From the Beer Writer: There are few breweries as downright lovely as North Park Beer Co. Outfitted in beautiful woods, from furniture to facings, it’s a sight to behold and the kind of place that is easy to spend a great deal of time enjoying tasty beers. As if this expansive, two-story newcomer weren’t enough on its own, it recently welcomed the addition of an on-site food-dispensary when local foodtruck standout Mastiff Sausage Company‘s brick-and-mortar went live on the base floor at the beginning of October. To celebrate that meaty addition, North Park Beer held its official grand-opening, a soiree that included in-house food, an insane list of guest beers (the presence of which, both at that event and on the everyday tap-list, are made possible by Mastiff’s license) and a house beer brewed specifically for the event, North Park Darkness Refined. Despite being a whopping 10% alcohol-by-volume, this imperial stout drinks easy, coming across smooth and velvety on the palate. And it’s big on chocolatiness, but not in a bittersweet way. At some point, trendiness started to dictate the misconception that any residual sweetness in a beer is a bad thing, a sign of poor craftsmanship, but that’s incorrect. This beer proves that such sweetness can be a beautiful thing. The mild sugars of Darkness Refined make it more of a milk or semisweet chocolate experience rather than the dry, nearly ashy (and not all that pleasant) profile common with imperial stouts that strive for intense dryness. North Park Beer founder Kelsey McNair consulted Mastiff’s tagline, “Manliness Refined” when naming this gentle giant. In the case of the beer and the restaurant, it’s an apt moniker. Look for more on Mastiff, including a Thanksgiving recipe and info on a special holiday sausage that will soon be available in conjunction with it in the November issue of West Coaster.
From the Brewer: “I had planned to brew 30 barrels of my dry-stout recipe for no particular reason (aside from the fact that I quite like the beer), but instead opted to make something fun for our grand-opening. So, I took said dry-stout grist and condensed it down to a 10-barrel batch. I also added an extra long boil to further develop the malt flavors, a bit of Black Patent malt to push some of the roast intensity, and a couple bags of dextrose to give the gravity an extra boost. I remember on brew-day the wort smelled intense and very much like black-strap molasses going into the fermenter. The result is a rich and velvety beer expressing big chocolate cake-like flavors and roasty highlights that mingle with dark dried fruits such as raisins and prunes, and some cola-like nuances in the background, plus a hint of espresso. The body is full and drinks very smooth, finishing with some pleasant, boozy warmth balanced by just enough sweetness to not be too heavy or cloying. The beer is jet-black and has a thick dark brown sugar-colored head. This is Darkness Refined.”—Kelsey McNair, Owner & Brewmaster, North Park Beer Co.