Carob Stout

Origin Story

Carob Stout was originally number 6 of this 13 beer series, brewed for the first and only time on January 30, 2007. One of the larger beers from this series, Carob yielded 912 750ml bottles, which all sold for the modest price of $15 a piece. Created at a time that predated our famous Stout Series, released every year at the end of November, Carob Stout offered Short's fans the opportunity to experience Joe's take on what a big bold flavored stout should taste like. As always, the Imperial Beer series allows us a special opportunity to learn about the inspiration and creative spirit that drove Joe to design each one of these beers. This is Joe's explanation on how Carob Stout found it's way into our reveled series back in 2007: "This collection of Imperial Beers would not be complete without a stout. Very seldom do stouts make their way into our production schedule. When they do happen to arrive, it seems they grace our palates with a resonating effect. The taste becomes ingrained in our memory and then, before we realize it, the barrels are too soon empty. The elusive stouts come and go and we wait for them to resurface throughout the year to have their flavors again refresh our consciousness of their existence. As we rekindle our relationship with them we are reminded of their awesome complexity and dynamic as a beer. It is for this reason I claim our stouts to be so special. Although I am a serious brewer of the hoppiest IPA and Pale beers, I harbor a special reserve to seek and craft the most significant and intricate stout formulas. To me they are a beer of wholesome sustenance placed in a separate section of my beer appreciation archives. This one is brewed with carob. Carob is a uniquely good fit because of its chocolate-like qualities and its story of sustenance. Carob is a legume of pods mostly ground into powder and used as a cocoa substitute. They are rich in sucrose and protein. They are packed with minerals, vitamin A and B vitamins. Carob is also known as St. John's bread or locust bean. Supposedly they are assumed to be the "locusts" eaten by St. John the Babtist, which helped sustain him in the wilderness: 'And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey. Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan, and were baptized of him Jordan, confessing their sins.' Carob's great cocoa like quality adds a nice touch to the roasted and rich malt character in this beer. This is a perfect addition to our stout portfolio and a great beer of sustenance if you are ever to become lost in the wilderness."