Today is the first real snow we’ve gotten this year, with about 3-4 inches. So, when I got home, I had to snowblow the driveway. I rewarded myself with a Founders Breakfast Stout when I came inside. After that, I opened this beer. When my sister went to Phoenix a few weeks ago, she asked what beers I might want from there. I looked up good beers in Arizona and this one popped up on the list, and I was really glad she brought a four pack back for me.
Location: Poured into a goblet style pint glass at my home in Bloomington, IL
Numbers: 9.3% ABV, 65 IBUs, 44 SRM, 320 Calories
Appearance & Aroma: It’s deep black in color with no light visible through it. When I poured it, a massive, creamy tan head formed and fell after a few minutes, leaving great lacing on the glass. It has a nice, solid coffee-like aroma.
Taste & Feel: The body is full and the mouthfeel is smooth and lightly oily and viscous. Up front, it’s semi-sweet and dark chocolate-like with some hints of coffee. The flavors don’t change in the middle, but they are a bit richer and creamier. It gets quite a bit sweeter in the finish with a sweet dark chocolate flavor mixed with a smooth coffee flavor. The sweet chocolate smooths out the coffee bitterness and both flavors last for a couple minutes in the aftertaste.
Food Pairing: I had this beer with chocolate chip ice cream, and it was great. You could also pair this with a chocolate or fudge dessert and make it a super rich and sweet pairing. However, I think it might be ideal to pair it with smokey BBQ, letting the beer add some sweetness.
Overall Impression: This beer has a very nice, complex mix of sweet dark chocolate flavors and a smooth coffee richness. It’s sweeter than your usual imperial stout, but it’s very flavorful and you’d never guess it was 9.3% ABV. If you like sweet milk stouts and/or coffee beers, you’ll love this one. If you’re in the Phoenix area, get this and send me some!
My Rating: 
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