Beer Man: Bricks & Barley falls short

Beer Man is a weekly profile of beers from across the country and around the world.

This week: Bricks & Barley Irish-Style Dry Stout

Stevens Point Brewing Co., Stevens Point, Wis.

www.copps.com/bricksandbarley.aspx

Bricks and Barley is the name Roundy's Supermarkets uses for its house-brand beers to supply its Wisconsin-based Copps and Pick 'n Save grocery stores. It contracts with the Stevens Point brewery to produce the beers. Roundy's also operates Rainbow Foods in Minnesota and Mariano's Fresh Market in Illinois.

The B&B stout started out as a passable attempt at the style. It had the flavor profile consisting of chocolate, coffee and roasted barley notes. It drank and finished very dry, with the dryness lingering for several minutes after tasting.

Things went downhill from there, however, as the cold beer warmed up. The aroma was mostly roasted malt and lemon citrus, the latter very off-putting. The lemony sharpness was also prominent in the flavor and at odds with the style.

The head disappeared immediately, making the beer look like a cola. The stout finished by leaving a chalky sensation in the mouth, intensified by the dryness. There was also a metallic aftertaste to go along with the lingering sharp citrus. The chalkiness stuck in my mouth like napalm for a long time — more than an hour.

There are much better stouts out there, including new seasonal releases New Glarus Coffee Stout and Central Waters Peruvian Morning. Comparing B&B's stout with these two world-class Wisconsin beers is like swatting a fly with a sledgehammer.

New Glarus' offering would be a good beer even without the excellent, fresh, dark-roast coffee flavor. Its body was oily and creamy, nicely carbonated and topped with a thick, rocky head. Its malt flavors were perfectly balanced between the chocolate, roasted barley and darker malts, with some caramel malt also showing up.

The bitterness was mostly from the roasted malt and coffee, not hops, and mixe! d well with the slight sweetness. A clean finish nicely ended the sampling.

The Peruvian Morning also was a delight. It uses roasted coffee in what is essentially Central Waters' Satin Solitude Imperial Stout that is bourbon barrel-aged. Vanilla, oak, coffee, dark fruits, bourbon and the base imperial stout flavors all merge into ungodly goodness. This was the sweetest of the three stouts, but in the right amount to blend with the bourbon character and not a cloying, unpleasant sweet.

Many beers are available only regionally. Check the brewer's website, which often contains information on product availability. Contact Todd Haefer at beerman@postcrescent.com. To read previous Beer Man columns Click here.