Plug the amp in and turn it up to 11, as the team at Six String Brewery have pumped additional wattage into their Dark Red IPA. Using double the malts and triple the hops, this beer will hunt you down if you leave it in your fridge. Double Trouble is all Lyons treacle and the kind of toffee that comes with a mini mallet to smash it into pieces, while the crew has managed to squeeze fresh grapefruit and a slice of pineapple into the mix. At 10 percent ABV, it is liquid velvet in the mouth with a sweet warmth on first sip and concluding with a lingering bitterness that sticks around like the tannins of a fine red wine. If you have not got a wood heater in your home as winter hits, or you are not a fan of big imperial stouts, then this is the beer to keep your belly warm as you sit in the corner, draped in your Nan blanket.
Touted as a Crème Brûlée Imperial Stout, Crème de la Crème Is Who I Am opens with a smooth, creamy mouthfeel, like liquid Aero rolling around your tongue. Its taste is sweet, with luscious toffee, milk chocolate and an added hint of espresso. Then the thick, luscious, baked vanilla custard hits home. Close your eyes and it's reminiscent of a dessert from a French 3-Star Michelin restaurant deep in the heart of Provence.
The team used 12 different speciality malts as they paired black malt and roasted barley with caramel and toffee malts. It's the addition of vanilla bean and lactose that creates the baked custard body and aroma, however, with the only thing this beer is missing being the caramelised brown sugar crust to crack with a spoon. Definitely a beer to finish a fine dining session with, such is its name.
Neil Richardson
Published June 23, 2021 2021-06-23 00:00:00
