One of the new variants on AleSmith’s classic U.S. style imperial stout, a new coffee edition, made with not only actual coffee (from a producer in New Orleans) but also roasted chicory, the root from a totally different plant species often used as a cheaper (and, nowadays, healthier) surrogate for coffee. From tap at Beerlovers Bar in Antwerp, cheers Goedele. Very creamy, dense, membrane-lacing, pale yellow-beige, firm head on a pitch black robe. Aroma of coffee cream, nougat, caramel sauce, butterscotch, milk chocolate bars, vanilla, bourbon, hazelnuts, hints of dry tobacco leaves, treacle, black tea and soy sauce tucked away in the background. Sweet, creamy onset, not too sugary, raisins and dried dates with a slight umami accent (teriyaki) and softish carb, with very full, oily, creamy mouthfeel; layers of dry caramel, dark chocolate and toasted bread ensue, filling the mouth with pronounced bittersweetness as in other variants, topping it off with roasty bitterness from the coffee and in this case also the chicory, though the two remain indistinguishable. An earthy coffee grounds bitterness lingers, warmed by bourbon-like alcohol and spiked with peppery hops, while a lovely nuttiness remains, heavily sprinkled with coffee. Unexpectedly totally different from the can of Speedway Vietnamese Coffee Edition I had before this one, much creamier and rounder, with a more ‘softened’ coffee effect; possibly because this one came from tap, but still, in spite of being delicious all the same, not the kind of Speedway I am used to.

47,3 cl can @ Riga. Batch #2557: canned 2.2.2024 Aroma has licorice, soy sauce and some coffee notes. Flavour has licorice, soy sauce, some saltiness. Alcohol is present but does not disturb - it becomes more sharp towards the end of the sip though. More simple and thin than Speedways usually are. Not bad still.

Can. Malty aroma and taste, roastyness, coffee, chocolate, dryed fruit, alcohol, medium to high bitter. Full body, malty roasty choco bitter finish. Good.

Coffee, raisin, moss nose. Dark brown, thin brown attempt at a head. Cold brewed coffee, tar and raisin at midpalate. Medium roast coffee in the end. Medium body, moderate carbonation. Not my favorite variant, but it isn't because of the coffee. It's just missing the oompf of the other variants.

Magus, mõru, kohv, lagrits, veits herbaalne, alkone. Ok.

Very dark. Medium head. Aroma is coffee, with light esters. On the palate, it’s rich and coffee forward, as one expects. The chicory is an unusual character. I don’t hate it in coffee but it’s more something I tolerate and it’s kind of like that here, too. So it’s Speedway minus a couple of points…the extra doesn’t improve it. Maybe a beignet variant would work more for me?