Well, 2012 is nearly at an end. It certainly has been fun. Many delicious (and a handful not quite so delicious) beers have been drank. And now, on December 31st I have one more to add to those ranks. And 2012's last beer is a cool one. It's from Cincinnati's own, Triple Digit Brewing. The beer is Chickow! A 10% ABV double hazelnut brown ale that, if you remember, I had for the first time at the Cincinnati Craft Beer Oktoberfest. When I had it then I likened it to an alcoholic Yoo-Hoo. Lets see if that comparison hold up at home. To the beer!
Chickow! pours a very dark for a brown ale, pretty much pitch black actually and completely opaque. It's capped by two fingers of dense, finely bubbled, quite resilient head that leaves some great lacing as I drink the beer.
On to what may be the star of this here brew, the aromas. Huge notes of sweet milk chocolate mingle with bold hints of vanilla and hazelnut. There's also a slightly roasty burnt caramel character going on along with a very nice candied sugar quality. The best thing about the aromas on this beer is that they lose none of their potency over time. Every time I go in for a sip I'm greeted by those wonderful sweet smells. Really quite lovely.
Chickow! is very full bodied to be sure, but it never sits heavy on the palate. Creamy chocolate flavors mixed in with some bitter coffee roastiness and some bitter hop notes come out first. Those flavors lead into some creamy vanilla and the return of that charred caramel sweetness. Plenty of that hazelnut flavor comes in as well to add to the complex sweetness. For all of the sweet flavors, and there really are a lot, this beer remains very drinkable. Triple Digit has done an excellent job making sure this beer stays very drinkable. It finishes with a great alcohol warming sensation.
This beer is pretty excellent. I don't really know how to classify it though. I do know that likening it to an alcoholic Yoo-Hoo is certainly giving it short shrift though. It's so much more than that. Calling it a brown ale doesn't really do it justice, and it certainly doesn't taste like any porter or stout I've ever had. I applaud the brewers at Triple Digit for flouting style guidelines and creating a beer this adventurous and, most importantly, delicious. Seek this one out. Have a happy New Year's Eve, guys. Have fun and stay safe.
HD
Good review. I had a small sample of Chickow at Listermann's a couple of weeks ago. Looking forward to opening up the bottle I brought home in the near future!
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