Review 200!

Last Friday I head out to The Brew Kettle in Strongsville to celebrate both the start of Cleveland Beer Week and to review my 200th beer for Beer Advocate. This was my third visit toTthe Brew Kettle and each visit thus far has been great. They have 30 beers on tap, all of which are always high quality craft offerings. At least five of the taps are also dedicated to TBK's homemade brews and I have yet to taste one that hasn't been well done. I started off with their pumpkin ale on this visit and was not disappointed. The brew's description says this one is "just right" and I have to agree. The balance between spice and malt flavor is right on, with just a hint of bitterness in the finish. It is one of the better pumpkin ales I have had so far this season. The highlight of the night, however, came later in the night when the bar tapped a keg of TBK's Bourbon Barrel Aged Tunguska Imperial Stout. My full review of this delicious brew can been seen below. I should also note that TBK makes its own barbecue and has a smokehouse on premise. The menu highlights include a very well done chili and barbecue spaghetti, which substitutes pulled pork and barbecue sauce of the meatballs and tomato sauce. The pulled pork is lean and incredibly tender and mixes well with the texture of the spaghetti noodles. The Brew Kettle is definitely one of the better beer bars in the Cleveland area and is well worth a visit if you're in town.

My 200th review! 

I had the pleasure of tasting this beer on tap at The Brew Kettle on the first night of Cleveland Beer Week 2010. 

A: Came to my table in a snifter. Black as night with a thin tan head and some foamy lacing slowly sliding down the glass. 4.5

S: The the barrel aging really stands out. Lots of sweet vanilla, some dark fruit and coco nibs along with underlying suggestions of bourbon and oak. 4.5

T: Lots of chocolate, coco nibs, and raisin up front. The mid-palate transitions to strong suggestions of bourbon and oak. The sweet bourbon and booze flavor is just a touch overpowering, but the flavor is still very good overall. The tastes also balanced out a little more as it warmed. 4

M: Full, chewy, and a little sticky. Significant alcohol warming in the finish. 4

D: A great BBA stout overall - especially for a smallish operation like TBK. The flavor was just a touch unbalanced, but nothing to get really get upset about. And at $3.75/glass who can really complain? Probably the best price on a BBA beer I have ever seen.4


Overall: A-, 4.2