Style: Imperial Stout

ABV: 8.8 IBU: 60.0

92/100
Aroma: 11
Appearance: 3
Flavor: 18
Mouthfeel: 4

SweetWater Brewing Company Happy Ending

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What the brewers say

“This seasonal Catch and Release imperial stout is a dry-hopped stiffy, leading to an explosive finish at 9% ABV.”

What our panel thought

Aroma: “Strong hops aroma with nice chocolate malt and earthy grassy wet hops. Some fruity citrus pineapple notes from dry hopping. Cherry notes and dark fruit sweetness. Very hard to cut through to find any malt aroma. Roast character builds but never dominates the hops.”

Flavor: “The complex tropical fruit and pineapple hops character builds. Spicy and resinous hops provide bitterness to help cut the sweetness without becoming too sharp. Chocolate malt sweetness is more prominent than roasty flavors. Finishes dry with no alcoholic warming to speak of. Hops flavor wrestles with the dark malt and wins.”

Overall: “A very unique take on an imperial stout. More heavily roasted than a black IPA and hoppier than a stout, this doesn’t fit any category. Very aggressive flavors that at times competed and at other times blended well. In the end, the hops win. The brewer did a good job of brewing the beer he/she set out to brew.”

What our editors thought


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