Tart dark fruit, not much stout/roast character. The musty character carries through from the nose. Very sweet and very boozy, but the booze helps balance the sweetness. Finish is tannic.
The cherries are dark, tart, and rich, but still have that slightly overripe muddiness to them. The base beer feels like it has the right body and roast level but is hard to find under the cherries. Some bubblegum and fruity esters, with mild phenols and chlorophenols. Thin-bodied, chalky mouthfeel.
Sweet dark malt character. Lots of esters: plums, raisin, prunes. Chocolate character is there, and the roast sits behind the fruit sweetness. Some bitterness helps to cut the sweetness toward the finish with some warming character. Much less sour than I expected from the nose. Malty sweetness with dried fruit esters hit first, followed by caramel coffee and alcoholic warmth.
Sweet mocha malt character with a smoked pork–like note. Moderate roast with a touch of astringency. Slight lactose consistency. Alcohol is over the top and extends into the aftertaste. Big roasty flavors, bitter and a bit burnt. Hops flavor is resinous, sticky, and catty—not exactly complimentary to the strong malt notes.
Tastes like more of a brown ale than a stout, although the alcohol is too big for a brown ale. Roasty dark chocolate, caramel malt, mild roast, and light bitterness. Strongly phenolic, with smoke and pepper, and maybe a touch of chlorophenol. It’s sweet and strong, and the spicy alcohol is quite warming, which carries through the finish. Moderate hops flavors, with vanilla, spruce, and herb. Herbal spruce lingers for a long time.
This comes across like a Belgian dubbel. High cherry note up front with a medium sweetness that slowly fades into a low bitterness with slight acidity. A light roast in the middle of the sip. The bitterness toward the end of the sip transitions into the aftertaste. Thin-to-medium body that is cut by the carbonation. Same esters as on the nose with some dark roast chocolate and toasted bread notes. Finishes with an interesting combination of the sweetness from the esters and a low-medium carbonic acid dryness. This beer has a flavor of vanilla cola.
Rich roast and chocolate up front that is moderately dry. Moderate astringency throughout the sip that emphasizes the alcohol at the end and into the aftertaste. Smooth and strong, roast is medium. Alcohol warmth gets your attention without being harsh. Hop flavors medium strong, resinous, spicy. Some tart notes in the aftertaste. Thin bodied.
Roasty with hints of dry chocolate, sweet chocolate, and cherry. Vanilla. Some oak and bourbon notes are present. Nice warmth in the end. Some dark toffee and even black licorice notes. Some prominent fruitiness and tannin character emerges as it warms. The barrel character isn’t overly pronounced.
Strong coffee flavor and the citrus overtones are somewhat sharp. Moderate hops flavors tend toward spicy. Hoppier than expected up front. Aftertaste has some mocha character.
Relatively smooth blend of strong roast and vanilla. Chocolate resides underneath, along with some tannic character to tie things together. Nice malt richness. Some oak character. Dark toffee flavors and some iron minerality as it warms.
Sweet malt and chocolate up front, but that quickly gives way to the spice from the cinnamon and cayenne. A quick prick of chile heat doesn’t linger overly long. The hops bitterness is moderate. Some vanilla notes and roast, with malt, toffee, and chocolate malt. The carbonation is a bit high, accenting the spice notes, and some more body on the beer would help round things out. Chocolate, cinnamon, and warming alcohol linger into the aftertaste.
Strong oak presence—almost sawdust—with tannin and vanilla, and a huge smoky, roasty backbone. Some of the chocolate notes help to round things out, making it taste like a chocolate-dipped campfire. There is a medium spiciness toward the end of the sip that could be rye, and a light sourness mixes with a bit of alcohol in the finish. Light cherries linger after the sip.
Intense hops flavors carry over from the aroma: pine, spice, pepper, catty. There’s a perceivable oat smoothness and depth that works well with the atypical hops flavors. Some bitter, burnt coffee notes. Hops bitterness is quite extreme for an oatmeal stout. There is some roast there, though, and the coffee smoothness is perhaps due to the oatmeal.
Medium sweet with slightly tart finish. Sharp chocolate up front with a rich roastiness that takes over quickly after. Characteristic silkiness of oatmeal stout. Medium smoke note that extends into the aftertaste. A sharp bitterness from the roast character reminds me of an iced coffee. Some nutty notes, some dry chocolate sweetness and bitterness. Thin bodied. Earthy hops come through near the end as well as dark roasted malt. Finish is quite dry.
Moderately sweet cherry chocolate with a touch of roast and some vanilla underneath. A nice chocolaty flavor, but it has a hard time rising over the roast. Some barrel character, but overall the roast dominates.
Nice blend of flavors. Some bold roasty notes, nice dark and sweet chocolate notes, and some sweet dark cherry notes. The oak character adds nice complexity to the beer, hitting in the middle and carrying through the finish. The warmth also adds to the taste and cuts some of the sweetness. Some tannins couple with the roast and alcohol to add to the dry finish.
The flavor starts with a dry chocolate sweetness and carries through with some bitterness that leaves a slight astringent finish. Lots of roast character in the flavor. Rich sweet milk chocolate and almond throughout with vanilla supporting. The butterscotch continues into the flavor, but with an increase in complexity, from intense chocolate and roast. The warmth hits in the finish. And the beer finishes with some chewiness left on the tongue.
A blend of dark cherry and rich sweet dark malt. Some nice chocolate and toffee notes. The rum sugar sweetness adds to this beer. Vanilla and coconut also add to the sweet character. The warmth is present through the finish. Rich brown sugar and vanilla overwhelm the base beer. Some roast and chocolate under the barrel character.
Herbs from the nose, along with a light onion flavor. Definite alcohol strength, even a bit hot. Cocoa powder–dusted dark truffle with a healthy level of cherry ester. Hops flavor is citrusy, mainly lemon and grapefruit.
An interesting combination of plum, cherry, heavy roast, and effervescent herbal qualities that give an almost menthol, numbing note. The roast turns into a burned incense, with smoke at the back end. Very interesting yeasty character in the middle of the palate, with some slight barnyard and farmhouse characters.
Notes of soy sauce and solvent. The beauty of this beer is the lack of things sticking out—the base has some nice roast and chocolate character that are complemented by the dark roast coffee. Sherry, cinnamon, and dark fruits appear as well, with some floral hops in the background.
Burned roast hits up front, and the roasty malt character carries through the sip. Some milk and chocolate sweetness sit behind the roast, with notes of licorice, cherries, plum, and other dark fruits. It’s a very earthy beer with fruity esters potentially from the hops, but for sure from the roast. Notes of oak, pine, and the big hops bitterness leads to a dry finish. The body is a bit thin.
Light chocolate and coffee with slight roast notes toward the end of the sip. As it warms, more flavors start to come out with light fruity esters. Alcohol is present but is slightly more than warming. The rich malt, warming alcohol, and fine toffee notes all make this a wonderful drink. There is a bit of black malt and roast in the finish, but more as an afterthought. Hops bitterness and flavor are strong, and there is some tartness in the finish.
Roasty and earthy, with some burnt roast that carries throughout the taste. Coffee and chocolate up front, with coffee astringency in the middle of the sip. A lighter coffee would bring more coffee flavor without the roast and coffee astringency. Some slight sweetness hits as well, but not as dominant as the roast. Light milk chocolate and caramel. The body is thin, and there are some moderately strong vegetal notes and medium hops bitterness. The coffee and chocolate linger after the finish.
Starts with some chocolate and sweet malt notes, with a little roast and hints of vanilla. Notes of bourbon, leather, and oak, and some light sourness that plays with a low alcohol warming at the end of the sip. Some sweetness from dark fruits, cherry, raisin, and plum. The body of this beer might be a little too light to hold up to the barrel.
Medium roast and light malt sweetness with light-moderate earthy hops bitterness. Finish is a touch grainy and slightly astringent. Some dark malt but more like a brown ale than a stout. Bitterness in the finish is clearly from hops, not roast, and though appropriate, is a little out of balance with a low perceived sweetness. A bit musky.
Toasty and nutty malt with lots of vanilla and chocolate in the background. Moderately bitter throughout, with a moderate-to-strong sweetness in the finish. Medium body is a bit thin for the vanilla notes. A medium sweetness helps support the vanilla. There is a smoothness in this beer. Initial dry roast flavors are quickly replaced by the intense sweetness of the vanilla bean, which lingers to the end. Finishes medium-dry in terms of body, but the lingering vanilla makes it seem very sweet.
Moderate chocolate, moderate toast, moderate base malt, moderate earthy hops bitterness, full body, good carbonation. Aftertaste: dark chocolate, light hops, touch of sweetness, light toasty, moderate starchy malt, touch of ethanol. Some sour notes. Sweetness comes off as candy—Hershey’s syrup in sweetened coffee.
Roasty malt, toast, and creamy oatmeal. Slight sweetness up front transitions into assertive bitterness that lingers. Lots of American hops flavor, and hops bitterness carries through to help cut the sweetness and add complexity. Rich blend of milk and dark chocolate with some bready toasted notes. Ester profile is quite subdued with some dark cherry peeking through. There is a sweetness that carries through with chocolate and coffee. Very bitter for this style with hops bitterness of pine.
Malt flavors are excellent—dark chocolate, dark roasted coffee, slightly caramelized sweet finish. Moderate smoke. Hint of piney hops bitterness. Light body. Sweetened black coffee with a boozy shot added. Dark fruit reminiscent of abbey styles. I’m not sure what they’re attempting with this one.
Sweet chocolate and dark fruit. Rich and thick caramel-oat combo. Some earthiness and some spice character. Silky mouthfeel with low-medium carbonation. Chewy and medium body. Balance is definitely toward the malt, but not cloying at all. Finishes a little roasty chocolate with some earthy spice notes and slightly bitter and slightly sweet making you want another sip. A slight warmth in the finish as well. Still and sweet, but with a good balancing bitterness that keeps it from being cloying. The malt profile is fairly simplistic, not offering many details besides caramel sweetness and roast finish. Alcoholic warmth is smooth.
Roast character is blended and balanced with dark fruit esters. Caramel, chocolate, and slight hints of toffee come in later. Very low hops character. Nice sweet dark malt character. Dark fruit sweetness, cherry, raisin, and prune.Finishes slightly sweet and creamy with no lingering bitterness but a slight warmth.
Medium coconut with chocolate and light coffee spiciness. Coconut and light chocolate, roast and light alcohol. Lighter body for the alcohol level with moderate carbonation that presents itself at the end. Medium roast character mixed with a light spiciness.
Like eating an alcoholic gingerbread house. Heavy sweetness, molasses, gingerbread spiciness that extends into the aftertaste. Cloying sweetness covers everything but the gingerbread. Finishes with light bread, chocolate, and coffee.
Rich, creamy hazelnut tones with supporting chocolate. Mouthfeel is thick throughout, but it finishes with enough roast and dryness to make you want to take another sip. The finish has a lingering touch of sour.
Moderate oak with cherries, chocolate, light smoke, and light vanilla mixed with some bitterness. The sweetness is nicely balanced by the roast, and it slowly fades. Notes of light coconut and almond are present, as well as lots of barrel character—but the vanilla and oak lead the charge. The medium body doesn’t quite stand up to the barrel treatment, and the roast bitterness lingers a little too long.
The flavor comes through as chocolate milk, with some plum esters and flavor. The milky creaminess is evident and provides an interesting contrast. There are hints of coffee, sweet chocolate, cacao nibs, and toffee, as well as burnt roast notes and artificial sweetener. The body is on the thin side, yet the malt lingers into the finish.
Rich dark burnt malt flavor dominates the palate, with dark coffee and espresso that lend bitterness throughout the taste. Molasses adds sweetness in the middle. Notes of black licorice, raisin, plum, prune, raisin, dates, sherry, and dark cherry are present throughout. Some hardwood characters in the flavor—maple and hickory.
A very rich blend of dark chocolate and a significant amount of dark roasted malt—likely roasted barley and black patent. There’s a touch of vanilla and tannin that help to smooth all the roast. A touch of dark fruit ester notes, with some woodiness and a bit of astringency, followed by a significant hops bitterness and big hops flavor. The body is medium, and on the sweet side of neutral, but the roast helps to dry out the finish, which helps it avoid being cloying. The finish is a bit harsh, with lots of roast malt and hops bitterness, and a bit of solventy nasal burn from the rough alcohol.
Sweet malt and chocolate prevail, with just a bit of roasted malt coming through as coffee. Balanced with a slightly sweet finish. Intense sweetness has some fruitiness that comes off a little bubble-gummy. Cherry and fig, dark fruit malt sweetness. Slight warming helps in the finish, and the fruitiness adds complexity.
Sweet and malty. Toffee, chocolate, and caramel. Still get Sugar Babies candy, but more malt complexity. Moderate sweetness with fruity cherry and plum notes. Roast malt is restrained, but present. Tastes more like an old ale than a stout. Slight alcohol warming, just enough to let you know it’s there. Light hops toward the end of the sip.
Chile flavor starts out high with moderate cherry notes and starts to burn slightly as it sits in my mouth toward the aftertaste. The hotness continues to grow well after the taste—a bit like hot cherry juice. A bit of caramel sweetness is there to balance, but the body is still svelte. The spices from the nose are here, too, but the chile heat presses them down into mere accents to the warmth.
High vanilla and moderate spiciness that extends into the aftertaste with medium roast notes. Light earthy hops and some light chocolate with a mildly roasted coffee in the background that becomes more prominent as I sample more. A nice alcohol warming at the end of the sip.
The ester fruitiness dominates this beer and a subtle smoky phenolic character works okay with the roasted malt. Relatively tart malt profile, maybe even cranberry tart. The earthiness and wood tannins support the tartness once your palate acclimates. A slight vanilla sweetness shows up mid-palate and lingers. Some roast and chocolate in the back. Nice sweetness with a good finish and slight warmth.
With the aroma, I expected a higher sweetness from the flavor. The first hit is a rich-dark-chocolate-bar bitterness. As it sits on the tongue, the sweetness of the chocolate comes out but fades into an assertive bitterness with citrus and pine American hops. Finished dry with bitterness that lingers.
Piney/citrusy hops, roast malt, dark Caramalt, and full body. Medium bitterness leads to a drying finish. Going deeper, it tastes like a raw hops tea with light malt sweetness, but strong bitterness holds it.
Dark roast malt and a medium dark roast coffee. Medium light body. Very tasty coffee. There’s some boozy alcohol in the finish. Nice balance. Finishes roasty and slightly bitter.
Lots of flavor up front, with rich chocolate and coconut blending together nicely. There is a smoothness about this beer that carries from the start and all the way through the finish. The earthy roast notes sit in the back of the sip, letting the sweet chocolate and coconut shine. The coconut gives a really intense tropical flavor, with slight tropical fruit (pineapple) that provides a slight sweetness with a little acid. Some notes of toffee and nut in the malt provide some balance but didn’t quite hold up to the fruit—this beer isn’t in your face with the roast.
The chewy woody oak is a bit overpowering. Low to medium vanilla presences reminds me of French oak, and it blends with the peach and cherry notes coming from the coffee and the beer. Some sweet cherry, sherry, dates, and marzipan. Very thin-bodied, more like an old ale than an imperial stout. Great caramel and toast malt character, and the roast and chocolate notes help to blend the flavors. Some fusel alcohols and whiskey, with tobacco and vanilla, as well as a mild hops flavor and bitterness.
Starts with a cream-like sweetness, but the coffee flavor quickly ushers in with some roast that cuts the sweetness a bit. There are some extremely earthy and herbal notes that come across as tobacco, and the roasty malt dominates. Some hints of vanilla and a touch of chocolate. The body is medium, and the finish is toasty and dry, with slight bitterness.
Strong notes of roasted malt and coffee with a touch of caramel malt sweetness. Coffee comes through a bit too bitter and lingering in the finish, but not unpleasant. Tastes of a sweet iced coffee. Light lactose sweetness with light roast and low-moderate hops bitterness—surprisingly high for the style. Finish is spicy, crisp, and lightly bitter.
Dark roasted notes with a great nutty flavor of almonds comes through on the first sip, along with chocolate and mint. Raisin, licorice, molasses, dark fruits, earthy hops, and toast are also present. The beer is creamy throughout, but the carbonation is a little high and offsets some creaminess. Slight roast astringency on the finish.
Creamy chocolate notes blend with the vanilla from the barrel. Very sweet, fruity, and estery, and the berry flavor lingers long into the aftertaste. It’s like sweet chocolate-covered tart cherries. Faint roast malt is buried under the berry cream soda.
Rich creamy consistency with molasses or dark burnt honey and medium chocolate notes. Medium sweetness transitions into roast at the end of the sip. Sweet caramel malt backbone and licorice flavor in mid-palate. Hops flavor is medium strong, spicy, and herbal. Roast notes expected in a stout are subtle. Aftertaste is mostly cocoa or bittersweet chocolate.
Sweet chocolate and roast up front with a medium alcohol note. Roast toward the end of the sip with a slight cocoa nip popping out at the very end. Some tartness in the finish. Medium sweetness that lingers throughout. Flavor has the cocoa and coconut, but the proportions are different now. The alcohol that seemed friendly on the nose is a bit boozy now that it’s in my mouth.
Moderate plum and cherry, mouthfilling carbonation, light hops, chocolate, light roast aftertaste. Toasted malt, light caramel, moderate bitterness, long linger of chocolate and caramel. Medium body, a bit light for the complexity of flavors. Sweet chocolate flavors linger into the aftertaste. Hops flavors add interest. Nice roast bitterness in the finish. Wow, the balance among sweet, roasted, and bitter is incredible. Literally nothing jumps out and scrambles to scream ‘ME! first.’ It’s lighter than what you think you’re getting into with the smell, but a lot of the same flavors carry through and some nuttiness joins the party that was thoughtfully decorated in flower petals.
Big raspberries supported by dark chocolate malt. Medium to light sweetness and bitterness throughout with a firm acidity from the fruit. Finishes medium dry. Not a lot of roast in the initial impression, but the aftertaste is coffee and black malt. Still, the stout flavor is quite understated.
Strong dark roast throughout blends with dark coffee and dark chocolate. Vanilla underneath rounds out things at the end with a touch of sweetness. The mushroom notes from the nose are more pronounced here. The oak blends well with the malt and adds to the complexity. The cherry character adds a nice brightness and sweetness. The beer finishes with a slight bitterness, almost that of a dark chocolate bar.
High vanilla up front, similar to a cream soda, but a quick transition with high molasses that creates a drying effect mixed with a moderate alcohol spike. High caramel and toffee notes as well with a bit of chocolate. Oak adds a sharp tannin edge.
On the sweeter side for an imperial stout. Lots of milk chocolate, latte-esque coffee notes. Fairly light body for the style, but since the flavors are a bit more subdued, it isn’t overwhelmed. Hops add a grassy note. Tobacco and smoke are here, too.
Smooth cold-pressed coffee or mocha, with a roasted malt flavor that doesn’t fight with the black coffee. It’s well integrated. There is an ashy undertone, with stale coffee, and a touch of acidity that isn’t supported by the base beer. The body is medium but not overly thick—the carbonation is a bit overdone, leaving a slight carbonic bite. Some fruity esters join the malt to assert the beer-ness. Finishes with some tobacco notes and very sweet.
This beer is so creamy and sweet up front, and it carries through to the finish. Lots of molasses, with burned roasty notes, toasted bread, and milk and baker’s chocolate. Dark fruit flavors of raisin, plum, prunes, and cherry are present, and a vinous character carries into the back and finish. It’s somewhat one-dimensional because the fruit esters dominate.
Moderate chocolate, with a touch of cinnamon and vanilla plus moderate piney hops bitterness. Light oak tannins give some bite, with lingering acidity and a moderate alcohol burn. Some chile spiciness with a vegetal type of flavor as well.
The roast and chocolate malt hit first, with a nice mocha hug, then the mulled cider spices sidle in. Pepper, cocoa, bitter chocolate, with cinnamon and ginger. The heat is very mild, but pleasantly noticeable, and the alcohol is evident and lingers into the aftertaste with a soft, extended burn—perhaps a bit of a clash with the chile heat.
Spiciness up front, with licorice, mixed with moderate roast. It’s very fruit-forward, with prune and raisin, and had an underlying sweetness. Some chocolate, coffee, vanilla, and roasty notes like burned coffee, and some hops bitterness. Lots of oak and oak tannins. There’s a smoked-wood note, kind of like roasted or smoked meat—it’s fatty, and not a dry smoke.
So much mint in this. It starts up front with some light sweetness and carries through to the finish, leaving a lingering aftertaste. The bitterness is strong, with some burnt notes, then transitions into a roast character, and finally, light coffee with some nice astringency on the finish.
Lots of strawberry and cherry with a bit of honeydew, but the vanilla takes center stage, pushing any reasonable limit. It’s like Neapolitan ice cream. Chocolate and roast surface in the aftertaste. The body is sweet and creamy but isn’t cloying, and it finishes dry with a bit of astringency.
Caramel malt sweetness with just a touch of roasted malts to balance. Subtle raisin dark fruit esters. Finish is mostly sweet with no real hops bitterness to speak of. Malty sweetness with less perceived round sweetness from lactose. Some coffee, chocolate, and roast notes, but not enough bitterness to balance the sweetness.
Bitter roast malt and coffee followed by soothing sweet chocolate. Full bodied and filling. Bitter coffee flavors linger in the aftertaste (not a bad thing). Lots of oaky tannins in the finish. Finishes quite dry for how sweet this starts. Slightly sweet (caramel swirl), some chocolate but it’s cut with some tart grainy acidity.
Nice caramel malt sweetness. Hops bitterness balances sweetness. Fruity esters with raisins up front and chocolate toward the end of the sip extending into the aftertaste. Medium alcohol warming that becomes more apparent as the taste continues.
Roast character is very nice with some cocoa, chocolate, and coffee. Some burnt-coffee type notes add to this roasted quality. Sweetness of some dark fruits along with malt sweetness add sweetness to this beer. Some earthiness and bitterness finish in the end with warmth. Sweetness hits your tongue but the swallow amplifies the roast and hops bitterness. Hops last into the finish. Warming alcohol.
Dark chocolate with a very roasty, almost astringent finish accentuated by the hops. The vanilla adds nice underlying spice but isn’t particularly strong. Finish is smooth and creamy, with lingering dry coffee and hops bitterness.
Similar to the aroma. The peanut character leaves a slightly dusty coating impression on the finish. Fairly creamy with good carbonation despite the nut addition, which is nice.
Very strong maple-syrup character, though maybe not as intense as in the aroma. Milk chocolate sweetness throughout, with a lingering creamy finish. The roast from the stout tries oh so hard to peek through and brighten things up, but it doesn’t really have a chance. The coffee adds some dryness on the finish, but it’s still quite sweet overall.
Rich, creamy, and full-bodied. Nice sharp roast complemented by mild hops. Both fade in the mid-palate but grow again in the finish.
Rich and smooth mouthfeel until the finish, which is fairly acidic and sharp. The cherry and raspberry esters play nicely with the roast and chocolate.
Fairly chewy mouthfeel accentuated by the high level of fine-bubbled carbonation. The roast and cocoa cut the silkiness leading to a roasted acidity and dry finish. The esters on the nose are also on the palate but are more subtle.
Sweeter and less burnt than some Russian imperial stouts. Lingering semisweet chocolate flavor in the aftertaste. Alcohol hides until you swallow, then reveals itself. Flavors of dried raisins, chocolate, and coffee. Some pleasant oxidation character, and a warming finish. A bit of roast astringency sticks out on the swallow giving it a husky character.
A healthy mix of sweet chocolate and roast, with a sooty smokiness that seems a bit out of place. The roast dominates, with an underlying cocoa note. Wet oak and vanilla, with light syrup and molasses. Rich, silky mouthfeel, but the overall body is a bit light for the style.
A mix of chocolate sweetness and sweet dark fruit (plum/prune) carries through. Moderate vanilla, caramel, leather, and smoke. Strong bourbon carries through the finish, along with some molasses sweetness and medium alcohol. Thick, chewy body, and a sweetness that lingers. A bit of umami/soy sauce in the aftertaste, with bitter hops and alcohol warmth.
Dark roast coffee and dark chocolate backed by a slight toasted malt. Some nice roast. Dry finish. Moderate alcoholic warmth. Thick and sweet, but the sweetness slowly fades with a bit of acrid bitterness in the finish.
Huge chocolate flavors, mostly reminiscent of a sweet chocolate bar or a chocolate factory. Coffee and roasted malts are subtle and help to balance, but finish is sweet and chocolaty with some slightly minty flavors. Tastes exactly like a mocha frappuccino. Very faint hops bitterness and some alcohol warmth that provides a nice accent.
Chocolate, licorice, and dark fruit. The coffee adds a nice dry, roasted background, and the vegetal note from the aroma isn’t as pronounced. Finish has a milk-chocolate sweetness.
Semisweet bitter chocolate is the dominant character. An ashy roast note from the nose is still present and leaves a lingering tongue-smacking chalky feel. The finish is rich and not overly sweet, and the bourbon and wood character add a nice underlying warmth.
Baking chocolate, tons of roast, and a bit of smoke. Nice lingering dark-fruit sweetness, accentuated with hints of port character from the barrel. Nice body, but it still finishes moderately dry with a pleasant fortified wine booziness.
The molasses and the unique malt sweetness dominate, but are coupled with this dark umami richness that approaches soy sauce, but still stays a healthy distance from that fate. The bourbon barrel contributes to the heat, but also rounds all the flavors together while adding a nice toasted almond and vanilla note that helps compliment the molassess.
The sweetness from the base beer helps to balance the spice characters of potpourri and cinnamon spice. The cherry and orange esters dominate, with some vanilla to smooth things out. Roasted barley and caramel, with some chocolate and Tootsie Rolls. There’s quite a bit of alcoholic and chile heat that detracts and helps to accentuate the phenolic and floral characters, putting them a bit over the top. The hops bitterness and roasted malt flavors add a drying finish to an otherwise sweet beer.
The nutty character dominates up front, similar to a cherry pit with some raisiny tannic flavor. This gives way to light vanilla and almond, but quickly fades to a medium-high roast character of caramel and bread crust. In the middle, coffee notes support. The sweetness was pronounced and enhanced the dark-fruit esters.
Chocolate sweetness carries from the start to finish. The roast builds and adds great complexity. The body is full and sits on your tongue. Some mild fruity esters of cherry and raisin with coffee roast in the finish. Clean, lingering bitterness. Slight chocolate and caramel notes.
A bit estery, but not far out of style. A bit of heat as it warms, and more roast develops. What an interesting blend! Roast malt, moderate coffee, and then a strong hit of fruit. Then it’s followed by a wash of hops flavor and bitterness. The fruitiness is the wild card—it’s more real fruit than esters.
Big dark roast coffee blends with roasted malt. Moderate sweetness quickly fades into a bracing bitterness that lingers. Cinnamon gives a dryness that lingers and adds depth and complexity. A sip puts you in that neighbor’s place, sipping your own Mexican hot chocolate, maybe with a shot of espresso. The spice is nicely balanced. The roasty finish tingles with just a little heat that alludes to the slight alcoholic warmth that creeps in.
The chocolate bar flavor hits first but then reveals that it’s bittersweet chocolate in disguise. The big, oily roast malt and assertive bitterness belie the sweetness of the aroma. There is a fair amount of sweetness, but it’s almost subliminal. Nice coffee notes. Hint of burnt sugar/toasted marshmallow. Sweetness fades into a moderate bitterness with a bit of acidity. A dry roasty astringency lingers in the finish keeping it from being cloying.
Classic imperial stout flavors—moderate hops bitterness, dark roast coffee (but not overly bitter), bittersweet chocolate. Licorice, slight smoke, plum. Burnt figs and Turkish coffee. Strong roast paired with strong alcohol. Plenty of hops bitterness to extend the coffee flavor, and lots of coconut and cocoa extend the malt profile.
Rich and complex dark malt flavors—chocolate, raisins, roast with a soft mellow mouthfeel. The finish has a lot of roast bitterness and astringency, but I’m not finding it off-putting, it lets the dark malt complexity and sweetness linger and cuts the alcoholic heat a bit.
Tastes like a piece of coffee cake with rum poured over it. Finish is pretty dry, possibly due to oak tannins and/or the coffee. Coconut and cocoa nibs round things out without sticking out.
Rich and slightly sweet cocoa powder, with something approaching the perceived tartness of cherries. Lots of chocolate, with a bit of vanilla and oak. The medium dark roast helps to dry things out, but the sweetness carries through and fades at the end of the sip, making way for a bit of bitterness and alcohol on the finish. The velvety body drives this beer, heightening the chocolaty base, and accentuating the vanilla barrel character. Well balanced.
Heavy roast and chocolate up front quickly transition into a bitter roast and alcohol harshness that grows as it warms. Intensely sweet, with dark stone fruit esters, malt, and vanilla. An earthy, almost herbal-like character adds a nice level of depth and somehow complements the other flavors perfectly. Some heat, but it works with the overall smooth body. The mouthfeel is fairly chewy with smooth carbonation, and the alcoholic heat finishes with a slight numbing effect. Overall, it’s a very intense beer.
Nice roast profile with some acidic bitterness. Coffee, chocolate, and cocoa. A little light bodied compared to the nose and missing a touch of mouthfeel, though otherwise balanced. Dry finish is a little surprising after the big chocolate nose, and roasty bitterness lingers. A little tart in the finish, which is refreshing.
Bitter chocolate and dry cocoa carry through from the start through the finish. Sweet dark fruit, raisins, and prunes add to the sweetness. Roasted malt character increases in the finish, with nice coffee qualities. Some alcohol warmth in the finish.
Semisweet and dark chocolate notes quickly overtaken by a tart acidity. Nice sweet malt character with some good roasty toast notes from the malt. Lactic lemon-like acidic flavor adds sweet and sour notes and complexity. Some funky earthy wood quality adds to the scope of the beer. Dry throughout due to bugs chewing through anything that makes a stout thick and rich.
Bittersweet bakers-chocolate flavors yield to a dark fruit character mostly reminiscent of raisins. A bit of roasty bitterness lingers in the finish, but not overbearing. Medium dark chocolate notes with pleasant roast contrast. Fairly dry for a chocolate stout, but enough lingering flavor to encourage further sipping. Light-medium body.
Moderate roast, medium body, medium coffee, strong chocolate, touch of cherry, light plum, and a touch of maple syrup. A medium nutty note and more honey. Fairly dry flavor with slight dried fruit notes. Moderate alcohol and roast going into the aftertaste. Light oak notes toward then end as it warms.
Coffee roast character is soft and sweet and buoyed by a fair amount of caramel and chocolate and some nice nutty elements. Moderate vanilla and light leather. Coffee with a touch of rum and a shot of vanilla cream soda.
Cumin and other Mexican spices up front remind me of enchiladas. Chocolate malt first, but then it steps aside for a strong perfumed chile flavor with a delicate flash of heat. After a moment to savor the pepper, the chocolate comes back with a touch of roast. The finish revives the slight burn, this time with an alcohol edge, but overall it’s a mild heat.
Aroma tricks you into expecting sweetness, but the flavor delivers more balance. Sure, it’s still just as chocolaty, but hops and roast malt do their best to upstage it. The roast flavor pulls the chocolate toward mocha. There’s an earthy/citrus hops flavor and then a powerful bitterness from a tag-team combination of roast and hops. Both sweetness and bitterness linger into the finish.
The barrel character definitely dominates with some nice vanilla, bourbon, slight coconut, oak-barrel character. Chocolate roast provides nice malt sweetness to add to the complexity. The sweetness helps in cutting the beer in the finish. A little bit of fruitiness (cherry) enhances the overall experience. A prominent alcohol warmth not only tickles the nose, but warms the throat.
Flavor has some of the complexity the nose lacked. Mocha with toffee and bready malt, some coconut. The flavor is very self contained—nice shot of mocha, swirls of malt. The nice caramel-sweetness roast needs a bump. This is more in the imperial porter or imperial brown ale range.
Rich chocolate blends well with the dark roast profile. Moderate sweetness that fades into a moderately strong bitterness with a hint of acidity. Dark fruit cherry esters. Acidity lingers. Strong roasted acidity is just slightly overdone. Finishes slightly dry with a lingering bitterness. Thick chewy body with a light tart note. Aftertaste is licorice that sits on the tongue with roast.
Sweet chocolate and almost a milk creaminess. Some mild coffee flavor and dark malt sweetness and some dark cherry and almond notes. Creamy and not overwhelmingly roasty, almost with a soft espresso note. Oak character is subtle and hard to pick out, but lends a touch of vanilla to the flavor. The roastiness lasts on the tongue. Finish is mostly balanced, with a slight sweetness lingering in the end. Tannic character is very subdued. Hops bitterness is supportive.
Rich chocolate and caramel sweetness. The coffee character is pretty subtle: it adds a bit to the roast character on the finish. Pretty sweet on balance, nice and creamy mouthfeel but a little heavy overall. Pleasant alcoholic warming on the swallow. Very nice fruity flavors.
A fairly typical barrel-aged stout, with sweet coffee roast, light cocoa, and barrel character. The port accentuates the cherry fruitiness and alcoholic warmth. Finish is mocha and booze. Mmmm, booze.
Medium-full bodied with some definite alcohol warmth. The base beer is more prevalent than on the aroma, bringing a nice dark-chocolate quality to complement the fruitiness of the coffee and the roasted malt.
Spicy chocolate with complex roast astringency, bitter dark chocolate, light milk sweetness, and a touch of alcohol warming at the end. Light mushroom, coffee flavor in the middle of the sip that blends well with the chai spiciness. Well balanced alcohol warming toward the end of the sip that leads in the aftertaste. Finish is chocolate, coffee, and tea spiciness.
Chewy beer that has some complexity among the malt, barrel, and fruit. Chocolate malt really comes through at the front with some really nice cherry sweetness in the middle. The finish is completely wood and roast. Body is really fantastic but offers a slight alcohol warmth.
Syrupy sweet toasted coconut floating in hot chocolate. The alcohol balances the sweet, but it’s right at the edge of cloying (if not over). The aftertaste lets more of the roast shine through. A bit of a barrel note on the swallow. It’s gloriously and unapologetically unbalanced in the best of ways.
Light-bodied and moderately roasty with notes of dark chocolate and caramel. No hops to speak of with the bitterness just there to provide complexity against the dry finish. Slight astringency on the finish.
The notes of chocolate and cherries dominate and carry through the beer—the cherries are bright and sweet, and the chocolate is light and milky. Fruit esters (cherry, raisin, and plum) dominate the mid-palate and give a round and sweet flavor throughout. Roast is thin and light in the back, with little to no hops presence outside of the finish.
Creamy milk chocolate hits up front and carries through the finish, followed by vanilla. Roast character sits in the back, along with some slight toasty notes and low bitterness that balance the sweetness. Delicate cherry-like fruit notes are also present. Creamy mouthfeel.
Heavy roast, with medium dark chocolate and a rich malt flavor. It’s sweet throughout, but just enough to balance the bitterness. Apricot, melon, and fruitiness accent the roast. A bit of alcohol warmth creeps in, but it isn’t harsh and grows into the finish. Finishes rich and sweet, but somehow dry.
The taste begins with a cream-like sweetness that carries with it some malt. There is also some aggressive chocolate, coffee, and burnt roastiness, which transitions into some chocolate and coffee notes and is supported by the malt sweetness. Some plum, raisin, and dark fruit esters become more apparent as it warms, along with some oatmeal. Finishes dry, with mild coffee astringency and hops bitterness.
A significant mineral character up front with a secondary note of some dark chocolate roast. Heavy roasted notes, earthy dankness, light chocolate, espresso, and tobacco. The earthiness carries throughout with a slightly salty finish that lingers in conjunction with the roast. Esters of clove, dark fruit, and spice emerge as it warms. The carbonation is a touch high, but it cuts through the sweetness. The medium body dissipates rather quickly. Well balanced and intriguing.
This beer is a nice balance between dark, sweet chocolate, and roasted malt. It has a rich toasted bread-crust character, malty roast, and tobacco leaves. Slightly earthy hops are present on the sides of the tongue, with small alcohol warmth at the back, and a lingering roast astringency. Some backend fruity esters emerge as it warms. A nice body carries the beer well, and the carbonation is spot on.
An interesting balance between sweet chocolate and dark roast flavors—the strong roasted barley and chocolate malt are quickly covered up by smoky campfire phenolics. There’s a bit of metallic up front, which dissipates as the beer warms. Very low earthy hops.
The beer starts and finishes a little thin—fresh coffee leads, with some burned roastiness and creamy sweetness (as if they added a couple cubes of sugar). Subtle molasses and cocoa notes follow, along with some tobacco for balance. It’s big on flavor and easy to drink, delivering on all the things you hope from a stout.
Bold chocolate, with some roastiness from that malt that forms the scaffold. Mild bourbon flavors, with a nice blend of cherry, prune, plum, and raisin. Vanilla and umami add some complexity, along with the oak and bourbon. Some chewy qualities to the body. The finish is pleasant and not too hot, but it still has some lingering warmth.
A rich, chewy blend of chocolate and orange, like a Terry’s Chocolate Orange you see around the holidays. The flavor starts with the chocolate malt and cocoa before the orange jumps in, which lets it come across as more candy-like than solvent. A hint of cherry peeks through. I’d love more stout character—malt body, sweetness, yeasty fruit, and hops character. A dry, bitter finish from the orange peel.
Assertive bourbon, supported by the malt sweetness. Vanilla, oak, and oak tannins, with some chocolate and caramel in the background. It’s smooth and rich, with mouth-filling carbonation and a bit of alcohol presence. Dark fruity flavors of cherry, raisin, and plum as it warms. Finishes with a chocolate sweetness and a mild alcohol burn that lingers.
Wonderful malt complexity, with roasty burnt coffee flavor up front and dark sugar toast sweetness at the end. The creaminess really carries this beer well, and it coats the mouth. Notes of dry chocolate, with a touch of plum and molasses. Again, the dark cherry comes through in the mid- palate and finish.
The cinnamon is a dominant player on the palate. Vanilla and milk chocolate support, with a touch of cayenne and alcoholic heat in the finish. More chile heat than expected. The barrel lends some booziness, but not much sweet coconut or vanilla from the wood. Light coffee notes, with cocoa, roast malt, caramel, and sweetness to balance.
Moderately sweet up front that fades into a moderate bitterness. Beautiful mouthfeel and medium-to-full body from the oats with a creaminess that coats the tongue and lingers into the finish. Medium sweetness with roasted and earthy complexities and some cherry notes. This beer has a nice smoothness that flows through the taste.
The complex tropical fruit and pineapple hops character builds. Spicy and resinous hops provide bitterness to help cut the sweetness without becoming too sharp. Chocolate malt sweetness is more prominent than roasty flavors. Finishes dry with no alcoholic warming to speak of. Hops flavor wrestles with the dark malt and wins.
Fruitiness carries through, with a raisin, prune, dark cherry character. Some chocolate and roast, but with fruitiness, almost comes off like a cherry cordial. A bit of a tartness as well. Hops are earthy and subdued. Finish is lightly sweet with some lingering coffee flavor. The chocolate profile carries well in this beer.
My tongue has been lacquered with sweet roastiness. Some interesting fruitiness to contrast with the roast and some nice sweetness to balance the intense bitterness, but roast is the star of the show with a little dark chocolate character. The creaminess in the end dances against the hops character.
Sweet toasty and chocolate malt fades into assertive bitterness and acidity from the dark malt. Well-blended roast and hops! The piney and minty hops notes along with the bitterness work very well with the chocolate and dark roast from the malt bill. The body is medium-dry throughout, which helps the hops shine instead of overwhelming them with sweetness. Some citrus notes. The finish is slightly dry.
Lovely complex malt sweetness—like chocolate-covered Fig Newtons, or maple syrup, with a touch of earthy hops to help balance. Like a shot of strong expresso, no cream. Complex and deep, but a bit intense so sessionable is not part of this section. Big cherry, light plum, big chocolate, moderate coffee, light hops bitterness, touch of alcohol, moderate caramel. Aftertaste: big chocolate, touch of coffee, light bitterness. Starts out like a thinner-bodied barleywine, but the hops and roast bitterness crack that illusion. The promise from the nose is here, but it doesn't quite mesh as well in the flavor because the lingering hops and slight astringency add some harshness. Hops flavor is as big as the roast. Sherry, malt, dried fruit and esters are still nice, though.
Flavor is very much mole: the chile flavor is there, with a hint of chipotle spicy smoke, along with an earthy cocoa, but the spices are very much in play, with strong cinnamon and mild cumin. A touch of alcohol warming, just enough to know it is there. Subtle heat.
Wow! Flavor is everything that the nose suggested, with just a slight balance shift. Imagine a rich, pecan-laden coffee cake coated in maple syrup and chocolate frosting, washed down with a very sweet coffee. The coffee finish grounds it.
Sweet chocolate malt supported by coffee and roast. Sweetness slowly fades with a very slight bitterness and acidity in the finish. Toasty, almost graham cracker, malt. Good sweetness that’s well balanced by the roast bitterness. Medium roast coffee with a chocolate chaser.
Rich malt profile: caramel and toffee grounded with roast malt and a spicy alcohol warmth. Fairly earthy. Milk chocolate with strong coffee and roast, moderate sweetness and dark caramel. Some hops backing for the roast bitterness. Medium smoke note up front and enough burn on the back of the throat to suggest chiles. The sweetness supports, and cuts through, the heat.
Coffee-forward, followed by roast malt and alcohol. Medium hops bitterness complements roast notes. Starts quite sweet and transitions to a moderately intense acrid bitterness that’s emphasized by the medium high carbonation. The alcohol brings out a nice nuttiness and accentuates the cocoa highlights. Pleasant caramel, too.
Rich and smooth with lots of chocolate and roast barley and a bit of welcome coffee roast. Hops bitterness is assertive but not overwhelming. Alcohol is readily apparent.
Strong roast, moderate coffee, moderate toasty, some chocolate, background, fair bit of malty, prominent tropical fruity hops flavor, moderately sweet, full bodied, juicy fruit, light plum aftertaste. Long linger is dark chocolate, dates, and plums.
Bittersweet chocolate, like very dark or baker’s chocolate. Good mocha flavor—roast and chocolate malt. Good bitterness with sweet undertones. Aftertaste is fairly mild, like it’s toning itself down. Moderate earthy hops, big mouth filling carbonation. Alcohol is up front and warming, but not harsh.
Chewy sweet. Cocoa chocolate flavor has a slight dusty character. Hops bitterness is down the middle, does not linger into aftertaste. Aftertaste of chocolate and caramel malt. Big caramel, moderate roast, moderate plum and date, light roast astringency, light umami.
So smooth and creamy, like adult chocolate milk. Vanilla and chocolate hit up front, giving way to the sweetness. It’s very sweet, with big chocolate, fruit, vanilla, coconut, and cherries, with some roast and a very small floral hops presence that give a clean balance to the finish. Dangerously smooth.
Rich dark chocolate up front, with some roasty notes that help carry this beer and keep it from being too sweet. Vanilla milk flavor on the back of the palate provides a good counter to the roast, along with molasses, dates, and raisins. Dark chocolate and cream really shine through as this beer warms. The mouthfeel is fuller and thicker than others in the same ABV range. It finishes full and sweet and a bit chewy.
The sip starts with a rich flavor that’s a mix of roast, chocolate, vanilla, oak, and cherries. Dark fruits (raisin and prune), followed by the bourbon and mild smokiness. Medium alcoholic warmth, which carries through the finish. The body is thick and chewy and very smooth. It’s a nice blend of supporting players without any one stealing the show.
Massively roasty, with cocoa-powder richness that supports. The roast intensity is kept in check with the sweet body, but the charred/burned character dominates. Molasses and black licorice emerge as it warms. Notes of stone-fruit esters round things out.
The creamy milk-like sweetness hits up front, with some roasty character that helps to cut that. On top of that is a burnt roast taste, with some dark chocolate, black licorice, and cherries. Some earthy moss-like flavors in the middle, with notes of cigar and tobacco. A medium body with a creamy mouthfeel, with some toast and bitter chocolate to help balance the sweetness in the finish.
The nitrogen lends some vanilla milk sweetness throughout the taste, giving this beer a creamy mouthfeel and a medium body. The lightly roasted coffee is present, but the sweet chocolate dominates and carries through the finish. Really nice cherry esters give this beer an entertaining complexity.
The rich vanilla and oak are well-balanced with the beer and barrel character. There’s some whiskey, chocolate, coconut, and roast, with light ash smoke and molasses in the background. Medium sweetness and bitterness complement an amaretto-like note at the back end, along with some subdued heat from the alcohol. It finishes dry.
Very nice malt character: nutty, caramel, and coffee candy. Sweet up front but the finish tones that down. Chocolate cake with a dark chocolate/cacao nib frosting. Smooth mouthfeel from the oats. A mild bit of ester fruitiness, but it works well with everything else.
Dark roasted coffee flavors up front, almost bordering on burnt, yet not astringent. An intense dark chocolate, cacao nib front, with a balance of moderate coffee flavor. Some fruitiness, raisin, dates, dark cherry. Finishes roasty and slightly bitter. Finish is very estery, almost Belgian, with moderate alcohol heat.
Like a liquid caramel chocolate candy. Caramel dominates with the chocolate and roast playing an important supporting role. The salt adds just a touch of complexity but elevates the beer tremendously.
Strong coffee and chocolate, but also some nice malt complexity (caramel, toffee, dark fruit, and roast). Light nutty notes, medium body, touch of licorice, and moderate sweetness. Medium-high alcohol heat dries out the sweetness. Coffee blends well with the alcohol and fruity oak-barrel notes.
Moderate spice up front with cinnamon and chile flavor. Big chocolate notes, similar to a mole. Light chile spice toward the end of the sip but not overpowering—the flavor seems to be greater than the chile spice. Sweet full chocolate flavors followed by medium sharp chile heat and some cocoa that lingers to mix with the late arriving chile flavor, lasting into the finish.
This is somewhere between a Mexican mole stout and a Christmas beer. It is very much like a cinnamon roll. Moderate sweetness with high spices that grow in intensity toward the end. Alcohol stays in the background as a warming. Light coffee note toward the end. If you like cinnamon-clove-ginger, you’ll be quite happy. Mexican hot chocolate.
Sweet mocha stout with subdued hops bitterness. The medium coffee flavor substitutes for hops bitterness. Moderate to strong sweetness that slowly fades. Chocolate and rich malt with a bit of toast and a hint of roast. Somewhat warming from alcohol.
This has a great intense chocolate front with a prominent booziness carrying through. Some nice roast character keeps things from getting off track. Rich bourbon sweetness with the obvious roast and chocolate notes from the malt. Relatively chewy throughout, but it finishes dry and bourbony. Vanilla combines with the chocolate roast to provide a milk chocolate character.
Rich chocolate-syrup flavors up front, perfect for ice cream. Sweet caramel and a touch of vanilla and coconut with coffee notes going into the aftertaste. Medium alcohol on the back end (but not harsh) mixed with a slight burntness. Touch of umami. Cherry esters are rich and sweet. Some tartness gives the finish a little tang. Barrel notes are subtle—vanilla, and slight tannin on the finish helps to dry it out.
Moderate sweetness, roast, plum, cherry, coconut, earthy. Touch of caramel and vanilla, big dark chocolate and mouthfeel. Big sweet fruity notes up front, almost sangria-like. Light chocolate and coffee notes in the background mixed with a moderate alcohol warming. A nicely balanced beer that reveals more as you sip.
Moderate dark chocolate, coffee, and vanilla, big fruit—cherry, apricot, plum, mango, and peach. High sweetness up front with high oak notes. Caramel coffee with a shot of chocolate syrup and a jigger of whiskey. Smooth blend of chocolate and coconut support the cherry sweetness and help to dry it out.
Dark fruits really punch through this one like a Russian gang fight where one side is Fig Newtons and the other is a bunch of prunes. The flavors carry through pretty far and the semi-bitter finish is like 80 percent dark chocolate. Melted brown sugar, chocolate-covered coffee beans also got their name on the guest list.
Moderate chocolate, moderate coffee, light roast, light bitterness, dark cherry, fig, plum, dates, touch of umami. Long linger is dark chocolate, big cherry. Hops bitterness is crisp and adds structure. There's an interesting bit of toasty malt that reminds me of French bread crust fresh from the oven, but the roast almost masks it.
Roasty chocolate up front with a slight brightness to it. A smooth creaminess hits in the front and carries through. The creaminess blends with some chocolate roast character to provide the taste of a light milk chocolate bar. Medium vanilla and roasted coffee as it starts to warm. The oats come through to support. The finish is quite dry.
Very sweet up front. Chocolate, caramel, and dark-fruit sweetness. The finish is medium sweet, but not cloying. A touch of bourbon corn richness. Some nice vanilla notes from the barrel on the finish.
Lots of dark chocolate. More overripe banana. The barrel is more of a supporting role. Very sweet and rich beer that’s balanced by the barrel and the alcohol. More rich than sweet. Decadent.
Strong cinnamon and coffee with some vanilla background. The roasted stout comes through nicely and the barrel character not as strong as the coffee and spice. Rather boozy.
The base beer has some nice roast and chocolate, which carries the toasted coconut and coffee. There’s some nice dark chocolate, giving it a Mounds bar flavor. Strong roasted barley, with some nice fruity esters. A bit of roasty bitterness on the finish that helps balance out the sweetness, and it has a nice creamy feel without being overly sweet.
More chocolate that other Mexican chocolate stouts, with the cinnamon and cayenne being fairly subdued up front. The flavors grow the longer the beer sits on the palate. Chocolate mint, with cinnamon, vanilla, and just a hint of vanilla spice. A rich, creamy mouthfeel reminiscent of oats or lactose in the grain bill. The capsaicin and alcohol heat hits, then fades into the aftertaste, leaving a vague Thin Mints finish, along with more heat. A very balanced finish.
A wonderful chocolate milk flavor dominates and coats the mouth up front. The roast comes in secondary but quickly turns to this complex stone fruit flavor of prunes with a date-like sweetness. The sweetness and fruity esters linger into the finish with an ever-so-slight roast character that provides a great balance. The body is really nice on this beer and carbonation carries the beer well. It’s a fantastic creamy imperial.
Intense boozy sweetness, with strong molasses, brown sugar, and slight burned sugar notes. Fruity raisin and plum esters hide behind the cane sugar. The yeast character is almost Belgian—it’s difficult to nail down, but it’s nice—and the Brett characters aren’t evident in the taste … just the slightest hint of funk. Hints of toasted bread and bread crust with vanilla.
Burned roast notes come through up front, with some roasty malt to support. The body is a little thin yet a little creamy. Notes of molasses and black licorice add just-right sweetness. Fruity notes of apple, grape, golden raisin, plum, prune, tropical fruit, and pineapple are balanced by an earthy hops presence.
Rich chocolate and coffee throughout, with the aforementioned dark-fruit esters. The well-blended oak character brings vanillin and just enough tannin to provide a little extra balance. Burnt toast, mild roast, and chocolate malt make for great malt backing. A rich flavor bomb.
Bitter chocolate covers the mouth with some extreme roast character, which gives it a slight wood and tobacco presence. The roast really dominates with a chewy flavor, as if biting into an espresso bean−laced dark chocolate bar. The mouthfeel is fantastic, and coats the cheeks. Finishes with hoppy bitterness, cigar, and tobacco notes.
Moderate chocolate up front, with light cinnamon spices and big vanilla. Some rich chocolate sweetness in there, caramel, with vanilla, oak, leather, and bourbon—the sweetness provides a scaffold. Fruity notes of dark cherry, plum, prune, and raisin that support the bourbon. This beer has a nice chewy body with a moderate alcohol burn and light acidity.
Lots of chocolate and roast—tiramisu, espresso, roast malt, dark chocolate, chocolate syrup, and just a hint of coffee. Some vanilla, maple, and dark stone fruits as well. It’s fairly easy drinking for 8 percent. The carbonation dances on the tongue and may be slightly overdone, but the bitterness and sweetness balance with the touch of alcohol. It’s a drier finish than expected.
Fruity, almost Belgian yeast profile. Plenty of oak, vanilla, and tannins. Chocolate and notes of vanilla and bourbon from the oak give way to subtle notes of raisin and caramel. Roasted flavors are restrained, yet help to balance. Alcohol is subdued but evident. Hops flavor is low, grassy, and appropriate. Warmth in the finish adds to the experience of this beer and has pleasant smoothness.
The strong vanilla meshes with the roast nicely, creating a beer reminiscent of a root beer float. Finish is sweet, perhaps with a hint of lactose. Body is chewy and smooth. Oatmeal character is very obvious and pleasant. Very creamy.
Awesome malt complexity with chocolate, coffee, bread crust, toast. Moderately sweet up front that fades into an assertive bitterness with a hint of acidity. Somewhat dry finish with a light chocolate and roastiness that lingers. A fun blend of chocolate and banana with some underlying cherry notes. Medium-heavy body and medium-high carbonation. Big roast notes with a moderate smoke note that extends into the aftertaste. A slight herbal spice note at the end of the sip. The roast and carb dry out the beer.
Light smoke notes complement full-bodied roastiness. Alcohol is smooth and warming. Good roast malt up front, with a bit of smoke. Mild chocolate. First sense is sweet, but some lingering hops bitterness, the roast edge, and alcohol dry out the finish. Fairly fruity. Aftertaste has a low hops note and smoke that continues after the sip.
Oily coffee roast hits first, satisfying that stout character. Moderate sweetness ushers in a simple chocolate flavor. Warming alcohol joins with the long-tail roast fade for a lingering finish. Caramel and toffee come out. Suporting hops bitterness. Hops flavor is resinous, woody.
Big sweetness is immediately apparent with moderate coconut, light vanilla, smooth roast, a touch of earthy oak, strong caramel, light plum, touch of cherry, touch of umami. Expected chocolate notes. Medium alcohol note with appropriate carbonation. Roasty at the end of the sip. Very well blended with a touch of heat on the finish. Great wood character.
High fruitiness up front with a high cherry note. Strong acidity, moderate chocolate, fig, and vanilla, big sweetness, port notes. A bit of coffee and chocolate at the end of the sip. A well-attenuated and huge beer. Strong bourbon character with some coffee-like notes. Spicy.
Dark stone-fruit esters from the nose are also on the tongue and add to the sweetness. Roast blends well with the esters with just a touch of heat on the finish. A red-wine character is paired well with a dark chocolate sweetness and brighter, sweet fruitiness. Some oak character adds complexity with some vanilla sweetness as well. Finishes sweet with some alcohol warmth.
This has a good flow from roasty coffee with a touch of complementary earthy hops bitterness, chocolate notes that shift it to mocha with some help from a nice caramel sweetness, fading into a pleasant aftertaste with light reminders of your alcohol intake. Smooth and pleasant, with a superb balance for a roast-forward stout.
Moderate sweetness slowly fades into a firm but balanced bitterness. Dark chocolate and toasted malt are forefront with creamy oats supporting. Moderately dry finish with lingering acidity from the roasted malt. Medium body, light chewiness. Silky smooth and chewy throughout.
The coffee character continues into the taste with milky lactose sweetness that is nicely balanced with caramel sweetness and roasted character, reminiscent of dark chocolate and espresso. Light tannic astringency in the finish, which helps cut some of the sweet. Aftertaste is chocolaty and smooth. Light earthy hops with just enough bitterness to keep the sweetness in check.
Maple-syrup sweetness, chocolate, and caramel and a moderate coffee spiciness. Alcohol warming that lets you know it’s there but not harsh or overwhelming. Finishes sweet chocolate, light coffee, maple, and a touch of booze.
Coffee and chocolate tastes up front with light spiciness from the coffee toward the end of the sip. Moderate carbonation and light astringency help the spiciness give a light bite at the end. More bitter than sweet with a light lactose creaminess.
Dark chocolate with vanilla and burnt marshmallows, aged cherries, coffee, bourbon, with a sweet, slightly tart finish.
The stout is pretty sweet overall—chocolate, caramel, candy sugar, and some dark fruit. The finish is quite boozy and bitter enough to keep it from being cloying.
Pronounced tart cherry sweet and sourness that’s balanced with stone-fruit flavors—apricot, plum, and pluot. A touch of malt complexity with a healthy amount of funk add to the experience. The barrel is restrained, adding just enough spiciness to add depth. Nice warming chocolate roast character in the back, with a woody character that’s earthy and lingering.
This is a chocolate bomb. Lots of chocolate roast that’s very sweet and chocolate milk−like, and it transforms into an intense burned sugar, deep roast character plus a hint of currant. Silky smooth carbonation that tastes like it could be nitro, and chewy. The roasted bitterness lingers, but falls off just before becoming unpleasant.
Rather sweet, verging on cloying, and enhanced by warming holiday spices. Big cherry esters. Sweet cocoa, vanilla, roast coffee, and light heat from the cinnamon. Mild alcohol warmth and spiciness, complemented by the roastiness. It’s like a melted chocolate candy bar, with the gentle sweetness of rice pudding.
The malt sweetness hits up front, with notes of roast, toast, chocolate, and coffee. Fruity notes of cherry, raisin, and plum are also present, as well as low apple and cherry wood. Vinous and licorice flavors cut through the roast. Medium-full body and clean fermentation, with a finish that is well-rounded and chewy.
Very roasty, chocolaty, and malty, a lot like chocolate covered espresso beans. Hints of toffee, caramel, and vanilla with some nice fruity esters. Citrus and pepper character carry hops bitterness and keep it from being too sweet. Full-bodied with a nice dryish finish and slight warmth.
Lots of tartness and acidity, both lactic and acetic, with just a bit of Brett-like funk and notes of white bread. Not much caramel or chocolate malt flavor or character. Stout roast character is washed away by the obvious mixed bug sour. Tannic wood character is beautifully balanced with the cherry fruit flavors.
Very clean yeast profile. Hops character is subdued; bitterness is a bit over-accentuated by the tannic wood. Rich and malty with dark coffee and dark chocolate notes accentuated by hints of wood oak character and dark fruit. Finishes with a complex warming character.
Treacle, coffee, and cocoa. Dark chocolate as well. Very intense! Warming but not hot, this keeps revealing nice details: caramel, cherry, and plum with hints of sherry as well. So smooth. The complex malt character is earthy, roasty, and nutty.
Rich dark chocolate with dark cherry and subtle plum esters and a nice wallop of coconut to enhance the experience. The other barrel characters are there as well to provide a round richness. Finishes medium dry with a touch of roast. A decent amount of heat prevents you from forgetting the type of beer your drinking.
Quite aggressively hopped for an imperial stout—piney, earthy, hint of grass. Makes you wonder whether you’re drinking a black DIPA. Lots of coffee and sweet caramelized malt. More malt sweetness than suggested by the aroma.
The flavor follows up on everything the aroma suggested—rich, sweet, chocolate coffee but adds in a hoppy bitterness that supports the roasty edge. While the bitterness lingers into finish with a light acidity, it’s still fairly smooth. Just enough alcohol to feel appropriate for the style.
This beer has a really nice smoothness through the flavor. There is a pleasant chocolate sweetness from the roast that tastes of chocolate but is not overpowering. A little vanilla comes through and some slight coffee. The sweetness carries through, but it is never too sweet. Roast in the finish helps to dry it out.
Rich and chewy chocolate, caramel, and roast character with a bitter finish. Nice tannic spicy character on the swallow, with mellow alcohol warming quality. The bitterness masks some of the more delicate malt sweetness overall.
A lot of things going on with the bourbon flavor—oak, maple, and vanilla. Very sweet throughout with a chewy backbone. The tart acidity from the fruit and the rounded character from the vanilla provide some balance, but this is a rich beer for sure. The chocolate and roast complement the brighter parts of the beer.
Super-intense flavor across the board. Dark rich chocolate and dark cherry. Boozy. Over the top sweet, but the bitterness and the booze attempt to balance it. Still sweet but also bitter.
Huge! Sweet malty richness, great malt character behind the coffee/roast flavor: dates, raisin, caramel, and toffee. Despite that, the coffee and roast are strong enough to drive the flavor. Very estery, strong spicy alcohol. Coffee character has serious depth. Good-quality roast coffee with fruity/peppery notes.
All dark roast, all day with this one. The base beer supports a very dark roast, earthy coffee while the chocolate adds richness and silkiness. The peppercorn shines through on the flavor as it did on the aroma.
Intense chocolate and caramel sweetness with a soft, mellow finish despite the strong roast character. The alcohol adds really nice warmth and spiciness throughout and cuts the overall impression of sweetness.
Sweetness up front with chocolate, toasty malt, grilled peaches, and a light smoky note leave an almost BBQ sauce impression. Sweetness fades into moderate bitterness, and a light but sharp acidity in the finish brings balance. Complex caramel and vanilla and possibly some cinnamon and nutmeg. Smooth and creamy with a nice saltiness.
Similar to the aroma with its heavy roast, but that’s kept in check with some nice dark malt sweetness. Dark chocolate and light vanilla, with some dark cherry, raisin, earthy, and herbal notes, add complexity. The body is smooth and velvety, and it’s rich and chewy throughout. There’s a nice huskiness from the roasted malt that offsets the conspicuous heat from the alcohol, but it’s the chocolate flavor that pulls everything together. Finishes with light bitterness, medium smoke, and big chocolate.
Bright yeasty prune esters and a white pepper phenolic dominate but still showcase the roast. Banana and clove, with star anise, black licorice, and a touch of floral spice. Lime and lemon citrus notes. The coffee and dark caramel character comes through as it warms.
A nice milk sweetness up front is ushered in by light, not-too-sweet chocolate notes that work well with the vanilla. Smooth roast character is evident in the back and provides a great balance to the sweetness. Dark cherry and black walnut notes hang in the background. The body is medium and creamy, and it finishes sweet and round, yet dry enough to invite another sip.
A delicious mix of vanilla, dark chocolate, black licorice, molasses, coconut, and dark fruity esters of cherry and plum. A strong malt backbone coupled with a healthy roast and smoke note keep the beer from getting too cloying.
Very bitter, big coffee, roast, and chocolate. The coffee is so intense, it’s a bit acrid. Notes of light oak, vanillin, with cherry and plum esters. It’s very earthy, grassy, piney, and very dark, leaving a coating on the roof of your mouth. Relatively dry overall, considering the heavy body and high alcohol. Very sweet yet an acrid/burned bitterness dries out the finish.
The chocolate is quite high and works with the vanilla to soften the spiciness. Where the nose emphasized cacao nibs and caramel, the flavor is more like bittersweet dark chocolate. The bitterness fades into roast malt, but there is a little roughness in the transition. The cayenne and cinnamon are nicely restrained, and the cinnamon and ginger are more in the swallow and aftertaste. Finishes slightly on the sweet side.
Intense dark fruity sweetness, with a concentrated raisin and currant character. Chocolate, sherry, and oak add complexity. It’s quite boozy and sweet, with moderate bitterness to balance. The roastiness comes out much more as it warms, and it lingers with every passing sip. Some of the finishing sweetness tastes like vanilla from the oak, or even smoked licorice.
Chocolate and roast add complexity up front, with a light alcohol warming toward the finish. Notes of rum, but also a note of tequila. The oak quality of the barrel is evident. Flashes of cocoa and vanilla weave through dark fruits of fig, plum, prune, and raisin. Intense flavors, but no single flavor dominated.
Huge sweet milk chocolate. It’s a dance between the roast and the chocolate, with some malt sweetness. Notes of caramel, coffee as well, and from the barrel, some smoky wood, moderate oak tannins, and vanilla. Black licorice, with raisin, plum, and prunes that come out as if eaten straight from a bowl, supported by the bourbon and malt sweetness.
The rich, smoky flavor gives the chocolate and roast malts a smoky twist, and then the pepper flavor comes in, along with a rich, caramel sweetness that buffers the moderate chile warmth. It’s slightly cloying, but the flavors are all in balance. A bit of bacon, BBQ, tobacco, and hot chiles. But as strong as the flavors were, they didn’t overwhelm the beer’s overall stout nature.
Initial sweetness, followed quickly by sharp roast and chocolate flavors that emerge nicely as it warms. Moderate hops bitterness and moderate astringency in the finish. Hops bitterness is mild with hints of citrus but carries through in the finish with a slight sweetness. Some subtle esters and spice as it warms, which works well with the underlying complex roasted malt character.
Strong roasted malt blended with dank hops—a roiling mix of sweet and bitter. The full-bodied malt sweetness competes with the aggressive hops, both in flavor and bitterness. The way the brewer juggles the hops character and malt character is creative and deft.
This beer tastes like a caramel dunked apple from the fair! Malt complexity from roast, caramel, and slight chocolate are well blended. Bitterness throughout to balance the malt. Sweet but not too sweet. Finishes smooth with a nice warming character in the end. I like the warmth and rich malt profile.
The lactose adds some extra creaminess to the malt sweetness. Lots of coffee in the finish, almost latte-like. A hint of hops spiciness keeps it interesting without overwhelming the lactose. Caramel with a subtle roasted malt character, mostly reminiscent of chocolate. Sweetness is well balanced with enough bitterness from both hops and roast to avoid it becoming cloying.
Sharp black coffee with a serving of brown sugar. The malt complexity is nice, with toast and caramel joining the roast. Smooth. The esters are toned down a little but that’s okay. Good hops flavor. Nuttiness and toffee. Alcohol heat is noticeable in the finish.
Rich chocolate flavor up front with a chile flavor in the middle followed by a long chile spice that starts to grow. It never gets very hot, but there’s no missing it. As it warms, a little bit of a honey sweetness tames the heat, and the heat cuts the sweetness. Roast flavors hang out in the background relative to the forward chocolate notes. Coffee and the chocolate with some nice caramel malt underpinning, plus a very light smoke note as well.
This is very tasty, suggesting an English barleywine that hasn’t sanded off its rough edges: toffee, vanilla, molasses, and caramel. Big esters with cherry, plum, and raisin. There’s some light roast and chocolate as a nod to the stout gods.
Thick roast coffee syrup poured over graham crackers. Fresh (unlit) tobacco here, too. Great malt complexity with toffee, toast, and chocolate and a big cherry ester. Sweet but not cloying. Alcohol is very warming, washing over the flavor letting the roast remain to the bitter end. There’s a cool spicy phenol that melds well with the alcohol warmth.
Full malt sweetness cut with alcohol to lighten body. Barrel character comes through nicely, this is a quality boubon that gives off light vanilla notes and some dark candied fruit.
Similar to the aroma. Strong chocolate and raspberry character. Rich and dessert-like, decidedly sweet without being overly cloying. The whiskey character adds nice vanilla warming notes on the finish.
Rich mole notes of cinnamon, chocolate, and chile, plus a bit of roast coffee, softened by vanilla. Chile warmth snuggles in with the alcohol. Finish is fairly dry, with spicy heat and roast bitterness. Great complexity up front that leads to a fairly dry and mildly astringent finish. Sweet but nowhere near cloying.
Rich chewy dark malt, chocolate, vanilla, raisin. The barrel character dries up the finish and leaves a lingering tannic bitterness. Great balance with the strong alcohol character. Aged character has hints of umami/soy sauce, which adds complexity.
A healthy balance of sweet and roast, each making the other better. Perfect mouthfeel, with a nice creaminess and fudginess to balance out some perceived booziness and heavy roast. A sweet coffee note and the vanilla spice linger and jump out in between the heavy roast flavors, providing a wonderful depth.
Smoky malt character, with an appropriate tartness. Lots of coffee and chocolate notes, pronounced roast, with an almost sooty note. Bread crust and melanoidins are present throughout, especially as it warms. Nice fruity esters—pear, cherry, and raisin—with a sour cherry lime flavor at the back end. A bit thin on the body for a stout, yet flavorful, and somewhat dry in the finish.
Smooth and thick, with heavy caramel, big chocolate sweetness, and a high dark coffee flavor. It’s got a big body and light carb. Fruity esters of raisin, spice, and other dark fruits, with strong hints of dark coffee and maple syrup like a sweet iced coffee. A smoky character gives it a bit of a campfire coffee character, too.
Well-blended roastiness from the malt and coffee, and some light barrel character helps pull the pieces together with notes of tannin, leather, oak, and vanillin. Nutty caramel, sherry, and a fruity yeast profile that includes dry cherries make for a fruitcake effect. Coats the mouth without being cloying. A deeper dominant flavor note than others in the category, heavy on bass notes.
Big upfront sweetness is strongly cherry-like, with the coffee and chocolate immediately taking over. It unfolds with layers of complexity as you move through the cherry, coffee, and chocolate for a few cycles. It’s hot, with a big ethanol presence. The sweetness hangs on until the finish, but isn’t cloying, leaving a sugary coating that balances the residual heat.
Complex blend of roast, biscuit, cherry, peppercorn, and alcohol. Hops bitterness lingers but is not prominent. Balance is on the malt side, and this is definitely a heavy example of an imperial stout—rich and roasty. Nice earthy character and some lemon sweetness with slight bitterness which helps to cut the sweetness. Coffee roast character is buoyed by the bright, peppery alcohol. Rich, dense, and extreme.
Wonderful round chocolaty sweetness. If it were the right color I would swear I was drinking chocolate milk with a touch of coffee. Chocolate flavors are complex, from semisweet to cacao nib. Nice mild roast with a touch of bitterness to balance the sweetness. Very subtle dark fruit ester notes. Finish is balanced with a lingering roastiness.
Lots of bourbon and vanilla up front, with semisweet and dark chocolate, caramel malt sweetness, and a slight tannin in the finish to balance the sweetness. Sweet bourbon, vanilla, dark fruit, and fig character with chocolate cocoa notes. Port quality adds great complexity as well. Noticeable soy sauce umami.
Rich dark chocolate note, to the point of bitter chocolate, with a moderate alcohol note that swoops in to take its place. Moderate coffee is well-integrated and very smooth. Nutty malt, a touch of licorice, moderate earthiness. Light sweetness, but the aftertaste is coffee, chocolate, and dry. Low-medium vanilla supports everything.
The roast malt slides in smoothly and builds to a nice coffee intensity. Creamy flavor and creamy mouthfeel. The underlying sweetness is pleasant but not too powerful until it fades down to let you really get the roasty bitter finish of the coffee flavor. The bitterness lingers along with some acidity, but it’s buoyed by the remaining sweetness. A faint whiff of hops in that initial sip adds some pleasant earthy complexity. Coffee balances the sweetness with a crisp roasted background.
Sweet chocolate and roasty malt slowly fade into a balanced bitterness from hops (distinct earthy/pine needle freshness) and malt. Coffee complements the roasted malt and hops bitterness, acts as a background for assertive hops flavor. Nice alcoholic warmth.
Mocha smooth cold extracted coffee with a shot of chocolate syrup. Sweet without being cloying. Coffee and chocolate are strong but balanced by big roasted malt rich malt. Moderately sweet up front fades into a bracing bitterness with a hint of acidity. Moderate alcohol flavor adds richness and complexity.
Moderate dark chocolate with a lighter body than expected. High coffee notes with an earthy, peppery note. Light vanilla note toward the end of the sip. High carbonation doesn’t create a bite but perhaps masks a slight alcohol note. Slightly smoky and touch of cinnamon, notes of nutmeg, smooth warming alcohol with a bit of spice. Good oak woodiness without going too tannic. Finishes medium-dry with a touch of heat and carb bite.
Intense cinnamon throughout that melds well with the roast and chocolate malts. Sweetness that fades slowly but lingers into the finish. Malt chocolate (accentuated by the vanilla) with a hint of roast. Lactose comes through that adds a smoothness and sweetness. A bit like an oatmeal-raisin cookie or holiday baked treats. Alcohol evident and warming.
The roastiness in this beer is really nice and the chocolate comes in with a nice smoothness. Nice coffee flavor. Sweet cherry notes hit through the flavor. There is a vanilla sweetness that hits and carries through the finish. The oaky, fruity barrel character plays well with the rich chocolate malt notes from the base beer. A hint of alcohol doesn’t overwhelm. A pleasant amount of roast bridges the gap between the barrel and the sweetness in the beer.
Big chocolate milkshake with a shot of espresso. Roasted chestnuts straight from a drum cooker, burnt cinnamon roll, old-school earthy American hops, and a very present amount of yeast. Once your palate adapts to the bitterness, the big stout flavors are more noticeable: caramel and chocolate malt, the espresso edge, and the nice sweetness.
Dark chocolate, caramel, and vanilla. Holy sweetness! This reminds me very much of chocolate fondue. Medium roast notes toward the end of the sip. Aftertaste is very sweet and almost cloying with notes of mango and cantaloupe. Rich pipe tobacco and sweetness supported by dark chocolate and cherry tones. Medium dry mouthfeel through the finish, once the initial sweetness subsides.
Big chocolate with sweetness that slowly builds and then fades into slight bitterness and a hint of acidity in the finish. Caramel and roasted malt support. Moderately dry finish. There is a creamy (vanilla) sweetness to this beer that makes it taste like chocolate milk.
Crazy and bit disorienting with the first taste. There are a lot of flavors vying for attention all at once. Quite sweet, but this is offset by the spicy roastiness from the coffee. The banana helps pull things together by adding a richness between the dryer character of the coffee and oak. The finish has strong licorice and vanilla character, with lingering maple-syrup sweetness.
Cinnamon for days! Semisweet chocolate. Slight coffee, vanilla, caramel. Quite boozy but not harsh. The cayenne burn on the finish is present and appropriate, and the tannins from the barrel and whiskey blend well with the rest of the adjuncts.
Dark chocolate with an intense boozy barrel character. Warming without being overly aggressive. The finish is a balance of bitter dark malt and sweet chocolate. Nice spicy quality from the barrel. Very sweet, strong, and rich.
Chewy chocolate and roast character followed by a great spicy barrel character. Finish is fairly dry, accentuated by the roast and oak astringency. Has some restrained boozy heat on the swallow that is nicely warming.
Big and sweet, like a malted milk ball. Moderate mocha flavor, with a good balance of chocolate and coffee, with a bit of char present. Some dark stone fruit sweetness of dried cherry and chocolate peek through to bring some balance. The hops bitterness is medium and balanced, perhaps a bit stronger than I’d expect. The body is a little thin, with strong alcohol warmth, which lingers on the back of your throat. A bit harsh on the finish.
Starts with the cinnamon and chocolate, and then a touch of tartness to make you think of chocolate-covered cherries. Huge coconut, German chocolate cake, and cinnamon spiciness, along with some good coffee roast and strong vanilla. Very subtle pepper warmth.
The rich coffee and maple syrup blend nicely with an obviously big sweeter stout. The roast and chocolate notes from the base beer show up in the mid-palate, and the bitter roast and coffee offer a bracing finish. This beer is like eating a piece of coffee candy and a maple cookie at the same time, despite the aggressively bitter foundation. The finish is sweet yet dry.
Fruit esters come through on the flavor, with well-rounded plum and date flavors. Great milk chocolate and malt sweetness with slight toffee in the back. From start to finish, it rides the line between sweet and bitter roast, and no one flavor dominates—they start and finish together. Lots of warmth on the mouthfeel—it’s really amazing, creamy, and smooth as it carries the flavors.
Good roast malt and coffee up front, along with some Hershey’s chocolate, and nice accents of cinnamon and chile to add some welcome edges. It’s oaky and full of vanilla and coconut. The medium chile heat doesn’t linger but adds a spicy aftertaste. The body is medium-heavy, and the finish is overly roasted, almost ashy.
The coffee character carries through the beer leading to a dry chocolate finish. Intense coffee insanity continues, like a double shot of espresso poured over a melted Hershey kiss. The earthiness still lingers but it is much more mild than in the aroma.
Very smooth malt roast character. Malt sweetness of caramel, some toffee, slight vanilla, and coffee that rounds out the beer in the finish with a slight sweetness. Great chocolate profile and a nice balance of malty sweetness and delicious roast and coffee/dark chocolate character. A wonderfully sophisticated chocolate character that hides the booze well.
High hops flavor up front with bit citrus notes. Moderate chocolate with big roasty notes support the hops. Quite sweet up front. Sweetness slowly fades into a low bitterness. Toward the end, slight smoke note but big hops that continue into the aftertaste with a mix of roast. Dry, bitter hoppy finish. As it warms, the smoke turns into a burnt molasses note. Very fruity: passion fruit and pineapple. Finish is sweet and lingers. Rich chewy body that doesn’t come across as thick. Big pine and orange flavors from the hops. Chocolate from the malt gives it a chocolate orange flavor. The sweetness comes together with all the different bold flavors and finishes with a slightly dry finish.
The first sip offers the same coffee complexity, along with a light touch of tart acidity. As you sink into the coffee, the chocolate builds into a nice mocha wave before fading to leave the bitter tang of roast malt in the finish. Even though it’s so roasty, it’s smooth, not grainy. Good understated sweetness up front and a dry finish.
A surprisingly unique citrus and chocolate combination with a decent amount of roast added for good measure. Some nice barrel characteristics (vanilla), but they only enhance the wild show going on between whatever hops these brewers are using and the delicious chocolatiness they’ve developed.
‘Richness’ doesn’t begin to cover the luxurious flavors of this beer. It’s like drinking a dark cherry cordial, dipped in dark chocolate and soaked in bourbon, through a chocolate, vanilla, roasted coconut straw. A very rounded beer, with no one note dominating. Creamy. The oak adds great depth to this beer.
A wonderful blend of coffee and stout that helps you appreciate the difference between roast malt and coffee. This is clean coffee first, sweetened with caramel syrup and vanilla, with a pleasant roastiness that sneaks in near the finish and lasts. Alcohol is warming and a little spicy. The base beer has nice chocolate and toast character with vanilla from the barrel to sweeten things up a bit, then the coffee brings things together.
Tastes like a fresh brownie hot out of the oven with the same thick chewy vanilla and chocolate present in the aroma. It is creamy, with just enough carb to make everything pop. Strong coffee notes, moderate sharp roast, caramel sweetness, and oak tannins. Coconut and spicy alcohol round it out.
A very smooth, almost creamy feel enhances the chocolaty sweetness of this beer. A restrained roast lets the sweetness dominate, but it doesn’t come off as cloying. Some notes of coconut and vanilla from the barrel also help enhance the experience. The chocolate flavors range from milk sweetness to semisweet to dark bitter chocolate. Some coffee notes. Nice warmth in the end.
Very coffee, but more chocolate and roast from the beer come out, and the peanuts are more integrated with the malt. It’s sweet but not overly sweet. The alcohol helps balance as well as some hops bitterness. The finish is smooth.
The intensely delicious flavors promised in the aroma are delivered even better than expected in the taste. This is an Almond Joy—sweet toasted coconut and milk chocolate, oaked vanilla, alcohol, and a creamy, semisweet finish that turns to a dry, lingering, alcoholic finish.
Rich coffee and chocolate sweetness with a light coffee spiciness in the middle of the sip that quickly transitions into a tobacco, leathery character right before the finish. Moderate alcohol warming. Aftertaste is a smoky, chocolate campfire with a moderate sweetness.
The stout and coconut character are present, but definitely play second fiddle to the lime and rum. The level of chocolate and roast are confusing given the mouthfeel and appearance of the beer. As it warms up, the richness of the base beer shines through to provide some support to the brightness from the lime and rum.
A Mounds candy bar. Dark chocolate and roast paired with toasted coconut. Great balance of the adjuncts. Finish is sweet, as you would expect, but still relatively balanced given the other significant aspects of the beer. Nice warming alcoholic boozy note on the finish without coming across overly hot.
Spicy cinnamon up front with moderate chocolate and roast toward the end of the taste. Light clove spiciness as it starts to warm.
Surprisingly, the coconut comes first, with coffee trailing close behind. Then the rich sweetness brings up the rear: very big maple, pecan praline, dates, caramel, and rich toffee. Nice vanilla. Warming alcohol.
Raspberry and milk chocolate with some sweet dark cherry and clean roast. Rich and thick body with a fairly dry finish and a slight ethanol burn. Hops bitterness is there, but well hidden to just provide balance. Some lingering bitterness.
There’s no doubt that coffee is the main focus of this beer—it dominates that palate start to finish. If you’re able to peel away the coffee, there are some nice chocolate and cherry notes, with a heavy roasted malt presence and a bit of soy sauce. Hairy hops presence. Moderate paper and sherry oxidation, creamy body, and some dark fruit esters of dates and raisins. The 14 percent ABV is relatively under control. Well balanced, with the alcohol and sweetness riding out the bitter aftertaste.
Big chocolate, and the red grape and cherry sweetness hit right up front. Bright fruit, including plum, date, cherry, grape, and raisin. Malty notes of chocolate, caramel, coffee, and roast, with a little vanilla. The body is smooth, and there’s lots of intriguing complexity. Each sip introduces more flavor. Finishes with a chocolate sweetness and a medium alcohol hotness.
The flavor delivers the same rich coffee effect, with a stronger sense of vanilla and brown sugar. It’s roasty with a touch of acidity, and it’s sweet without being cloying. A very nice base stout with plenty of chocolate and vanilla character, brown sugar, cherry, and date. The chocolate malt and caramel remind me that this is a beer.
This is a chocolate-covered cherry with all the tannic goodness of a nice bourbon or whiskey. Moderate roast and smoke up front play nicely with light chocolate sweetness. Mild alcohol warming and light fruitiness, which includes cherry and raisins, and some nice vanilla and almond notes. As it warms, the light oak flavor emerges, adding a level of complexity. The mouthfeel is medium-thick, with a slight heat on the finish that’s just slightly roasty and rough.
The balance between coffee and roast was nicely done, with notes of roast, cappuccino, caramel, mocha, vanilla, and chocolate. A hint of papery oxidation in there from the roast. Some dark-fruit esters and sherry, which make up some alcohol warmth, and a light touch of piney hops fit in smoothly. The mouthfeel is nice and chewy, and right before the coffee really hits on the finish, a cherry ester pokes out to brighten the overall character of the beer.
The beer has a nice smoothness. The roast is present with some coffee and chocolate sweetness, as well as bourbon and some dark cherry notes. Hints of vanilla cream sweetness. The body is slightly light but expected at this strength. The beer finishes with some complexity of chocolate and vanilla and a slight dryness. It's not as sweet as the aroma would suggest. There are oak notes in the aftertaste.
Intense dark chocolate and cacao nibs up front, aggresive roasted bitterness coupled with hops bitterness. Espress-like roast is balanced by light vanilla sweetness and medium-full body. The finish is chocolaty and lightly astingent and alcoholic. Some burnt coffee flavor, with some sweet chocolate that comes through and a bit of citrusy hop character. Roasty finish leaves a pleasantly bitter aftertaste.
Caramel, almond, and oak showcase. The vanilla character is strong and carries through. Nice roasted notes of coffee and malt help keep it from being too sweet. Cherry and plum esters. Balanced, with a pleasant sweetness that lingers in the finish.
Roasty notes dominate the front, coming through as burnt coffee and espresso. Dark chocolate, reminiscent of unsweetened cocoa, followed by notes of vanilla and sweet tobacco. Slight oxidation comes through as leather or sherry, but not unwelcome. Finish is almost bitter from roast character.
Coffee notes of espresso and barrel notes of bourbon blend nicely up front, with a bit of caramel malt sweetness to support. Finish is a bit sweet with a slight coffee lingering note. Initial chocolaty sweetness fades quickly. Light earthy hops bitterness. Coffee character is faintly nutty and caramel-like. Very smooth. Boozy warmth in the finish adds to this beer.
Intense coffee/espresso notes with a wonderful chocolate character to round it out. A mild amount of barrel character, but the coffee is the star of this show. Caramel malt sweetness and subtle vanilla oak character come through, and the finish is mostly balanced—impeccably smooth without being cloying.
The ginger is stronger than the nose, but I still get the other Christmas spices in spades, along with vanilla. The roast malt grounds it with an earthy bitterness which emphasizes the perception of gingerbread. Mild cocoa and a hint of coconut with mild warming alcohol. Moderate coffee.
Rich, juicy, and chewy throughout with a strong umami profile indicative of being nicely aged. Complex blend of perceived earthy, salty, soy-sauce, vanilla, and coconut components. Some low level esters reside underneath, but are well blended. Finishes relatively dry with some contribution from the tannins likely. Some chocolate, slight coffee, and dark fruits are present.
Excellent blend of coffee, roasted malt, and chocolate. Moderate sweetness accentuated by the chocolate that fades into moderate bitterness from a mix of subtle resinous hops and dark malt. Alcohol warmth and a touch of caramel, figs, raisins, and spice.
Lots of chocolate and vanilla carry through from start to finish and are complex and full. Dark fruity notes/cherry esters. Roast and malt character add a good back to the malt sweetness with some good toasty/roast quality. The oak (almost like almond or toffee) adds complexity and shines well; it mellows out the edges. The bourbon and oak blend well, but don’t dominate. Nice warmth in the finish. Vanilla and caramel are in full force but not cloying or annoying. Hops bitterness is appropriately low to make room for the major wood. Alcohol is noticeable but smooth and dangerous.
Spicy cinnamon. Semisweet chocolate. Slight peppery spice/heat. Sweet maple. Spicy coffee. Vanilla and caramel barrel characteristics. Fairly viscous and mouth coating. Nice warming character from the barrel without being overly hot.
Very dark rich chocolate syrup. Chewy dark malt with an intense roast bitterness, but backed with a chocolate, caramel sweetness to balance. Luscious, rich, and tongue-coating, with a pleasant warming booziness on the swallow. Some barrel spiciness comes through at the end to cut the sweetness a bit. The barrel adds a hazelnut, toasted marshmallow, vanilla, and caramel character.
Very mole. The cinnamon is big, with lighter cocoa, paired with caramel and chocolate malt. Rich, complex spicy blend of the standard Mexican chocolate players. Moderately strong alcohol contributes complementary spicy notes and warmth—it’s definitely a sipper. Some sweet dark fruits, possibly plums and dates. The carbonation makes the spice pop just enough without being harsh, and the dryness from the roast makes you want another sip.
Big sweetness, with moderate caramel and apple (like caramel apples), brown sugar, dark fruit (plum, prune, raisin), and a sweetness that carries through to the finish. The body is creamy and sweet and balances well with the faint smoke character.
Slight brightness up front, that has a touch of citrus that verges on sour—lime, perhaps? More fruity notes of pear, apple, white raisin, Riesling, dark cherry, and plum. Some malty sweetness of chocolate and caramel, with vanilla and a little oak—the bourbon comes through and adds so much to this beer. Mouth-filling carbonation and a luscious mouthfeel.
Huge bourbon up front, followed by strong malt sweetness of caramel, molasses, and heavy chocolate. A touch of maple syrup, coffee, spice, vanilla, and light oak tannins as well, with some heavy dark fruits of plum, cherry, and raisin. The whiskey alcohol warming is pleasant, with just a touch of alcohol burn, and a light licorice sweetness.
Huge chocolaty flavors, coupled with a unique citrus hops character, give it a chocolate orange note that works well with the rich nature of this beer. There’s some roast and toasted marshmallow in there, whiskey, umami notes, and dark cherry esters. The body is thick and chewy and almost viscous, but there’s enough heat and roast bitterness for balance.
Assertive alcohol up front continues throughout the sip in a big and inviting way. Very intense raisin and plum charge the taste buds. Chocolate and roast sit in the background, with a touch of tobacco, strong oak tannins, light vanilla, and malt sweetness. Oak and bourbon come through, along with some oak tannins. Light acidity and a hint of vinegar balance the sweetness. It’s full-bodied and chewy.
Intense barrel flavors, with strong vanilla, coconut, bourbon, and light roasted almond. The beer has heft but doesn’t sit too heavily on the tongue. Really nice creaminess rounds it out. Very complex beer with a lingering malt character of chocolate and rum.
Rich, sweet dark chocolate with cherry and vanilla throughout. Notes of caramel, brown sugar, and dark roast bring out some malted-milk ball flavors. Plenty of vanilla and oak and oak tannins, with a delicate finish of tobacco. The body is quite sweet, but dries out on the finish. This is a very big stout.
Rich and full bodied—what an explosion of flavor! It’s very sweet but the alcohol dries out the finish nicely. Everything the nose promised is here: malt complexity, warmth, and fine aging. Roast quality meshes well with the other malt flavors and the raisin/dried fruit richness is welcome. High in alcohol for sure, but the higher alcohol meshes well with the malt and it seems well aged.
Lots of vanilla and bourbon with a very pleasant chocolate character to support. Malt sweetness comes through as caramel and toffee. Subtle chicory roast and red wine vinegar. Burnt sugar and vanilla wood is so nice! Some nutty and coconut flavors, plus sweet dark fruit.
Roasted dry malt character. Very slight wild Brett character but nothing obvious or offensive. Complex wood makes an otherwise simple base very intriguing. Incredibly rich, full bodied. Cherry, fig, tobacco, alcohol, black patent. Finishes oaky, dry, and well balanced for such as huge beer.
Big bourbon notes with vanilla plus huge oaky tannins, chocolate, and caramel. Yeast character is subdued and clean. Hops are hiding in the wings. Tastes like Grandpa’s tobacco pipe smells—warm, comforting, and timeless. Definite bourbon and vanilla sweetness and oak character.
Beautiful blend of smooth espresso coffee, bittersweet and dark chocolate, and most of all, delicious vanilla and bourbon oak flavors. The chocolate is complex, sweet, and dry. Vanilla-and-oak character blends well with the great coffee-and-bourbon character of this beer.
Very bold, strong coffee flavor. Sweet malt profile, hints of vanilla, complex chocolate, slight spiciness, and earthiness. The sweetness is balanced well with the coffee roast and roast malt character. Finishes full-bodied and chocolaty. Nice warmth and smoothness for the size of this beer. A perfect blend of roast maltiness, malty chocolate notes, and intense espresso character.
Rich chocolate and coffee flavors dance on the tongue, hitting all flavor centers. Medium barrel characters do emerge above the chocolate/coffee copulation, but the complex malt profile is the feature. Caramel and coffee are intricately bound with oak tannins to create this gorgeous palette of flavors. Finish is spicy, earthy, and sweet.
Rich sweetness, chocolate, vanilla, coffee, slight soy sauce. Complex mocha/caramel/roast malt, esters, and smooth warming alcohol (spicy) set up a perfect storm of richness. Big dark fruits (cherry, blueberry, blackberry, currant, raspberry) and bright acidity. This is a rich mouthful.
Juicy, chewy, and rich. Huge dark chocolate notes dominate, but they are cut by vanilla sweetness and oak tannins to add a nice complexity. Some background coconut from the barrel but also a nice fruitiness that lends a roundness. The roast isn’t overly bitter, but still prominent.
So many layers to the malt bill and barrel character that unfold over time...mocha on steroids leads to some vanilla and cherry which then lead to more chocolate and alcoholic heat...Crazy complex. Big caramel, moderate sweetness, touch of hops bitterness, moderately creamy. Cool nutty element with hints of pecan and almond.
Notes of dried plums, apricots, cinnamon, chiles. The balance is spot on. The roast base helps balance the sweetness and chocolate, and the barrel brings things together with deep toffee flavor.
Fairly sweet up front. Starts with caramel and dark dried cherries with a lingering roastiness that balances with the strong alcohol character nicely. Finish is warming but not overwhelmingly hot. The whiskey character adds complexity but isn’t overwhelming.
Sweetness is present up front, with burned roastiness and some dark fruits (raisin and plums) that follow. It’s a beautiful blend of chocolate, vanilla, coconut, roast, dark cherry, and molasses, with light coffee notes that add complexity. A nice blend of a bourbon-barrel character, with spice and booziness.