Style: Irish Stout
ABV: 5.4%
Joe’s Take
This week’s new release is “Deja Tiramisu” by Pitt Street Brewing Company in Greenville, NC. Pitt Street has been one of our local go-to breweries as they consistently put out quality beer and their taproom is a great hangout spot. When we saw this Irish stout was being released, we knew we had to give it a try and make it the focus of our new release post this week.
“Deja Tiramisu” was served in the Pitt Street standard muffin top pint glass straight from their taproom. It poured an inky black with a fleeting tan head. The head quickly dissipated and the beer was left looking somewhat flat. The stout was near impenetrable to light, with a small bit of ruby red visible at the edges of the glass. On the nose, this beer immediately hits with strong coffee aromas that are followed by a sweet char and a hint of cocoa. The sweet cocoa aroma intensified as the beer warmed and (with some sipping) got to a level where the glass narrowed, concentrating the volatile compounds. This dry Irish stout lived up to its style as it was light bodied with a dry finish. It had medium to high carbonation and despite its dark color, was quite bright on the tongue. “Deja Tiramisu” was complex, with transitioning flavors of sweetness, heavy char, and bitterness. It had a strong flavor profile that may make it difficult to session despite its light body. I enjoyed the complexity of the beer and the way the sweet cocoa/coffee-like flavors easily present on the nose, faded and made way for strong bitter char flavors when tasting. The beer finished with a mild alcoholic note and more hints of deeply roasted malt. For food pairings, I would consider savory dishes that have a lot of flavor. As cliche as it may be, I think a nice shepherd’s pie would pair very well with this beer. Although the flavor of the of the beer didn’t necessarily remind me of classic tiramisu, I think the aromas of the beer hit two of the important characteristics, coffee and cocoa. Pitt Street did a nice job crafting this dry Irish stout and I won’t hesitate to order it again.
Appearance: Dark, black, minimal tan head. (4/5)
Aroma: Coffee, sweetness, roast, char, cocoa. (4.5/5)
Mouthfeel: Light Body, medium carbonation, dry. (4/5)
Taste: Coffee, roasty maly, mild sweetness, char. More bitter than sweet. In retronasal olfaction, some alcoholic notes, roasted coffee, bitterness. (4/5)
Drinkability: Medium, dry and charring. Complex robust flavor makes this tough to session, but it is good for a pint or two. Would pair with a savory dish (bonus points for Irish dishes). (3/5)
Total: 19.5/25
Nick’s Take
Pitt Street Brewing Company has been open in Greenville, NC since 2017, and they have become a staple for both Joe and myself, as well as our friends. Their tap menu is constantly being updated with new brews, as well as some resident beers that Pitt Street has kept in the lineup due to their success. One such beer is their “Dapple Dog” dry Irish stout, which you can find in the taproom or in cans at local grocery stores. Joe and I heard that the brewers at Pitt Street were working on a new release stout, that would take their famous “Dapple Dog” recipe and update it into a dessert stout. “Deja Tiramisu” was recently released, and not long after, Joe and I made our way to the taproom to see how it would stack up against its predecessor (which we both enjoy).
As we move into autumn weather, my desire for stouts, porters, and drier beers increases. I ordered the “Deja Tiramisu” and watched as it was poured by one of the awesome beer servers at Pitt Street. This dry stout came out with a little bit of tan head, and the body of the beer was a rich, dark brown color. If you are a fan of espresso like me, that is my comparison for this beer’s aesthetics (although the crema from espresso is more whipped/frothy than the thin head formed at the top of the beer glass). By the time we got to a table, most of the foam had disappeared, but there was a ring around the perimeter of the beer that remained throughout most of the tasting. This stout has the characteristic coffee bean smell, lots of roasted notes, but a distinct sweetness to it that you won’t find in most dry stouts. It wasn’t overly carbonated, though I didn’t anticipate it would be. I think it has a nice mouthfeel, with a light body and a dry finish. This beer is quite complex in flavor, so my taste receptors were having trouble at first in distinguishing everything. At first, the usual malt and coffee flavors were the most identifiable. Over the course of a few more drinks, the beer really began to offer that sweetness advertised by the tiramisu name. Cocoa notes mixed in, giving almost a mocha profile to the stout. Finally, as I neared the end of the glass, I felt that the dryness I was detecting was reminiscent of something you’d drink that was aged in a charred barrel, giving it some smoky, charred flavors and a dry finish of alcohol. I’d certainly drink this beer again, as it was enjoyable, but I think one or two would be my max in a sitting. It’s a light beer in many metrics, but the flavor is quite robust and I think it would be best suited to enjoy in lower quantities. However, definitely look to pair this with dinner – something really savory like beef stew, shepard’s pie (like Joe mentioned), or maybe some smoked meat. I’m not surprised in the slightest that Pitt Street executed this style well and hopefully this beer will stick around through the fall months!
Appearance: Rich, dark brown with a thin head that is similar in color to espresso crema. (4.5/5)
Aroma: Faint aroma but coffee beans and sweet notes of chocolate are present. (3.5/5)
Mouthfeel: Dry and light bodied. (4/5)
Taste: Malts and roasted coffee are earliest signs, with cocoa/mocha notes and dry, lightly boozy finish. (4/5)
Drinkability: Not very sessionable (most dry stouts wouldn’t be) but light enough and tasty enough to drink a couple with dinner or hanging around the fire pit. (4/5)
Total: 20/25
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