At the end of the Enchilada Buffet festivites, Corey stumbled out to his truck, returning with a bottle of Dogfish Head Paulo Santo Marron for me to sample. Billed as a “malt liqour” strength Brown Ale aged in 10,000 gallon casks of Paraguayan Paulo Santo wood, it looked like fun! So much so, in fact, that I couldn’t contain myself, and popped it open the following day: I sat down to do battle with one of the first malt liqours since before I’ve been old enough to drink. Corey told me it was found at the HEB at FM 1431 for about $15 / 4-pack. It’s certainly worth trying, but I’d recommend pairing it with food, as it’s a little strong on it’s own. When you do pair it with food, go for something spicy and meaty (venison chili, anyone?)

Furthermore: anyone caught bringing new and unusual Dogfish Head brews to Hammerhead will be rewarded with the right to (attempt to) stump the beer snobs in person (hint-hint!)

Color: Jet black, with the clarity expected from a filtered brew;
there is no yeast sediment detected in the pour or at the bottom of
the bottle. The head is the color of a well drawn espresso and
transient, dissapating within about two minutes with no lacing.

Aroma: Diacetyl, coffee, sweet malt, and a very soft vanilla note.
Quite like an oaked Imperial wrt the aroma.

Mouthfeel: Velvety smooth, lightly oily and low in carbonation, finishing with a
medium-strong alcohol burn that gives way to a the diacetyl and
remaining bubbles.

Taste: Hints of vanilla and caramel are easy to detect, but there’s a
little hint of coffee and nuttiness in the background; it’s easy to
overlook them, as the alcohol content pushes them aside to take it’s
place.

Finish: Dry and sharp; the diacetly note lingers, and this beer tastes
a bit on the young side (unfortunately, I cannot confirm this, as the
date printed on my sample bottle was illegible, both before and after
drinking.)

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