boaks.

My jobless celebration happened to coincide with a Boaks food-pairing event.  Boaks is a small, one man brewery out of Pompton Lakes, NJ.  The brewer, Brian Boaks, sat with us for a moment while we ate our second course of foie gras and pork cheeks.  This dish was paired, by the restaurant, with Boaks Monster Mash Imperial Stout (the darker brew in my right hand).

ABV:  10%

IBUs:  100

Dark brownish/black coffee color

Traditional stout notes of malty sweetness, dark chocolate, and coffee.  Had rather unexpected hints of black-strap molasses and cigar tobacco, coppery finish.  This was not an overly aggressive stout, lighter in body than most with a taste that did not belie its high alcohol content.  Sweet, bitter, well-balanced.  B

Boaks Double BW Twisted Beligian Wheat (left hand)

Unfiltered Beligian Wheat

ABV:  4.2%

IBUs:  15

Light golden and lemon yellow color

This Beligian wheat is unusual in that it is brewed with the addition of lemongrass, which is a pleasant change from the typical orange peel flavors that dominant this style.  The lemongrass is too subtle, though and makes the brew feel somewhat hollow.  There is but a faint tap of lemon at the back of the palate.  Beyond that there is a subtle bitterness, and the beer ends smoothly, maybe too much so.  There is a slight grainy taste after the finish, which can undoubtedly be attributed to the ample use of wheat, but comes off tasting more of rice.

It is refreshing, but relatively tasteless.  Too subtle for my liking.  C-