A brown head surmounts an opaque black beer that refrains from flashing any color at the free ends. The aroma is strong with vanilla, charred cocoa, molasses, and sweet dark fruits. Now, I will admit that I just looked at the label and noticed the 12% ABV, and I definitely am not smelling heavy alcohol in it. Mind you, it's pretty easy to hide alcohol underneath these kind of heavy, dark layers of ingredients. Let's just see what she has going for her.First sip is quite delightful. Normally, I complain about Imperial stouts being the formal, unapproachable aunts of the beer kingdom. They always wind up being too stodgy to be enjoyed, and they're just no fun. As a result, I just tend to avoid them. Give me a good Irish Stout, and I will be happy as a... well, an Irishman drinking a Stout. But this one has very nice texture and smoothness to it that I just wasn't expecting. The chocolate and molasses are definitely working hard to make this an enjoyable experience, but I notice that that front end has a little bit from the Imperial stouts that I've grown to distance myself from. I'd be happy to sip this all night, but that's not my process.
Tip-in is moderate carbonation burn with vanilla, charred cocoa, and molasses holding a bit of bitterness aloft. The middle is thick with an unsweetened chocolate syrup and molasses mixed with charred oak; it's a cessation of overall taste profile in the middle, but it oozes down the throat just fine. The finish is a brightness of carbonation flash before dark fruits and vanilla mix into a trail off that can't decide if it's going to be bitter or sweet.
Bottom Line: It is a very complex beer, but it stands up to scrutiny.
3.75/5
