Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 9

Real ale at Beer Belly. This is a spiced version of their Imperial Stout, with cinnamon, cloves, coriander, and sansho. Big spicy nose, slightly fruity and burnt. flavors of coffee, chocolate and burnt malts along with the spice. Very properly spiced: you definitely taste it, but it is not overwhelming. Rather thin body, though, and not quite Imperial in size. The beer itself seems young and does not compare to its cask aged version. A very nice Christmas beer, though.