So last weekend, I dropped in to the Standard Market in Westmont to check out new local beers, and I found one well worth writing about. The “CUBE,” the in-store bar and cheese cave, was in the midst of a 51st Ward weekend promotion, so this was on tap.
51st Ward Brewing was founded in 2014 by Timothy Hoerman, the former brewmaster of Myths & Legends in Westmont. 51st Ward is currently contract brewing, but has placed plenty of its beers in west suburban stores and area festivals. Hoerman took some of his beers’ names and recipes, including an imperial stout named Krispy Karl, which this year was made at Blue Nose Brewery. As with many wintertime imperial stout releases, some sort-run variants have been made. This one is called Koko Krispy, a cask beer infused with coconut and cocoa nibs.
Interesting as this sounded, I just went for a 7 oz taster to keep the rest of the day ahead of me. In the sampler tulip pictured here, I picked up a rich cocoa smell with a side note of malt that was roasty, but not “burnt” like some stouts. Its look is deep brown, a light dusting of foam, and perhaps a bit of light might come through the sides if it asks politely.
The taste offers up a lot more of what it advertises: plenty of cocoa with a definite coconut background. The chocolate is kind of in the Hershey milk chocolate territory. I have never been a big fan of coconut, but this really adds a nice edge to the chocolate. None of the acidic tannins of dark roast malt, meaning there’s a smooth chocolatey new which lets its 12.2% alcohol slip up while you’re not paying attention.
51st Ward has been offering other variants since December, like Almond Joy (almond and coconut) and Krispy Vishnaya (casked with cherries). While availability is dwindling, keep an eye out for pourings at various bars and at upcoming beer festivals.
