You like that stuff?

As a general rule, I prefer darker beers to lighter ones. This does not mean that it has to be a Guinness stout so thick that you could eat it with a spoon, but I do not enjoy beers that taste more like water than beer (I'm looking at you Michelob Ultra). However, living in the south, where it can get to triple digits in temperature, ordering a dark beer in the summer can raise some eyebrows. Just last night when I was having dinner with a friend, the waitress mentioned that the seasonal microbrew she believed they had on tap was an Irish style stout. I perked up with an immediate, I will have one of those please. To which she responded incredulously with a "you like that stuff?" Not exactly what I would say if I was trying to sell beer. Turns out they did not have that one, or several of the others on the menu that we ordered. That is a discussion for another time. 

In spite of the soaring temperatures outside, I have two dark beers that I have recently tried and will review, St. Arnold Santo and LA 31 Biere Noire (review to come in another post). 

About a month ago, Margaret and I went to dinner with her cousin, Philip who lives in New Orleans. See England trip post for the guy in the black Man U shirt. We went to a BBQ place uptown called Squeal. Not only was it a clever name, but also very good bbq, and much to my surprise, they had St. Arnold Santo on tap. The food was excellent and the two Santos that I had were equally good. 

St. Arnold is a microbrewery in Houston, TX. Unfortunately the beer stores locally only get a limited selection of their beers. The ones we typically get are the St. Arnold Fancy Lawnmower and Weedwacker. Both are serviceable beers, however they are lighter than I prefer. However, one of the great things about communicating with other beer fans is they understand the plight of not being able to get some regional beers locally. One of such fans in my office mentioned that he was going to Houston for the weekend and was able to bring me back a 6 pack of Santo. Thanks again, Jonathan. 

Now for the review.

Appearance: The beer had a somewhat cloudy dark brown color with a thin tan head. I also noted very good carbonation. The beer also had a nice lacing on the glass. Think legs on a glass of wine.

Smell: The aroma of roasted malt was noticeable. The most prominent scent was that of burnt coffee. This would be unpleasant in the office, but was well received in the beer.

Taste/Mouthfeel: Burnt coffee flavor noted. Smooth finish with no lingering hoppy notes on the tongue. Very drinkable.

Overall: I really enjoyed this beer. Although it is dark, it is not heavy feeling and is one that I could handle more than one of, even in the summer temps.

For more information about St. Arnold Santo, please see: http://www.saintarnold.com/beers/santo.html

The next time I am in Houston, I hope to pick up some more and possibly do a tour of the brewery.

Cheers!