Drinking the Toad Spit Stout

Posted: February 23rd, 2008 | Author: Stacy | Filed under: Beer Reviews, Homebrew, Stout | No Comments »

After four weeks of gluten-free and beer-free living, it’s time to try a beer and see how my body fares. Which beer to start with? The Toad Spit Stout, of course! Do you even know how it has pained me to have new homebrew in my basement that I haven’t even tried yet? Ugh.

The color of the stout is unsurprisingly dark. Black, like my soul. Like, 100 on the Lovibond scale. Opaque, but not cloudy. Not much head on pouring, though a nice light tan foam does present itself eventually. It’s finely carbonated, just enough to tickle the tongue. The aroma is of coffee, chocolate, rich malts.

On first taste, I notice a definite cocoa flavor, smooth espresso tones, and a light tang of bitterness from the hops (I used 100% Willamette hops from my own back yard on this one). Then comes some dryness, like that of unsweetened cocoa, coating the mouth just like in a proper dry Irish stout. It has a nice roasted malt finish, with a bit of sweetness and a hint of tartness.

I have to say that this beer turned out really well. While I don’t know the final gravity, and thus the percentage of alcohol, it feels like it’s probably in the 5-7% range (I can feel a mild buzz even though I’ve had something to snack on recently). Kathy says it’s smooth enough that the coffee tones don’t bother her, and that’s saying a lot! I really enjoy the chocolate flavors, myself. I could easily see drinking this beer all night long, if I could.

I’d definitely make this recipe again! It was pretty easy, the materials weren’t too spendy, and the result is delicious! Of course, that could be a month of cider, wine, and gluten-free beer talking… But I doubt it!

Tomorrow, I get to see how this beer treated me. I’m hoping for no arthritis flare-ups…

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