Yellow Bridge "Midnight" Gingerbread Imperial Stout

This is the second beer I'm reviewing from Yellow Bridge. While I was at the brewery, I had several beers that were outstanding, but they don't can them all. In fact, they don't can most of them. One of my favorites, Three Sisters Ale, was described by the brewers as having been messed up, but the end result was good - they just don't know if they can make it again. So, I'm reviewing the two beers I could bring back with me.

The black beer is only brown with the darkness turned way up. It doesn't sport much head on top, and what there is reduced to a simple ring around the glass. The aroma is sweet with chocolate, vanilla, and espresso. Yes, this is going to be a dessert beer, and I'm fine with that tonight.

First sip is more roasted than I imagined. The chocolate takes a back seat to the roasted almonds and sprinkling of wood while the vanilla and ginger assert themselves on top of that - the coffee is missing almost entirely until a bitterness comes on at the end. It's a deep beer, and I intend to explore these depths.

Tip-in is syrupy sweet with a tartness around the edges while a marshmallow sweetness nestles into the center of the mouth with a sparkle of carbonation just letting itself be known. The middle brings some of the coffee with a biscuit malt and a somewhat bitter center. The finish is where the ginger asserts and dominates the world while charred almonds lay a bed for it to stomp on. As warmth seeps into the beer, the coffee becomes much more pronounced.

Bottom Line: Not a bad beer, but it won't be my go-to for a dessert beer.

2.0/5