Aroma: “Coffee is forward with the cinnamon in the retronasal. Cinnamon is fairly intense and lingers. Toasted malt in the background. It’s like the person next to you is drinking Mexican hot chocolate and you can mostly just smell the cinnamon. The stout comes through mostly as a mild earthy chocolate.”

Flavor: “Big dark roast coffee blends with roasted malt. Moderate sweetness quickly fades into a bracing bitterness that lingers. Cinnamon gives a dryness that lingers and adds depth and complexity. A sip puts you in that neighbor’s place, sipping your own Mexican hot chocolate, maybe with a shot of espresso. The spice is nicely balanced. The roasty finish tingles with just a little heat that alludes to the slight alcoholic warmth that creeps in.”

Overall: “Dark roasted malt and coffee dominate and are backed by a nice toasted malt character. Cinnamon is intense (like holiday cookies) and leads to a finish that lingers. Alcohol warming complements the spicy notes. More depth in the nose would be good, but this has a good balance between the spice and malt in the flavor.”