30 Oct SpindleTap Aceite Crudo RIS

SpindleTap Aceite Crudo RIS

SpindleTap Brewery

Aldine, Northeast Houston

RIS

ABV: 12%

IBUs: ?

Packaging: Draft

Boom! It’s finally stout season, y’all! And in typical Houston fashion, as soon as it gets cold, and you bust something like this out, the weather’s already changed back, and it’s not really that cold any more.

Every time I visit SpindleTap, I have to get at least a half a pour of Aceite Crudo RIS. It’s a big beer, and it’s not offered to go, so I never took any home to write about – plus it’s a lot to drink. That was until I was there one afternoon this summer and Garrison challenged me to take some with. 64oz to be exact. I replied cautiously, “*Shrieks* Man, that’s a lotta beer, bro. You sure?” He wasn’t taking no for an answer.

Aceite Crudo RIS doesn’t have much art to speak of. There’s a tiny little image on Untappd that looks like some red/gray comrade-type art, but that’s about it!

However, when it pours, Aceite Crudo RIS makes up for any absence of art. It pours blacker than the soul of (enter the name of your least favorite politician here.) No flashlight test is getting through this sucker – it’s opaque black. As it pours, the head builds up with tiny little bubbles almost like a nitro beer, but not as slow and subtle. The bubbles form a fuzzy finger or two of chocolate milk-colored froth that melts down slowly as you sip.

The aroma of Aceite Crudo is part of why I love it so much. It explodes into your nose with notes of coffee and sweet, chocolatey roastiness that’s enough to make a S’More blush.

Each sip reminds you that you’re drinking something called crude oil. It’s the thick, heavy kind of beer that scares most folks away from darker beers. Full body and almost chewy mouthfeel help make Aceite Crudo 12% ABV black gold. The carbonation is perfectly on style with tiny bubbles that aren’t too overwhelming. This batch is a little thinner than I remember, but definitely nothing worth taking offense over.

The taste! I know this is what you’ve been waiting for! Aceite Crudo RIS starts off on the palette with a smooth, grainy bitterness reminiscent of good coffee. Garrison aged it for a little less than half the time this go round – 5 months instead of 12, and you can hardly tell the difference. It finishes with a roasty character and looooong lingering notes of dark chocolate.

It goes well with tootsie rolls and mint Oreos after a hardy dinner on a cold night. 🙂

We always want to compare what we’re drinking to a BMC of some sort, but sometimes that’s not possible. Aceite Crudo RIS is one of those times. It does remind me a bit of Brash Abide simply because it balances so much big flavor and maintains a smoothness about it. They’re more like distant cousins than brothers, though – some similarities, but overall very different.

You can find SpindleTap Aceite Crudo RIS on tap at the brewery around town at Flying Saucer and Mongoose vs Cobra. I wish they’d put this sucker in some cans and on the shelves around town, but they’ve never mentioned it to me.