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I had brought my sister some of my homebrew of Thanksgiving to share with her friends. When I went home over Christmas, I brought more. She surprised me with a few Michelob beers, and this one from her friend Pam. She told me that Pam appreciated my beers and wanted to share this with me because it is her favorite beer. The bottle says, “A black ale to brighten your day” and given the kind of days I’ve had lately, this was much needed.
Numbers: 10.4% ABV, 50 IBUs
Appearance & Aroma: As you’d expect, it was dark black, and very little light made it through, even when held up to the light. There was no head, just a thing tan ring of bubbles around the top of the glass. There was a roasty, slightly coffe-like aroma, with a hint of black licorice.
Taste & Feel: The body was a bit lighter in viscosity than I was expecting from an Imperial Stout at 10.4% ABV, but it was still a decently full body. There was a sweet roastiness up front, which gave way to a complex mixture of a coffee, raisin, and licorice type flavor. The raisin and licorice flavors grew more in the finish. After several sips, the alcohol warmth picked up in my throat a bit.
Food Pairing: It would be good to have some food in your belly before drinking this big beer. So, appropriately, I would suggest you enjoy this beer with dessert. I think it would go very nicely with some bread pudding, as the raisin and vanilla in it would go well with the complex flavors in the Imperial Stout.
Overall Impression: Thanks to Pam, I can see why this is one of her favorites. I was impressed with the complexity of flavors in this beer – coffee, raisin, licorice. It was great for a cold winter day like this one, and despite the high alcohol content, it was very smooth and drinkable. Overall, it was a very good beer.
My Rating: 
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