Milwaukee’s Third Space Brewing is best known for beers like Happy Place pale ale, the West Coast IPA Upward Spiral and the Scottish ale Unite the Clans. Yet the limited release beers in its Spirit barrel-aged series shouldn’t go unnoticed. Most are variants of porters and stouts with months of aging in spirit and wine barrels. Madison will be seeing more of the series as the brewery switches from packaging them in 750 mL bottles to 12-ounce cans. The latest to hit local shelves is a bold, rich, Russian imperial stout called Nexus of the Universe.
What is it? Nexus of the Universe from Third Space Brewing of Milwaukee.
Style: The Russian imperial stout originated in the 18th century as an export from England to the Russian Empire. Often full-bodied and dark black, they are rich in roastedness, sweetness and bitterness. They can be quite strong with lingering alcohol warmth from a 7 to 12 percent ABV.
Background: The Spirit Series features big beers with ABVs around 10 percent or more. Other beers in the series are Haunted Barrel (porter), Mystic Knot (Irish coffee stout), Liquid Layers (spiced barleywine), Scotch barrel-aged Ice Bear (Baltic porter), and Red, White and Blue (three distinct kettle sours, created from different combinations of wine and spirit barrels).
Nexus of the Universe first appeared as a fall seasonal in 2017. Brewmaster Kevin Wright created the base stout just for barrel-aging and it has never been released on its own. The malt bill is beefed up to better match the spirit and barrel qualities. The batch is split between brandy and bourbon barrels, where it stays for nine months. Then the two batches are blended along with cocoa nibs and vanilla. “We really like working with brandy barrels because we get such unique flavors, and then adding the sweetness of chocolate and vanilla rounds it out,” says brewery co-owner Andy Gehl.
Nexus of the Universe finishes at 12 percent ABV. Most Madison stores will sell it in single 12-ounce calls for around $6-$7/each, or in four-packs for about $25. Quantities are limited.
The brewery’s next release in the Spirit Series will be Mystic Knot, an Irish-style coffee stout that is aged in bourbon and whiskey barrel for seven months. It’s should remind one of an Irish coffee. This year’s official release party of Mystic Knot is March 7 at the brewery. The Spirit Series will get a lot of visibility at this weekend’s Isthmus Beer and Cheese Festival. Both Mystic Knot and Haunted Barrel are expected to be offered at the Third Space booth.
Tasting notes:
- Aroma: Light hints of brandy sweetness.
- Appearance: Deep black color that looks very thick. It has a modest, very bubbly brown head.
- Texture: A full-bodied beer with alcohol warmth throughout, and even a slight spicy burn in the finish.
- Taste: Lots of roasted dark maltiness up front. The cocoa nibs and vanilla, along with woody oak, blend nicely with brandy and bourbon character.
- Finish/Aftertaste: The brandy and bourbon contributions remain hot in the end with sweet/spicy warmth.
Glassware: Find a glass that encourages sipping. The snifter is great for slowly enjoying all the layers of chocolate, vanilla, brandy and bourbon.
Pairs well with: desserts featuring chocolate and caramel. The additional sweetness blends nicely with the strong roasted and spirit notes of barrel aging.
The Verdict: This is a bold Russian imperial stout. It’s rich in sweetness and body, with roasted dark maltiness, smooth notes of chocolate, and a level of alcohol warmth that contributes a spicy hot edge to the overall flavor and finish. This qualifies as an assertive Russian imperial stout and a beer that fans of big stouts will like. However, for many drinkers, even some craft enthusiasts, it’s likely to be a little too aggressive in roasted flavor. At 12 percent ABV, there’s more than just warmth here. The level of alcohol influences the spicy bitterness of the beer. Despite that, I like how the brandy side of the barrel-aging goes well with the cocoa nibs and vanilla to soften the burnt notes of the dark malts and the alcohol burn of spirits. Fans of barrel-aging and/or big stouts should look for it.
