Comfort Beer

I had a rough day the other day and when I have a rough day I want a good beer.  For me, comfort beer is full of flavor and most times dark.  I was pleased that my rough day coincided with a cold snap so things lined up perfectly.  From that evening I have to share with you a stout, a black IPA, and my first ever Mexican stout.  And with no more ado, here they are.
First up was a Russian imperial stout that I will say right up front flew my socks off.  O'Dempsey's Your Black Heart was a wonderful surprise as my first beer of the night.  Had I know how much I would enjoy it, I might have kept it for last.  It was strikingly bold rich malt base with fabulous dark chocolate and coffee notes and hints of caramel and vanilla.  Add to all that flavor a slight hoppy bite and it was a fantastic complex stout that I want to go back and get more of now.  I want to share it with my friends but I also want to hide it in the fridge and give them other stuff.  It's great. Go get one.
Second was a Rogue black IPA called Dad's Little Helper.  I love a good black IPA and this one lived up to my strong expectations for a Rogue beer.  It had an aggressive hop bite and a lovely rich malt follow up.  It was a delightfully drinkable black IPA and I would drink it again in a heartbeat.
Now for my final beer of the evening I had a Clown Shoes Mexican chocolate stout by the name of Chocolate Sombrero.  Anyone who has read my blog knows of my love for all things Clown Shoes, but I almost didn't even try this one.  I was quite frankly trepidatious of the ancho chiles.  I am thrilled that I trusted my favorite brewery and gave it a shot because it was amazing!  It has a rich chocolate malt with cinnamon and vanilla and a subtle yet building spice.  It has a similar vibe to a mole sauce and is rich and decadent without being overly sweet.  It was a brilliant blend of flavors and I thoroughly enjoyed every sip.  Another big win for the clown.
So goes another night wrapped in the malty glow of a lovely row of comfort beers.  I haven't been posting as often lately but that doesn't mean I'm not drinking and making notes to share with all of you.  I will get to them all in time.  But for now, get out there and try one of these awesome dark comfort beers.  Cheers!