They say “a picture is worth a thousand words”. And if you take a close look at the picture on the left, you will see something that perhaps tells you more about this beer than even a thousand words could. Can you see what it is? For the astute, you will have noticed that the cap is still on. And that’s the way the remaining bottles of this icky stout will remain.

There are many stout makers that really get what a stout is all about: Black Seal Stout at the Rock Bottom in La Jolla, Snow Plow by Widmer, and our Patron Saint, Guiness to name a few. But then there are the others. Bison Chocolate Stout, Boone Valley Oatmeal Stout, and this one. “Stouts” from brewers that seem to think that burnt wood is a flavor people would like in their beer. I want to believe that they made it taste like this on purpose, but even so it doesn’t make it better. You get some yummy stout flavor on first sip, but then the rest of this bottle is like “juice of firepit log.” Steer clear.

Buzzsaw Brown is a tasty brew. Often Browns can go really bad, but the folks out in Bend have managed to come up with something that tastes good, without that “ow my cheeks” overflavoring. SoCal Paul and I shared some of these over BBQ on a spring evening and I was sad when they were gone. Deschutes brews in general can be a bit shaky sometimes, but this one is a “must drink”. Oh, but don’t get the warm version at Trader Joes. Would it kill those people to refrigerate?