Brew Review: Sweetwater Happy Ending

For the first post on Brew Review I'm going to take a closer look at Sweetwater's new brew, an Imperial Stout called Happy Ending.

Before I get to the actual rating though, I'll explain what makes Happy Ending an "Imperial" Stout. The main thing is a higher alcohol content than is usual for a stout: A traditional stout like Guinness comes in at 6% alcohol by volume whereas Happy Ending is 9%. The extra alcohol adds tons of interesting flavor notes to the normally dry, almost light stout. The practice of adding extra alcohol to beer started when British merchant ships discovered that they could get a longer shelf life out of higher alcohol by volume beers- during long trips from Britain to British troops in India, Russia, or other countries, a longer shelf life was essential. So anytime you hear of an "Imperial" Pale Ale, an "Imperial" Pilsner, or in our case an Imperial Stout, you know it has a higher than normal ABV (and it probably tastes spicier, bigger, and more complex).


Happy Ending is, as I said earlier, an Imperial Stout and, true to the genre, its balanced nicely between spicy fruit/floral notes and robust chocolate roundness. The first tastes of Happy Ending are bright and floral but the flavor quickly shifts to a more smoky, robust flavor. Some people say its a chocolate taste, some say coffee; I myself tend to lean towards chocolate. Either way, it moves from the robust middle flavor to a flatter malt taste at the finish (despite what the name would have you believe!). For a high gravity beer (any beer over 7% ABV) its surprisingly drinkable.

Anybody who enjoys this beer may also enjoy Terrapin's India Brown Ale (which is only available on draft now, though Terrapin may be bottling it soon), Guinness Stout, or any Oatmeal Stout.

You can find Happy Ending at Total Wine in Kennesaw (any reputable package store will order it for you if you don't live around Kennesaw) for $1.79/bottle or $9.99/six-pack.

I'm giving Sweetwater Happy Ending a 4/5. Its a flat-out tasty beer that is complex and yet still very smooth. It smells great, has a deep, almost black brown color, and leaves a nice lingering taste after each drink. The only thing that keeps it from a being a 5 is that the end notes are a little flat and, in the interest of full disclosure, stouts aren't my favorite style to begin with.

Cheers!

First Post!

Welcome to Brew Review!

My name is Matt Logan and I've started Brew Review as a beer-review site to help spread the word about beer and brewing. On the blog I'll be talking about good beer, bad beer, expensive beer, and cheap beer. I'll cover Georgia-brewed beer, domestic beers, internationally brewed beers, limited-release/seasonal beers, and everything in between. Even some beers that, in my opinion, shouldn't be considered beer.

Though plenty of bad beers are out there, a lot of awesome beers are being brewed these days. And beer isn't just beer anymore- a whole culture has developed around it. People, me included, spend $10 for a single bottle/glass of some brews. And a lot of them aren't worth it! But that's what it's about. It's about trying new things, being adventurous, and developing an understanding and appreciation of what good beer can really be. I see it as my job to help readers find those exceptional beers more easily and to give them a heads-up on beers that I don't like.

I am going to be reviewing beers from across the world here on Brew Review, but I want to do more than just that. I want to create a community where we interact, discuss, and drink together. I want Brew Review to be a place where I recommend beers, you try them, and you let me know what you think. I want it to be a place where you tell me what beers you enjoy and which ones I should try out (and review in the future). If I've already had it or you've already had the ones I suggest, let's talk about it! Hopefully, pretty soon we'll have ourselves a bona fide Internet pub, with some great brew-talk going on (with less smoke than a real pub, too).

I'll also put up all kinds of interesting beer-related stuff: stories (personal and otherwise), brew history, quotes from famous beer drinkers, interviews with brewers, local Atlanta-area events, and anything else related to beer and brewing.

Cheers!

(And if you don't drink, that's fine. Hopefully you're like me- for instance, I don't eat meat, but I can still enjoy hearing about a well-cooked, thoroughly-enjoyed steak.)