2.1

Appearance - 2 | Aroma - 2 | Flavor - 2 | Texture - 2 | Overall - 2.5

Can at home. Pitch black. Coffee, roasted malts, molasses, cinnamon initially. Sticky, fairly sweet. Later quite some heat from hot peppers, indeed too much for me. Purchased at Premier Gourmet

9

Dark black bod sml tan head. Roast choc spice. Roast choc spice pepper flav. Full bod mod carb. 9/5/9/4/17 4.4

7.5

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7

16 ounce can. Opaque black pour. Dark tan head disapates quickly. Roasted malt nose hints at cocoa and cinnamon. Sweet roasted malt flavor brings notes of cocoa and spice. Warming notes as well. Are they from the 13% ABV or the chilis? Lots of residual sweetness. Finishes with notes of vanilla and coffee. 13 cats on the label.

8.5

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

16 ounce can into snifter; no can dating, but was just released. Pours dense pitch black color with a 1 finger dense and rocky dark tan head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy 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, molasses, toffee, cinnamon, chile pepper, vanilla, cream, fudge, brownie batter, roasted nuts, and toasted dark/brown bread/crust; with lighter notes of licorice, raisin, fig, date, smoke, char, wood, leather, tobacco, herbal, grass, peppercorn, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aroma with great balance and complexity of dark/roast/bready malts, chocolate, cinnamon, chile pepper, vanilla, and light earthy hop/fruity yeast notes; with great strength. Taste of huge milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, molasses, toffee, cinnamon, chili pepper, vanilla, cream, fudge, brownie batter, roasted nuts, and toasted dark/brown bread/crust; with lighter notes of licorice, raisin, fig, date, smoke, char, wood, leather, tobacco, herbal, grass, peppercorn, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness. Mild herbal, woody, grassy, cinnamon, and roast/char bitterness on the finish. Minimal ancho chili pepper spiciness. Lingering notes of milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, molasses, toffee, cinnamon, chili pepper, vanilla, cream, fudge, brownie batter, roasted nuts toasted dark/brown bread/crust, light licorice/dark fruit, smoke, char, wood, leather, tobacco, herbal, grass, peppercorn, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Amazing complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malts, chocolate, cinnamon, chile pepper, vanilla, and light earthy hop/fruity yeast flavors; with a solid roast/hop bitter/sweet balance; and no cloying, acrid, astringent flavors after the finish. Slightly increasing dryness from lingering hop/roast bitterness. Light-medium carbonation and very full body; with a very smooth, creamy, silky, velvety, and rich mouthfeel that is amazing. Light slickness, sticky hops/spice, and chalky roast. Mild increasing warmth of 13%, with minimal lingering pepper heat after the finish. Overall this is amazing flavored/spiced imperial pasty stout! All around incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malts, chocolate, cinnamon, chile pepper, vanilla, and light earthy hop/fruity yeast flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to drink for the huge ABV, with the very mildly bitter/spicy/drying finish. Not overwhelming on any aspect. Amazing balanced rich malts, cinnamon, chocolate, ancho chile, and vanilla complexity; with solid earthy hop presence. Not overly sweet/heavy from lingering dryness. Great fruity pepper flavor, with minimal added heat. A highly amazing offering, and top tier style example.