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First Draught – Six Mile Bridge: The Marauder

It's been 10 months since the release of The Reverent, Six Mile Bridge's first bottle release, and it's finally time for their second. The Marauder, a 12% ABV Barrel Aged Stout which is the next release in their "Big Five Series," goes on sale this Saturday, March 17 at 12pm. This beer was aged for 7+ months in Woodford Reserve Rye Whiskey Barrels, with Blueprint Santa Elena coffee from Colombia added.

Last year, The Reverent sold out in just 35 minutes and for a good reason: It was a damn good beer. You don't have to roll the dice on whether or not you'll get a bottle though, because you can reserve up to three bottles in advance through the online form located here.

Justin was lucky enough to try the beer in advance. Check out his thoughts down below.

Cheers!

Brewery Six Mile Bridge
Location Maryland Heights, MO
Style Barrel Aged Stout with Blueprint Coffee
 ABV 12.0%
 IBUs n/a
Distribution Info Available 3/17/18 at Six Mile Bridge on tap and to-go while bottles last. Limited availability.
Aroma
The first thing I got is that there are a lot of chocolate notes in the aroma. There's also a bit of booze on the nose that mixes with some soft vanilla. It's got big dark fruit character, mostly raisin but some plum as well. There's not a lot of sugary sweetness which you'd expect from a 12% beer but it's likely from the subtle roast of the coffee you get right at the end.
Appearance
The Marauder is a very, very deep brown (nearly black) and when swirled, the beer has nice legs, taking a moment to slide down the side of your glass.
Flavor and Mouthfeel

The mouthfeel is just shy of full and it's very smooth and incredibly easy to drink for being 12%. Caramel and vanilla flavors play nicely and there's a slight brown sugar quality to the flavor as well. The barrel character in this beer is insane. When first poured the coffee is mostly present right when you swallow. As the beer warms up, the body feels more full and the coffee starts to show up throughout the beer and really adds a new dimension. The finish is semi-dry and some oak can be tasted here as well. As I neared the end of my glass, I noticed there was some stickiness on my tongue so those residual sugars are there but they’re balanced well enough to where they’re mostly hidden.
Overall Impression

The first thing I'll say is that while there may be coffee as an ingredient this is not a "coffee stout" per se. In an email the brewery sent out, they described the coffee's contribution to The Marauder as "...subtle—with elements of berry and roasted flavor on the back of your tongue as you swallow, providing depth without overpowering the beer. As it warms up, the coffee aromas and flavors intensify to even further integrate with the barrel characteristics." This description set my expectations perfectly. The coffee is a piece of this beer, not the main focus. If anything, the barrel is the star of the show. There is so much barrel character in this beer, it could stand on its own with or without coffee. However, the additional fruity notes and slight roast from those magical Blueprint beans really do punch this one up.

Some folks are going to love this one straight out of the fridge and for good reason, it's lovable. In my opinion, to fully enjoy this beer, you have to let it warm up. You just have to. It becomes a completely different beer. Take it out of the fridge 10-15 minutes before you want to drink it, then pop that wax top and give it a pour into a snifter. Take a sip and if it's right where you want it, enjoy. If not, give it a couple minutes, then go back to it. You can drink it however you'd like but in order to do so, you need to grab a bottle this Saturday so you can judge for yourself.

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Justin Phelps

Justin Phelps

Co-Founder at Saint Brewis
Justin Phelps is a Certified Cicerone® who was born and raised in St. Louis. His passion for beer goes beyond just drinking it as he is also an award-winning home brewer. While he may be a marketing professional by day, he's a blogger, brewery hopper, and beer enthusiast by night.
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