Black Tuesday 2011 Release Party Recap With Pics

The Full Pint provides a one of a kind perspective on the third annual release of Black Tuesday Imperial Stout at The Bruery in Placentia, CA.

It wasn’t that long ago that I was standing in mile long line wrapping around 715 Dunn Way’s Industrial Park, waiting to get into the Black Tuesday release party. A lot has changed since then, as the Bruery has completely overhauled the Black Tuesday experience, almost completely.

Jonny and I rolled up at 4:30 PM, thinking we’d have to partake in a long wait. To our surprise, there was a line of about 30 people, quietly chatting.  People weren’t geeking out all loud about what their plans were for their bottles, there wasn’t any bottle shared being sneaked behind the Bruery’s back.  Within the time frame of 4:30 PM to 5, maybe another 30 people showed up in line.  We were so eager to try the new Smores Tuesday, that our watches decided to mess with us, and go real slow.

We were all led in at 5PM by The Bruery staff. Mr. Rue, Patrick’s father was dressed like who I’d imagine the Mayor of Orange would dress 60 years ago, and made it feel very classy. The Bruery staff wasn’t as decked out in gangsta gear as much as previous years, but they were in the spirit. Patrick was looking very pimp in a white suit with the famous Tuesday t-shirt underneath.  Right away, I headed for the barrel bar they had set up so we could try Chocolate Rain straight from the barrel.

First up was a firkin of Smore Tuesday, which is Black Tuesday with roasted marshmallows and graham crackers, I had to try it first, before my palate got pummeled with more barrel aged goodness throughout the session. Holy smores holy smokes.  I enjoyed it.  I remember not being fond of Cherry Chocolate Rain last year, and had my reservations about taking an already sweet beer and taking it over the top.  While I got marshmallow fluff in the nose, I got the actual toastiness of the marshmallow in the taste. It was pretty magical. The Chocolate Rain straight from the barrel was a very nice touch. Those are the little details that can make trying a beer you’ve already had exciting again.

Something I found humorous was Black Tuesday’s role in all of this. Multiple people I talked to, including myself, were referring to Black Tuesday as “Regular Old Black Tueday” or “Oh, just Plain Black Tuesday.” As if it was just something folks brush their teeth with on the regs.  This years batch tasted similar enough to last years batch for me, but stood out against the carbonation-less Chocolate Rain and S’More Tuesday.

Another noticeable difference from prior years was the inclusion of The Lime Truck. In years prior, The Bruery had little snacks and cheeses laid out. This years food ticket gave everyone their choice of Pork Belly Nachos or Nutty Baby Bok Choy. My recommendation for next year would be for the Lime Truck to serve up something you could pair with the chocolatey bourbon bombs we were drinking in the tasting room.  Black Tuesday doesn’t go well with Nachos, although there were plenty of other beers being poured at the event that did, so whatever right.  Black Tuesday and their variants were being poured in 2 oz. pours.  For the average bear, that is the perfect amount for an 18.3% abv beer.  I won’t lie, I wanted an oversized wine glass full of Smore or Chocolate Rain. Another truth I am ready to give up is, I felt the effects of 6 total ounces of Black Tuesday and family.  So it was a smart move to limit this beer to that size pour, I’m just a beer drinking champion who could have gone a bit further with it.

All and all, a very smooth, enjoyable two hour long gathering.  The perfect size group, tasty beer and food.