HOW TO PAIR BEER WITH EVERYTHING: Beast Mode by Sixpoint Brewery
Beer: Beast Mode
Brewer: Sixpoint Brewery
Style: Porter
ABV: 6.40%
Description: Sixpoint’s Beast Mode pours deep brown with amber highlights throughout and a deep tan head that leaves behind a wonderful lacing on the glass. The aroma is filled with roasted malt goodness with hints of coffee, caramel, toffee, and hops. The taste follows the nose and is incredibly smooth.
While this is most certainly a porter, it is nothing like many of the porters American drinkers are now accustomed to drinking. Beast Mode is instead a traditional porter, and to many it may seem like more of a brown ale, but it is still very delicious. The roasted malts with hints of coffee and cocoa bring a touch of bitterness up front and are quickly followed by hints of caramel and toffee to round out the flavor profile before the perfectly dry finish takes over. The medium body and moderate carbonation are perfect for the style and make it the perfect beer for a winter evening.
Ideal setting: The smooth and roasted malt characteristics make this the kind of beer for a night huddled around the fireplace with family and friends. This is most certainly a social drink, and the fact that it comes in a can also makes for perfect portability!
Ideal music: The roasted malts, dark color, and name all combine to create a beer to enjoy while listening to some great metal albums – the heavier the better! Just be careful not to spill the beer when the head banging begins!
Some great albums to enjoy with Beast Mode are:
- Iron Maiden – “The Number of the Beast“
- Slayer – “Reign in Blood“
- Cannibal Corpse – “A Skeletal Domain“
- At the Gates – “At War with Reality“
- The Faceless – “Akeldama“
- Kataklysm – “Waiting for the End to Come“
Ideal movie: Horror movies are great with beer, but they are even better when paired with the right beer. Beast Mode is the right beer for horror films; the rich character, light mouthfeel, and moderate ABV make it an easy choice to pair with them. However, this is best with dark and gory horror films. No teen screams here – just true horror.
Some great films to watch while enjoying Beast Mode are:
- “City of the Living Dead“
- “Deep Red“
- “A Bay of Blood“
- “Let Sleeping Corpses Lie“
- “A Blade in the Dark“
Ideal book: Again, dark imagery seems attracted to this beer, and classic novels that deal with the macabre make for a very enjoyable evening together.
Some great books to read with Beast Mode are:
- “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” by Robert Louis Stevenson
- “Dracula” by Bram Stoker
- “John Dies at the End” by David Wong
- “The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Stories” by H.P. Lovecraft
- “Horns: A Novel” by Joe Hill
The perfect experience: Beast Mode is a beer that is best enjoyed while at home watching a classic horror film, with or without friends. It is a beer with enough character that should be examined, but can also be enjoyed while having a good time with friends. There is no better night than one with good beer and great horror films!
