Creature Comforts Brewing Life in Flux

This is at least 500 yards of velvet goodness. Coffee, maple, and vanilla blend very nicely in the aroma. Taste is the same, very smooth, velvety, and big. This one is hard to put down. As it warms, it gets even better. The barrel aspect comes out in the finish—some char to help balance the sweetness. Mouthfeel has a very silky texture. This is a beer we would gladly enjoy in a coffee mug while camping or hanging out by a fire late at night. Not overtly sweet, this can be a full glass of fun.

__Aroma:__ “Smoky chile notes, with cinnamon and vanilla also strong. Hints of plum, sweet tobacco. The base stout’s slight bit of chocolate malt and roast reminds one of French-roast coffee with some maple sweetness.” __Flavor:__ “Notes of dried plums, apricots, cinnamon, chiles. The balance is spot on. The roast base helps balance the sweetness and chocolate, and the barrel brings things together with deep toffee flavor.” __Overall:__ “The barrel character is incredible, only made better by the base beer and adjuncts. Complexity is off the charts, while still maintaining a surprising level of drinkability. Beyond the flavors, the mouthfeel truly sets this apart. Rich, viscous, and full-bodied, but not cloying and just enough backbone to hold the line for the flavors. This is the standard by which all other stouts in this category should be measured.”

**Aroma:** “Nice chocolate malt character with some caramel, coffee, and a little roastiness/toast character. No hops character. Cherry and plum esters accent the toasty malt profile. Spicy alcohol notes are a friendly warning. Roast character builds over time.” **Flavor:** “Sweet chocolate and dark fruit. Rich and thick caramel-oat combo. Some earthiness and some spice character. Silky mouthfeel with low-medium carbonation. Chewy and medium body. Balance is definitely toward the malt, but not cloying at all. Finishes a little roasty chocolate with some earthy spice notes and slightly bitter and slightly sweet making you want another sip. A slight warmth in the finish as well. Still and sweet, but with a good balancing bitterness that keeps it from being cloying. The malt profile is fairly simplistic, not offering many details besides caramel sweetness and roast finish. Alcoholic warmth is smooth.” **Overall:** “The roast and chocolate sweetness help to make this beer what it is. The earthy spice character adds some complexity and helps to balance the sweetness along with the warmth. Just enough hops bitterness to avoid being cloying. A good dessert beer.”