Great Notion Double Stack

Aroma: “Overwhelming peanut butter dominates any other flavor that could possibly try to escape. A mild rice-cake aroma that gets pounded by a Butterfinger candy bar. If you love peanut butter, you’re going to think this is awesome.” Flavor: “Similar to the aroma. The peanut character leaves a slightly dusty coating impression on the finish. Fairly creamy with good carbonation despite the nut addition, which is nice.” Overall: “Kind of a one-note wonder, but it does that really well. The chocolate/peanut butter character is dominant throughout, and the underlying beer provides a nice strong milk-stout backbone. If you want to drink a stout version of a peanut butter cup, this beer is for you.”

Wow! Maple! There are some vanilla overtones and hints of roast malt, but the maple hits like a Boston tidal wave. A wonderful combination of maple syrup, coffee, and chocolate dancing in a vanilla, caramel, and slightly marshmallow-like bourbony vessel. Just enough body to stand up to all those flavors. Noticeable, but in no way harsh, alcoholic warmth. Exquisitely well-balanced base beer.

**Aroma:** “Big dark chocolate and coffee aroma. Big plum, dates, moderate cherry, light acidity, moderate caramel, light umami, light earthy hops, some brown sugar notes. A backbone of bready malt. I’m sitting by the fire with a snifter of...not barleywine, but this beer. Rich malt complexity with sherry, dried figs, and raisins, and warming alcohol. More caramel than roast, but the coffee and chocolate are there.” **Flavor:** “Lovely complex malt sweetness—like chocolate-covered Fig Newtons, or maple syrup, with a touch of earthy hops to help balance. Like a shot of strong expresso, no cream. Complex and deep, but a bit intense so sessionable is not part of this section. Big cherry, light plum, big chocolate, moderate coffee, light hops bitterness, touch of alcohol, moderate caramel. Aftertaste: big chocolate, touch of coffee, light bitterness. Starts out like a thinner-bodied barleywine, but the hops and roast bitterness crack that illusion. The promise from the nose is here, but it doesn't quite mesh as well in the flavor because the lingering hops and slight astringency add some harshness. Hops flavor is as big as the roast. Sherry, malt, dried fruit and esters are still nice, though.” **Overall:** “Very tasty, but could use a bit more carbonation to help the flavors pop. Love the fruitiness. Fun dark-fruit dominated imperial stout. The chocolate, caramel, and roast notes are present throughout with just enough hops to balance. It is fairly well carbonated, but that works to bring out the brighter fruit notes. The nose had me, but the flavor not so much.”