Yazoo - Untitled Art "Fudgesicle" Imperial Stout

Strangely, I have the overall impression of Yazoo not being the best brewer in the area. They are categorically not the best, but they're not bad. The problem seems to be that the more popular versions of beers that they produce happen to be the ones that I don't particularly like. As a result, I don't tend to seek out their wares. This particular beer is odd in that they bury the name and tried to rebrand this as some kind of sub-brand. That's fine. I generally don't judge by the brand, but I do judge by the beer.

Deep brown and sporting a tan head, this beer absolutely reeks of fudge, and as well it should. Here's the thing: usually, when something says that it's peanut butter, it really just smells and tastes like peanuts. When something says it's chocolate cake, it smells and tastes like chocolate. This thing says it's fudgecicle, and I swear that's what it smells like. At 12% ABV, I expected to smell something else, and I really don't.

First sip is delightful. It has all that fudgecicle goodness combined with an unmistakably imperial stout malt that is grains under the fudgecicle sweet and creaminess. I can't really dissect it more than this, though, as the fudgecicle is really ruling the roost.

Tip-in is smoked cream and chocolate with very gentle carbonation tingle. The middle becomes creamy sweet with fudge, smoke, and a little bit of wood. The finish is a twinge of bitterness melded into the sweet creamy chocolate and trailing off into smoke with a little espresso added.

Bottom Line: A very good sipping dessert beer, but a bit too rich for every day.

3.25/5