September 19 is international talk like a pirate day. Council Brewing brewed some special versions of their Pirate’s Breakfast imperial oatmeal stout to celebrate. I stopped by in light pirate garb to try the three different stouts. Council served one with coffee and vanilla, one with tart cherries and American oak, and the other with hazelnut, cacao nibs, and vanilla.
The coffee version used a Malawi coffee, giving it a really light nutty flavor that balanced well with the vanilla. This was my favorite of the three. The cherry one I was not expecting to like but I found the flavors were very balanced. It was neither too sweet nor too tart with just the right amount of cherry flavor. It reminded me of a cherry pie or some chocolate filled with cherries. Finally, the hazelnut version I couldn’t get into. It smelled and tasted to me like those buttered popcorn jellybeans. Though one of my friends really liked the hazelnut one and drank most of the taster.
Before I left I had a little taste of each of the three IPAs so I could decide which one I wanted to get a pint of. The Gavel Drop batch they had was fantastic, not too sweet and good medium amount of bitterness. The new batch of Chizzam is intensely floral, too much for my tastes. If Societe IPAs tend to give you a mouth full of perfume, this is even more intense.
Did you get to drop by and try these stouts? If so, which was your favorite?
Paul McGuire
Paul McGuire is a craft beer enthusiast. He likes to travel with his husband and enjoy the great outdoors. In his day job, Paul is a divorce attorney serving clients in San Diego California.
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