07 January, 2024

Down at Starkweather Brewing

A friend and I did our best imitation of the Charge of the Light Brigade earlier this week when we went into Starkweather Brewing and proceeded to place dead last in their trivia contest. On the plus side, there was good company and fine beer.

I first ordered a sampler, followed by a 12 oz. pour, of Sweet Heat Mango, a Gose with mango and scorpion pepper.

Neither the mango nor the chili was prominent. Instead they accented the citrusy sour of the beer well. While I continue to prefer my Gose unadulterated so I can taste the coriander, Sweet Heat Mango was nonetheless a nice diversion on a winter's night.

This was followed up by a pint of Atarashī Bīru, a Japanese lager given a dose of Koji rice.

It was tasty and I found that the rice added a fruity-floral earthiness to it. I have since discovered that Koji rice is rice that has been laced with a mold called Aspergillus oryzae. Given that the lager seemed to be of the American light variety, it acted as a showcase for the rice's intriguing flavors. An interesting brew which made me wonder what the Koji rice would taste like in a beer with a fuller body.

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