Brewview#32: Make Me Wanna Stout by Big Ditch Brewing Company

Here we are again with another beer from Big Ditch Brewing Company, Make Me Wanna Stout which is a coffee and cream stout. When I decided to do my next Brewview on Make Me Wanna Stout, I was able to get in touch with Big Ditch through Twitter who told me they just recently canned a fresh batch and would have it in their cooler that day. I think it goes without saying the first chance I got I drove down and picked up a six pack. Freshness guaranteed!

Let’s see what is in store for us!

The Beer: Make Me Wanna Stout by Big Ditch Brewing Company

ABV: 5.2% IBU: 31

Hop Profile: Northern Brewer

Malt Profile: 2-Row

Munich

Roasted Barley

Chocolate

Milk Sugar

Brewer’s Introduction

Coming straight from their website, http://www.bigditchbrewing.com, we are provided with a very enticing summary of what to expect when enjoying a pint of Make Me Wanna Stout.

‘We brewed this beer specifically for football Sundays in Western New York! This coffee and cream stout is brewed with Revolution coffee beans from Public Espresso. Besides the rich coffee flavor, this beer features a light roast from the roasted barley used, a light sweet finish from the milk sugar used, and a creamy body from the oatmeal used. Let’s Go Buffalo!’

I sure hope the brewing at Big Ditch is more successful than the Bill’s offense this season.

Getting Started

Seconds after cracking open the can and pouring the beer into my glass I was able to pick up on some intense aromas. Even from a foot or more away I am still getting slammed with the coffee, chocolate, earthy, and burnt aromas. Not surprising at all is that the coffee aroma is the strongest, but not too over powering as to overwhelm the others. You can really appreciate what the Roasted Barley and Chocolate malts bring to the table when it comes to the aromas. The intriguing burnt aroma that sits in the background is produced by the Roasted Barley and obviously the Chocolate Malts give us that rich chocolate aroma. For me though, my favorite is the earthy, nature aroma brought in by the Northern Brewer hops. It can be easy to miss but once you pick up on it, you won’t forget it.

Besides the aroma, the presentation of this beer is out of this world. A thick dark chocolate color from the coffee beans and Chocolate malts. But what is even more amazing is the head of the beer, almost three finger widths which sticks around for quite a while.  Overall, one of the best looking stouts I have ever seen. It’ll keep your mouth watering till every drop is consumed.

Time to Drink

Make Me Wanna Stout is definitely one of the most unique stouts I have tasted before. The flavor goes through a cycle with every sip. At first you get the strong coffee notes but then it backs down and makes room for the other flavors. Most of which I am picking up on are from the Roasted Barley malts, Chocolate malts and the Northern Brewer hops. I’m finding a strong similarity between the aromas and flavor of the beer. Nothing wrong with that, it’s nice when a beer smells as great as it tastes. The Roasted Barley gives a nice smokey background with each sip. While you still get a smooth as glass chocolate flavor. Towards the end of every sip the Northern Brewer hops gives you an intriguing earthy flavor. Not terribly bitter but the earthy flavor does stick around for quite a while. Along with the earthy flavor is a nice sweet finish which as Big Ditch said comes from the milk sugar used. For a stout the mouthfeel is very light but holds a creamy characteristic that accents the slight bitterness at the end. Having an IBU of 31 is very accurate but Make Me Wanna Stout does pack a punch. With an ABV of only 5.2% you can really taste the alcohol.

Glass is Empty

Hmm..closing thoughts on Make Me Wanna Stout… As I said before it is a very unique tasting beer that presents a transforming flavor with each sip. Admittedly so, it did take a couple sips for me to warm up to what Make Me Wanna Stout is really about. With the intense aromas and complex flavors I am very impressed and look forward to refilling my glass before too long. I’m thinking this upcoming Sunday my fridge will have a shell full of Make Me Wanna Stout.

Thanks for reading and as always drink local!!

Cheers!