Country of Origin: United States
Availability: Limited edition; probably long gone, since we're nearly into '07 already.
Price comparison: It was a gift from my brother. The company distributes other offerings throughout the New England area, and I know that its brewery in Rhode Island only dispenses beer in ½ gallon growlers at a cost of $10 for fresh brewed, but the Newport Storm is a high-alcohol limited edition and must retail for much more.
Alcohol percentage by volume: It was 11.7% when I got it, and I only managed to cellar it for a year before I couldn't stand any more suspense.
Cute bottle/label? Beautiful, slender cobalt glass 750-ml. bottle, corked like fine wine.
Appearance: Deep mahogany with pleasant carbonation, but no matter how patiently I poured, I couldn't get a head out of it. The most I could manage was a single layer of sparse bubbles in a thready island atop the chalice.
Scent: The first whiff reminded me of brownies — a dark-chocolate, baked aroma. Behind that was yeast, malt, and a cut-wood (as opposed to a growing tree) essence.
Flavor: Very like whiskey but with too much maltiness to not be immediately identified as beer with attitude. Undertones of raisins and black cherry, very warm and almost too sweet.
Impressions: A slight alcohol burn at the finish. I wish I'd gotten two bottles so I could see how much better it would have gotten with the benefit of even longer cellaring. A bit too strong for session, it would pair well with any strongly-flavored main course and probably should, because I think, especially after having aged an additional year after purchase, it probably packs more of a punch than its taste and feel imply.
Will I buy this beer again? About the worst thing I can say about this beer is that it's probably no longer available, and if someone's got some, it's either going to go at a pretty high price or require an awfully dear trade. Good as it was, I can't justify going into debt over it.
Rating:
3½ out of 5 cute beer glasses
Reviewed: December 22, 2006
