Na Zdravi !: 8-Ball Stout

Tuesday, October 10, 2017

8-Ball Stout

"Our Eight Ball Stout is not for the faint of heart. It’s bold as hell and robust as can be, but it’ll reward your palate like no other stout. Roasted malts and heavy hops give it a flavor that will have you pouring another before you’re even finished with the first."

I love stout beers ... and this is a pretty good one. Not sure why they would describe this beer as "bold". It is nowhere near as rich and full-bodied as others I've enjoyed. Let's call it understated ... but tasty none the less.
Chocolate and roasted malt with a very subtle undertone of citrus and a dry finish. Delicious and oh so drinkable ... perhaps too drinkable.
Certainly my new favorite from Lost Coast.

5.8% ABV, 28 IBU

Na Zdravi!

A 10-second take.
Not really reviews, just my way to keep track of the beers I've tried.

My mother's family is Czech. They emigrated from Bohemia and settled in Nebraska in the mid-1800s.
They were from the region that included the town Pilzen (Pilsen) where a brewery called Měšťanský pivovar Plzeň, now Pilsner Urquell (Plzeňský Prazdroj in Czech), started brewing a uniquely Bohemian-style beer we now know as pilsner.
So, as I raise a glass in honor of my Bohemian roots ...

Na Zdravi! (to your health).

Hops?

A "hop" is the cone shaped resinous flower of the female hop plant. It is used in brewing to add bitterness, flavor, aroma, and stability depending on when it is added.

Hops are one of the 4 basic ingredients of beer although they are not esential in the brewing process. The are used simply to add flavor and complexity to the brew.
Double and even triple IPA's feature an extreme amount of hops, and an ABV to match.
Noble Hops - The traditional varieties of hops that were used to make early European beers. Medieval brewers used Hallertau, Saaz, Spalt, and/or Tettnang hops. All are from Germany except Saaz from the Czech Republic (Žatec in Czech). All are still used today.