Welcome to Beer Tastings, a weekly series in which Utah Beer News highlights a particularly tasty local brew. What are you drinking? Let us know!
Beer Tastings: Dirty Chai Stout
It didn’t take long for SaltFire Brewing Co. to make a strong impression on the Utah beer scene.
The South Salt Lake brewery opened in mid-May by offering four different high-point bottled beers. Its Dirty Chai Stout features strong notes of Indian Chai spices. The brewers included coffee from Salt Lake’s own Blue Copper coffee roasters, and the spices meld nicely with the coffee flavors on the palate.
My wife and I split a bottle while sitting near a fire pit on a cool late-spring evening. She said the brew reminded her of one of her favorite drinks: Chai tea latte with a shot of espresso.
The stout is smooth and I noticed a slight smokiness as it warmed. This one’s a good sipper by a campfire.
- Brewery: SaltFire Brewing Co.
- ABV: 6.7%
- Serving Style: Bottle (500mL)
- Date Tasted: May 22, 2018
- Purchase Location: SaltFire Brewing Co.
The SaltFire Story
Utah Beer News attended the grand-opening festivities for SaltFire Brewing Co. in mid-May. Read all about it. We also shot a short video with head brewer Patrick Bourque.
Dirty Chai Stout — SaltFire Brewing Co.
Product Name: Dirty Chai Stout
Product Description: From SaltFire Brewing Co.: Perfectly not-too-sweet, this Dirty Chai Stout is every coffee and beer lover's dream in one highly drinkable beer. Dark and creamy, our stout sings with the addition of Indian Chai spices and roasted coffee from Blue Copper Coffee in Salt Lake City. You'll find this beer complex and comforting.
- Aroma
- Appearance
- Flavor
- Mouthfeel
Overall Impression
SaltFire Brewing Co. opened in South Salt Lake in mid-May 2018. It launched with four high-point bottled beers, one of which was Dirty Chai Stout. Big aromas of Indian spices, possibly cumin. Chai spice and roasted coffee meld nicely on first taste. Didn’t get a ton of sweetness.
- Aroma: Intense Chai spices, some chocolate
- Appearance: Dark brown, graham cracker head
- Flavor: Chai spices and coffee
- Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied, doesn’t linger on the tongue
But you don’t have to take my word for it.
Note: The tasting notes format is adapted from a Homebrew Academy Beer Tasting Mastery course I took in 2017.
