Kate is Great, Botolph is Good, Brand is Heavenly
Or… A Queen, a Saint, and a Prince

By Matt Shaw

We’ll start this month’s column off on a high note. In February I had the opportunity to take a run up to the Portsmouth Brewery in Portsmouth, NH to get my hands on two bottles of their very elusive Kate the Great Russian Imperial Stout. You can only get this beer at the brewery on the release date – about a gazillion people show up, so you have to get there early. And I did. 9 AM found me in the bitter north, waiting in line for a lottery number for my chance to claim my share of the beer that both RateBeer.com and BeerAdvocate.com rank among the top 10 brewskis in the world.

I would have written about it for last month’s issue, but the press deadline was a couple of days before the release date. Besides, there’s just no rushing this kind of beer. (Seriously, at 9.5% ABV, you CAN’T rush it.) The beer poured so black it made my kitchen look dimmer. On the nose, Kate is the beer-world equivalent of walking into a Yankee Candle outlet: it smells like EVERYTHING. Chocolate, tobacco, alcohol (more port than moonshine), and a hint of lemony hops assault your nostrils. On the palate, these flavors combine with a kind of dark bready character, overripe red and purple fruits, charcoal, and just a hint of toasted almond. The mouthfeel is what you’d expect if you were to take a swig of 10W-30 straight from your oil pan.

“Great” is an understatement. This beer is otherworldly. They’re releasing another batch this summer, so check out their website (www.portsmouthbrewery.com) to plan your road trip.

Less spectacular, but still pretty phenomenal, is the release of Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project’s St. Botolph’s Town Rustic Dark Ale (5.7%). What is a “rustic dark ale,” you may ask? I have no clue. But boy is it tasty. You can pick one up at Julio’s Liquors in Westborough or Austin Liquors in Shrewsbury.

Finally, I would be remiss as a beer writer if I did not take this opportunity to mention that San Francisco-area beer writer Bill Brand has gone to the big beer hall in the sky. I never had the opportunity to meet Mr. Brand, but his impact on the beer world is as undeniable as it is profound. We will miss him.