Brauista's Major Award

Okay.

So, this is what went down.

There I was innocently and mindlessly goofing around on Facebook, when up pops a notification that Brauista's #1 fan tagged me in a post.

The Bruery was having a Holiday Cooking with Beer Recipe contest and, seeing as how I'm always cooking with beer and whatnot, he thought I might want to submit a recipe.

Therein lay the dilemma. Which out of the multitude of my amazing recipes should I enter? I decided to go with my Beer Cheese Fondue Macaroni & Cheese.

The Bruery was selecting three out of all the submissions they received. You'll never guess what happened! They chose my recipe as the first winner. Click here to see the Bruery's post!

I have an award winning recipe! As if that isn't not cool enough, The Bruery sent me a prize pack; a major award as it were! No, they didn't send me a sexy leg lamp. What they sent was a package chocked full of Bruery swag. The best prize ever. Well not ever - maybe if they had sent me beer **wink** - but it's pretty rockin'!

Mrs. Stoutfire

Mrs. Stoutfire is a collaboration between The Bruery and Beachwood Brewing. 

When I heard the name, my mind conjured a disturbing image of Robin Williams dressed in drag. Thankfully, actually consuming the beer alleviates any discomfort and/or anxiety this imagery evokes.

Mrs. Stoutfire was inspired by the barbecue served at Beachwood Brewing's restaurant.  The malts for the beer are smoked in the same smoker using the same wood - apple, white oak, and pecan wood - used for smoking Beachwood's meat.

If that's not enough, they also age the beer with the same mixture of woods.

The process imparts the flavors of the wood into the beer, creating a unique brew.

Mrs Stoutfire (9.5% ABV) pours a deep dark brown with ruby highlights.  It builds a big, mocha colored head that hangs around for quite a while.

The aroma is malty with hints of dark chocolate and plenty of smoky goodness.

There is a big coffee flavor up front with a good dose of bitter chocolate and roasty malt.  The smoke is infused throughout.  The finish is mildly bitter with lingering smokiness.  There is a definite alcohol presence that can be both tasted and felt but not in a distracting sort of way.

The mouthfeel is pretty full making for a smooth, creamy beer. 

Overall: very good.