Beer of the Week

The beer: Tiramisu Imperial Stout

The brewery: Southern Tier Brewing Company, Lakewood, New York

Description (from the website): "The Blackwater Series presents Tiramisu Imperial Stout in all its layered lusciousness! Toasted sweet malts come together with rich, dark coffee and a silky-smooth ­finish to recreate the delicate deliciousness of classic Tiramisu!"

Would I buy it again? I haven't had tiramisu before, so I can't speak to this beer's fidelity with the food that inspired it, but I can tell you that this is a very tasty beer nonetheless. Sweet, bready, malty, it was smooth and pleasant to drink. Heavy, of course, but it's absolutely a beer that I would drink again.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Scratch #521 - Schwarzbier

Brewed by: Tröegs Independent Brewing, Hershey, Pennsylvania

Description (from the website): "Long live lagers! Especially dark ones like this Schwarzbier. Scratch #521 starts with a base of Munich and pilsner malts and a touch of de-husked roasted barley. Our house lager yeast lends a snappy character, giving the deceptively dark beer a crisp finish. With notes of toasted bread, coffee and a hint of cocoa, our take on this German-style will warm your lederhosen."

Would I buy it again? I'm a bit torn with this one. On the one hand, it was very good. It's malty and quite easy to drink, kind of like a Troegenator. But on the other, it feels a bit too much like a Troegenator. Like, if I wanted a malty dark lager from Tröegs, I would just buy a Troegenator. One could argue that, since this beer is significantly less alcoholic than a Troegenator, there's a place for something like this on the menu. But Tröegs also has the Little 'Nator, which occupies the same niche while being less dark and even more drinkable. I just don't see any circumstances where I would want this specific beer.