8

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

12 ounce can into tulip glass, canned in 9/2019. Pours opaque dark brown/black color with a 1-2 finger dense and rocky khaki head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Thick foamy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of big milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, marshmallow, toffee, vanilla, roasted nuts, graham cracker, toasted biscuit, and dark bread/crust; with lighter notes of dark fruit, smoke, char, herbal, grass, pepper, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/roast/bready malts, chocolate, graham cracker, marshmallow, and light-moderate earthy hop notes; with big strength. Taste of big milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, marshmallow, toffee, vanilla, roasted nuts, graham cracker, toasted biscuit, and dark bread/crust; with lighter notes of dark fruit, smoke, char, herbal, grass, pepper, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness. Light herbal, grassy, peppery, roast, charred bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, marshmallow, toffee, vanilla, roasted nuts, graham cracker, toasted biscuit, dark bread/crust, dark fruit, smoke, char, herbal, grass, pepper, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Great complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malts, chocolate, graham cracker, marshmallow, and light-moderate earthy hop flavors; with an awesome hop/roast bitter/sweet balance; and no cloying/acrid/astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering hop/char bitterness. Medium carbonation and medium-full body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/velvety/bready, and lightly sticky/chalky mouthfeel that is great. Minimal warming alcohol for 7%. Overall this is an excellent flavored American stout. All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malts, chocolate, graham cracker, marshmallow, and light-moderate earthy hop flavors; very smooth and easy to drink with the mellowly bitter/drying finish; great soft/silky feel. Awesome balanced rich malts and flavorings; with nice earthy hop presence/balance. Not overly sweet/heavy from lingering dryness. A very enjoyable offering, and impressive style example as expected. Not overwhelming on any aspect.