WILK Friday BeerBuzz – 8 Feb 2013 Boaks Beer Monster Mast Vertical Tasting w/Brian Boak

Each time we welcome our pal Brian Boak into the studio, we have more fun than the last time, and each time we get to sample some pretty special beers.  Brian makes the ride up each year to share his beers and to celebrate his anniversary with us, and as he has done over the last two years, he’s also celebrating it with you (**More below).

2013 signals Boaks Beer’s 5th anniversary, and of course we wanted to do something special to commemorate the occasion.  Today we decided to sample Boaks Monster Mash…but wait…it’s more than just that.  Brian was kind enough to celebrate his 5th anniversary by bringing us a vertical tasting of 5 different Monster Mash vintages.  Today we sampled Monster Mash 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012 and 2013, side-by-side and back-to-back.

A vertical tasting allows you to compare (and enjoy) different years or vintages of the same beer to see how the beer has aged and gained complexity over the years…and Monster Mash is perhaps one of the best styles suited to this sort of aging and tasting.  Monster Mash is a big 10% ABV Russian Imperial Stout, so right out of the brewhouse, it’s rich and complex and loaded with flavors of dark chocolate and notes of coffee.  Add a few years and the flavors mellow and blend together in an even more pleasant way.  Rather than try to describe each year, let me just say that they got better and better and if you’re lucky enough to be sitting on a properly aged Boaks Monster Mash, you are in for a treat.

It was fun talking beer with Brian today so Brian has decided to stay and celebrate with all of you.  **Tonight (2/8) from 5-7 PM @ Krugel’s Georgetown Deli & Beer, Brian Boak will be pouring samples, signing autographs and talking beer…so mark your calendar.  Come say Hi to Brian and YES I’ll be there to help Brian pour (ahem…drink) some samples.  See you there.

fun Friday.

The Friday BeerBuzz…bringing good beers and good people together. As always you can check out the video on-line at the WILK Friday BeerBuzz page by clicking HERE.
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