The Beermonger: Dark is the Heart… - Beer Alexandria Virginia

Beer Alexandria Virginia

By Nick Anderson, the Beermonger

I’ve been called a cynic by many of my friends and family members. I tend to be a little sarcastic and love black comedies and dark humor in general. Like most cynics, I don’t think of myself as being one. I’m a closeted optimist and hopeful person who begins each day fully intending to live a happy-go-lucky life. Then I crawl out of bed and it all falls apart. The truth is, I (and I like to think I’m not alone here) am fascinated with the dark, seedy underbelly of this universe. Admit it; bad guys are the most interesting characters in every story. Do you really think Titanic made as much money at the box office as it did because people left talking about how wonderful Leo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet were together? No. They left talking about how intense the ship sinking was (or so I’ve heard—I refuse to watch the movie myself). We live in a dark world with crisis unfolding in each morning’s newspaper. Why shouldn’t we embrace this where we can? I do—in dark beer.

Roasty, malty, warming dark beer for cool autumn nights or thick, viscous opaque ale for the coldest of winter. Ale’s like Bell’s Best Brown, a once-per-year release perfect for the fall season. Lighter brown in color, Best Brown is malty but has a fair amount of hoppiness to share, which makes it relatively crisp and refreshing for a style that is perceived as being ‘heavy’ or ‘rich’. This is a great beer for football season, or for watching the leaves turn.
 

Maybe you’re planning ahead. If you’re looking for something to squirrel away, look for Bell’s Double Cream Stout. A Milk Stout made with a blend of ten different malts, Double Cream is not for the faint of palate. Notes of chocolate, raisin, coffee and roasty spices are mere background to an overwhelming creamy mouthfeel and flavor. This is roasty vanilla cream goodness for you winter enjoyment.
 

Maybe you’re a chocoholic. I’ve known a few in my time. New York based ‘Belgian’ brewery Ommegang has something special for you. Chocolate Indulgence was first released last year for Ommegang’s tenth anniversary. It was so popular that is reappeared in their holiday packs and is now being re-released. This is a smooth, dark Belgian-style Stout, appropriately chocolate brown. Made with Belgian chocolate, this beer starts sweet at the front palate and the flavor only grows more expansive as it reaches a smooth, cocoa-like finish. The guys at Ommegang say, “Desert is good for the soul”. I happen to agree with them.

So why should the ‘bad guy’ always wear black? Why do we have to be afraid of the dark? What’s wrong with laughing at the problems of the world to keep from crying? Dark is deep. Dark is beautiful and real. If you’re interested in these dark beers, swing by Rick’s Wine & Gourmet this Saturday, September 20th from 12-5 PM for a tasting. I’ll have the three beers I mentioned above as well as Victory Brewing’s excellent Saison and maybe, just maybe one more special treat from Bell’s. I hope to see you all this weekend, and remember: Dark isn’t necessarily bad—just different.

Cheers,

Nick Anderson, the Beermonger
Nick Anderson is the Beer Buyer (Beermonger) at Rick’s Wine & Gourmet in Alexandria, Virginia. He has a blog at www.beermonger.net