This is another of these flavored beers that I question whether this should be an
imperial stout or whether it should be a
milk stout. A milk stout would seem more natural with the lactose sugars providing the necessary sweetness, so you don't need to add anything else. But,
Southern Tier knows what they're doing, and I'm inclined to give them the benefit of the doubt.
Stouts are generally black, and this is no different. It's a little brown at the free ends, but this is a black beer. The head is not particularly vibrant, and the tan bubbles don't really stick around very long. The result is a scattering of southern Pacific Islands in the middle of the beer, no lacing, and not even a strong ring around the sides. The aroma has peanut butter and sweetness, but I'm not really picking up any chocolate. Maybe that's all going to be inside the stout.
First sip is sweet and thick. The almost syrup-like nature is a little difficult to get a handle on right off the bat. The fact that peanut butter has been added increases the sensation of thickness that the beverage already had. It's not a bad sip, but the texture seems to be more an impedance than is simply the unapproachable nature of most imperial stouts. This might really shine in a swig, though.
Tip in is moderate carbonation burn with an almost sickly sweet, yet thin, chocolate and peanuts. The middle is thick, sweet, earthy, and it all joins the peanuts and still relatively thin chocolate under a very weak carbonation dome. The finish is a snap of even greater sweetness before the haze of peanuts and earth send it into the trail off.
Bottom Line: An interesting
dessert stout, but certainly not for every day.
3.25/5
