Beer of the Day: Weyerbacher Brewery’s Old Heathen
By Greg B. I know I’ve written about this beer before, but it is usually in reference to pairing this beer with some delicious dessert, or mixed among other beer for tasting. So, given just how delicious this beer is, I felt it important to give it a Beer of the Day spotlight and let it stand out for all to see and learn about! While I do love all types of beer, I am especially a fan of darker beers with a focus in stouts. (Sounds like a fun college major: Majoring in Beerology with a concentration in stouts). And this beer is fantastic on it’s own or with almost as many foods as you care to try it with.
Weyerbacher Brewery makes some delicious beers, but I think none as delicious as this one. Brewed in the style of an Imperial stout, this beer really impresses me, and hopefully you too if you ever take the opportunity to try it! I’ve been meaning to make it up to Easton PA to tour the brewery at some point… but it’s just far enough away that I dont know if I have a solid day for the event! Anyway, lets get onto the beer here, after all, that’s why you’re reading this post!
The beer pours a dark, opaque black with a medium amount of tan head that leaves a thick lacing down the side of the glass (I served it in a standard shaker glass, this beer doesn’t need any help in showing off how awesome it is). Aromas of dark roasted espresso and chocolate radiate from the beer. The mouthfeel is a very full bodied, creamy stout, with flavors the same as the aroma, dark roasted espresso beans with dark chocolate and a hint of sweetness, lest you think all the dark roasts will make this bitter. This is a very well balanced beer. And with an alcohol content of 8%, it’s not the ‘biggest’ and baddest Imperial stout, but the alcohol flavors and aromas are not detectable. Carbonation is mild, and with the body of the beer this leads to a very smooth, extremely drinkable brew. A fantastic stout on it’s own, 4.7/5, 8%abv.
Food Pairing Recommendations: Just about any dessert. I’ve previous paired this with crepes, but chocolate cake, vanilla ice cream and anything in between will work great. Leave more caramel flavored desserts for porters and barley wines, but for fruits, chocolate and vanilla desserts, this will work better than any other beer I can think of!
Someone asked me last night for a store that has a large Weyerbacher selection. Suggestions?
You know, that’s a tough one. I only tend to hit two beer stores, though they seem to carry pretty much everything I could want to try in this market (at least, between the two they do).
Perfect Pour in Columbia does a nice job with variety. They usually have atleast 4 different varieties of Weyerbacher in 6 packs, plus some occasional different beers in single bottles. the nice thing about perfect pour is, you can make a mixed 6 pack from ANY 6 pack or 4 pack in the store. The bad thing is that Perfect Pour is expensive. So… you pay for the convenience of trying multiple types of beer.
The Wine source… they usually have at least 2 types of Weyerbacher, and they tend to be varieties that perfect pour does not carry, interestingly enough. They dont have a good selection of mixed 6pack beers… occasionally you can find something that’s good, but usually they put crap beers on that shelf, or beers that are ‘past their prime’ somehow.
I would recommend checking out two other places. beltway liquors, and state line liquors. I’ve only been to beltway once, but they had a large beer ‘corridor’ of beers. And state line has a ton of obscure belgian beers, so… maybe Weyerbacher?
Gotta love a good, strong stout in the winter!
I wonder if I can find this one here in Sweden, it seems to come highly recommended…
I had another very nice stout the other day, BrewDog “Paradox Isle of Arran”. 10%, matured in whiskey casks and with hints of vanilla, coffee, cinnamon and some ginger actually. Perfect for a cold winter night!
You know, BrewDog does some good things with dark malts. I’ll have to see if I can find that bottle here in the US! I know they only ship limited versions over. And while we’re on the subject, I may have a mission for you, Christian. BrewDog has an IPA made in the original style… aged/fermented in wooden casks on board a boat at sea for months. Their Atlantic IPA. If you see a bottle, give it a shot, I’d love to hear how it is (since I dont think they’re going to distribute it here in the US market).
I also doubt you’ll find Weyerbacher abroad, but when you’re in NYC, there’s a strong chance you can find it, since the brewery is in Easton, PA. Only a 3 hour drive from new york!
I’ll do my very best to find their Atlantic IPA! I can get the Punk IPA at my local liquor store, but I guess it’s not the right one?
Got it, Weyerbacher in NYC!
I hope I can find it, especially when you gave it such good praise. And 4,7/5 aint too bad. 