Resiliently rich full body (10% ABV) adds punctual cocoa nibs and vanilla bean adjuncts to hazelnut-roasted dark chocolate goodness. Creamed coffee serenade picks up gooey molasses sugaring to further thicken its resolve. Beneath gunky chocolate-vanilla prominence lies candied pecan, cherry puree and bourbon illusions. A damn fine nightcap!
OXBOW INFINITE DARKNESS IMPERIAL STOUT AGED IN APPLE BRANDY
On tap at Ambulance, mild apple brandy esters lightly affect Belgian-styled stout nature, allowing candi-sugared dried fruiting and caramelized barley malts to seep into mellow dark chocolate syruping. Sedate port-brandy wining mellows out the mocha fruitcake finish a tad.
ALESMITH SPEEDWAY STOUT – THAI
On tap at Ambulance, busily vibrant ‘botanical’ stout loads coconut-milked lime tartness and herbaceous ginger-lemongrass-basil pleasantries inside creamily caramelized coffee-beaned dark chocolate roast. Mild cayenne-peppered cinnamon snip and wispy vanilla-cumin-curry daubs found beneath herbal mocha concoction. A daringly expansive offshoot that works well.
J. WAKEFIELD LASER STOUT
On tap at Ambulance, mild Mostra coffee roast gains lightly fudged dark chocolate malting, latent dried cocoa smidge and dried fruited whir. Soothingly underwhelming.
OTHER HALF IN ABSENTIA LUCI
On tap at Ambulance, chewy black chocolate frontage fades as powdered cocoa and ground coffee illusions evolve alongside black currant-spiced dried cherry and plum nuances for dryer stylish Imperial Stout.
VICTORY BLACK FOREST CAKE STOUT (WITH CHERRY)
Duping a classic German confection with mixed results, pithy black cherry influence never takes hold as equally bittersweet dark roast chocolate malting gets mired by distractingly astringent oily hop resin. Needs more focused Black Forest Cake likeness. Dried cherry blurt gains subtle cocoa, prune and grape wisps.
SAUGATUCK BLUEBERRY MAPLE STOUT
Richly sweet milk stout lacquers creamy maple-sugared dark chocolate syruping atop bustling blueberry brandy bluster. Bordering on cloy, its gluey tongue-coating blueberry chocolate cake abundance gains Irish coffee splurge as well as tertiary blackberry and raspberry sugaring.
KUKA NOTHINGNESS – CASK
On tap at Ambulance, subtle brown chocolate sweetness contacts dried cocoa, mild coffee and sugared vanilla sedateness of cask conditioned stout. Light cinnamon spicing, dewy earthiness and a peppery respite lightly affect soft-toned mocha charm in the recess.
DOGFISH HEAD CAROBOCK
On tap at Cloverleaf, hybridized weizenbock/ brown ale (8% ABV) lets subtle floury carob pod influence get aged on Madagascar vanilla beans above mildly creamed caramel malting. Bittersweet chocolate-vanilla conflux stays moderate as distant Bailey’s Irish Cream Coffee, Irish whiskey, cacao nibs, earthen truffle and plummy raisin illusions dry out at the chalky mocha finish.
PARALLEL 49 SALTY SCOT
Chewy wee heavy loads gooey sea-salted caramel salting atop spicy hop bite for viscous 7.5% sweet scape. Toffee-spiced continuance gains thick molasses sinew, boozy whiskey-cognac restraint and sugared pecan-chestnut nuttiness.
STONE 21ST ANNIVERSARY HAIL TO THE HOP THIEF DOUBLE IPA
Gloriously well-balanced 21st Anniversary Imperial IPA contrasts bitter piney fruiting against sweet spruce-sugared tropicalia as viscous amber-hazed yeast sinew creates sticky texture. Sharp orange-peeled ruby red grapefruit, pineapple, mango, tangerine, peach and tang briskly burrows thru richly creamed caramel-candied cookie dough malts. Boozy 9.8% ABV warmth lingers lightly below fascinatingly fruitful fodder.
BEAVERTOWN / GARAGE PROJECT / STONE FRUITALLICA
On tap at Cloverleaf, nifty collaboration between USA’s Stone, UK’s Beavertown and New Zealand’s Garage Project utilizes delicate Down Under fruiting and mild chili peppering for unique India Pale Ale (with muted 8% ABV). Calming tropical fruiting gains mild habanero burn while advertised “colossal hop character” only results in moderate bittering. Subtle kiwi and yuzu adjuncts allow lemon zest, pineapple, orange, grapefruit and mango illusions to coexist alongside waxy plasticine swipe.
