RavenBeer Head Brewer Brandon Stanko and Brewmaster Ernie Igot Talk The Imp and the Madhouse Oyster Stout

We spoke with RavenBeer Head Brewer Brandon Stanko and Brewmaster Ernie Igot about The Imp and the Madhouse Oyster Stout.

BC: What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
The smooth roastiness of the flavor and the saltiness in the back end.

BC: Where does this beer’s name come from?
The Imp and Madhouse Oyster Stout’s name comes from two sources. The first is The Imp of the Perverse by Edgar Allan Poe, a short story where the narrator brags about his clever murderous deed and expresses no remorse in his heinous crime. He continues to insist that we all have in our heads an Imp dictating to us self-destructive impulses. The reader eventually comes to realize the narrator’s insanity and discovers that he is locked away within a “Madhouse.” The Madhouse itself came about in a most serendipitous manner. As we use Poe’s stories and poems in the title of our beers, his story The Imp of the Perverse combined with  the name of our oyster supplier, coincidentally being Madhouse Oysters to create a perfect fit for the name of this stout — The Imp and the Madhouse Oyster Stout.

BC: Is this your “desert island beer?”
Close, but not really, though it’s a real nice seasonal stout for special occasions. 

BC: Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Easy-drinking smooth roasty stout. Briny with well-balanced bitterness.

BC: What's a good food pairing for this beer?
Smoked pit beef, steak, chocolate desserts and, of course, oyster shooters.

BC: Do you know a story – or have a personal story – that revolves around this beer?
We were at a Maryland agricultural event and the oyster farmer, Madhouse Oysters, was nearby. We appreciated the quality of the oysters and we suggested that we try an oyster stout using the Madhouse oysters. After many productive brainstorming sessions we came up with the vision and plan for the stout and made that vision complete!

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