The Session: The Beer Mapping Project’s Expedition
Those of you who happen to be mapping nerds, hopefully you realize that this site is rooted in beer. This post is talking about beer.
Today is the first of hopefully a series of Beer Blogging Fridays. Stan Hieronymus, (that’s Mr. Hieronymus for you), has started off with the first Friday by labeling it as “The Session”. He wasn’t sure that the name would stick. But I’m pretty sure that it will, since almost everyone joining in on this subject has stuck with it and they all seem to be fairly passionate about it.
It’s pretty impressive seeing a group of worldwide bloggers combined and joined under one flag for one day. I know the beermapping blog isn’t usually focused on beer without also being focused on changes or updates to the site. But for The Session, we’re going to try to change that.
Today’s subject happens to be Stouts. At first it appeared to be Irish Stouts, and then it became “Not Your Father’s Irish Stout” and then it appears that others have just focused on stouts in general. Well, earlier this week, I had a superb Irish Stout brewed by Wil Turner (NOT Pirates of the Carribean!) of Goose Island brewpub fame. Wil’s Irish Stout is one of probably 70+ styles that he brews a year and it is a superb session beer. It is low enough in alcohol to be pleasant and very drinkable, while at the same time it contains enough oomph to level your palate with some solid charred roasty bitterness. I haven’t had a chance to try in on cask (but at this weekend’s Night of the Living Ales I certainly will).
I also am headed to Stoutfest on Sunday. So I plan to drink my share of Stouts (and possibly yours) this weekend.
Well, since it is Friday night and it also happens to be the Stout: Session Day, I have decided to drink one of the finest stouts in the land. Bell’s Expedition Stout, from Kalamazoo Michigan is currently in my St. Bernardus Chalice and it is going down rather nicely. Upon swallowing this beer, my tongue chuckles at all of those newbie beer drinkers who claim that Guinness is “heavy”. You think Guinness is heavy? Try drinking a beer that swiftly coats your tongue with a 1 centimeter layer of beer shellac on the way down your throat and then tell me again how Sir Arthur’s Stout is “heavy”.
Expedition Stout is definitely not my Father’s stout (Happy Birthday today Dad!). Expedition Stout is probably not even our stout. Expedition has an alcohol content and a flavor proponent that combined seem slightly unbridled. At a level of almost uncontrollable passion this beer bursts onto the part of your face with taste buds and it latches on. You are then forced to hang on to the reigns with all your might just to keep on top of this beer. The games that you have played with other Stouts may have to wait for the moment. We have found our match and an equal. We will do our best to keep things under control.
Hopefully I will find more beers in my future that are as enjoyable as the one I am drinking as I type. Hopefully you will to. Hopefully our world will find peace. And hopefully my town will soon supply us with clean hot water, cold water and IPA available on tap.
Cheers to the beer bloggers of the world!
Read more articles about stout from the world’s beer bloggers:
- Appellation Beer: The Session 1: Left Hand Milk Stout
- The Barley Blog: The Session 1: Not Your Father’s Irish Stout
- Hop Talk: Rogue Shakespeare Stout – by Ron
- Hop Talk: Rogue Shakespeare Stout – by Al
- Brookston Beer Bulletin: Session #1: Not Your Father’s Stout
- Beer Haiku Daily: The First Friday Session: Stout
- Stonch’s Beer Blog: The Session – Pitfield Shoreditch Stout
- The Brew Lounge: Ready, Set, Drink-A-Stout – The Session
- Fredericksburg Area Brewing and Tasting: The Session – Blue Fin Stout
- andrew ager, dot com: My Own Private Stout, Oh-Ho
- Hop Talk: The Session: At the End of the Day
- Dann Drinks Beer: Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout
- A Good Beer Blog: The Session: Me and Stouts
- foureyed(beer)geek: The Session: Not Your Father’s Stout
- SevenPack.net: Laughing Dog Brewery Sweet Stout
- Seen Through a Glass: The Session: The Three Faces of Stout
- Lyke 2 Drink: Foothills Sexual Chocolate Imperial Stout: Not Your Father’s Irish Stout
- Beer, Beats & Bites: The Session #1: Five Stouts
- Flossmoor Beer Blog: The Session
Have a great weekend! Drink some good beer!
3 Responses to “The Session: The Beer Mapping Project’s Expedition”
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Now my mouth is really watering. I tried to get this beer on draught during a recent visit to Chicago, but found it had disappeared. It is a great stout. Nice choice!
Rick
http://lyke2drink.blogspot.com
Thanks Rick!
Sorry I missed your blog post! It’s there now.
By the way, I have no doubt that Jaime’s Imperial Stout is sexually chocolate-ified. Tell him beerinator said hello!
Gotta agree with you there Beerinator. Bell’s Expedition Stout is one mean craft beer for any category of style(stout, imperial or any other for that matter). The complexities (and subtleties ironically) far overbear the overall strength of alcohol by volume in this beer even from day one right out of the brewery.
Unfortunately, it’s so hard to find in my area (Western, PA), it’s difficult to drink a few and put a few back for a year or two to see its presentation as a “matured” imperial stout. I’m probably going to have to honestly say it’s in my Top 10 beers of all time (so far). Love the blog and every beer review post has not disappointed yet. You da man!