Draft at the Barrelman's Room, Downers Grove. I can see a bit of brown in the body in the dim bar lighting. A thin brown foam, like an espresso crema. Smell does have some rich chocolate notes, and there is a thin note of mint there as well. Gotta say is taste is pretty different. This is a sharp mint leaf right up front, not the slightly bland note of a mint chocolate chip ice cream. In other words, the mint is very strong but by no means cloying. Powers over the light cocoa notes of the stout roast malts. There is little of the alcohol “fumes,” yet I am becoming slightly intoxicated just halfway through this 5-6 ounce tulip. This is quite different from any other strong beer of its kind, but then I have not had a lot of mint beers. Toward the finish I can pick out some of the vanillin notes from the oak barrel. No everyday beer. More a once in many years beer.

750 ml bottle into snifter, bottled on 7/27/2017. Pours opaque dark brown/black color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense and fluffy khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Light spotty soapy lacing clings around the glass, with a moderate amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Aromas of big cooling spearmint leaves, milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, caramel, fudge, brown sugar, nuttiness, and toasted brown bread; with light notes of smoke, coffee, dark fruit, herbal, and roast/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/roast/bready malt, spearmint, and cocoa notes; with great strength. Taste of big cooling spearmint leaves, milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, caramel, fudge, brown sugar, nuttiness, and toasted brown bread; with light notes of smoke, coffee, dark fruit, herbal, and roast/toasted earthiness. Light roast and herbal mint bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of cooling spearmint leaves, milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, caramel, fudge, brown sugar, nuttiness, toasted brown bread, light smoke/coffee, herbal, and roast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malt, spearmint, and cocoa flavors; with a great roast/mint bitter/sweet balance, and zero cloying/astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from roast/mint bitterness. Medium carbonation and medium-full body; with a very smooth, creamy/bready/grainy, and lightly silky/sticky/chalky mouthfeel that is great. Minimal warming alcohol for 10.5%. Overall this is an awesome spiced imperial stout. All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malt, spearmint, and cocoa flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to sip on for the big ABV; with the mildly bitter/drying finish. Lots of authentic cooling spearmint and cocoa flavors; great similar base stout malt complexity as the rest of the series, without being overwhelmed by the flavor additions. A very enjoyable offering.