A while back I posted a less
than kind review of a Big Bay Brewing
release, but every brewery deserves a second chance, so when I noticed bombers
of Angry Molly on the shelf at my local store I figured it would be a good time
to give Big Bay another shot. I wasn’t
sure what to expect out of this beer given my previous Big Bay experience, but I’m
a sucker for Imperial Stouts during the winter.
Big Bay Brewing currently contract brews out of the House of Brews in Madison, a
change since the last time I wrote up one of their beers. Page Buchanan at House of Brews is a great
guy and a wonderful addition to the Wisconsin craft beer scene. By opening his brewery up to contract brewing
he, like other Wisconsin contract breweries, allows aspiring brewers the chance
to effectively rent his equipment to brew their beers. Opening a new brewery is a capital intensive
move and contract breweries allow new brewers to enter the industry without the
upfront capital usually required. Some
people like to bash beers that are contract brewed, but all it means is that
more aspiring brewers can push out more beer more quickly. Everyone gets their start somewhere, and contract
breweries allow us, the beer drinkers, to get to try as many new beers as
possible. Heck, even the Boston Beer Co.
used to rely on contract brewers, and Miller Brewing still does, at least for
one of their product lines.
Unfortunately the information
readily available on Big Bay Brewing is still limited, and aside from a
periodically active twitter feed, the brewery has gone dark. Dear Big Bay, please update your website to
keep up with your new releases. How else
is someone who does not follow your twitter feed supposed to keep up with your
new releases like Angry Molly?
Since I don’t have much more to
offer on Big Bay Brewing, let’s move on to the review.
They Say:
The Russians tangle with the
Irish in this hybrid Imperial Stout. Its
brew and name take inspiration from a certain feisty lass, at once sweet with a
deep, pitter complexity. You’ll find
notes of chocolate, coffee and toasted caramel that marry perfectly with white
wheat and flaked out textures, giving her a soft, velvety demeanor.
I Say:
Angry Molly pours a deep, opaque
black with a moderately thick, creamy tan head that holds excellent retention
(5-10 min) before fading to a thick collar around the edges of the glass. The collar leaves moderate lacing behind in
the glass, which is a great sign. Milk
and dark chocolate lead in the aroma, followed by a hint of medium roast
coffee. Caramelized sugar and a slightly
sweet alcohol bring up the back end.
This is definitely a great smelling imperial stout.
Baker’s chocolate and dark
caramel take the lead in the flavor.
Medium roast coffee and slight notes of roasted barley blend into dark
and milk chocolate with a hint of vanilla in the middle. The finish has a slight latte character with
notes of coffee and vanilla lingering into the aftertaste. As Angry Molly warms to room temperature, the
smoothness fades and a very slight roasted barley astringency becomes apparent,
although your glass will probably be empty before the astringency is apparent. Angry Molly has a wonderfully full maltiness
with a moderate level of hop bitterness to balance out the sweetness of the
malts, and there is pleasing alcohol warmth that hints at Molly’s 9% ABV. With a medium body and a moderate level of
carbonation, Angry Molly is very drinkable and quite enjoyable.
I am glad that I picked up a
bottle of Angry Molly when I saw it on the shelf at my local store. Every brewery deserves a second chance, and
this beer goes a long way towards redeeming Big Bay Brewing in my mind. Angry Molly is an excellent hybrid of a
Russian Imperial and an Irish Dry Stout, and a very good Imperial Stout is
always appreciated this time of year. As
good as it is, I can’t help but wonder how much more impressive it would be if
it was barrel aged. Perhaps there is a
barrel or two filled with Angry Molly right now… I sure hope so.
That’s all for today. Check back
soon for another review!
Happy Drinking, and remember to
always Drink Wisconsinbly!