W00t w00t Indeed!

 

Beer: Stone / Farking / Wheaton w00tstout

Brewer: Stone Brewing Company

Style: Imperial Stout

ABV: 13.0%

What’s with the name? w00tstout is a collaboration beer between Greg Koch, from Stone Brewing Company; Drew Curtis, the creator of Fark.com; and Wil Wheaton, popular geek and star of such films as “Stand by Me” and “Toy Soldiers.” The beer is a stout brewed with rye, wheat malt and pecans and partially aged in bourbon whiskey barrels. The name is also a nod to wOOtstock, a popular geek festival put on by Wheaton every year in San Diego.

Description: w00tstout pours a tar black color with a creamy beige head that remained for some time, but eventually dispersed, leaving a beautiful thick lacing on the glass. The aroma is absolutely breathtaking with notes of coffee, cocoa, bourbon, vanilla, oak, and ever so subtle hints of pecans. The taste is equally amazing and complex with coffee and cocoa up front, quickly followed by bourbon hints blended with vanilla and oak before the bitter hops cut through and just an ever so slight hint of alcohol heat. As this beer warms, a slight nuttiness begins to come through, along with more hints of bourbon, which is reminiscent of almonds. The body of this beer is thick and hearty but also smooth and creamy; this is definitely a sipping beer. After all, it is 13 percent ABV. This beer has raised the bar for what imperial stouts can and should be for craft beer makers.




Food Pairing: As stated, this is certainly a sipping beer if you are looking to enjoy this beer on its own. However, if you are looking for a fantastic meal, w00tstout is also the perfect accompaniment. As with any stout, this one is perfect with desserts such as German chocolate cake, brownies, coconut cream pie, or bourbon pumpkin cheesecake. A dream match for this beer is a coffee-rubbed porterhouse steak, something covered in previous articles; the two are a dream with the coffee blending seamlessly into the beer and the caramelized portions within the meat accentuating the roasted characters of the beer.

Is it worth trying? Stop reading and BUY THIS BEER! This is one of the most complex, unique, enjoyable, and drinkable beers I have had in quite some time. The only negative thing to say is that it is a beer that is in high demand, so finding yourself a bottle could be difficult, but well worth it! However, I heard about this beer pretty far in advance and, being a bit of a geek myself, I have been a fan of Wheaton for some time as well, so the idea of Wheaton and Stone collaborating intrigued me to no end and I have to say that I was not disappointed at all. The extremely varied ingredients created something so unique that words cannot describe, so get out there, find a bottle, and use every one of your senses to enjoy this fantastic beer!

Rating: W W W W W

Where can I get it? Currently available in bottles at: Krugel’s Georgetown Deli, Wilkes-Barre, and Exit 190 Beer Deli, Dickson City As I said, this is a tough one to find right now, but call around to your favorite craft beer shops and check on it.

 Articles appeared in this weeks Weekender and Sunday Dispatch, orginial article can be found here:

http://psdispatch.com/news/WK_Food/748670/ID-TAP-THAT:-W00t-w00t-indeed