Thus Let Us Drink Beer – Stoic Brewing
Per definitionem, being stoic means being in congruence with the truthfulness of one’s world view and accepting it as a guideline for arranging one’s life, irrespective of how it makes one feel.
Applying and transferring this ancient Greek philosophical approach to the brewing of craft beers, it’d mean that time and effort is invested into researching each stage of the process before creating envelope pushing new styles based on new as well as tested and tried quality ingredients in a bid to achieve perfection with each emission, while embracing each facet of the process.
Enter Stoic Brewing, an operation founded four years ago by a father and son duo in the idyllic little town of Gerringong, New South Wales.
What started out with the vision to create a community space centered around the appreciation of locally brewed craft beers, has evolved to a veritable brewery with a team united by the vision to the creation of handcrafted, quality craft beer.
My first exposure to Stoic Brewing’s range was via their hazy Oat Cream IPA, which upon approach tickles the nostrils with ripe banana and vanilla aromas, followed by a tad bit of oats, however, well calibrated and not as oaty as I would have expected.
On the top of the mouth, the cereal creaminess of this little number materializes via sugary sweetness, hints of caramel and a delicate bitterness, which makes it a sweet and creamy brew that proves easy to drink.
Taking things to the next level is Stoic Brewing’s big, citrussy IIPA.
On the nose I got pine, resin and orange peel, with malt taking on a supporting role rather than centre stage.
The well harmonized flavour profile is led by fruity hop of citrus and comes with a nice layer of soft effervescence and mild to moderate carbonation. The feeling is crisp and well-rounded with a pleasantly dry, slightly bitter finish that makes it dangerously moreish with its ABV of 8%.
Things get interesting and a bit more exotic with Stoic’s Mexican Hot Chocolate Stout.
While I am usually not the biggest fan of stouts, there are few better scenarios than the current rainy winter season to treat oneself with a dram of Octomore 10.2 and a warming brew with a velvety mouthfeel, offering chocolate and vanilla bean aromas before subtle spices derived from from ancho and pasilla peppers aid in building up the flavour experience with each sip.
