Beer – #667 – Thornbridge – Saint Petersburg – a redux

I’ve somewhat recently had this to drink, and didn’t really find it that exciting, but this is the BeerJerkNZ beer club beer of the week, and so once again…. Old Beer, Old Music, Old numerals, and the party got old.

“Saint Petersburg is a fabulously full bodied – chocolatey, malt flavours with coffee finish combine to produce a great Imperial Stout.”

This is a 500ml bottle, with what has to be said is great label art, it is 7.4% ABV, making it 2.92 standard drinks in NZ and as it’s bottle conditioned may have yeast, This pops in at 222 calories a serve size.

Brewed by Thornbridge done in the style that is of Imperial Stout and they are in Bakewell, England

Like a trophy!

Rich and dark with smoke, subtle peatiness and the power of the dark malts. Molasses and liquorice and chocolate goodness all wrapped up in a smooth, warming liquid.

Finishes with a distinct humming bitterness carried well by the hop and malt combo.

So what could possibly go wrong? The second time around?

Aroma is mostly English beer hops, then a small waft of roasted or burnt malt or chocolate. Not a bit aroma. I remind myself then this is a ‘new’ beer and I shouldn’t rate down based on the last time I drank it.

Pour is high dark brown, not black dark, and it pours with a glorious head, which is just off white bubbles air and fluff, and persistent, no sign of it settling.

Taste. Well now this seems so much different to the last time I remember having it. There appears to be a lot more oomph in the body, although this is still a bit bitter at the finish.

Aroma in the glass didn’t change much though.

Back to the taste there is a really big presence of rich fruit at the front, it’s really full, perhaps though a little too sweet.

This burst is quite impressive but isn’t long, it’s not the whole drink, and it does fade to that somewhat uncomfortable bitter but not dry finish,

Which then leads me back circle into that thing about am I enjoying it? I’m enjoying a lot more the things I thought were missing last time, but also not enjoying for the same things that are still there, like that sourness at the end.

A quandary really as this has a lot of nice things going for it. I’m sure it is just me that it out of step with this particular take on this particular style

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 8 a of its things from the thing. There is nothing wrong with this as a beer, it’s nice to drink has some great flavours and interesting notes, except for me it’s a bit like discordant jazz, it’s not quite my thing. Clearly a fresher newer bottle and it has more sweetness about it, and smokiness in the taste, but not enough to get me over the line.

The double dip review:

Am I enjoying it? Reluctantly I’m saying no.
Would I have another? I wouldn’t not have one if it was offered up, I’m ambivalent.
Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? I’d not be confident taking this to impress anyone because I don’t think I get on with it, however if they whipped it out and offered I’d say yet.

Music time meant that is was “Beirut” “March of the Zapotec” where else but on Spotify. Beirut is an American band which was originally the solo musical project of Santa Fe native Zach Condon, and later expanded into a band. They have a new album coming up and this is from that.

IMPERIAL STOUT

Imperial stouts are usually extremely dark brown to black in color with flavors that are intensely malty, deeply roasted and sometimes with accents of dark fruit (raisin, fig) or milk sourness. The bitterness is typically medium and often the low sie of that. Imperial stouts are strong and often exceed 8% by volume.