Widowmaker Boubron Barrel Aged ComRAD

The Stats
Style: Imperial Stout
ABV: 11.6%
Current Ratings...
- Untappd: 4.31/5
- Beer Advocate: N/A
- RateBeer: N/A

BREWER'S DESCRIPTION
"As we culminate our first year at our brewery, we offer you this warm, big, textured Russian Imperial Stout aged in Buffalo Trace Bourbon Barrels. A play on our Donut Shop utilizing additional hops, Belgian Candi syrup, lactose and of course coffee, we could not be more pleased with the results! Cold Brewed by Widowmaker Brewing, using roasted beans from Red Eye Coffee Roasters: 3 Otis Street in Hingham MA"

APPEARANCE
Pours pitch black with just the slightest ruby red on the edges with less than a finger of almond-colored head.

AROMA
The aroma is dominated by sweet, sticky bourbon. It is almost sugary sweet with maybe notes of caramel and toffee. A bitter, dark coffee smell is also just as big, but then there's also big cherry and dark chocolate. Additionally, I'm picking up a small bit of tobacco and some boozyness is definitely present.

TASTE
Not surprisingly, the bourbon is first and foremost and it is followed by that caramel and sugary sweetness from the aroma. I get almost a molasses and tree sap flavor from this with a small influence from the wood from the barrel. As it warms, fluffy milk chocolate emerges for some relief from the darker, more bitter flavors, but it still keeps in line with the overall confectionery theme this one has going on. If you can get past the sweeter moments, you'll find some smoke and char from the barrel and maybe even a little black licorice or anise. I must say that this doesn't have a burning, alcohol taste, but it is considerably boozy and that often is the exclamation point on each sip.

MOUTHFEEL
The body is thick enough to be called an Imperial Stout, but I can't help but feel it should be much more thicker and viscous for an 11.6 % BA beer. Still, it meets the requirements. As I said before, booze is noticeable, but it doesn't do enough damage to ruin the beer. It's a sipper for sure, and would come in handy as these nights in New England start to get colder.

OVERALL
BA ComRAD is a flawed, but satisfying Imperial Stout. It hits all the items on the checklist of what you are looking for in a bourbon barrel aged beer, but I personally feel the booze was a bit too prominent. It's not without its imperfections, but as a big, warming beer with good barrel character, it's mighty fine in my book.

Rating
7.9/10

Trillium & J. Wakefield Tiramisu

The Stats
Style: Imperial Stout
ABV: 10.6%
Current Ratings...
- Untappd: 4.45/5
- Beer Advocate: 4.51/5
- RateBeer: 3.7/5

"We teamed up with Miami's J. Wakefield Brewing to create another Italian dessert inspired decadent stout! This time we captured elements of Tiramisu in this Imperial Stout with five hundred pounds of Lady Fingers from Salem, Massachusetts based AJs Bakery, Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Beans, Brown Sugar, and coffee from Mostra & Barrington. Tiramisu leads with powerful aromas of deeply roasted coffee, rich dark chocolate, vanilla, and a backbone of freshly baked cake and subtle caramelized brown sugar. The palate continues with more dark chocolate, vanilla, brownie batter, and heavy, creamy coffee. A thick, viscous, latte-like mouthfeel leaves a coating on the glass and lingering, satisfying sweetness in the mouth"

Pours out and sits pitch black. The photo doesn't show it, but it had over two fingers of dark brown, volcanic head. The head actually disappeared in seconds much like soda.

On the aroma, I am immediately hit with fresh coffee beans and something similar to peanuts. Vanilla cookies ("Nilla Wafers) with very subtle bourbon heat also come to play. I'm imagining a fresh bundt cake covered in vanilla frosting.

The taste is a bit more aggressive with the bitter coffee notes, but at the same time, it is (not surprisingly) very sweet with the bourbon vanilla beans. When combined, they form the tag team Coffee Liqueur who are undefeated with 14 successful title defenses and 89 cage matches to their credit. So, yeah, pretty strong I'd say. Back to reality (oh, there goes gravity), it has a similar taste to a Black Russian with the vanilla beans almost pushing it into White Russian territory. Fresh cake, I keep going back to fresh, crumbly, Angel Food cake, but it is topped with Kahlua. I think that's the best way I can sum this one up: Cookies, cake, coffee liqueur. Oh, maybe even some honey sweetness and some molasses and maple syrup too.

Mouthfeel is thick and viscous like a 10% stout ought to be. I mentioned some boozy heat, but it is ok in this case. Despite being a big beast of a dessert stout, I am having no issue getting through the 750ml bottle.

Tiramisu was another great collaboration between these two breweries. As compared to the other Wilfred Brimley stout pushed out by Trillium, I found this one to have less cloying sweetness and a bit more complexity with it's flavor profile. I wish I had more bottles...I guess with this one gone, I really Tira-miss-U!

No, please come back. I promise no more puns!

Rating
9.2/10

Barreled Souls Stay Puft

The Stats
Style: Imperial Stout
ABV: 10.9%
Current Ratings...
- Untappd: 4.27/5
- Beer Advocate: 4.37/5
- RateBeer: 3.53/5

"An Imperial Stout made with marshmallow Fluff. Chocolate, cotton candy, and vanilla aromatics with flavors of marshmallow and dark chocolate."

So last December, I made an attempt to drive two hours north to Saco, ME for the Barreled Souls Stay Puft release. On a prior trip the year before, I visited the brewery on a Friday night and just casually walked in and saw they had the Barrel Aged version in bottles for purchase. Now, I applied this logic to this past December and figured that I could do the same for a Saturday release. I hypothesized that since the BA version lasted a few days, then the base beer would easily survive a few hours after opening this time around.

As I made the turn off of I-195 and onto U.S. Route 1, I was patting myself on the back for "outsmarting" everyone and getting to the brewery a full 20 minutes early in order to guarantee my allotment. I soon neared my destination and saw that beautiful wooden sign beckoning to me. It was at this moment that my admiration for my own advanced thinking was surpassed only by my utter astonishment at how poorly I had completely underestimated the hype.

Oh yes, packed into a relatively small parking lot fit for most insurance agencies were almost 100 of New England's finest beer enthusiasts waiting to suckle at the marshmallow teet known as Stay Puft and Peanut Butter Stay Puft. I swallowed what was left of my pride, found a spot half taken up by a snow bank, and got in line. Needless to say, I was about still 60ish deep even 20 minutes after opening when they announced the bottles were gone. Still, I got my pours and spent the rest of the day exploring the beer scene in the Pine Tree State.

Due to the unexpected demand, Barreled Souls announced they'd do another release and on a bigger scale. Upon hearing this, you bet your sweet ass I was going to guaran-damn-tee I would be left holding more than just my dick in my hand on this release day. So again, I made the drive one Saturday morning to the brewery and made sure I got there early enough to set myself up for success.

Luckily I was victorious this time around and walked away with this elusive beauty. After all the heartache and hype, what will I think of Stay Puft?

Pours out jet black and has some ruby red hues when held up to the light. A solid finger of dark brown head sits on top like the proverbial cherry on a sundae.

No surprises on the aroma as marshmallow inundates (what's with the $2 words?) my nostrils with a  vanilla and Fluff bomb. A nice helping of dark chocolate syrup and muted graham cracker notes bring the s'mores dream to life. I also get a fruity, cherry flavor too. Maybe this has some Russian Imperial Stout qualities to it, but I can see where the candy aromas are coming from on this one. As it warms, brown sugar, some toasted coconut, wood, and more of those fruity notes (now more strawberry) come to the front of the line. It is a decadent-smelling beer.

The taste is a little muted when compared to the flavors from the aroma, but they all still answer role call during 1st period History...

VOICE IN MY HEAD: You doin' ok?

...The Marshmallow Fluff is clearly the intended star and it has found a cozy spot on each one of my taste buds. There is some booze on the taste and it is a slight tick above "noticeable", but I'll allow it (Mills Lane voice) with a nearly 11% stout. Dark chocolate-covered cherries come at me next and make for a nice, romantic evening in my mouth. Some leftover oak and wood from the aroma pick up near the middle and even some tobacco and char come in for good measure. The back end come in with a refined alcohol taste and some moments of dark fruits, but the alcohol seems a bit too strong for my liking here, especially on the finish.

Mouthfeel is full and fluffy. Again, alcohol presence isn't shy, but I can power past it and forgive all sins. Being a big beer with boozy tendencies makes it a sipper, but the marshmallow and chocolate flavors are able to keep it in the dessert beer category.

Stay Puft has an intoxicating aroma and a flavor profile with solid dessert stout qualities and the alcohol to match. The s'mores experience was faithfully recreated, but I do wish the alcohol was dialed back a bit in order to have the taste match the aroma. Still, it's a dessert stout worthy of an after dinner indulgence.

Rating
8.6/10

Trillium & The Veil Macaroon

The Stats
Style: Imperial Stout
ABV: 12.3%
Current Ratings...
- Untappd: N/A
- Beer Advocate: N/A
- RateBeer: N/A

"We teamed up with our friends at The Veil Brewing Co. to brew the latest iteration of our dessert stout line: Macaroon, inspired by the delicious coconut pastry of the same name.

Macaroon presents an inky, opaque black and leads with a rich, wafting nose of coconut, chocolate milk, hazelnut, and marzipan. A thick, creamy mouthfeel is complemented by flavors of Mounds bars, powdered chocolate milk, and a chocolatey hazelnut. Macaroon is decadent, rich and drinkable."

Pours pitch black with light brown edges. The pour produced less than half a finger of brown head that disappeared instantly. There was noticeable sediment (I assume shredded coconut?) sitting on top and it left a film on the glass much like the lacing of the head would.

The coconut is here on the aroma, but it more subdued than I was expecting. Dark fruits and cherries are also noticeable as well as dark chocolate syrup and some vanilla extract. The brown sugar pops more here than the coconut does and there's even some cinnamon sugar to boot.

The taste really is an ideal playground for diabetes. It's a sugar overload, but it isn't enough over the line to make the beer too difficult to approach. It starts off with the promised coconut and a nutty flavor too. Some subtle cherries and bitter dark chocolate follow suit with hints of dark roast coffee. Incredibly sweet molasses and even some moments of soy sauce start coming into play with maybe some maple. Hints of plums and other dark fruits are also here, but they take a back seat to the sugary sweetness. I don't know, I think this one might be too sweet for me.

Mouthfeel is thick and mouth-coating at every turn. The 12% is nowhere to be found, so, props for that. This leaves the mouth sticky which causes a lip-smacking sensation after each sip.

Macaroon might be too sweet for its own good. It's so sugary that I think it overpowers the natural flavors of the coconut and the brown sugar. Hey, I love a Wilfred Brimley stout as much as the next person, but this one just didn't hit the mark for me. Sorry.

Rating
7.7/10

SoMe Brewing Big Whoop (2017 Vintage)

The Stats
Style: Imperial Stout
ABV: 9.1%
Current Ratings...
- Untappd: 4.05/5
- Beer Advocate: 4.18/5
- RateBeer: 3.56/5

"Imperial Whoopie Pie Stout aged 3 months in Jim Beam barrels."

Pours out and sits pitch black in the glass. The pour produced a finger of frothy, mocha-colored haead.

The aroma is thick and full (if that makes sense). Lots of bourbon and chocolate up front. Some subtle vanilla sweetness and a good kick of oak. It's only when I take a big whiff does this marshmallow and malomar sensation come through. It's sweet with some nostril-warming booze. Smells great.

The taste is very chocolatey, almost overpoweringly so. My initial impression is a melted chocolate bar, but not so rich that it is a sugar overload. The bourbon is next and it is sweet with a boozy sensation that is luckily not a deterrent. Strong vanilla notes with some cherries add depth and then some barrel character of wood, tobacco, and some char kick things up a notch. As it warms, marshmallow fluff, some maple syrup, and some hollow milk chocolate (think 3 Musketeers) emerge to add even more dessert feelings to this beer. The back end is punctuated with dark fruits and some more of that refined booze.

Mouthfeel is thick, soft, and fluffy. The booze plays a role, but it is not a negative here. That body is so soft and smooth and despite a full, thick feel, it doesn't weight down the palate at any time.

Big Whoop was a big hit. I haven't reviewed the base Whoopie Pie Stout, but having had that several times, I can't believe these two beers are cut from the same cloth. The base beer is lacking in promised ingredients, but this beast is a work of dessert art. A chocolate and vanilla boom with big barrel character, Big Whoop delivers a BA dessert stout without giving you diabetes. Seven thumbs up!

Rating
9.2/10

Trillium Color & Grain (5th Anniversary Beer)

The Stats
Style: Imperial Stout
ABV: 10.8%
Current Ratings...
- Untappd: 4.3/5
- Beer Advocate: 4.41/5
- RateBeer: N/A

"We drew our inspiration from wood for this year's anniversary beer, its natural beauty as well as its building and lasting strength, provides layers in the depth of character in a concentric annual growth cycle. Color & Grain Imperial Stout Aged on Oak & Chocolate serves as an apt representation of our continued growth at our five year milestone."

Pours out pitch black with just a faint hue of ruby red on the edges. It poured to a finger of tan head with spots of dark brown.

Wow, now that's a decadent aroma! It smells like liquid Whoppers and I definitely agree with the malted milk balls description. The chocolate is not subtle by any stretch of the imagination as it is incredibly rich and very reminiscent of Hersehy's syrup and is even fluffy like a 3 Musketeer's Bar. At the same time, the oak is just as absurdly huge with a big smoke component and lots of char. Load a pipe up with tobacco and chocolate and that's what you get from the nose. More dessert-like notes of vanilla and even some fresh coffee just add to the goodness. Can I keep going? How about some cocoa powder and even some deep down dark fruits? It's one of the best smelling beers in recent memory.

The taste gives off new flavors that weren't present on the aroma, and that is quite the feat. Huge amounts of black licorice and cherries start things off on the right foot, but now there's also a bitter, dark chocolate to add to the mix. The initial impression is a liquefied cherry cordial, and that's something your lover deserves on Valentine's Day. The star of the show is chocolate, chocolate, chocolate. Randy and Mandy would be proud (two points for that reference). The Hershey syrup taste and feel is still here in full force and it just so incredibly rich like a well-made mousse. The barrel is kicking in flavors of tobacco, char, and wood. I'm getting some subtle graham cracker and toasted coconut to add to the complexity. Want more? Notes of caramel, toffee, and vanilla make for even more of a dessert beer than this already was and then there's a solid roasted malt flavor with some dark roast coffee. A minor nutty flavor also comes in as this warms and gives off a peanut butter vibe and then there's some subtle maple too. The finish has hints of piney hop bitterness. This is a mind bottling experience.

Mouthfeel is thick, viscous, and coats every inch of my mouth on each sip. What's surprising is that this isn't cloying at all and that 10.8% is shockingly well-hidden. It's a sipper for sure thanks to it's abv and amount of flavor, but it is worth the long journey.

Would you classify this as a Chocolate Stout, or a stout with chocolate? I'll let the style fanatics argue that, but what I do know is that this is not just an elite dessert beer, but an elite above elite Imperial Stout. This is as complex as an oak-aged stout can get, and for such a decadent beer, it isn't too sweet or cloying. The flavors are in near perfect balance. I thought the chocolate would be a subtle addition, but it turned out to be the biggest component of the entire experience. When you take the Imperial Chocolate Stout and then add in oak-aging, the additional flavors imparted by the barrel turn it into an overload for the senses.

Rating
9.9/10

Off Color Coffee Dino S'mores

The Stats
Style: Imperial Stout
ABV: 10.5%
Current Ratings...
- Untappd: 4.21/5
- Beer Advocate: 4.22/5
- RateBeer: 3.78/5

"Every year we team up with a different roaster to make new friends and see how different roasters and small businesses operate. We couldn't be more excited to be working with Passion House Coffee Roastersthis year. During cupping, we fell in love with two different coffees and how they both added something unique. So we blended them. The first bean, an heirloom varietal hailing from the Sidamo region in Ethiopia, provides floral notes and citrusy acidity.  The second bean, a mix of Bourbon and Catuai varietals from a microlot in the La Paz region of Honduras, gives a chocolatey sweetness and heavy body to the coffee....Then, we made an imperial stout with graham flour, marshmallow fluff, vanilla, and cocoa nibs with Amager and West Lakeview Liquors. "

Looks black in the glass, but it was the darkest shade of ruby red when I put a light behind it. I got less than a finger of light brown head.

Coffee on the aroma is not as big as I had anticipated as it yields a subtle, but deeply roasted character. The base beer is still here with dark chocolate syrup and vanilla. It smells like a Mallomar with trace amounts of coffee.

The taste produces a lot more coffee than the nose. It doesn't overpower the base beer and instead it adds a fresh roast taste with subtle pine and citrus. As for that base beer, more dark chocolate syrup is back from the taste and the vanilla, while present, is faded. Bitter coffee grounds and roasted malts emerge as this warms with dark fruits and maybe the smallest amount of marshmallow fluff. The big s'more flavors from the standard Dino S'mores are muted.

Mouthfeel is smooth with practically no carbonation. Bitterness sticks around after each sip, but the dessert flavors are surprisingly not cloying. Alcohol is nowhere to be found.

I was expecting for Dino S'mores plus coffee, but this was coffee plus Dino S'mores. Unfortunately the coffee itself isn't even that intense and the base beer seems to be missing in action. As a standard imperial stout it had black licorice and dark fruit notes, but as a big dessert and coffee beer it didn't come through all that well.

Rating
7.9/10

Night Shift Coffee Darkling

The Stats
Style: Imperial Stout
ABV: 11.8%
Current Ratings...
- Untappd: 4.21/5
- Beer Advocate: 4.2/5
- RateBeer: N/A

"To create Darkling 2017 we filled both bourbon and rye whiskey barrels with our imperial stout, then set them away to age. Once the barrels had imparted their oak character, we blended them and prepared some special treat - Coffee Darkling aged with coffee beans"

Sits pitch black in the glass with just the smallest bit of ruby red on the edges. The pour produced less than a finger of khaki-colored head.

The coffee is nice and fresh on the aroma and there's a lot of sweetness from the bourbon. I'm getting a strong black cherry and dark fruit aroma to this along with molasses, black licorice, leather, brown sugar, and a touch of vanilla extract.

Surprisingly, the dark fruit presence from the aroma is the biggest component on the taste. Raisins, cherries, and figs remind me of a solid Quadrupel, but this is still a massive imperial stout at its core. The coffee is still well-represented and it is more of a bitterless cold-brew than anything else. The bourbon is still a big player with it's sticky, sweet taste that is coating every inch of my tongue with a tiny bit of residual alcohol to boot. As it warms, a significant roasted malt presence really starts to pop. The back end has a surprising amount of bitterness which lingers long after each sip has gone away. A little touch of additional coffee comes in on the finish with a small vanilla kick.

Mouthfeel is as full as it should be. I distinctly remember the standard Darkling having one of the thickest mouthfeels of any beer I have ever had. While this is perfectly to spec for the stlye, this does not match the viscosity of that beer. Alcohol is subdued for the most part with some residual flavor as mentioned before on the taste. Take this one slowly as it will knock you on your ass.

Coffee Darkling did have a good amount of coffee, but it wasn't as big as I expected. Still, the added coffee beans helped enhance the natural coffee notes of the base stout. Bourbon presence was sticky and sweet, but rye whiskey seemed to be absent. All that being said, as a barrel-aged coffee stout, this was a stellar offering well worth several hours of imbibing on during a cold winter night.

Rating
9.0/10

New Holland Dragon's Milk Reserve: Salted Caramel

The Stats
Style: Imperial Stout
ABV: 11%
Current Ratings...
- Untappd: 4.23/5
- Beer Advocate: 4.19/5
- RateBeer: 3.89/5

"Dragon’s Milk Reserve Salted Caramel is the ultimate liquid indulgence. Smooth and creamy with notes of sweet vanilla and caramel sugar"

Typical stout appearance with a black body and ruby red edges. I got less than a finger of light brown head.

That caramel is right there on the aroma. It is most definitely sugary and reminds me of the thick, gooey, inside of a decadent chocolate bar. There is a minor salt aroma, but it zaps in and out kind of like when your tongue hits something salty and you wince up and make the pucker face. Behind that is a strong, bitter chocolate smell. This reminds me of a Caramello candy bar. This is a dessert beer first and foremost as barrel character is lacking except for some oak a bit of bourbon sweetness.

Like the nose, the caramel takes control on the taste. Chocolate is just as big here, and again, makes for a sugary, caramel-filled candy bar. This isn't just a one-trick pony, though. I'm getting a lot of cherries here which reminds me of great Russian Imperials and I do detect some roasty notes hidden deep down. Some vanilla flavor from the barrel is also here, but like the nose, bourbon is almost lacking completely but the residual, sticky sweetness is what is left behind. There's even hints of black licorice, anise, and some molasses too. A bitter aftertaste lingers nicely.

Mouthfeel is full with perfect viscosity. There is no alcohol taste at all and not even warming on each sip. With so many sweet flavors you'd think this might be too sugary to enjoy, but this actually drinks smoothly and is ideal for dessert.

While the bourbon barrel influence may have been missing for the most part, the Salted Caramel Reserve succeeds as a well-balanced dessert stout. I was hesitant going into this as the caramel aspect worried me a bit, but I was not only relieved, but delighted a the final result. This easily could have been an overly sugary stout that required an insulin shot after consuming, but the caramel, chocolate, vanilla, etc balanced out and left a dessert beer without the cloying sweetness.

Rating
8.8/10

Check out the review for the standard New Holland Dragon's Milk which made my Top 10 of 2017!

Trillium and J. Wakefield Brewing Affogato

The Stats
Style: Imperial Stout
ABV: 13.3%
Current Ratings...
- Untappd: 4.54/5
- Beer Advocate: 4.52/5
- RateBeer: 4.02/5

"In collaboration with J. Wakefield Brewing, Affogato Imperial Stout is inspired by a few of our brewers’ favorite summertime pick-me-up (& cool-me-down) Barrington’s affogato. Our Affogato Imperial Stout is delectable, decadent, and smooth. Brewed with a blend of Barrington & Mostra beans, Affogato leads with aromas reminiscent of Vietnamese Iced Coffee (cà phê đá) - powerful course ground dark roast coffee poured over sweetened condensed milk & ice. Flavors of dark espresso, tiramisu, sweet chocolate cake, and smooth vanilla swirl across the palate. Rich flavor & a dark, inviting appearance, Affogato Imperial Stout is our answer to a sweet summertime treat."

Pours like a typical imperial stout with a pitch black body and brown on the edges. Not much head was generated on the pour (13%), but what was there was light brown and disappeared quickly.

The base stout is letting off aromas of dark chocolate and they are mixing in beautifully with this rich coffee. I also pick up sugary caramel and a dollop of vanilla. Rich lactose sugar also runs wild with creamy iced coffee and almost a nutty, hazelnut (or even peanut butter) quality.

As expected, the taste is sweet, sticky, and sugary. Putting the obvious aside, this is a decadent dessert beer. Despite not being made with chocolate, the rich, dark, fudgy chocolate flavors are exploding on the taste. It's kind of like brownie batter, but more bitter in flavor. Next on the list is the vanilla. which is assisted by the lactose sugar to produce almost a muddled sugar taste which leaves residual flavors on my tongue with each sip. More of that caramel is here along with butterscotch candy. The warmer it gets, I get more fluffy milk chocolate. Deep in the back, the base beer lets off dark roasted malts and the smallest amount of black cherries.

Mouthfeel is silky and calm. Carbonation is non-existent, and as previously mentioned, this one sticks to everything. I do think at times the sugary sweetness can be a bit much, so some carbonation would have helped to move this along, but it's not a big enough of a disturbance to ruin my day. The alcohol is nowhere to be found. I don't even get the slightest hint of warming which is impressive.

Affogato was similar to Trillium's Trillbomb in the sense that this might require a diabetes test after consumption, but the end result was a stellar beer. While the base Imperial Stout is only partially noticeable, this dessert beer was rich, sweet, and complex. Coffee lovers, vanilla lovers, chocolate lovers, and anyone else can all unite as Affogato hits all the right notes. Who knows, maybe they'll make a barrel aged version one day...oh wait...they did! Is that foreshadowing? Well, you'll just have to tune in for future reviews to find out...*evil laugh*

Rating
9.1/10

Lefty's Brewing Company Big Brekkie Stout

The Stats
Style: Imperial Stout
ABV: 8.5%
Current Ratings...
- Untappd: 3.84/5
- Beer Advocate: 3.8/5
- RateBeer: 3.24/5

"Lefty’s Big Brekkie packs in a quintet of delicious ingredients woven together to amuse the taste buds. Locally roasted coffee and local maple syrup add the necessary touch of a traditional New England breakfast. We include flaked oats for extra creaminess and cocoa nibs for a natural, chocolaty sweetness that lures you in from the aroma to the end of your pint. We had to top it off with bacon, our favorite food, for the ultimate breakfast brew."

Poured out dark brown, but sits black in the glass with brown edges and a finger of almond-colored head.

The aroma is subtle with the ingredients, but it still gives off a good amount of coffee and the maple isn't too sugary for its own good. The salty bacon is noticeable and adds a good amount of smoke. Chocolate is hard to come by, but the faintest bit of bitter dark chocolate can be found.

I'm not sure how to comment on the taste. While there is nothing repulsive or bad-tasting about this, it is shockingly lacking on the promised ingredients. It is hefty on the roast, but not coffee roast. Deeply roasted malts with some of that smoke from the aroma are the ghostly remains of the aroma. A slight coffee bitterness is noticeable as it gets warmer, but that's pretty much it for the breakfast stout characteristics. That being said, as a basic oatmeal stout (It's a stout brewed with oatmeal, I'm calling it an Oatmeal Stout), the base beer is quite delectable. I don't get maple, but it's more of a molasses tinge and it creates a sweet experience throughout. Multi-grain bread and nuttiness appear at the peak of the flavor profile with even some dark fruits for good measure.

Mouthfeel is smooth, soft, and creamy. It gives your tongue a hug on each sip. Alcohol is neither here nor there and this is easy to slug down for 8.5%.

While Big Brekkie Stout didn't successfully cash in the Money in the Bank contract of breakfast stouts, it worked beautifully as a standard Oatmeal Stout. Was that the goal? No, but you can't argue with a good-tasting beer when it's given to you. It obviously would have been nice to have an explosion of chocolate, coffee, bacon, and maple, but hey, what was in the can was still a tasty brew.

Rating
8.0/10

New Glory Batter Up

The Stats
Style: Imperial Stout
ABV: 9.0%
Current Ratings...
- Untappd: 4.2/5
- Beer Advocate: 4.49/5 (three ratings)
- RateBeer: N/A

"Imperial Stout brewed with cacao powder, lactose, vanilla beans, cacao nibs, and toasted coconut."

Typical stout appearance with a black body, brown edges, and barely a finger of almond-colored head.

The aroma is more roasty than anything else with a big malt presence and coffee grounds. A tiny bit of vanilla is noticeable and so is some lactose, but they are not heavy hitters. Some dark fruit and cherry character is here, but the cocoa is surprisingly absent. No coconut to be had either.

The taste is pretty much a carbon copy of the nose.  As far as I know this was not made with coffee, but the significant roasted presence and roasted malts give me that aforementioned burnt coffee ground taste with a bit of a smokey quality too. The taste does yield some surprising sweetness with vanilla extract and more of that lactose sugar. A sticky molasses flavor emerges on the transition and then signs of coconut come in the form of a subtle toasted flavor, but that's about it. A bit more vanilla on the finish, but nothing too crazy.

Mouthfeel is smooth and creamy, which maybe is where the coconut was its biggest contribution. The body does come up a tad thin for a 10% Imperial, but I won't call it watered down. The alcohol itself is nowhere to be found.

Batter Up promised a German Chocolate Imperial Stout, but it was a can of roasted malts. Granted, some of the promised ingredients were here, but nothing popped as much as it should have. It works nicely as a sipper, but as a flavored, dessert stout, it didn't come through in the clutch.

Rating
7.9/10

Southern Tier Thick Mint

The Stats
Style: Imperial Stout
ABV: 10%
Current Ratings...
- Untappd: 4.01/5
- Beer Advocate: 4.14/5
- RateBeer: 3.84/5

"Inspired by the legendary cookie, Thick Mint joins our world-class rated Blackwater Series of dessert beers alongside Crème Brûlée, Choklat Oranj, Salted Caramel & Choklat in 2017. This imperial stout is a mouthful of perfectly balanced mint & chocolate. Roasty malts coalesce with notes of Belgian dark chocolate, sweet mint & just a touch of sweet caramel. So decadently delicious, you’ll wish you’d bought another box… er, bottle."

Sits pitch black in the glass with ruby red edges and less than half a finger of tan head.

It smells like Andes chocolate mints. Dark chocolate syrup and a stinging mint sensation. It's more of a Peppermint Pattie than a Girl Scout Thin Mint. I'm not picking up any roasted character with this, but I don't think that was the goal here. Some minor alcohol is noticeable.

Well, you get what you pay for on the taste. As promised, this is a liquid Thin Mint cookie which produces genuine chocolate taste and a ton of mint. I know mint-flavored anything is an acquired taste, but the die hard fans will love this one. Other than the chocolate and mint, there really isn't a whole lot going on here. I think this may have forgotten it was 10% stout as, like the nose, there isn't a lot of flavors that is associated with the style. No malts, roast, coffee, etc, but the end result is liquid dessert, so you can't really knock it.

Mouthfeel isn't the thickest stout, but it still has a robust body that is never thin. For such a big dessert beer, it finishes relatively clean and leaves no residual flavors behind. The body is smooth in texture and there's no alcohol burn.

Thick Mint, while not staying 100% true to it's style, is a dessert beer at its core. It might be one-dimensional, but as a lover of mint chocolate everything, I enjoyed this one a lot.

Rating
8.1/10

Night Shift Dynasty

The Stats
Style: Imperial Stout
ABV: 11.5%
Current Ratings...
- Untappd: 4.09/5
- Beer Advocate: 4.22/5
- RateBeer: N/A

"Our imperial stout has arrived to reign over the New England winter! Dynasty is a massive, rich beer - the perfect can for a beer share, a tailgate, or an after-dinner treat. Notes of dark fruit and baker's chocolate cascade over the palate with a backbone of roast and molasses. At 11.5% ABV, Dynasty has some serious power."

Pours pitch black with no hint of brown or ruby red. I got a solid finger of almond-colored head.

Strong aromas of black coffee, black licorice, and leather come forth with attitude. Bitter dark chocolate, milk chocolate, roasted malts, and even hints of pine bring the aroma to a conclusion.

Much like the aroma, the biggest players here on the taste are again the black coffee and black licorice. The initial impact is a thud of sweetness with hints of cherries, but dark chocolate bitterness and coffee grounds wash that clean away. As an accent to the bitter flavors, some citrus starts to emerge and helps fend off some of the more bitter times. The back half has moments of vanilla and maybe even the smallest bit of toffee, but that licorice flavor never seems to let up. There's even a bit of plum or fruit concentrate in the aftertaste which is mostly all coffee.

Mouthfeel is full-bodied with a smooth texture and subtle heat on each sip. The 11.5% is nowhere to be found and the body isn't cloying or too thick.

Dynasty was a great Imperial Stout that didn't need added flavors to wow the palate. Lots of bitterness with splashes of piney and juicy hops resulted in a complex stout that hides the massive 11.5% beautifully.

Rating
9.0/10

Prairie Christmas Bomb

The Stats
Style: Imperial Stout
ABV: 13%
Current Ratings...
- Beer Advocate: 4.12/5
- Untappd: 4.1/5
- RateBeer: 3.83/5

"Imperial Stout Aged on Cinnamon, Coffee, Chocolate, Vanilla & Chilies"

Pours out like motor oil and sits in the glass as black as the "Smell the Glove" album. I got maybe a finger of dark brown head. Looks fantastic.

The most dominating flavors are no doubt the chilies and cinnamon. Coffee isn't far behind and that coffee may also be lending some spice and jalapeno too. The chocolate I'm getting is super dark and rich almost like chocolate syrup. Vanilla is hard to come by, but milk chocolate happily takes its place.

Much like the aroma, the chilies are up front and very much in your face. There's no heat and it is all flavor which actually covers every inch of my tongue and lingers nicely. The taste has a surprising amount of sweetness which I might attribute to the vanilla that wasn't present on the nose. It's making for almost a lactose or sugary note. When that combines with the coffee, it is similar to iced coffee with cream. Then after all of that, cinnamon still tosses in its two cents making this feel like a spice cabinet when added to the chilies. Underneath all of that, I pick up the base stout's dark fruits and cherry flavors with lots of roast.

Mouthfeel is perfect. It's thick, viscous, and coats everything in sight. Some of the flavors might be cloying at times, but given the flavor profile and massive body, this is expected and forgivable. That 13% is a myth because there is no alcohol to be found.

Christmas Bomb may have just essentially been Prairie Bomb with cinnamon, but boy did it deliver a complex and flavorful stout. A lot of beers with cinnamon tend to actually hold back on that spice, but in this case, it was one of the stars of the show and held up throughout the experience. With the (minor) exception of some lacking vanilla, this was an excellent stout that truly felt like the Christmas season.

Merry Christmas, you filthy animals!

Rating
9.2/10

Springdale Barrel Room Maple Barrel Aged Brigadeiro

The Stats
Style: Imperial Stout
ABV: 8.5%
Current Ratings...
- Beer Advocate: 4.33/5
- Untappd: 4.22/5
 - RateBeer: N/A

"Breakfast stout brewed with oats, coffee, and lactose. Aged in bourbon and maple barrels. Aged 27% in barrels containing maple syrup, 73% bourbon barrels."

Pours pitch black and not even any hints of brown or red on the edges. Poured to two fingers of light brown head.

The aroma reminds me of the most decadent mocha iced coffee out there. Coffee is huge and there's a lot more oak than anticipated (but that's good). The sugary influence from the maple syrup is noticeable, but maple is not dominating and instead is enhancing other flavors. Some vanilla notes emerge as it warms, but like the non-BA version, the coffee is the star. I must note that bourbon is nowhere to be found. Maybe it accounts for some of the sweeter flavors, but as a standalone ingredient, it is lacking.

Coffee is the story here which is not surprising since it is a breakfast stout after all. It's creamy iced coffee up front and then bitter black coffee on the transition. The lactose is playing a bigger role than anticipated which is what's giving me that cream flavor. The maple is here, but like the aroma, it serves to compliment everything else rather than overpower with sugary sweetness. The maple and coffee work together wonderfully to really deliver a breakfast experience. It's really as simple as taking the base Brigadeiro and adding dashes of maple syrup. Sadly, like the aroma, there is no bourbon. I get it, this was aged only partially in bourbon barrels for three months, but I expected some bourbon in my glass doggone it!

Mouthfeel is full and creamy with a velvety body. The oats are making this a silky ride and drinkability remains high. While it is smooth, the mouthfeel comes up a bit thin considering it is nearly 9% abv. No alcohol to be found and despite being a breakfast stout, this would go great with dessert...or breakfast...I don't judge.

Maple Barrel Aged Brigadeiro improved upon the base beer by adding subtle notes of maple syrup to bring this breakfast stout full circle. I would have loved for there to be some bourbon in this, but one of the promised ingredients was M.I.A. Regardless of that, this was still a step above it's non-BA sibling and is a great example of what a breakfast stout should be.

Rating
8.7/10

New England Brewing Imperial Stout Trooper

The Stats
Style: Imperial Stout
ABV: 9.5%
Current Ratings...
- Beer Advocate: 4.21/5
- Untappd: 3.87/5
- RateBeer: 4.19/5

"Nearly a dozen types of malts and grains go into this FORCE-full, American Imperial Stout. Hints of coffee, tastes of dark fruit, and a subtle chocolate background make this Stout the perfect brew to welcome the Winter months. Brewed solely during the onset of the colder months, this one-time-a-year release will make you come over to the dark side... of beer."

Sits pitch black in the glass with just a tinge of dark brown on the edges. Two finger's worth of light brown head sat on top.

There's a lot going on with the aroma. A rush of fresh roast coffee and cherries come first, and the coffee is similar to iced coffee with vanilla notes. An almost oak and wood aroma is subtle as are roasted malts.

I apologize to people outside of Massachusetts and New Hampshire for this local reference, but this tastes like an Iced Mocha Madness from Honey Dew Donuts. I feel like I'm drinking a glass of chocolate milk and iced coffee rolled into one. It starts off with bitter coffee at the very front, but vanilla, and bitter dark chocolate emerge soon after. More of the cherries from the aroma come out too and even black cherries and an anise or black licorice flavor are present. Just when I think the dark chocolate is gone, another tidal wave of it comes in and floods my palate. It's almost unrelenting at this point. Not just dark chocolate, but fluffy, Three Musketeers-esque milk chocolate comes in to ease the more bitter components. Then there's a smack of vanilla tossed in for good measure along with a robust roasted malt taste.

Mouthfeel is thick, but fluffy and comfortable. The alcohol is nowhere to be seen. Drinkability is staggeringly high for nearly 10%.

I tell you, I would have never guessed Imperial Stout Trooper was a standard Imperial Stout with no adjuncts because the multitude of flavors in this is mind blowing. This beats out so many of the chocolate, coffee, vanilla, or any other flavored stouts out there and it does so without added flavors. This is pretty much perfect for these freezing cold nights and is one of the best standard Imperial Stouts I have ever had. In the Imperial Stout World, I think we can all agree that Imperial Stout Trooper shot first.

Rating
9.6/10

Mikkeller Beer Geek Vanilla Maple Shake

The Stats
Style: Imperial Stout
ABV: 13%
Current Ratings...
- Beer Advocate: 4.36/5
- Untappd: 4.2/5
- RateBeer: 4.05/5

"Oatmeal stout brewed with coffee, vanilla & maple syrup."

Not much of a brewer's description, but that just allows us to get to the beer faster!

Pours thick like motor oil into the glass and sits there black in color with some dark brown on the edges. No head to speak of and it kind of looks like flat Pepsi.

The maple syrup is erupting from the glass even when I sit a foot away. I've had a few maple beers this year and this is very close to the Angry Chair Woke in terms of getting blasted in the face with sugary maple syrup (I know a guy who will do that to you for $10...spoiler alert: It's me).I will also say that coffee is rather influential on the nose and a faint bit of lactose or cream is hiding in here too. As it warms, more vanilla emerges in the form of marshmallow and there's a roasted or even smokey malt quality as well.

The taste admittedly starts off with a small alcohol flavor and minor burn, but we can run over that easily. I get bitter dark chocolate as my initial impression and some burnt coffee grounds for good measure. The maple is surprisingly more subtle than expected given the intense aroma, but it is still big enough to be noticed and still retains its sugary sweetness. It took a little while for some form of vanilla to show up, and like the other flavors, it is subdued on the taste, but still present.

Mouthfeel is thick, but not viscous. It still manages to leave sticky residue, but the sweet flavors aren't cloying. Some carbonation is noticeable when held in the mouth. Aside from that minor alcohol taste, the abv is still held in check.

Vanilla Maple Shake had a superb aroma, but the flavors were dialed down a notch when it came to the taste. I'm not taking too much away from it in that regard as this still had a robust taste and made for an excellent dessert beer. It's a borderline diabetes inducer, so you should have a sweet tooth when taking this one on.

Rating
8.8/10

Trillium/Monkish/Cloudwater/Other Half/The Veil Fireplace Bananas

The Stats
Style: Imperial Stout
ABV: 10.4%
Current Ratings...
- Beer Advocate: 3.92/5
- Untappd: 4.21/5
- RateBeer: N/A

"Friends who grill bananas together stay together: Monkish, Cloudwater, The Veil, and Other Half came for a visit and together we made a banana-rific beer!

Naturally, when friends have sleepovers and drinks, ideas flow… especially around a roaring fire. What do you roast in your fireplace? Bananas, obviously! And so the idea for Fireplace Bananas was born.

Since bananas add a relatively light flavor, every advanced banana product we could get our hands on (flame grilled, dehydrated chips, puree, dried & ground dried) went into this unique American Stout. The equivalent of 30,000 bananas generated about 25% of the fermentable sugars for this beer. That's about four bananas for every 750ml bottle!  A nose of subtle smoke, ripe banana, and a hint of dark cacao lead into a palate of caramelized sugar, banana bread, molasses, and a charred chocolate flavor. Finishes with a rich sweetness and full mouthfeel, underpinned by a subtle bitterness."


This doesn't pour pitch black like a standard imperial stout, but it's actually dark brown and muddy with a finger of tan head.

I've read early reviews of this not being big on the bananas, but the aroma sure as hell has a lot of them. There's also a lot of smoke and char, but it still comes back to overly ripe bananas with lots of sweetness. It kind of smells like a loaf of banana bread.

Again, I don't know why people said this was lacking bananas because even the taste is chock full of them. Don't think of the banana esters of a Hefeweizen, but this is actual banana puree. The bananas taste green and ripe, but the burnt char from the aroma is influential on the palate. I'd say the bananas have a small salty or spicy quality which mixes things up a bit. The imperial stout itself contains classic notes of subtle chocolate and just the smallest amount of black coffee with a lot of roasted malt. The charred bananas in this combined with the roasty malt presence work well together. I mean, it's bananas in a stout, and that's all I can say.

That mouthfeel though is exceptional by all accounts. It is sublimely thick (also the name of my favorite movie), velvety, and smooth. The beer has a fair amount of sweetness, but it isn't sticky or cloying at all. The 10.4% is nowhere to be found.

Fireplace Bananas delivered what it promised. Depending on how much you like bananas will determine your level of love and or hate for this beer. Personally, I enjoyed this one and liked how the several different types of banana products used were distinguishable in the final beer itself. It is going to be an acquired taste for sure, but call me a fan.

Rating
8.4/10

Stone/Abnormal/Paul Bischeri & Patrick Martinez Neapolitan Dynamite

The Stats
Style: Imperial Stout
ABV: 8.5%
Current Ratings...
- Beer Advocate: 3.8/5
- Untappd: 3.94/5
- RateBeer: N/A

"The beer from this year’s winners of Stone Brewing Co.’s annual Homebrew Competition & AHA Rally: As with past winners, the name is a mouthful: Paul Bischeri & Patrick Martinez/Abnormal Beer Co./Stone Neapolitan Dynamite. The beer itself is an 8.5 percent ABV imperial stout brewed with chocolate, vanilla, strawberries and coffee. It comes from Paul Bischeri and Patrick Martinez, who won last year’s competition. As part of their victory, the winners get to brew the beer at Stone’s facility and then it gets bottled and released. In addition to Bischeri and Martinez, Stone enlisted the help of Derek Gallanosa from Abnormal Beer Co. in San Diego to “bring this ice cream sundae of a beer to life in full scale."

Beautiful, Shane Diesel pour with a pitch black body and a dark brown head.

Some nice roasted coffee up front, but everything else is either lacking or incredibly subtle. I do detect a the ghosts of vanilla and strawberry past, but chocolate is a little harder to come by. It's more of the chocolate malt notes you get with a standard Imperial Stout rather than any added chocolate as an adjunct.

The taste is like a bad report card from elementary school: The flavors participate in class, but they do not follow directions. Everything is here, but it doesn't wow the palate.

I pick up the strawberry first and it leaves a fruity extract coating over everything. Lots of bitter, iced coffee seems to try and dominate and it has a creamy component to it, which I attribute to the vanilla. I will say that there is a fluffy milk chocolate taste that I am really enjoying and it is almost the beers saving grace. Imagine being a kid blowing bubbles in your chocolate milk and you will understand. Hidden deep in the back is almost a smoky flavor, which was unexpected, but welcome.

Mouthfeel is thick with no alcohol taste. Each sip leaves a sticky coating, but it isn't chewy.

While all the flavors were here for Neapolitan Dynamite, I just don't think they were big enough to push it over the edge. I give points for the thick, fluffy mouthfeel, but some of the flavors seemed too artificial to make it truly enjoyable. This was great in theory, but just missed on the execution.

Rating
8.1/10