urban trappist brewery

image from van gogh's self portrait with bandaged ear and pipe

Biography

For me, where there's smoke, there's a beverage, man. But very few beers out there have the temerity to stand up to the hearty carginogenic delight of pipe smoking. Rich in flavor and particulates, pipe tobacco's heaviness overwhelms even some imperial stouts. It needs an agressive, roasty dark beer to wash out the sludge. So, put that in your pipe and smoke it. (Actually, don't; it's very bad for your pipe.)

Creation

The very careful approach was, roughly, to dump the spice rack into the brewpot. The list of additives, as you can see, is nearly encyclopedic. This was my third brew session and probably the one that I first truly enjoyed as leisure rather than learning a new skill. Based on the bottling issues (overcarbonation to the point of foam detonation), I probably should have remained focused on my self-education. The revised brew featured a rare attitude in the brewery: restraint, paring back the spices and priming sugar but not the flavor.

Stats - Version 2

Style: Robust Porter
Base Grain: Maris Otter
Adjunct Grains: Extra Special, Aromatic, Rye, Chocolate Malt, Peat Smoked Malt, Chocolate Rye
Hops: Northern Brewer
Curious Additives: Star Anise, allspice, cloves, aniseed, coconut powder
Yeast: WLP 028 - Scottish Ale
OG: 1.062 / FG: 1.014
ABV: Touchdown! (PAT Good)
Color: Tar
Head: Vacuous as a pop star
Flavors: Significantly more harmonious than the previous incarnation, and also more forceful. Significant bitterness from the anise, well complemented by the yeast profile and bittering hops. Mouthfeel is a touch thin, due to fear of creating a second volcanic opening.

Stats - Version 1

Style: Robust Porter
Base Grain: Maris Otter
Adjunct Grains: Extra Special, Aromatic, Rye, Chocolate Malt, Roasted Nonmalted Barley, Crystal Malt
Hops: Centennial, Perle, Cascade
Curious Additives: Cinnamon sticks, Star Anise, Allspice, Vanilla, Almond Extract, Nutmeg, Mace, Coconut Powder, Cocoa, Pink Peppercorns, Kitchen Sink
Yeast: WLP 028 - Scottish Ale
OG: 1.050 / FG: 1.010
ABV: 5%
Color: Tar
Head: Towering
Flavors: Rough. The heaping of rye and double dose of roasted barley made this every bit as forceful as intended. Its mouthfeel is best described as an ambush (especially with the bushels of CO2 in each bottle), and the legion of spices marches right through any smokescreen on your palate.