Brutality now becomes my appetite, violence is now a way of life, the sledge my tool to torture, as it pounds down on your forehead. These are the first few lines of the Cannibal Corpse song Hammer Smashed Face. Metal is life at Brash Brewing Company and their metal image is well documented. One of their most anticipated beers of the year, releases Saturday at their second anniversary party and is named after the song that shares its name. Brash Hammer Smashed Face is one hell of a BA Russian Imperial Stout. A few sips and the lyrics make a lot of sense.
The label art is not for the faint of heart. Death is standing on coffins that are draining blood. The devil and possibly some tortured souls are watching from the woods. A blue eyed wolf is taking off with a severed hand in his mouth like it’s a bone. A headstone with a bleeding gory crucified zombie like Jesus is marked the word vivisect on the bottom and inri at the top. Vivisect means to dissect a body while it is still alive.
Brash Hammer Smashed Face pours pitch black like the devils soul. There is a good amount of head when poured. This is great because there is a ton of flavor underneath! The lacing spreads around and rolls slowly down the glass. Once poured you can’t miss the sweet smell of vanilla bean and just the right amount of bourbon from the barrel. A nice hint of roasted malt and coffee finishes the aroma of Hammer Smashed Face.
The taste experience of Brash Hammer Smashed Face creates is truly badass. This dangerously smooth 14% BA Russian Imperial Stout goes down disturbingly fast. The vanilla bean comes through first, followed by the smoothness of the barrel aging and the roasty stout flavor. A problem with some barrel aged stouts (particularly bourbon ones), is they can be overpowering or “hot” from the barrel aging. Hammer Smashed Face finds the perfect balance and avoids those pitfalls.
Brash Brewing is known for two types of beers. Bitter, dank, West coast IPAs and ridiculous stouts. They have branched out recently, but those are their bread and butter. There are very few local comparisons to suggest, but if you enjoy 11 Below’s Big Mistake Hammer Smashed Face won’t disappoint.
Brash Hammer Smashed Face is released once a year and bottles are only available at the anniversary party. If they don’t sell out Saturday (highly unlikely), check Brash’s Facebook for updates. Draft is easier to find. They sent kegs out to selected accounts last year and had it on tap at Brash after the party. Again, social media is your tour guide for that information. I went to Flying Saucer and got my sneak peak along with free VIP glasses because I saw their post.
My Overall Rating
4
Brash Hammer Smashed Face
Brash Hammer Smashed Face is the definition of that’s a dangerous beer. The barrel aged flavor, vanilla bean, and roasted flavor are balanced perfectly. I am giving it a solid four star rating. If you don’t have tickets to the party, start hitting up people you know that are. You want a bottle of this for the holidaze. Congratulations on two years Brash Brewing. Have you gotten Hammer Smashed?
Let us know by voting below or tell us about it in the comments! Beers to you, Houston!
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