Transient Artisan Ales Win Bigly
What the brewers say
“Imperial cream stout. Formerly known as ‘This is Neat.’”
What our panel thought
Aroma: “Intense aroma of plums and currants with some fig, and as it warms, more fruity flavors or chocolate-covered raisins and dark stone fruit emerge. Slight roasted character comes through, with dark chocolate, coffee, and a slight creamy sweetness that’s evident in the back. A bit of charred marshmallow. Very welcoming.”
Flavor: “Fruit esters come through on the flavor, with well-rounded plum and date flavors. Great milk chocolate and malt sweetness with slight toffee in the back. From start to finish, it rides the line between sweet and bitter roast, and no one flavor dominates—they start and finish together. Lots of warmth on the mouthfeel—it’s really amazing, creamy, and smooth as it carries the flavors.”
Overall: “This is a really great beer. The fruity esters and flavor provide an interesting complexity in a style that is often so dominated by roast that it’s difficult to find other flavors. A definition of a balanced yet big stout, with hefty amounts of roast and sweetness in almost equal parts.”
