New Image Brewing Three Halves
What the brewers say
Barrel-aged imperial stout with coffee, cacao, and vanilla.
What our panel thought
Hints of anise and cardamom emerge through the coffee, roast, dark-chocolate, and bourbon aromas. The flavor is equal parts roast, bitter coffee, dark chocolate, and vanilla with subtle notes of caramel and oak. Well-integrated and complementary, with enough body to house it all and plenty of alcoholic warmth.
What our editors thought
The nose offers an almost Thai-style sweet-meets-spicy character, but the sip loses definition as a vague acidity plasters over any roast structure or engaging barrel character.