EPIC Brewing Imperial Stout

“Aroma of coconut, licorice, coffee, light caramel. Dark chocolate, coffee notes lead the sip followed by a pleasant lingering bitterness. Subsequent sips give the impression of a Dark Chocolate Almond Joy. Firm bitterness balances the sweetness.”

**Aroma:** “Caramel nose with a bit of chocolate—reminds me of Sugar Babies candy. Some oxidation, divided between sherry and cardboard. There’s also a bit of a spicy phenol that reminds me of pepper and dried oranges. Cherry fruity notes up front with a bit of chocolate hiding in the background. High sweetness.” **Flavor:** “Sweet and malty. Toffee, chocolate, and caramel. Still get Sugar Babies candy, but more malt complexity. Moderate sweetness with fruity cherry and plum notes. Roast malt is restrained, but present. Tastes more like an old ale than a stout. Slight alcohol warming, just enough to let you know it’s there. Light hops toward the end of the sip.” **Overall:** “Tasty and easy drinking. Not a challenge at all, but still interesting. Very drinkable beer, but I wouldn’t put it in the stout category. The fruity esters and the oxidized notes seem more like an old ale. Very sweet and a rather heavy body, but it would make a good fireside sipper or desert beer.”

__Aroma:__ “Rich sweet notes of cherries make it smell like a cherry cordial. Some high dark chocolate aroma dominates the notes, with some raisin, plum, and slight vanilla presence, with a bit of toast.” __Flavor:__ “The notes of chocolate and cherries dominate and carry through the beer—the cherries are bright and sweet, and the chocolate is light and milky. Fruit esters (cherry, raisin, and plum) dominate the mid-palate and give a round and sweet flavor throughout. Roast is thin and light in the back, with little to no hops presence outside of the finish.” __Overall:__ “A very fun beer—I enjoyed the blend of cherries and chocolate, and as it warmed, it tasted like chocolate- covered cherries. It’s a great sweet and chewy stout with fruity esters to balance the roast. Would love an imperial version, with boosted flavors.”