8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Got in a BIF from JNForsyth. 22 ounce bottle into snifter; no bottle dating, but is a recent seasonal release. Pours pitch black color with a 1-2 finger dense and rocky dark tan head with good retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings around the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big dark chocolate, cocoa, mint, light coffee, toast, dark bread, light smoke/char, herbal, and roasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with good balance and complexity of dark/roasted malt and mint/dark chocolate notes; with great strength. Taste of big dark chocolate, cocoa, mint, light coffee, toast, dark bread, light smoke/char, herbal, and roasted earthiness. Fair amount of roast/char bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of dark chocolate, cocoa, mint, light coffee, dark bread, light smoke/char, and herbal/roasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Damn nice balance, robustness, and complexity of dark/roasted malt and mint/dark chocolate flavors; with a good roasted bitterness/sweetness balance and no cloying flavor after the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth and fairly creamy/chalky mouthfeel that is nice. A nice light cooling sensation from the mint shows up after the finish as well. Alcohol is very well hidden with minimal warming present after the finish. Overall this is a damn nice mint chocolate imperial stout. All around great complexity, balance, and robustness of dark/roasted malt and mint/dark chocolate flavors; and very smooth to sip on for the ABV. A very enjoyable offering.
Tried
from Bottle
on 26 Jan 2015
at 22:39