Aroma: “Roasted barley merges with dusty cocoa to give an impressive artisanal chocolate impression. Sweet caramel with moderate earthy/woody hops aroma.”

Flavor: “Very well rounded and balanced. Sweet and bitter, hint of lactose, tons of 70 percent cacao dark chocolate. Earthy hops flavor with plenty of hops bitterness, too. It’s like a shot of espresso with a backbone of cocoa and alcohol. Roast and hops cruise through aggressively but do not overpower the essence of what an imperial stout is supposed to be. Tobacco tar, anise, coffee liqueur and old-school bitter American hops have all made roll call.”

Overall: “This is definitely an American imperial stout. Well balanced with equal parts chocolate, coffee, and malt, with a nice hint of alpha acid thrown in. Hit that artisanal chocolate bar thing and earthy woody hops thing. This is freaking good.”