Otter Creek Otter Mon
Jamaican Style Stout
Vermont, ABV ?
I feel compelled to experience all the goodness beer has to offer, from near ethereal to utter schlock. I tend to seek out vintage, extreme, or limited brews; the fleeting moments of beer-making. Enter the Otter Creek World Tour, a series of one time releases from Otter Creek/ Wolaver's Brewing in Vermont.
According to Otter Creek's website, "the brewery's resident Otter travels the world in search of unique, interesting and unusual brewing styles. Whenever he finds something new and exciting, he teams up with Brewmaster Steve Parkes to produce Otter Creek's interpretation of the world's best beers" And I thought my job was cool.
Otter Creek's Otter Mon is a colonial Jamaican delight, fermented with English ale yeast and raw cane sugar, British Goldings and new world Liberty hops, and barley roasted to Jamaican coffee-style perfection. After scouring the internet and making numerous phone calls, I still have no idea what the abv is for this beer. The flavors and sensations suggest the beer falls somewhere within the 7-8% range, but I've been fooled before.
Poured into a pint glass, the opaque brown body emits subtle aromas of coffee and bitter chocolate mixed with slight traces of alcohol. A crown of khaki colored head leaves impressive lacing for its diminutive size.
Initial flavors are deliciously bitter espresso with a slightly burnt, almost acidic crispness that adds a smoky tone to the drinking experience. The sugarcane presents itself as a mild boozy warmness, similar to good Jamaican rum, heating my nose, cheeks, and throat.
Since Otter Mon is brewed with cane sugar, I expected a slick, tongue coating mouthfeel, something like a black patent malt cough syrup. To my delightful surprise, the body was rather light, with very little carbonation. It reminds me of those weekend occasions when I put a little splash of dark liquor in my coffee instead of milk and sugar. Cheers!
This article appears in Dec 31, 2008 – Jan 6, 2009.