 30,000 to their capacity and recently they broke ground on a 120 barrel brewhouse in addition to their current space. Otter Creek Brewing Company is available in the Northeast and the Mid-Atlantic regions. I know most breweries focus on sustainability currently, but I think that working with the Non-GMO project is a whole new level to achieve and ensure product quality is fascinating. The brew I am trying tonight is called Couch Surfer, which is an Oatmeal Stout that is available year round. Couch Surfer has an alcohol by volume or ABV of 5.4% and an IBU of 32. I have had a few Oatmeal Stouts before and I really enjoy them for the balance of roasted malt characteristics to hop notes and the sweet taste of the brew. I like the tagline on the beer, 'From our stash to your glass', makes you think that you a drinking a select reserve brew.
Appearance of Couch Surfer
Looking at Couch Surfer, I begin to notice the color of the brew. The color of this Oatmeal Stout is black as night. The foam or head of the beer has a brown tint to it, I think that is due to the roasted malt used in the beer. The head lingers for a little then disappears into the beer. The aroma is something that is pulling me to drink this beer quickly. I cannot stop smelling this brew because it's intoxicating and enthralling. The aroma that I pick up is a roasted malt note that makes me intrigued in the beer. The aroma note that I cannot get enough of is chocolate notes in the brew. I think it has the bitter note is like dark chocolate and coffee blended together with a sweet chocolate note. There is a perfect aroma blend between bitter and sweet notes.
Time to try the first sip of the beer, I think that the aroma will match the taste of this beer. I am looking for a roasted characteristic with a blend of chocolate notes. Taking my first sip, the first thing that I notice is the medium body and the light mouthfeel of this brew. After thinking more about this brew, I began to notice the bitter notes of the coffee and the chocolate. The beer lingers on the tongue, which the more and more I drink this brew the enjoy the lingering taste left of the tongue. The roasted malts note is the lingering note on the tongue. I really enjoy the balance between the roasted malt and the bitter/sweet note. The last thing that I notice while drinking this beer was the smoothness and drinkability of this beer. You would think that being an Oatmeal Stout, that this beer would be heavy, but in all actuality it is fairly smooth and easily drinkable. To be honest I think that it almost reminds me of sleeping on a couch, most times you think it's not going to be comfortable but sometimes it leads to the best sleep. It's almost like they planned the name Couch Surfer based off of the taste of the beer.
Couch Surfer by Otter Creek Brewing Company
Overall I think that Otter Creek did an awesome job on this brew balancing the bitter hop note with the roasted malt notes in this Oatmeal Stout. I think if you are a fan of stouts, you might want to check this brew out and enjoy one. Sometimes people complain that stouts are to thick, but this brew is smooth and has all the characteristics of an Oatmeal Stout. If you are looking for similar brews to this one you should check out River Horse Oatmeal Stout and Left Hand Brewing Company Milk Stout.
Check out Otter Creek Brewing Company on Twitter and their website:
No comments:
Post a Comment