I know, I know, what sort of a guy am I if I can't finish a bottle of Great Divide Oak-Aged Yeti Imperial Stout in one sitting? And more to the point, isn't 'beeramisu' the sort of thing that starts out as a play on words, and then someone thinks "hang on, I'll give that a go"?
The Yeti was left over after opening it the previous night to go with pudding - hot chocolate fondant and vanilla ice cream. The missus unexpectedly asked for a glass of stout, and I like to oblige, so it was opened anyway. I was fairly sure that I wouldn't finish it - it was the fourth beer I'd opened that evening, so I hoped that I wouldn't be finishing it on my own. And in my experience, these big beers tend to stand up to being left open overnight.
It was a delicious match, as American imperial stouts tend to carry a bit more residual sugar and seem a bit sweeter than any others. The oak ageing is apparent, not so much as a toasted vanilla flavour, but as a slightly wild edge. My note for it says "Black and unctuous. Creamy chocolate espresso on the nose, with a slightly wild note. Huge, sweet on palate, berry fruits (?) , liqueur-like – stands up very well to chocolate deserts with ice cream – but on its own, massive, complex, bittersweet and slightly funky. Huge, absurd, but very enjoyable. Persistent bitterness."
Beeramisu has been on the list of things to try for a while, and so I didn't feel bad about leaving half the bottle, In fact, I felt pretty damn good about it, as I knew it was going to make a great dessert. If youve never made this, give it a go - it's very simple, and doesn't require any fancy skills other than plenty of elbow grease.
Beeramisu
You'll need: a pack of finger biscuits, two eggs, 200g mascarpone, 50g caster sugar (I used unrefined for a slightly vanilla edge), two eggs, and some imperial stout - the bigger the better.
Put a layer of finger biscuits in a shallow bowl, and add enough imperial stout to make them soft, but not too sloppy. They will soak up a surprising amount, so do this in stages.
Separate the yolks and whites of the eggs, and beat the caster sugar with the yolks until creamed. Beat the mascarpone into the creamed egg yolks. Clean the whisk, and then beat the whites until they reach soft peak stage - gently creamy, just stiff, but not yet lumpy. Fold the creamed yolks and the stiff whites together, and when they are a uniform mixture, pour over the stout-sodden base.
Top with cocoa powder or grated chocolate. Chill for 30 minutes, or anything up to 4 hours, and serve with more of the same imperial stout.
