Almanac Tequila Barrel Aged Noir
I stumbled into the Almanac Beer Company a few months ago on a particularly warm autumn day, and while I’m not necessarily hip to their Northern California jive, I can say that they make an amazing beer. As I’ve said before, the company’s goal is to focus on seasonal beer that is made with local ingredients and aged in fantastic barrels. Remembering how much I loved the last beer I had from them, I knew I had to order the Tequila Barrel Aged Noir when I saw it.
Like the name suggests, the beer pours a deep dark black with the barest ring of a brown head clutching the side of the glass. The barrel aging comes through with amazing strength on the nose being almost entirely composed of tequila with a touch of roasted malt beneath. The body is thicker than average with a smooth silky mouthfeel that makes it a real pleasure to drink.
To my surprise and delight, the tequila flavor was not overwhelming at all. Instead, the beer opens with a strong chocolate and coffee combination that fans of roasted malt will love. Then came the sweet yeastiness on the end that has anyone who has had a ‘noir’ beer before will be familiar with. Finally, there was that brief touch of tequila flavor on the finish that wrapped everything up perfectly.
Once again, Almanac Beer has made something truly stellar that is definitely worth checking out. Even if you can’t, I’m sure whatever of theirs you can find is worth drinking.
From the Desk of Mark T. Hrisho 