Friday Booze Review: BridgePort Black Strap Stout

Okay just to go ahead and get this out if the way, when I hear "Black Strap Stout," I instantly get a mental image of a big, huge black man whipping me with his belt while I cry/bleed my way into submission. So, needless to say, I was a little scared to try this beer.

But...



Oh man, oh man. First off, let's go ahead and get the specs out of the way. As both the website and bottle inform us, BridgePort Brewing Co. is Oregon's Oldest Craft Brewery, producing since 1984. I think the microbrew revolution kicked off around that time, so that sounds about right. This is the first time I've seen this brand at the ol' HEB, and even though they had two other offerings (an IPA and an ESB), choosing the stout was a non-brainer. $6.99 a six pack, 6% ABV.

Now, on to the good part. The beer poured like tar and ended up a deep, dark brown with a thick, dark tan head. I was actually a little disappointed with the head; it was relatively innocuous and fizzled away pretty quickly. Aroma was (as always for me - Mr. No Sense of Smell) tough to pin down. I'd call it roasted chocolate or smoked coffee or something in the middle. Fuck smell. Taste is what it's all about.

I'm not sure what I was expecting it to be like, but whatever I predicted was completely wrong. It had the great roasted malt flavor of a stout, but with a strong kick of molasses-like sweetness. That molasses flavor really threw me for a loop; it was nothing less than love at first sip. The body was medium, slightly oily if you will (no carbonation), but had a dry aftertase. I don't know, for a beer so simple, it's awful tough to explain. It was super easy to drink, and enjoyable as all get out. I couldn't believe how fast I was putting them down.

As far as the drinking experience is concerned, this one gets two thumbs up. The 6% ABV is always a plus, but this one snuck up on me a little. It wasn't until five beers down and getting in the truck to drive home that I realized I had caught a pretty serious buzz. All ended well after I succesfully navigated myself back to my apartment and popped in Pee Wee's Big Adventure. Believe it or not, I've never actually sat and watched it with the commentary on, and, holy shit, it's amazing. Burton AND Reubens?!?! Both those guys did a brilliant job on that movie. I could probably listen to them over and over.

Sadly, by that point the beer had taken its toll, and I missed the end. I snapped awake at 4:30 and peeled my (now naked and sprawled) body off the floor. Somehow the beer had raped me in my waning hours. So be it, because it rocked my fucking world. Pick up a sixer next time you see it.

Appearance: 6/10
Taste: 9/10
Enjoyability: 10/10 (for inspiring me to watch Pee Wee)
Overall: 8/10