More Dark beer and Max's goodness

Max's Taphouse really is one of my favorite places to go in Baltimore. During the week it's busy, with a cosy bar atmosphere, but not so crowded that the bartenders can't find you. Speaking of, the bar staff are quick and courteous. It's also quickly become my place to go when I'm in the mood to try some odd beers.

First though, I feel like owing to the title of my blog, I should mention their burger. It's a bit on the pricey side, with any of their options coming in around $11 after tax. But, as pub food goes, it's a darn good burger. It's juicy and fresh, and they cook is just long enough to make the cheese gooey. The bun is a little stiff, but it doesn't actively interfere. It also comes with their seasoned fries, which are darn tasty.

More importantly though, their beer! They have so many odd brews, it was almost impossible to decide which to try. I was paralyzed, but finally went with my instincts for the first two, and was justly rewarded. My first beer was Brew Dog's Zeitgeist. A Scottish Black Lager (and we all know my love of all things Scottish), I wasn't totally sure what to expect. Thankfully, it was delicious. It tasted like a stout, but drank much lighter, like a lager. It had a delicious taste of coffee, but with a creamy finish that my friend Stark described as Cafe au Lait. It was a deliciously dark beer, pitch black, but it was surprisingly light and refreshing. Needless to say, my brain was confused, but my taste buds were thrilled.

I moved on to a similar sounding beer, Thirsty Dog's Stud Service Stout. A dry irish stout, I expected something similar if not quite as good. It poured so as to be almost indistinguishable, but it's lovely tan head stuck around far longer. It had a similar taste of coffee, but far more milky and rich, almost like milk chocolate at points. It was definitely a stout, sitting nice and heavy, but was smooth and creamy as well.

Either of these I could've had a pint, easily. But I was in the mood to try some more beers. Tragically, around that time my stomach caught up and demanded a burger. Now, I talked about the burger above, but I wasn't sure any of my odd beers would pair well. There were a pair of 8% stouts, but I was worried they would clash with the savory burger. So, I went out on a limb.

Failing to find any sufficiently interesting lagers, I went with Hitachino's Red Rice, a Japanese rice ale. Sadly, I just couldn't enjoy it. It had some flavors of fruit(apricot?) and licorice, and had a full taste of a cinnamon or ginger flavor, but as a whole it just didn't do well. Ah well I say, lesson learned. My friends and I agreed, one to try with the baking.

I definitely recommend Max's to anyone who wants to get out and try some odd beers; they always have new beers on tap, and they're guaranteed to confuse and delight. Until next time, may you be blessed with good beer and good spirits.

-The Unabashed Ungourmet

A night out

So, a few nights previous, I had the good fortune of having some friends along with me to Max's Taphouse in Fells Point. For those who don't know, Max's is home to a fantastic selection of beers on tap, most of which are obscure and delicious. I had the good fortune of trying both Birrificio's Del Ducato Verdi, and Brew Dog's Paradox Speyside.

The first beer I tried was the Paradox Speyside. A Scottish Imperial Stout? That was like waving a red flag in front of a bull. Poured from a cask, this beer is matured in brandy casks, and has a whopping 10.5% alcohol by volume. It is a beast of a beer, a credit to the Scotsman who brew it.
First taste is oakey, like many Scottish beers, and somewhat smoky. Unlike many stouts, it is not a sweet taste, but a deep and rich flavor. Impressively, this flavor is what saves it from being overwhelmed by the extreme alcohol content. A glass of this could knock out most of you little girly men, which I why I recommend going with just a sampler.
I can imagine a Scottish man out on the moors, enjoying a glass of this before he goes and kills some English men or something. It is a darn manly beer, and a tasty one too.

As for the Del Ducato...Wow. I really don’t even know where to begin.
I saw this on the menu at Max’s Taphouse, and knew I had to try it. It was from Italy, and called a Chili Stout. I was intimidated, but I had to be brave.
The first taste is cool, dark, chocolately stout. The aftertaste hits then, and it’s a light but very noticeable spiciness. Not like grab a glass of beer spicy (that would be a horrible cycle), but a very gentle awareness of the spicy taste.
I was amazed, as were my friends with me. Just a fascinating and delicious beer. I only had the sampler, but really that’s all that I needed.
If you can ever find it, try it. Love it. Trust me on this one.

Sadly, I'm a poor post-grad and could barely afford these two beauties. More reviews to follow as I get out and try more beers!