Brewery Vivant Love Shadow (2017)
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What the brewers say
“A powerful Belgian-inspired imperial stout. A full-bodied behemoth with notes of chocolate, vanilla, and oak char.”
What our panel thought
Aroma: “Dark roasty malt, chocolate, coffee, supporting vanilla and whiskey-barrel character. A bit of toasty malt and earthiness in the background.”
Flavor: “Coffee and chocolate up front, followed by a boozy, oak-barrel quality. Fairly sweet, but the roast bitter finish along with a bit of alcoholic burn keep it from being overly cloying. A bit of a chalk note on the finish, like cocoa powder.”
Overall: “Rich and complex, boozy from barrel conditioning. It has a lovely aroma that is warm and inviting. The overall impression is a little on the harsh side, especially on the finish, but given the complexity that seems like a reasonable tradeoff.”
