When I went through Asheville, North Carolina, I didn't have much of an idea of how many different local breweries they had. They appear to have quite a few. I'm not sure if Wicked Weed tries to cram hemp or dank into all of their beers, but I know it doesn't come through on all of the beers I've had. That's just as well, as dank doesn't go with every style, and it certainly doesn't go with every mood. This is a s'mores beer, so it seems strange that they picked on imperial stout rather than a milk stout or even a chocolate stout. Let's see if that was the right decision.
It's a stout, so it appears to be black as midnight. Around the fringes, it can get a little red and brown, but it's effectively black. The tan head you see in this picture required no coaxing to come out, and it is a lovely, fluffy head. When the head goes down, it leaves a simple ghost image in the middle of the beer with almost nothing around the rim. The aroma is more roasted malt than anything, but I do smell the chocolate with some spices added to it. The smoking malt is really standing out, and this may prove that their decision to go with an imperial stout was a wise one. It smells very good.First sip is rich, thick, creamy, and spiced. I knew what this was going to be thick going in, but it didn't occur to me until now to use the dessert beer label on this post. As soon as I tasted the sweetness of this beverage, it was fairly clear that this was intended to be a nightcap. It is smooth, sweet, and I am really look forward to a full gulp.
Tip-in is smoky malt with a sweet overlay bedazzled with vanilla and spices. The middle is smooth as the carbonation picks up a lot of steam and the chocolate mingles with earth and the smoked malt to give a heft to the entire beer as spices linger around the outsides. The finish is coffee and chocolate bitterness with vanilla and cinnamon easing the bitterness onto the tongue.
Bottom Line: A very good dessert beer.
4.0/5