Smash Tun Imperial Stout

5 oz taster at Alter, because I gotta drive after this. So, will this become their Dark Lord or Big Hugs in the future? Let’s see. Aroma is a bit mild, which may be owed to the small sample. But there’s some chocolate and toffee in there. The nose is just low on the usual alcohol bomb that might be more apparent in a barrel-aged version. Color is a respectable deep brown to black, with the usual thin ring of foam along the glass surface. The taste is nicely malty, with not too much roast. Yes, it is smooth, with Droste chocolate the strongest component of the roast. The alcohol does power into the parking space on the second sip or so. A strong note of brandy and plum. English hops are not very bog, but it does make the taste lean into an English Barleywine more than a big-assed imperial stout. Refined even as the taste gets stronger toward the end.