Style: Imperial Stout

ABV: 10.0 IBU: 68.0

91/100

Aroma:	11
Appearance:	3
Flavor:	18
Mouthfeel:	4

Rhinegeist Brewery Ink

What the brewers say

“Deep, dark intense roasted malt, coffee, and chocolate notes resound deeply in this imperial stout.”

What our panel thought

Aroma: “Vanilla, brown sugar, caramel, moderate roast, light chocolate, fruit loops, tangerine, malt aromas. The expected imperial stout elements are there, but the overall aroma impression is of a dry stout.”

Flavor: “Flavor has some of the complexity the nose lacked. Mocha with toffee and bready malt, some coconut. The flavor is very self contained—nice shot of mocha, swirls of malt. The nice caramel-sweetness roast needs a bump. This is more in the imperial porter or imperial brown ale range.”

Overall: “Imperial stout on the rounder side. Maybe slightly thin, which makes it even easier to drink. Little bits of complexity fade in and out as you continue drinking it. Fun little variations in the sips—coconuts, whimsical. Taken on its own, each sip is nice, but imperial stout as a style is more typically made to be savored so there's a bit of a gap between expectation and flavor that requires recalibration.”

What our editors thought

Review printed in: A Light in the Dark (April-May 2016) (View All Issues)

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How We Review

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Rhinegeist Brewery Barrel-Aged Ink

**Aroma:** “A nice display of all things bourbon barrel. A mix of dark chocolate and vanilla with some rich dried-fruit character, including raisin, dried cherries, prunes. Some sweet alcohol warmth. Rich malt sweetness.” **Flavor:** “The barrel character definitely dominates with some nice vanilla, bourbon, slight coconut, oak-barrel character. Chocolate roast provides nice malt sweetness to add to the complexity. The sweetness helps in cutting the beer in the finish. A little bit of fruitiness (cherry) enhances the overall experience. A prominent alcohol warmth not only tickles the nose, but warms the throat.” **Overall:** “Very tasty. The barrel character and malt sweetness come together well. The brewers picked the perfect barrels for this beer, allowing the barrel to shine with a solid beer to help bring out its innate character.”

pFriem Family Brewers Cold Brew Coffee Barrel Aged Stout

“Dark-roast cold-brew with cream in the aroma, carrying through into the flavor. Slightly astringent; roast-coffee note lingers into the finish with unsweetened chocolate. Pleasant warmth accompanies each sip.”

Pelican Pub & Brewery Tsunami Stout

**Aroma:** “Moderately strong roasted malt that comes across as coffee and chocolate. Complex mix of toasty and rich malt support it. Strong dark stone-fruit esters blend well with dark roasted malt. Banana esters as well. Slight molasses.” **Flavor:** “Awesome malt complexity with chocolate, coffee, bread crust, toast. Moderately sweet up front that fades into an assertive bitterness with a hint of acidity. Somewhat dry finish with a light chocolate and roastiness that lingers. A fun blend of chocolate and banana with some underlying cherry notes. Medium-heavy body and medium-high carbonation. Big roast notes with a moderate smoke note that extends into the aftertaste. A slight herbal spice note at the end of the sip. The roast and carb dry out the beer.” **Overall:** “Great malt complexity with chocolate, coffee, and toast. Full body supports the malt and makes this really fun to drink. The bitter dry finish helps scrub that palate and prepare you for another sip. Every sip is just as impactful as the first. I love the chocolate-banana milkshake that this tastes like.”

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