On a recent trip into the heart of NYC my wife and I decided to swing by The Ginger Man, 11 East 36th St., for drinks before hopping on the train home. We’ve been to this craft beer bar before and knew we wouldn’t have trouble finding a few beers we wanted to try. Given the 70+ beers they typically have on tap, besides a well-curated bottle list, I settled on my usual, a stout. My wife couldn’t make up her mind so she chose 4 beers for a tasting fight. Considering the Midtown Manhattan location of this bar, it is pretty large for a beer-focused establishment. The food is decent, it’s clean and the staff has always been pleasant and attentive. I have never been there when it was truly slammed but on this night almost every seat at the bar was taken and most tables were occupied in some capacity. Still, we had no problem getting service and being looked after for the duration of our visit. If in NYC and looking for a nice craft beer selection The Ginger Man is worth a try.
For my beer choice, and with some reservations, I settled on Central Waters Satin Solitude. Having had mixed experiences with some Central Waters offerings I was a bit skeptical. I was in the mood for something I could get one glass of and sip on for a while. Imperial stouts are great in these situations. They are usually higher ABV. I prefer my stouts near room temp but a commercial establishment will almost never serve a beer like that. That’s alright because as they warm the flavors evolve and intensify creating a longer tasting experience.
Ah, I remember the days when I thought all beer should be served ice cold or it was skunked (So, so wrong and if you don’t know, now you know). Life was simpler back then… Santa Clause was real and the Easter Bunny wasn’t a creepy guy living out his furry fandom. – Clearly kidding here. I didn’t have my first drink until at least 14 or 15 and clearly I knew the truth about Santa by then. 😉
On first appearance it comes as expected, a tight half-inch tan head and jet black in the snifter glass. The nose is robust. Roasted malts and dark chocolate present first, there is certainly a coffee-ness to the smell, but then a sweetness comes through as well. It was a pleasantly complex aroma. The taste matched what I smelled. There were roasted malts at the start with some chocolate on the back end. The mouth feel was pleasing in its viscosity. Some Central Waters stouts I’ve had in the past seemed thin but this beer felt thicker, like a stout should feel. It was velvety smooth start to finish. I would say the overall experience of the body was medium to slightly thick. The sweet chocolate notes balanced nicely against the dark roasty flavors of this imperial stout. I cupped the glass in my hand, to help warm it a bit quicker, to get the full experience of this beer warming and opening up to reveal its true self. Overall I was very surprised at what an enjoyable beer this was. Nowadays, if it’s not some limited release, or brewers reserve something-or-other, standard styles end up being rather generic. Not this beer.
I give it a surprised 4.00 out of 5