*Pairs well with a game with seasonal events; A game from your favorite developer, something that doesn’t happen often.

Welcome to another craft beer review for Games And A Glass! This week I am reviewing a beer from Flying Fish Brewing Company, located in Somerdale, New Jersey. The beer for this week will be their IPC Stout, an imperial stout brewed with coconut and cinnamon. But of course, before going into the review, let’s talk about Flying Fish Brewing.

Their website details the interactive history behind Flying Fish.

“When Gene Muller founded Flying Fish Brewing Co. in 1995, he did so first on the World Wide Web – making it the world’s first virtual microbrewery. That early Web site helped generate positive press coverage and helped attract the investors needed to make the virtual brewery a real one. Muller said the idea was to make the Web site “This Old House meets the World Wide Web”—letting people go behind the taps and see the thousands of details needed to put a microbrewery together.

He also wanted to give beer lovers a chance, via their computers, to roll up their cyber-sleeves and help build the brewery. The site let beer lovers help select and name beers, design t-shirts and labels, volunteer to be a taste-tester and even apply for a job as a brewer. Visitors to the Web site can sign up for FlyingFishMail a monthly e-mail newsletter which now boasts more than 12,000 subscribers.

Muller, who got into the brewing field to become a brewer, trained at Chicago’s Siebel Institute of Technology, America’s oldest brewing school. He quickly realized someone was going to have to run the day-to-day business of the brewery and now serves as President and Head Janitor (though not necessarily in that order).

Flying Fish Brewing Company is located in Somerdale, New Jersey. In a state that once boasted 50 breweries, it is the first microbrewery in Southern New Jersey and the first new brewery built in that part of the state in more than half a century. From its opening in late 1996, Flying Fish has tripled its capacity and become the largest of the approximately 45 craft breweries in the state.

We now produce four full-time styles, as well as a variety of seasonal beers.

The key word to describe all Flying Fish beers is “balance.” The beers are full-flavored, yet highly drinkable. Flavors harmonize, not fight for individual attention. Hopping is generous, but to style. Seeing beer as equal to, if not superior to, wine, Flying Fish beers are designed to complement food. Because of this effort, one can walk into any fine restaurant in the Philadelphia region and be pretty sure of finding a Flying Fish beer available.

Flying Fish beers were the first in the region to be featured at the Great British Beer Festival, Oregon Brewers Festival and Canada’s Biere de Mondial Festival. Flying Fish beers are eight-time medal winners at the Great American Beer Festival, the most of any New Jersey brewery.”

Flying Fish is known for their year-round brews that includes the Hopfish IPA, Blueberry Braggot Honey Ale, Abbey Dubbel (My personal favorite), and their Extra Pale Ale. But their more unique beers include their Fried Ice Cream stout and the Grand Cru Winter Reserve.

Their notes for IPC on the can reads “No Irish potato candy was harmed in the making of this beer, but it is actually a traditional Philadelphia confection, so we highlight this imperial stout with hints of coconut and cinnamon to celebrate the season.  Enjoy this unique offering while it lasts.”

And now onto my thoughts!

Nose: On the nose, it’s very sweet and there’s a hint of cinnamon that hides in the significant smell of coconut. It makes for a very pleasant combination and leads me to believe this will be an excellent stout. In my experience, stouts usually have a darker or heavier smell to them, like coffee or chocolate, but it’s predominantly the aforementioned coconut with that hint of cinnamon. Its friendly aroma makes me excited.

Palate: It’s admittedly been some time since I’ve had an Irish potato, but I can definitely taste the inspiration behind this beer. The cinnamon is noticeable here and it blends well with the coconut, but what I like the most is the tail end that lingers in your mouth. It tastes just like it suggests, a yummy and sweet Irish potato! At 10.3 percent ABV it can feel heavy to drink, but it’s in a good way. It’s a tasty beer and I love how it meshes its flavors together, while still retaining the idea of an Irish potato. It makes me want to go to the closest Wawa (Sorry to anyone who hasn’t experienced the joy of Wawa) and buy a box of Oh Ryan’s Irish Potatoes.

Overall: This is a delicious treat! With Saint Patrick’s day coming up next month, this is an excellent and festive way, and a great change of pace, to celebrate the day. I was going to save this for said occasion, but I couldn’t wait to try it. As a stout and a Flying Fish fan, this is a beer I’ll definitely remember. If you are able to get your hands on it and love sweet and unique beers, give this one a try.

I’d like to thank you for reading my craft beer review. If there’s ever a craft beer you’d recommend I try and/or review, please let me know and I will try, to the best of my ability, to acquire it! And remember, like a fine alcoholic beverage or a memorable video game, please enjoy in moderation.