Powder Keg SUPERVOID: Breakfast

Aroma: “Coffee, caramel, and maple syrup, some roast with a nice warming alcoholic note.” Flavor: “Maple-syrup sweetness, chocolate, and caramel and a moderate coffee spiciness. Alcohol warming that lets you know it’s there but not harsh or overwhelming. Finishes sweet chocolate, light coffee, maple, and a touch of booze.” Overall: “Rich and complex blend of many pieces that fit together pretty well. Nice breakfast-stout complexity. The maple syrup adds a nice spicy note that is accentuated by the barrel character.”

Aroma: “Lemongrass and tangerine with a more peppery yeast character behind that. Very saison-like. Malt character brings notes of biscuit and honey. Some hops character brings some spice elements.” Flavor: “More citrus, herbal, and grassy with a bit of bready malt in the finish. Peppery phenols. Moderate low sweetness with low bitterness and a nice dry finish with a bit of hops bitterness that’s not overpowering. Refreshing.” Overall: “Lemon and supporting fruits are the focus of the flavor with a body to support. It’s a light beer and easy-drinking. I could finish a lot of these on a hot day. Very refreshing.”

**Aroma:** “Big dark chocolate and coffee aroma. Big plum, dates, moderate cherry, light acidity, moderate caramel, light umami, light earthy hops, some brown sugar notes. A backbone of bready malt. I’m sitting by the fire with a snifter of...not barleywine, but this beer. Rich malt complexity with sherry, dried figs, and raisins, and warming alcohol. More caramel than roast, but the coffee and chocolate are there.” **Flavor:** “Lovely complex malt sweetness—like chocolate-covered Fig Newtons, or maple syrup, with a touch of earthy hops to help balance. Like a shot of strong expresso, no cream. Complex and deep, but a bit intense so sessionable is not part of this section. Big cherry, light plum, big chocolate, moderate coffee, light hops bitterness, touch of alcohol, moderate caramel. Aftertaste: big chocolate, touch of coffee, light bitterness. Starts out like a thinner-bodied barleywine, but the hops and roast bitterness crack that illusion. The promise from the nose is here, but it doesn't quite mesh as well in the flavor because the lingering hops and slight astringency add some harshness. Hops flavor is as big as the roast. Sherry, malt, dried fruit and esters are still nice, though.” **Overall:** “Very tasty, but could use a bit more carbonation to help the flavors pop. Love the fruitiness. Fun dark-fruit dominated imperial stout. The chocolate, caramel, and roast notes are present throughout with just enough hops to balance. It is fairly well carbonated, but that works to bring out the brighter fruit notes. The nose had me, but the flavor not so much.”