Aroma: “Huge morning java, aromatic dark roast coffee that’s robust and inviting. It’s almost oily and acidic, and if it were warmer, I might guess it was a fresh cup of specialty coffee. It has a slight ashy edge from being over-roasted, with some dark and milk chocolate, vanilla, dark fruit, and tobacco.”

Flavor: “The flavor delivers the same rich coffee effect, with a stronger sense of vanilla and brown sugar. It’s roasty with a touch of acidity, and it’s sweet without being cloying. A very nice base stout with plenty of chocolate and vanilla character, brown sugar, cherry, and date. The chocolate malt and caramel remind me that this is a beer.”

Overall: “This is an exemplary coffee beer in terms of balance and the blend of the coffee character and stout—it’s a great complex mix of flavors. It’s sweet, but thanks to the alcohol warming, it’s not cloyingly sweet, and that’s to be expected for an imperial-strength beer. There’s no perfect beer, but this is incredibly smooth and drinkable for an imperial stout.”