Søle Artisan Ales Artistry & Alchemy, a 9.1% ABV Imperial Maple Stout
| Appearance | Opaque black, creamy tan head. |
| Aroma | Maple syrup, sweet malts, bitter coffee. |
| Taste | Sweet malt and maple syrup flavors, bitter coffee and chocolate notes. |
| Mouthfeel | Medium bodied, moderate carbonation. |
| Overall | Deceptively easy to drink. |
Søle Artisan Ales is Lehigh Valley’s only gypsy brewery.
Founder and brewer Joe Percoco established Søle during the summer of 2015 with the release of Clink!, a Dry-Hopped Session Ale, which was brewed at Susquehanna Brewing Company.
What does it mean to be a gypsy brewer? Percoco brews his beers at established breweries, free from capital constraints of operating a production brewery himself. Søle is, however, in the planning stages for a brew cafe.
Percoco first brewed commercially at a brewpub in the Poconos where he became head brewer at the age of twenty. He also worked for Weyerbacher Brewing Company and Fegley’s Brew Works.
Percoco recently teamed up with Two Rivers Brewing Company in Easton, PA to create Beaston, a Wild Ale that was super dry hopped with tropical New Zealand hops giving hints of pineapple, kaffir lime, stone fruit, and barnyard funkiness abound.
Artistry & Alchemy is an Imperial Stout brewed with loads of carefully selected dark Vermont maple syrup, oatmeal, and a variety of roasted malts. Søle describes the beer as velvety, warming, and luscious, with complexity that will develop with age. One gallon per barrel of maple syrup was added late in the fermentation process, creating a rich, warming, and complex drinking experience.
Wanna pick this one up? Contact Søle Artisan Ales here.
Check out… Steph’s review of Søle’s Juicebox IPA.
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And as always, toast our check-in on Untappd, and let us know what YOU think!
