Beer of the Week: Magnetic Ribbon – Final Cut Edition

At the height of Modern Times’ popularity – and even as the once mega-popular brand deteriorated into financial ruin – one thing was certain…the company maintained one of the finest barrel-aging programs of any American craft-brewing enterprise. There’s plenty of proof, not the least of which are medal-winning performances and near sweeps of barrel-aged beer categories at numerous high-profile brewing competitions. As if that weren’t enough, the quality of Modern Times’ oaken stock has been on display across San Diego County in recent months. When preparing to move out of its longtime Point Loma headquarters, ownership sold off barrels of aged beer to local breweries that later augmented those mature, imperial-strength pastry stouts with their own beers and adjuncts to create something they could call their own. I’ve sampled several and all of them have turned out great. A perfect track record like that can’t be achieved with a bum base product, so hats off to the Modern Timers of old who are responsible for them, particularly Kyle Fjalstad. The individual who managed that barrel program in the company’s hey day, Fjalstad has since moved on to become the head brewer at North Park brewpub The Original 40 Brewing, where he was recently able to get back some of the beer he put so much of himself into. The result is a swan song of sorts, a one-time-only offering incorporating one of his spirits-laced pastry stouts with a bevy of top-shelf flavoring agents. That blend-to-end-all-blends is this week’s featured beer, Magnetic Ribbon: Final Cut Edition. Of all the Modern Times-based blends I’ve tasted to date, this is the best, hands down. Such is to be expected from Fjalstad, who knows his creations inside-out and knows from experience which adjuncts will best enhance them. For the “final cut”, he went with cocoa nibs, almonds, coffee, vanilla and three – count ‘em – three types of coconut. Oddly, that last ingredient comes through the least, but I’m not complaining. Magnetic Ribbon: Final Cut Edition is infinitely layered and incredibly bold, luxurious on the palate and simply delectable. Aromas of oak, maple and fudge segue to flavors of milk chocolate, dried blueberry, baked-brownie edge piece and off-the-chart vanillins. In the wake of that flavor explosion, woody bourbon notes persist. It’s everything one could want from a specialty creation eliciting such great expectations, and further proof of Fjalstad’s skills.

Magnetic Ribbon: Final Cut Edition is a bourbon barrel-aged pastry stout aged in Elijah Craig eight-year bourbon barrels for 45 months with vanilla, coconut, cocoa nibs, almonds and coffee added. Although I’ve only been working for The Original 40 for seven months, I was able to acquire some barrels that I was aging at my previous employer, which allows us to release a beer with such a long maturation time despite my short tenure here. I’m really excited to release my first bourbon barrel-aged pastry stout with The Original 40, featuring a fan-favorite adjunct bill that showcases what my focus was for nearly five years of my career. We will also have special draft options for those who join us for today‘s release. Cheers!”

Kyle Fjalstad, Head Brewer, The Original 40 Brewing

The Original 40 Brewing is located at 3117 University Avenue in North Park