This had been living in our refrigerator since November of 2022. It was brewed to commemorate Belching Beaver's 10th anniversary but is no longer available. In fact, it sold out immediately.
We had been introduced to this beer's non-barrel aged namesake at a neighbor's house. As I wrote earlier, I didn't expect to like it. Adding peanut butter to beer is like adding creamer to coffee. It's not right. Not pure. And while I like a little chocolate now and again, I'm not really into sweets.
I was surprised that the flavors were more subtle than I expected. It wasn't overly sweet and it got better as it warmed. So, when we found ourselves by Belching Beaver's Oceanside location almost a year later, we stopped in. My journal entry for that day reads as follows:
Instead, we continued on our journey which included a stop at Belching Beaver in Oceanside. I had the peanut butter stout - because that’s what they’re famous for - and Hubby had a pilsner which turned out to be his favorite one on the rest of this three-day excursion. We also bought two bottles of their 10-year anniversary barrel aged peanut butter stout to take home. While we only got two, the shelf was cleared out of the anniversary stout before we left.
We kept one of the bottles and gave the other one to the friend who introduced me to Belching Beaver's Peanut Butter Stout in the first place.
It lingered in the fridge for nearly two years before we finally opened it. Because of its high alcohol content (12.8%), we felt we needed a special occasion to open it. Certainly, it wasn't a day drinking type of beer. It didn't seem like a summer beer (which rules out most of the year for us). This was something to take one's time with and to savor. Something to be enjoyed at home with no plans to go out afterwards. Maybe by a fire.
And then, I was inspired.
I had just taken my granddaughter out for ice cream and I had a scoop of Chocolate Peanut Butter. It was decadently delicious. I still had those flavors in my mouth when I got home and started preparing dinner. That's when it hit me. It was time to open the Barrel-Aged Stout.
This beer was a sweeter version of its non-barrel aged cousin. With my first sips, I was thinking this would be a great dessert beer. Maybe even served over ice cream like a syrup. What didn't hit me in the face was the alcohol like some barrel-aged beers do. The aging seemed to intensify the sweetness rather than alcohol flavors. Think, for example, of the flavors that are imparted to a Chardonnay from oak.
Again, I felt the flavors mellowed and smoothed out as the beer warmed. I even felt like some of the sweetness had dissipated until we opened a Grimlock Rye Porter from Loowit Brewing Company and it was like licking an ashtray. The contrast was that stark and the Barrel-Aged Stout was that sweet. Still, I didn't think the sweetness was overly cloying.
But I was right in one respect. It was a special beer that deserved special attention. And now it's all gone.
Belching Beaver has their 12th anniversary coming up in October. I don't know if they'll do another Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout but it's worth keeping an eye out for. They distribute in 14 states so if you live west of the Mississippi you have a good chance of getting your hands on one of their beers. Even if it's not a Peanut Butter Stout, my bet is it'll be good.
(If you're interested in more information, there's a good review of the Barrel-Aged Imperial Peanut Butter Stout on Beer Advocate.)
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