Normally I try to find a theme with the beer selections I come up with every week, But for this column I couldn't resist tag-teaming these two very different ales to let the both shine-on with their respective uniqueness.
Saltfire Chocolate Cherry Pie Stout: This one is as dark as can be—black black black, with a faint red/brown tone as you swirl it in the glass. There is definitely carbonation present similar to the classic foreign stouts, however this dark brew is much lighter in viscosity. A coffee-brown head forms and then is gone, shortly after leaving some brown lacing on the glass. Heavy notes of cherry, bitter chocolate and some roasty malts are present. The cherry scent is all medium to light, with char noticeable in the nose as well. A lot of the chocolate bitterness is mellow, and works well with the roasted malts.
Cherry is the first thing I tasted, quickly followed by a heavy dose of bitter chocolate. The sweet cherry was expected, but at the same time, it wasn't, though the overall balance seemed to work. The bitter dark chocolate added some polish to the fruit, taking it to a place that was more refined. Towards the finish, there was plenty of roast coming through, with a bit of the bitter chocolate lingering. Little to none of the 5.0 percent alcohol was noticeable. Once the glass is on the table the aftertaste has a residual sweetness, followed by a more muted bitterness of the chocolate. The roasted taste is much more noticeable at the end, along with a creamy mouthfeel with this draft stout. It's not coating like you might think, but it does scream "stout." or even a light porter due to some slight ashiness.
Verdict: All-in-all, this is a well-rounded, fruited stout; I wish I'd had the sense to bring a growler. I enjoyed the cherry notes more than I thought I would, and the creamy mouthfeel as I worked though it was awesome. I loved this beer.
RoHa - 7 C's: This beer was brewed to celebrate the RoHa Brewing Project's 7th anniversary. It's an American-style pale ale that was brewed with Cascade, Columbus, Chinook, Centennial, Comet, Cashmir & Citra hops (the seven C's). Subtle is not what I'm finding, as I can smell the hops in that ale from a foot away; it's all floral and super botanical. As I get my sniffer right on top of it, the bouquet shifts to dank and weedy, with flowery pine resin and light citrus zest.
Hops rule the show here—and as it was originally released on 4/20, the tastes here reflect that date's special number, as it is quite cannabis-esque. The hop assault can be overwhelming at times but there are opportunities (if you're looking) to find toasted grains and light caramel malts along with toned-down grapefruit and a floral spiciness. Those caramel-bready malts are sure there, and that's what one should expect in a pale ale.
Verdict: It's billed as "an American Pale Ale with a twist," and I get that on the palate. I really get caramel and stone/grapefruit, with that sticky-icky, piney-funk. It's got a nice 5.0 percent mouthfeel, and a dry enough finish that it leaves me wanting more. It's not a super-expressive, post-modern, "hip" pale ale—and I like that.
Pursue these sooner rather than later, as they are both limited releases, and for the most part are exclusive to their respective breweries. RoHa and Saltfire are close enough to each other (six blocks), so you could easily bike or walk on this mini full-flavored adventure. As always, cheers!
About The Author
Mike Riedel
Local boy and pilot of City Weekly’s best gig, The Beer Nerd column since 2017. Current photojournalist at KSTU TV (Fox 13) and host of the Utah Beer Blog and Beer Nerd Radio on KUAA 99.9 FM radio.
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