BOV drops in on The Session #7

The Session is a monthly happening in the Beer-Blogsphere, conceived of by author Stan Hieronymus over at his fantastic site. The concept is simple- on an appointed day, beer bloggers all review a beer with a common style or theme. Last month, for example, led to a flurry of reviews of Fruit Beers; previous editions have focused on other styles or themes. This month’s Session was hosted by Rick over at Lyke2Drink, who suggested the theme of “The Brew Zoo”, or beers featuring animals in the title, company or label. My contribution, then: Orkney’s Dragonhead Stout.

So, I’m a bit of a cheat, though nobody really said clearly that the animal need be real. In fact, mythical beasts show up all over beer-dom, and I have to think cryptozoology could use some better representation. Sure, we’ve all enjoyed Oak Aged Yeti from Great Divide, and Bigfoot barley wine from Sierra Nevada, but don’t you suppose some PA brewery ought to crank out Squonk’s Tears Pale Ale, or maybe Magic Hat would like to do a limited release of Champ Porter? Chupacabra Chili Beer seems like a natural for Nimbus… I could go on all day.

Orkney’s Dragonshead pours out inky black with a respectable tan head which remains on top of the beer all the way down, though reduced to a mere quarter-cm and dropping some lace as well. The aroma is of strong, bitter coffee with some trace of smoke and a high-note of vanilla. So goes the sip, more or less, with an initial hit of mineral water followed quickly by a full malt center with loads of burnt espresso, some astringency even, and a lingering roasted finish with a slight degree of hop character, hard to find. After hitting the Salopian Entire Butt porter last night, I’m aching for a hint of sour acid, but not to be found in this beer. The mouthfeel is surprisingly thin, which detracts from the style for me: I like my stouts fuller-bodied. Having said that, on a hot summer evening, this goes down really well, served just a little below it’s optimum temperature for extra refreshment. A dandy session beer, but not my New Favorite Stout.

resquiat in pace, Mr. Michael Jackson!