Evil Twin, Stillwater and Stone The Perfect Crime

Evil Twin, Stillwater and Stone "The Perfect Crime" - Black Smoked Saison (2012)

Limited Collaboration Brew.

12 fl. oz. / $3.59 USD / 6.8% ABV

About: "Dark with deception, mysteriously smoked, unexplainably dry, and intriguingly hopped," as Strumke states on his bottle, this beer gets away with the farmhouse ale classification... but just barely. Like traditional farmhouse ales, Belgian saison yeast provides intense fruit and spice notes. However, unlike traditional saisons, the beer is black as night, has added viscosity, and pronounced smoke character that dominates thanks to the brewers’ decision to use oak-smoked wheat malt, a new malt style that produces a flavor eerily similar to a fresh oak barrel. Hops bill: East Kent Goldings, Chinook, and Cluster."

Thoughts: Perfect crime, goddamnit it's the perfect crime, motherfucker it's the perfect crime. I said it's perfect!

This Collab brew poured a very dark brown with some reddish tones and a huge fluffy multicolored tan head. It's got a nice look to it, there's no denying that. What? Is looking good a criminal offence? Then set me free, ya fuckin' CD.

Smells pretty cool. Spicy Belgian yeast, really strong and up front. It's awesomely roasty in its nature. Loads of toasted malt in this, and thankfully it doesn't remind me at all of coffee. There's a hint of fruitiness in the background, but that's hiding out for the most part.

A ton of hop characteristics in the taste. That Belgian yeast is strong and permeates throughout the whole beer, but at first gulp each time there's a blast of hop bitterness and resin. Pretty damn good. And it's not overly bitter either, nor is it tart, but it's just on the edge of those things. I suppose the malts pull it back right before it even gets close, by delivering a dash of that sweetness there. It's got a lot of roasted, smokey flavors that come through once you start breathing the air for a while.

Mouth is pretty wet but thick. It lingers for a while. Also, it drops all of that flavor on the back of the tongue and just laughs about it.

There's an Evil feeling in our brains, but its nothing new, you know it drives us insane! So said Venom.