Beer Man: Explosive War and Peace comes on strong

Todd Haefer | The (Appleton, Wis.) Post-Crescent

Beer Man is a weekly profile of beers from across the country and around the world.

This week: War and Peace

Fulton Brewery, Minneapolis

http://fultonbeer.com/

War and Peace is a Russian Imperial Stout with the addition of a pound of Guatemalan dark roast coffee per barrel. The result is one of the most intense RIS beers you will come across, and that's saying a lot about this extreme style.

This is a beer chock full of chocolate and roasted barley notes that still take a back seat to the coffee. I actually sampled this beer after drinking two cups of French roast coffee, and after only having a few sips, I felt my caffeine buzz go into overdrive.

War and Peace is also one of the booziest beers out there, not in alcohol content so much (it's 9.5% ABV), but in the way the alcohol is present in the aroma and flavor. It's interesting how the presence of alcohol can differ in beers — there are Belgian beers that are only around 7% ABV that have a definite alcohol bite, especially in the aftertaste, yet I've had beers of 14% where it's not discernible at all until the alcohol warmth starts spreading.

On the good side, the alcohol presence in War and Peace is not a bad thing. It adds a character that is complemented by the other strong components of the beer. There was a time, in the early years of microbreweries, where many beers of this sort had a strong and unpleasant vodka-like aftertaste. That is not the case with this beer.

The beer pours pitch black with an enticing creamy tan head. A bit of alcohol and intense coffee are present in the aroma. The mouthfeel is silky with coffee bitterness. Chocolate and caramel notes are present in the flavor, but excellent strong coffee is the main attraction.

I like the Fulton story, with company principals Brian Hoffman, Jim Diley, Ryan Petz and Peter Grande starting out homebrewing in a one-car garage and expanding their empire by building a 10-gallon system out of half barrels and an old bed frame, which allowed them to move their operation into a two-car garage.

That was only 10 years ago, so they have done well in such a short time. They started out in 2009 having their recipes made by contract, but by 2011 had their own brewery facility.

It just goes to show — if you brew it, they will come.

Fulton beers are distributed in Minnesota, North Dakota and Wisconsin. The company has a Beer Finder link on its home page.

Many beers are available only regionally. Check the brewer's website, which often contains information on product availability by mail. Contact Todd Haefer at beerman@postcrescent.com. To read previous Beer Man columns, click here.