Snake River Brewing Company - Zonker Stout

Brewmaster, Chris Erickson uses seven, count ‘em, seven different malts and three different hop varieties to produce the beer before you. Chris uses 77% pale 2-row malt, a 15% combination of 3 different caramelized malts, 5% roasted barley malt, 1.5% black malt, and 1.5% chocolate malts when brewing Zonker. Thirty percent WA Chinook hops are added 30 minutes into the 2 hour boil, 40% WA Willamette hops are added at three separate points, and lastly, 30% English Kent Golding hops are added twice, near the end, and at the end of the boil. A “zonker”, by the by, is a large underwater fishing fly.

We really like this stout. Look for a very deep, dark hue, creamy head, a nice roasted nose and a rich, full flavor. This full-bodied, well-balanced stout is slightly sweet with a powerful roasted and extremely clean finish. It’s not too hoppy and the use of roasted barley, black malt and/or chocolate malt is evident. Overall, a well-deserved medal winner at the GABF.