Metaphorical fire breathing dragon brings firey habanero peppering to smoky mocha malting and oak-charred oily hop linger, tailing off as molasses-smoked black chocolate, bitter dark-roasted coffee and dry chalky cocoa drown out the finishing chili heat. Below the surface, black cherry respite and wispy cola nuttiness waver.

Complex, bold, adjunct-heavy Imperial Stout douses creamy brown chocolate spicing with advertised oats-sugared maple molasses syruping, black peppered cayenne burn, dried fruited raisin-date conflux and dry dandelion-rooted hickory bark without getting muddled. Ashen hop char contrasts dominant chocolate-caked sweetness while tertiary star anise, cocoa, vanilla, hazelnut and cola nut illusions increase intensity. Out of this world.

“Intense coffee-chocolate” confluence receives oily hop char to relieve moderate alcohol heat. Dark-roasted mocha malting dominates, allowing bittersweet coffee, black chocolate and cocoa nibs creaminess to surface above tertiary walnut, anise and dried cherry illusions.

On tap at Plank Pizza, sugared chai spicing elevates bittersweet black chocolate malting and cocoa-powdered cardamom, clove and ginger piquancy. At finish, dark-roasted coffee buttresses mounting black pepper bittering while anise-seeded blackcurrant surge sidles sedate chai tea spot.

On tap at Ambulance, luxuriously rich cask-conditioned nightcap (with bold 16.5% ABV) retains creamily chewy brown-sugared black chocolate syruping and massive maple molasses sapping. Dark cocoa, toffee, coffee, burnt caramel, creme brulee and caffè macchiato illusions given dried-fruited black cherry, raisin and prune pureeing as well as burgundy-wined bourbon whir at sweetly candied mocha finish.

On tap at Ambulance, sweet cocoa sugaring and brown chocolate sweetness combine with light bourbon spicing for relaxing medium-bodied dessert treat. Simply delicious and perfect for sweet-toothed imbibers.

On tap at Ambulance, rich medium-full body gathers dark-roasted black and brown chocolate sweetness for advertised cocoa nibs buttering and vanilla-creamed hazelnut fudging. Wispy star anise spicing further sweetens decadent mocha malting. Fermented with dry-iced yeast rocketed into outer space, gimmicky stout goes well as dessert.

On tap at Ambulance, magnificent ‘third version’ ups the bourbon-barrel aging by winningly mixing ’14 vintage with newer batch. Resilient bourbon chocolate spicing, sugary vanilla creaming and sweet cocoa dalliance pickup thriving rye-toasted pecan adjunct. Chocolate brownie, butterscotch rum, toffee fudge and molasses cookie illusions gain strength. Whiskey-soaked raisin and cherry wisps glimmer behind velvety bourbon finish.

Loading bitter hop-charred pine resin atop stylish dark-roasted mocha malting allows hybridized (8.5% ABV) full body to gain wider hop-headed audience. Black chocolate, dark cocoa and roasted coffee tones gain sugared barley-oats roast to contrast raw molasses bittering. Mild lemony grapefruit tang stays hidden below intense mocha melee.     

Drab “Imperial Oatmeal Coffee Stout” in a can leaves phenol day-old coffee ground souring and musty dark chocolate chalking upon oily hop resin. Aromatic milk chocolate-y Yoo-Hoo sweetness totally undermined by cocoa-soured soy sludge.

Velvety bourbon influence and caramel-burnt sugaring define soft-toned New Orleans digestif. Rum-spiced bourbon sweetness intensified by oats-roasted chocolate malting and creamy vanilla subtlety. Cookie dough, toasted coconut, maple molasses, fudged brownie and almond nuances settle below.