This one will be short, I hope, not because the beers are uninteresting or lack reason for long winded ale diatribe, but I am multi-tasking a bit at the moment.

When the calender flips from October to November each Halloween, I start to become like my kids thinking about the oodles and oodles of adult candy (aka beer) that begins to be passed out at some of the houses I frequent (this does not really happen, but it should). For nearly 15 years November 1st has signified the first true day of the Holiday season for me, the coming arrival of Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout and his joyful cousin Brooklyn Monster Ale.  My first experience with both these ales, produced under contract by FX Matt in Utica for the Brooklyn Brewery came in 1996 at the Waterfront Ale House on 2nd Avenue and 30th Street in Manhattan.  Right around the corner from my apartment, the Waterfront was my watering hole for six year.  The Waterfront is an outstanding beer bar and was so long before it was chic to have a craft beer focused bar in Manhattan.  They also have a location on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn.

The first time I had BBCS was at the Waterfront up at the bar waiting for two friends.  I was a wee beer geek with ZERO idea that I was drinking a Russian Imperial Stout.  I think the nod to Russia I probably thought it a clever name to differentiate it from the Guinness and Murphy’s of the Ireland fame.  I have no notes other than my memory which can play tricks on me, but I know this I was astounded that a beer could taste this good.  It was so packed full of coffee and chocolate flavor I assumed it had to have each as ingredients.  I came to find out in time it has neither.  All the rich complexity of this beer comes from the malt and yeast mingling with some modest hopping rates.  Long story short, I drank that first BBCS as if it was milk.  My friends arrived and I quickly exclaimed we must have more of this beer.  We remember little else other than having about 4 pints each and wondering the next day what hit us.  Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout is an end of year tradition weighing in at a hefty 10% alcohol by volume.  It is the brainchild of brewer Garrett Oliver (see his book the Brewmaster’s Table) it is best paired in my opinion with chocolate desserts or enjoyed all on its own merit.  I try to squirrel away a few bottles of each vintage release for long term cellaring and currently have a few of each year dating back to 2004.

Also from the Brooklyn Brewery is their annual end of year release, Brooklyn Monster Ale.  A big warming bronze colored barley wine of 10.1% abv, the Monster is for fire side chats and a good sipper while reading, try a good beer book like Michael Jackson’s Ultimate Beer.  While most American brewed barley wine is brewed as a vessel to distribute high alpha acid hops, Monster is brewed more to an English style with fantastic malt character that can be sherry-like or even slight nods to cognac as it ages.

Finally, from up the Northway and the Olde Saratoga brewery comes their winter seasonal, Mendocino Imperial IPA.  The brewery does a bunch of contract brewing for many American craft breweries and is owned by the Mendocino Brewing Company The style is an American addition to the world of brewing. Take an IPA and make it obscenely hoppy.  I like hops so obscene amounts tend not to bother me too much when the beer is well balanced with a good malt backbone.  Mendocino Imperial IPA is very well balanced with enough malt sweetness to offset what can be extremely harsh hop bittering in this style.  Olde Saratoga first brewed this beer a little bigger and a little more hop robust in 2005 as their Winter Ale at 9% abv.  When the style became the regular winter seasonal in 2007 it was dialed back to 7.5% abv.  It is an excellent beer for hop lovers and should be enjoyed while fresh during the holiday season to get the maximum enjoyment of the citrus, pine and tropical aromas and flavors from the blend of hops.

Each of these beers can be found in and around the Capital region on draft and in bottles at just about every beverage center.  Both Brooklyn offerings come in 4 packs of 12 ounce bottles for about $8, the Mendocino Imperial IPA is a bit of mystery find right now, but cases are available at Savemore Beverage in Clifton Park.