Categorized under: Advent, Great Rhythm

31 Beers of December – Day 15: Grateful Stout

@GreatRhythmBrew @HefeweizenHunny
To celebrate the Holiday Season, we have teamed up with beer bloggers and craft beer enthusiasts around the country to host the fourth annual beer bloggers advent calendar. This is the season of sharing and we intend to share our love of beer with you.

During the 31 days of December, we will be sharing our favorite regional/winter seasonals/holiday beers with the help from our fellow beer bloggers. We hope that you tune in every day, to hear our stories and share our holiday cheer.

Grateful Stout

FestPics LisaandAmber

Photo Courtesy of Festpics

Blogger:  Lisa Griffin
Lisa on Twitter: @HefeweizenHunny
Beer:   Backstage Series – Grateful Stout
Brewery: Great Rhythm. Portsmouth, NH.
Websitehttp://greatrhythmbrewing.com/
Twitter: @GreatRhythmBrew
Beer Details:
-Style: American Stout
-ABV: 6.5%
-IBU: 75
-Package: 1 pt, 6 oz bottle
-Served: Warmed to room temp and served in a tulip glass
-Color: Black

grateful-stout-label

Commercial Description
This beer is deep and robust, with a rich creamy head. It has distinct notes of chocolate, espresso, roasted malt and black barley. With its malt complexity and assertive hop presence, this is certainly a beer to linger over.

GR Grateful StoutWhy I selected The Backstage Series Grateful Stout:
Seeing how this beer is called “Grateful Stout” and it’s the holiday season, I feel it is only fitting to say what I am grateful for this year. First, I am grateful for my health, my family and friends and my involvement in the beer industry. I have made many wonderful friends here and have been privileged to drink so many exclusive, elusive, unique and outstanding brews. I am honored that my palate and opinion are valued enough that I get to write about my beer experiences upon occassion and you all read them. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Now to the beer!

Head: Milk chocolate brown. Pours a thick, creamy foam. Dissipates to a thin layer of frothy head with good lacing.
Flavor: Meaty quality up front which then gets cut off a pleasant bitterness that is reminiscent of the char on grilled meat. There is a chocolate layer to the flavor, but more like cocoa. I’m reminded of cocoa rubbed beef tenderloin. The bitterness delightfully lingers sip to sip.
Mouth Feel: Medium body. I can feel the sensation of effervescence on my tongue though the beer is not particularly bubbly. This sensation enhances the bitter flavor.
Remarks: A really great stout. This paired phenomenally well with a beef roast. I’d love to drink this all winter long when I’m cozy by the fire.

Great Rhythm is among my favorite New Hampshire breweries. Grateful Stout is the first in Great Rhythm’s new small batch series called the Backstage Series (keep an eye out for regular releases). They used Chinook and Willamette as their main hops which give the beer it’s backbone bitterness as well as a variety of specialty malts such as Chocolate Malt, Caramel Malt, Black Malt and  Munich Malt to support that bitter bite. Freshly bottled on December 3rd, this beer has just gone out for distribution. It is the second beer that was brewed at the brewery’s new location on Heritage Ave in Portsmouth, NH (formerly Smuttynose’s location before their move). It’s a very limited supply, so if you see it (and I suggest you actually SEEK it) snag a few bottles. This is one that I would like to have on many a cold night.

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About Great Rhythm Brewery
At Great Rhythm Brewing Co. we believe in living life to the fullest with great friends, great music, and great craft beer. We are a small craft brewing company based in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, dedicated to making flavorful, handcrafted ales, using only the freshest and most natural brewing ingredients from the earth. We hope you enjoy our labor of love and all that we are about.  Scott & Kristin.

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