I was in Alameda at Faction Brewery this past weekend doing a little stout tasting. First off, if you haven’t been to Faction, drop what you’re doing and go now. I mean it - this place is awesome! Amazing beers made by renowned Bay Area brewer Rodger Davis overlooking the SF skyline. I mean, what else could you ask for? St. George’s Spirits and Rock Wall Wine Company right next door? Okay, they’re there too. Like I said, GO NOW!
There are three stouts pictured in the photo – Faction’s NYX (imperial stout), the Oatmeal Stout, and the Anomaly (white chocolate milk stout). I specifically wanted to try the Anomaly because it had been described to me as a complete “mind f**k” (sorry, Mom!). Why? It’s a beer that looks like a pale ale, but tastes like a stout. Wait, what?!
According to Wikipedia, a “stout is a dark beer made using roasted malt or roasted barley, hops, water and yeast.” Okay, so that sounds like the ingredients of most beers, but I’d like to focus on two words: dark beer. Well, Faction coins itself on doing things a bit differently, and the Anomaly does not disappoint. A milk stout that’s light in color? WHOA. When sipping this beer, I really tried not to think about the color but the actual taste itself. Let’s just say that’s near impossible, and I give major props to the person(s) who can actually do this. Because once you see those pretty golden bubbles, your perception (or at least my perception) becomes completely warped. Next time, I’d like to sample this beer wearing a blindfold.
At 6.5% ABV, the Anomaly is much sweeter than your typical non-imperial stout. But, when you factor in that the beer is characterized as a “white chocolate” milk stout, sweetness is to be expected. I don’t have a real opinion about this beer other than it’s worth the hype. Taste it, drink it, love it – revel in the Faction experience! It’s completely worth the trip to Alameda or wherever you can find it on tap.
There are three stouts pictured in the photo – Faction’s NYX (imperial stout), the Oatmeal Stout, and the Anomaly (white chocolate milk stout). I specifically wanted to try the Anomaly because it had been described to me as a complete “mind f**k” (sorry, Mom!). Why? It’s a beer that looks like a pale ale, but tastes like a stout. Wait, what?!
According to Wikipedia, a “stout is a dark beer made using roasted malt or roasted barley, hops, water and yeast.” Okay, so that sounds like the ingredients of most beers, but I’d like to focus on two words: dark beer. Well, Faction coins itself on doing things a bit differently, and the Anomaly does not disappoint. A milk stout that’s light in color? WHOA. When sipping this beer, I really tried not to think about the color but the actual taste itself. Let’s just say that’s near impossible, and I give major props to the person(s) who can actually do this. Because once you see those pretty golden bubbles, your perception (or at least my perception) becomes completely warped. Next time, I’d like to sample this beer wearing a blindfold.
At 6.5% ABV, the Anomaly is much sweeter than your typical non-imperial stout. But, when you factor in that the beer is characterized as a “white chocolate” milk stout, sweetness is to be expected. I don’t have a real opinion about this beer other than it’s worth the hype. Taste it, drink it, love it – revel in the Faction experience! It’s completely worth the trip to Alameda or wherever you can find it on tap.
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