Stowt just like Catherine
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BEER: Fit for stilton, cigars and cellaring, writes GEOFF GRIGGS.
Roger Pink, the owner of Marlborough's Pink Elephant Brewery, loves to do things differently. The former Kentishman and the region's longest-serving brewer shuns brewing according to defined styles and doesn't make mainstream beers.
Come to think of it, with the exception of a couple of Belgian Trappist abbeys, I can't think of another brewery whose beer range begins at a heady 7 per cent and extends only upwards in strength.
Faced with growing competition in the trendy craft beer sector, the pioneering Kiwi brewer has made the decision to concentrate on the production of high strength specialty brews, many of them short-run, seasonal releases. Made with increased quantities of malt and hops and requiring extended fermentation and maturation, these beers are expensive to produce and therefore command a high shelf price. One such beer is Imperious Rushin Stowt, Pink Elephant's latest release.
Although Pink claims not to brew according to classic style guidelines, the name of his latest creation is an obvious hint as to its inspiration. The beer's unusual moniker not only hints at the quirky character and sense of humour of its creator, but leaves little doubt that it is intended to be an interpretation of the famous London stouts that so impressed the Russian Empress Catherine the Great in the late 18th century.
The name seems entirely appropriate. Russian Imperial stout is the big daddy of the stout family and my thesaurus defines imperious as "showing arrogant superiority to and disdain of those one views as unworthy".
The latest (2008 vintage) release of Imperious Rushin Stowt emerges from the bottle (330ml) the colour and texture of old engine oil, the kind that drains from the sump of an ancient car that has not seen a service for a few decades. That may sound uninviting, but it is precisely what the style demands.
By pouring the beer briskly, a deep, tan-coloured head can be coaxed, but it soon sinks back into the murky depths and there is only the merest prickle of carbonation in the mouth when the beer is sipped. And at 11 per cent alcohol by volume, sipping is the way to go.
The aroma is intense and appetising; ashy, with lashings of dry, dark chocolate, a hint of sherry and just a whiff of earthy hops. The palate is similarly robust and beautifully balanced, with a late rising bitterness cleansing the mouth in preparation for the next sip. Unlike previous vintages, the effect is not compromised by the Marmitey tang of autolysed yeast.
Although it is not as densely viscous and doesn't show the estery dark fruit and leathery notes of the English classics, it is a rewarding, complex and satisfying brew.
The rear label suggests the beer is a candidate for cellaring "for a few years" and can be matched with "a real Stilton cheese" in less PC times I'd have recommended enjoying it with a Cuban cigar. And the health warning is a gem.
My advice is to buy a few bottles and put them away for a cold winter's evening. Cheers!
- The Marlborough Express
