Beer 330/365 – Short’s Mystery Stout

Style: Imperial Stout

ABV: 10.8%

Purchased at: Given to me by Andy.

What makes this beer different: A lot of burnt/roasty flavors, not a bad thing though!

Will I be drinking this again: One more in the cellar! Probably will give this another year before opening.

Grade: B+

10/4/2010: First beer of my Short’s Beer Marathon! Why did I pick this as the first? Well honestly its because I love stouts, and its been glaring at me every time I go into my beer cellar. Not sure what makes this beer a mystery, but I am curious as to why its the only of my 13 Short’s brews in front of me that has a gold cap? I’m assuming that was intentional.

Mystery Stout pours out pretty thick. The nose is actually kind of burnt smelling, which was unexpected. Some chocolate in there as well. The flavor is very aggressive, burnt/roasted malts are at the forefront, followed by some molasses, a little vanilla, and a good amount of Bittersweet chocolate. Earthy hops are in the mix as well. The flavors are all very good, but they don’t play together quite as nicely as they should. Mouthfeel is the MVP in this beer, semi-creamy from the oatmeal, silky and full. Overall a pretty unique take on the style, I just could have used a little less of the burnt flavor.

Picture of the day: Very creative business card. (might not be safe for work)

It’s a Short’s Beer Marathon!

Click the image for full-size

10/4/2010: Short’s Brewing is one of the many reasons why Michigan is my favorite beer state, and I plan on paying homage to them by drinking 13 of their beers for the next 13 days. Short’s is one of my favorite breweries because they think outside the box with beers like Key Lime Pie, PB&J, Black Licorice Lager, Smoked Apple, Smore’s Stout etc. If I ever were to open a brewery I would certaintly try to break down conventional beer barriers much like Short’s does.

I acquired all these bottles through various trades over the last few months, and was holding out until I got 14 different bottles for two full weeks, but I am running out of days to fit these in. Although if you have a Short’s beer not pictured above, and feel like sending it to me by all means please do! haha.

Special Thanks to Andy, Doug, and Erik for helping me get my hands on all these great brews. Stay Tuned!