Choklat

The other imperial Stout I tasted with Joey Waldorf at Bent River for their $2.00 of guest draft night. Snifter served.

Appearance: Black color with an off white ring head with no film in between. Syrupy looking and thick. Very wet lacing .

Aroma: Rich dark bittersweet chocolate mapled smell with a toffee aroma to follow up. Very thin and dry licorice smelling perhaps contributed from the high alcohol (11%ABV). I'd classify the olfactory sensation more similar to that of a chocolate liqueur. Similarly I'd say there would also be some vanilla extract-like undertones that help round out the beer.
Taste: Very boozy and yes, does maintain the chocolate liqueur character that I described in the aroma. The malt has some extract like chocolate that forms the dominant sweetness through to the finish of the beer. The finish is hot and dry tasting with a subtle wood tannin profile. Hop character is relatively indistinguishable against the alcohol. Cocoa and vanilla draw a light spicing through midtaste. Still there is maple and some licorice undertones that contribute to the bold cocoa flavor. Minimal roasted malt, though most noted in the finish with the character of burnt grains.
Mouthfeel: Thick and wet, carbonation is fizzy to the tongue. Though the body is perceptively lighter than the Founder's Breakfast Stout, the attenuation can be accredited to softening the body for more alcohol. Less creamy and more sharp to taste. The beer leaves a long drawn out aftertaste of chocolate.
Overall Impression: Good but almost too bold in flavor. The chocolate is pronounced from start to finish. Nevertheless it is impressionabley more aggressive when it comes to the alcohol at the end. I find the potential complexity of this beer masked by the overwhelming mono-flavor.


84/100