Drake's Brewing Company Drakonic Imperial Stout
What the brewers say
Our malty beast. Two-row malt, chocolate malt, roasted barley, and dark crystal malts make up the grist. Columbus hops, added for bittering only, let the abundance of malt in this beer shine through. Drakonic is smooth and dense with flavors of licorice, coffee, and chocolate and a slightly dry finish.
What our panel thought
Aroma: “Cocoa and chocolate character dominate with some cherry, caramel, toffee, and slight roast with low levels of cherry and prune. Nice roast quality and some earthiness. Coffee comes through toward the end. Nice toffee sweetness and chocolate malt.”
Flavor: “Roast character is very nice with some cocoa, chocolate, and coffee. Some burnt-coffee type notes add to this roasted quality. Sweetness of some dark fruits along with malt sweetness add sweetness to this beer. Some earthiness and bitterness finish in the end with warmth. Sweetness hits your tongue but the swallow amplifies the roast and hops bitterness. Hops last into the finish. Warming alcohol.”
Overall: “The roast quality helps to make this beer. It sits on your tongue after the sip. The hops bitterness adds complexity but leaves this beer a little sharp, which is enjoyable but may seem a little strong to some palates. Good for a stormy winter night. Very sweet.”
