My first encounter with Coisbo was at the Alltech festival last month. Word reached me that a couple of their beers had arrived in O’Brien’s Athlone. I was there like a shot. The Astoria Black is an Imperial Stout that clocks in at 7%. She pours as black as night and the head is caramel in colour. It taste a lot like strong black coffee. I like my coffee with milk and honey if you’re making me a cup. It tasted even better as it warmed up and I could detect more of the maltiness, a little like adding a spoon of ovaltine to that strong black coffee. If you’re at all precious about your beers please stop reading here!
Affogato is what the Italians call it when you pour an espresso over a scoop of ice cream. There was some Madagascan vanilla ice cream in the freezer and a wee drop of beer left in the glass so I threw a spoonful of ice cream in there to see how that’d work. It was divine. No picture I’m afraid but it tasted nicer than it looked. If you want to be less pretentious about it you could call it a beer float.
This beer earned me the ‘Legendary’ badge on the Untappd app. If you’re unfamiliar with it, this app is a social one where you log, rate and share the beer you’re drinking. I may have become a little obsessed with it for a time (ask my wife) but I think I am now more relaxed and must only take a picture for this blog (she thinks that’s worse)! Anyway I’m Simonb34 if you’re looking for me on there.
I also picked up a bottle of the No.4 Russian Imperial Stout which is a limited edition, there was only one batch brewed. In a rare move for me I am going to ‘cellar’ it. (Read: put it in a box in a cool room) This beer won the top prize at the above mentioned Alltech festival so I have had it before and I would like to see how it ages. I am pleasantly amazed that we are now able to get beers of this calibre in Athlone.
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