Rojas and I were looking for a new brew to try and to blog, and we found our attention drawn to a bomber with a picture of a skull and a raven, labeled a "Mortality Stout." We were quite surprised to find that such an ominous-looking bottle came from such an unassuming brewery in Davis, CA.Images of Death notwithstanding, Reaper Ale is a fairly tame brew. It's a very malty stout, and the main malt flavors are a bit suggestive of either coca-cola or maybe caramel of some sort. The hops are noticeable from the start, but definitely are not the main flavors of this beer. The flavor also has a pronounced smokiness to it, which tempers the sweetness a little bit.
The beer is medium-bodied, which means that it doesn't have that coat-the-tongue sensation that accompanies a lot of stouts. It finishes rather clean, which means that the sweetness manages to come through rather strongly without being overpowering. It's certainly a drinkable and respectable stout, though I don't think it'll crack my top 10.
*CORRECTION: This beer appears under the label of "Reaper Ale," while the company that actually does the brewing is Sudwerk. This contract arrangement explains why this beer does not appear in the style of Sudwerk's own brews. It is, however, currently brewed in Davis.
4 comments:
As a Davis resident, I can say with certainty that this beer does not come from Sudwerk. The lables, style, and location don't add up. I think the brewery is Reaper Ale and the style is Mortality Stout (judging from picture and other info). Feel free to search the internet to confirm.
Weird, it totally said Sudwerk on the label. We'll have to readjust...
A little bit of internet research suggests that Reaper Ales contracts out to other breweries to brew their beer for them. It appears as though Sudwerk is currently doing the job.
Thanks for the information. Way to clear up my confusion. I'll ask around at Sudwerk's next time I'm there about their contracting. Could be interesting.
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