Redhook Double Black Stout
Alcohol by Volume: 7.0%
Look for this beer and more at Full Throttle Bottles in Georgetown.

Intro:
Remember when the whole Four Loko thing was in the news a while back and there was a very brief, albeit misguided, worry among beer drinkers that craft brewers might no longer be able to brew with coffee? That seriously freaked me out. I love coffee stouts/porters. The addition of roasted coffee to an already roasty beer usually works out pretty fantastically. For this return engagement of the Double Black Stout, Redhook has teamed up with local roaster Caffe Vita.

Description:
Pours dark black with a big, light brown head that sticks around for a while. Tons of roasted coffee in both the aroma and the flavor backed by chocolate. The coffee flavor is really pretty perfect; not too over the top, but very forward. It doesn’t taste burnt, and there is just enough of a balancing bitterness. There is not a lot of complexity in the malt behind the coffee, but the flavors meld together very well. It is pretty dry with just a bit of sweetness, and the medium/full body is fitting. The coffee is perfectly integrated here, and I’m a happy camper with this in my glass. Well done, Redhook.

Verdict: Buy the hell out of it
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Commercial Description/Press Release:

Woodinville, WA – Redhook first brewed Double Black Stout 17 years ago. Since he stopped brewing the beer in 2000 and briefly brought it back for a limited release in 2008, it remains one of Redhook’s most requested beers. Beginning Oct. 29, Black is back. Redhook’s Double Black Stout will be available for a limited time through the brewery’s Blueline Series on draught and in 22-ounce bottles to beer drinkers in Washington and Oregon.

This time around Redhook is brewing up some mischief with Seattle’s own Caffe Vita Coffee Roasting Co. Redhook brewmaster Jen Talley and Caffe Vita green bean buyer Daniel Shewmaker collaborated every step of the way to create a stout so dark no one will know what’s in your mug. Double Black Stout is a robust stout brewed with Farm Direct Caffe Vita coffee to create a complex beer with deep color and aromas, highlighted by rich coffee flavor.

“We are stoked to partner with Caffe Vita to bring back Double Black Stout,” said Talley, Redhook’s brewmaster in Woodinville, Wash. “Daniel and I had a great time tasting different styles of coffee to develop the recipe. This version of Double Black Stout plays on the delicate coffee flavors and aromas with the perfect combination of roast and chocolate character to warm you up as the temperatures drop.”

“When Redhook approached us about partnering to bring back Double Black Stout, we were really excited to work on a project that brings together two Northwest favorites: beer and coffee,” said Caffe Vita’s Shewmaker. “It’s a great partnership. We’re both dedicated to great brewing and we’re excited to share Double Black Stout with our fans.”

Released under Redhook’s Blueline Series, a limited release series brewed specifically for local distribution, Double Black Stout comes in at 7.0% ABV and 40 IBUs. The beer is a robust stout brewed with the generous use of roasted barley, Munich malt and Carafa 3, giving the beer a deep opaque black color. Roasted, chocolate and coffee aromas and flavors round out the beer for a rich, creamy finish.

In the interest of full disclosure to satisfy the FTC regulations, this review was of a sample bottle received from the brewery.