Imperial Sweet Stout - Cognac Barrel Aged - Cigar City Brewing

barleywinefiend

Washington

3.34/5  rDev -24.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Poured a deep, deep brown nearly black with a rocky dirty white cap providing some good head retention, collar and spotty lacing

S: Big milky sweetness, chocolate cake, vanilla and cocoa beans with cognac but it was still rather tame.

T: A big, sweet dairy goodness woth some old wood, Earthiness and a dose of cognac. Nothing Earth-shateering here.

M: Full bodied, sweet, lingering, some heat

O: While it was a nice drink I still cannot get past the bloated rating of this beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 13:56:10 | More by barleywinefiend

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.89/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to whoever brought this to the Dec. '12 Philly suburbs bottle share!

Thick black pour like spent engine oil that coated the glass with film, and a small dense cap of mocha head that receded to a wispy layer. Aroma of dark roasty malts, chocolate sweetness, cognac-soaked wood. The taste was similar, dark malts, more sweet than roasty, though a good dose of both, chewy cocoa beans, woody notes, and a strong flavor of cognac, yet lacking an intense alcohol heat. Pretty full in body, lower carbonation, silky, strong, but drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2012 05:16:25 | More by Rifugium

Brew33

Ohio

4.01/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Huge thanks to Urbancaver for scooping this one up for me.

The beer ours jet black with a very dark brown, bubbly head that dissapates quickly. A really unique head.

The aroma is sweet to say the least. Burnt sugars, roasted malt, chocolate syrup, a little bit of wood and char. Man, this is pretty tasty. Sweet on the front end, but a smoky, charred character and some dry wood run right through the middle. The finish is long with a some fusel alcohol and cognac. A nice beer. Complex, sweet, smoky, charred, rich, and somewhat taxing on the palate after about 12 oz.

The body is heavy, damn near perfect actually. Low carbonation makes the beer coating in the mouth but never too much. Overall a tasty beer. I'd like to try more Cognac barrel aged beers and I enjoyed this one a lot. Thanks Cam.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2013 14:49:21 | More by Brew33

UCLABrewN84

California

4.08/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Wowcoolman for sharing this one at drewone's tasting.

Pours an opaque black with a foamy dark khaki head that settles to wisps of film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace slowly drip into the remaining beer but leave an oily trail on the drink down. Smell is of dark roasted malt, cocoa, wood, dark fruit, and cognac. Taste is much the same with an alcohol kick and a woody finish. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer but I think it smells better than it tastes.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2012 23:53:16 | More by UCLABrewN84

jeonseh

Indiana

4.1/5  rDev -7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle shared at NWI tasting group.

A - Dark chocolate stout with dark chocolate foam on top and the slides 3.75

S - Good chocolate presence with lots of caramely cognac barrel to it. There is also slight dates at well

T - Caramely chocolate beer with good cognac presence that gives it a nice sweetness. Lots of fudge presence with a slight booziness to it and oak to it.

M - Medium body with light oak presence to it. Low carbonation with velvety smoothness

O - Another great cognac BA beer from Cigar City. I love how well they are using these barrels. They created a beer that benefits well from the sweetness from the cognac.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2013 00:20:22 | More by jeonseh

coreyfmcdonald

Georgia

4.13/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml bottle into a snifter

A: Pours absolutely pitch black, opaque even on the pour. A dark brown head forms, but quickly recedes to a small ring.

S: Caramel, dark chocolate, cognac, this beer is extremely sweet. I get a nice amount of coffee in the background to helps balance, but it certainly stays very sweet. As an aroma, though, this is amazing.

T: Again, very sweet caramel melds with strong dark chocolate making a very, very sweet beer. I get some coffee in the background that helps to balance but like the aroma, this beer stays really sweet.

M: Very, very thick with low carbonation.

O: This is a very, very sweet beer. A bit too sweet for me. However, the cognac and coffee help balance the beer. It's very complex and delicious.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2012 03:01:08 | More by coreyfmcdonald

maximum12

Minnesota

4.15/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to the best traders in the country, beerisheaven & moose3285, for each sending me a bottle of this brew. The other one went down a while back; this is the lone survivor. And the clock is ticking. Big 750 ML glass split with my wife. 55/45. Shhhh.

Pour is dead black, with a modicum of life to it. Close to zero penetration, even along the edges. Even colder, the cognac announces its presence with authority. Dark chocolate, dark malts, dark thoughts round it out. My mouth is watering. That merits a good score.

Imperial Sweet Stout - Cognac Barrel Aged flaunts the barrel. Tidal wave of cognac floods the palate, then warms the belly, almost like the real thing, going all...the...way...down. Wow. Alcohol is smooth but noticeable. Trademark CC thickness to the stout, you could stand a ladder up in this thing. Plenty of roast, edge of sour raisins which detracts a touch, vanilla, chocolate, caramel, very light lactose, wow, it's like somebody through the kitchen cabinet in this thing. But it hangs together very well, & I'm sipping it rapidly.

Just the thickness of Cigar City stouts is enough to bring a stupid grin to my face. Mix in a heavy barrel, tons of complexity, easy drinking, & this is an excellent beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2013 02:29:03 | More by maximum12

thegoon55

South Carolina

4.2/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

A- pitch black, small tan head

S- sweet cognac, chocolate, roast, figs.

T- follows the nose, cognac at first followed by chocolate roast. Yummy

M- near perfect. Fluffy yet full bodied

0- not my favorite offering from ccb, with that said, still very good

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2013 20:35:09 | More by thegoon55

MasterSki

Illinois

4.28/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Someone shared this bottle at Zwanze Day. Mike? Served in a Zwanze glass.

A - Tan foam settles to a collar, wisps, and minimal lace but a bit of a glass-coating film. The body is pitch black, which is unsurprising how dark Cigar City beers tend to be.

S - Vinous and sweet cognac and grape flavors, fudge, dark fruits, some booze, a bit of fruity oxidation. Not a ton of wood flavor, just sweet cognac mixed with sweet stout.

T - The taste is heavy on raisin and dark fruit flavors, with cognac and grape flavors mixed in. In the periphery there are notes of chocolate cake, caramel, and fudge. Not much oak presence, and significantly less booze. I like the flavor significantly more than the aroma.

M - Smooth, medium-full body, lower carbonation, sticky finish. There's a bit of warming alcohol, but nothing excessive for 11%. Again, not much oak presence in the texture, but otherwise spot on for a big stout.

D - A nice beer, but very sweet; I suppose I shouldn't be surprised by that considering the name. I had a small glass of this and that was plenty sufficient. I'd drink this again, but I'd much prefer Cognac Church On a Hill or Leon.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2012 06:09:10 | More by MasterSki

Holland

Pennsylvania

4.3/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: dark black with almost no highlights except those which are 90% black and 10% dark brown. No light escapes this, much like Hunahpu's, but it does have a brown head that waivers and leaves after a while, leaving a ring and some small lacing.

S: big cognac smell along with huge roasted malt flavors from smoke to coffee to chocolate.

T: much the same as the smell, but with more smoke. Usually I don't like smoke or very heavily roasted malts at all, but this one was just fine to pair with the cognac barrel flavor.

M: medium-thick body with medium carbonation - everything I wanted from this beer.

O: very good, but the taste didn't come together exactly as I would have liked with the smokey flavor. Very good, but not incredibly drinkable, so I'm glad I had a small pour. Still happy to have another of these nestled away, though I have my doubts that it will age gracefully.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2012 01:16:59 | More by Holland

WillCarrera

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

On-tap at Hunahpu Day 2013.

A- Pours black, thick and viscous, produces a thin mocha head that leaves no lacing.

S- Lots of sugar, dark fruit and raisins, as well as a sweet liquor aroma. The aroma has some nice elements and a lot of complexity, but the sweetness in the aroma is a bit cloying.

T- Fortunately, the excessive sweetness in the aroma doesn't come across nearly as much in the flavor. The beer has a really delicious barrel character, with notes of vanilla and cognac. There's also a big dark fruit flavor with lots of chocolate and a mild roastiness, although it's the barrel, chocolate and fruit that dominate.

M- Full-bodied, low carbonation with a rich and sticky feel.

O- This was a really tasty beer, but, not surprisingly, is very, very sweet. They served this in a 4 ounce pour, which was definitely enough for me, if I had a bottle of this I would split it with a few friends. But as a beer to sip at it's very flavorful, complex and worth seeking out.

Serving type: on-tap

03-13-2013 01:07:21 | More by WillCarrera

tectactoe

Michigan

4.34/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

Thanks to Mike for sharing this one with me, never thought I'd get the chance to try it. Pours out super dark and thick, like old, sludgy motor oil. A dark-ass, burnt tan head forms on top and quickly dissipates before you even have time to appreciated it - it can be brought back to life nicely with a little swirl, however. The beer sloshes quite a bit, too - this is some viscous stuff.

The aroma on this beer is THICK. Big bouts of oak soaked in vanilla and booze. Very creamy and milky smelling, quite sweet but not explosively so. Cocoa, brandy, and slight licorice-like sweetness join the mix. This baby gets more and more complex as the time goes on, but it always retains its solid structure of booze, oak, and sweetness. Malts are obvious present, too, but not quite a roasty as you might think. Coffee aromas start to grow upon warming up - this stuff is all over the place. So many smells just floating in and out, it's almost too hard to get a handle on everything.

A nice, bitter and roasted cocoa bean flavor engulfs the palate upon taking the first sip. It's soon joined by an intense sweetness that crescendos a bit before peaking halfway through and sticking around until the end - little notes of black licorice, currants, dates, figs, burnt brown sugar, and milky caramel & chocolate. Beyond all of these flavors lies that cognac, which added a flavor similar to that of a brandy; definitely a bit different than the typical bourbon flavor. The cognac added a bit of heat but wasn't too powerful as the sweetness from the beer kept it in check. Oak flavors are surprisingly absent or at least muted substantially. Espresso beans show their face heavily in the aftertaste, along with some fading, milky sweetness and mellow brandy. There's also a few charred notes that I really didn't pick up on until the beer warmed up. Not sure if these are from the malts or possibly from the hops? But aside from that, hops didn't contribute much flavor-wise. Very creamy and thick body, chewy, low carbonation.

Wow, this beer was some serious shit. Very complex, layered, and overall very different. My gripe is that it may be overly sweet, and any sample of this over 8 oz could be walking the line between delectably sweet and cloying. Other than that, the beer was excellent, with a very nice mouth feel and an intense flavor and aroma profile. Thanks again to Mike for hooking it up!

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2013 18:04:07 | More by tectactoe

claspada

New Jersey

4.34/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Pours the same super dark, viscous black oily color (as you get from Hunahpu or Zhukov) with the darkest brown head you will ever see on a beer. The lacing is also super dark brown and oily looking.

Aromas begin with a ton of roasted dark espresso and dark gritty bakers chocolate. Then soon after comes the vinous, slightly boozy fruity cognac and some slightly charred oak.

The tastes bring more of the same with dark malts, more sweet than roasted. Then there is a good dose of cocoa beans, tannic oak and a strong flavor of vinious cognac, luckily, lacking an intense alcohol heat.

The mouthfeel is heavy bodied with moderate carbonation. The finish is relatively dry thanks to the copious oak and vinious cognac notes yet by no means do you not appreciate the sweetness and heft of this beast.

Overall this is a great beer but definitely one that warrants sharing amounts friends. 4-8 ounces of this beer is plenty to enjoy the complexity and more would just destroy your palate for the remainder of the evening. Don't hoard, share.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 12:15:26 | More by claspada

oline73

Maryland

4.35/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

I had this at the November Baltimore BA tasting. Poured from the bottle into a tasting snifter.

Appearance: The beer is almost black with a thick layer of dark, tan head. The head sticks around quite well.

Smell: This beer is very sweet and full of roast. I'm getting some heat from the alcohol and lots of dark fruit. I'm really liking the roast along with the cognac. Quite smooth.

Taste: This beer is extremely smooth, all of the flavors blend together very well. Dark chocolate and dark fruit sweetness. Warm alcohol and cognac. The finish is sweet, warm and roasty yet smooth. Easy to drink.

Mouthfeel: The body is a bit syrupy with very smooth carbonation. The beer coats our mouth. The finish is just a bit dry.

Overall: This beer is very well done. Extremely smooth and all the flavor blend together perfectly. I'd have more in the future.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2012 21:02:18 | More by oline73

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

4.39/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

on tap at hawthornes, served in large Duvel tulip - part of the EBF kegs that came to Philly after the blizzard fiasco

Inky, dark pour with heavy legs and a collar of darkly tanned film. Little head, spotty lacing and wispy film.

Rich and full scents of chocolate, roasted malts, lactose and smoke. Heavy alcohol warmth from the cognac with vanilla and oak. Burnt sugar sweetness and caramel.

Creamy, slick notes of milk chocolate, cognac and toasted oak up front. Robust and sweet from residual caramel, toffee and vanilla flavors. Boozy throughout, yet incredibly delicious, driven by a thick malt backbone with roasted warmth and a dash of smoke from the cognac. Finishes boozy and sweet.

Full body, milder carbonation, creamy, chewy and silky on the tongue. If I had a criticism for this beer it'd be the sweetness level, although that seems a ridiculous considering "sweet" is in the beer's name. A wonderfully produced barrel aged stout with emphasis on milk chocolate and cognac.

Serving type: on-tap

03-01-2013 14:01:57 | More by xnicknj

4DAloveofSTOUT

Illinois

4.4/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

thanks to egrace84 for the bottle share! Thanks elliot!

reviewed from notes taken 11/30/2012.

poured into boltcutter tulip glass.

Appearance: dark black bodied beer with 1 finger of dark brown head. Spotty lacing coats the glass. The beer has really nice legs too.

Smell: Oak, vanilla, chocolates, and a hint of mellow cognac.

Taste: OOO.... This is nice! Its a huge smokey and sweet beer! The smoke is both earthy and bacony smoke. Almost tastes like liquid smoke. Black Licorice, molasses, and a tobacco aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: full bodied beer with low carbonation. Super silky beer thats soo darn smooth!

Overall: This is what CCB brewery does best! Awesome beer and I want to revisit it in the future! Great beer CCB!

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 06:59:33 | More by 4DAloveofSTOUT

beerpirates

Belgium

4.4/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

75 cl bottle poured into my tastingglass

Very thick, dark black pour with caramel colored head,
aroma brought notes of milk chocolate, caramel, toffee, hints of nice booze with cognac, touch of spice but restrained,
Taste is a nice mix of caramel, toffe, milk chocolate, nice coffee beans, hints of cognac, finishing fairly sweet, bitter, dry, with a slight booze warming note but not bad.
This is a realy good stout , i could drink this every day :)

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2013 12:02:56 | More by beerpirates

Duff27

Illinois

4.43/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Deep deep mocha colored head on a near black body.

Borderline overload with the cocoa/alcohol one-two punch.

Barrel aging is there bu isnt over done at all, near perect level. I'm getting a chalky/"ashy" smokiness on the tail end, love it.

Very smooth, could be its greatest attribute. Low carbonation, thick mouthfeel.

Great beer. Cognac near flawlessly integrated. I keep forgetting this is a milk stout because I'm not noticing the lactose, only minor complaint. Seek and share with me. Thanks egrace84.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2012 01:45:06 | More by Duff27

axeman9182

New Jersey

4.43/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750 mL bottle courtesy of djmichaelk. It was left out to warm just a little, and poured into my Brooklyn Brewery tulip.

Cognac Barrel Imperial Sweet Stout pours an intimidating black, with noticeably dark, chocolate colored foam crowning the beer. It's about a finger and a half in height, with just a little bit each of head retention and lacing. The nose is great, with lots of aromas coming together and spilling out of the glass. Vanilla, oak, cognac, and dark chocolate all coalesce and greet my nose. The barrel characteristics are what find my palate first, with brown sugar, oak, and lightly boozy cognac all standing out. That alcoholic note is a touch too potent, but it's what balances against the sweetness, before the base beer comes in for the finish. Cocoa powder is joined by anise and molasses, the latter two just a hair too prominent for my taste. The mouthfeel is superb, highlighted by a full body that's just slightly chewy, and a wonderfully subtle carbonation. I've had a few Cigar City beers that I've enjoyed, but this is the first one that's jumped out since Hunahpu's did a while back. Now I'm really looking forward to the bottle of Leon that's in my fridge.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2012 06:50:53 | More by axeman9182

cosmicevan

New York

4.43/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Notes from a tasting on 12/6. Big thanks to sendsilk for hooking this one up!

Enjoyed from a ccb humidor series tulip.

watery black with a thin dark brown head and great barrel shine. the brew really coats the glass when swirled. sparse lacing. smells chocolate cognac with good roasted chocolate. the cognac is strong on the flavor profile. great dark chocolate notes as well. rich and decadent. smooth. not boozy, but cognac is present. overall really nice, not as great as imperial milk porter on stranahan (but a different animal entirely)...sweet chocolate cognac!

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2012 01:50:17 | More by cosmicevan

mrandypandy

Georgia

4.43/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle picked up for me by a friend from Tampa. Split with by buddy, pullen.

A - Pours a thick, viscous, motor-oil like abyss black. Little or no head, but that's to be expected from an 11% barrel-aged stout.
S - Sweet malt and dark fruits. Smells good.
T - Wow. Chocolate-covered cherries, with a malted-milkshake sweetness. Like Dark Lord, but actually good. A definite roasted quality to the finish. Mutually agreed that this is damn tasty.
M - Best part of this brew. Thick, yet smooth. Luxurious and velvety. Everything you want out of a sweet stout.
O - While I didn't get much or any cognac from this, it's still a phenomenal stout. A bit on the sweet side, but hey, it's a milk/sweet stout. I couldn't finish an entire bottle, but my 375ml serving was perfect. Highly recommended to relax and sip on, especially as an aperitif.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2012 03:32:14 | More by mrandypandy

ehammond1

California

4.43/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle (2012)

Thanks for opening this with me, VaTechHopHead!

Black throughout, thick in body, with the darkest of brown edges, and a very small dark brown head, though with good retention. Leaves the glass oily and spotted with stick.

A complex, enveloping, interesting, evolving aroma: chocolate cake, fudge, caramel, and dark fruits abound in the aroma. There's a sticky fudge element to the chocolate character that is really lovely, along with rich caramels and burnt, dessert dark fruits. Lovely.

The flavor is similarly good as the aroma, with layers of charred chocolates, dark fruits, cognac, distinct wood presence, and fudge combining incredibly nicely. There's some distinct alcohol warmth to it, but it's very complementary. Treating this like a lovely dessert at the end of the night is the way to go.

Medium to nearly full in body with low-moderate carbonation.

An incredible ,sweet, cognac-barrel aged chocolate-forward stout.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 00:23:54 | More by ehammond1

Etan

Illinois

4.43/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

750ml bottle.

A: Pours out a viscous black body with a thick chocolate-colored head. Petrol consistency.

S: Sweet vinous cognac notes from the barrel jump out first, followed by aromas of roast and fudge and a bit of lactose.

T: Grapey glucose, oak, vanilla, baker's chocolate, raisins, boozy warmth, lightly charred grain in the finish. The barrel lends a lot of sweetness, but there's also some balancing bitterness and roast from the base beer.

M: Very thick-bodied with light carbonation. Chewy, to say the least.

O: Very good beer. It's nice to see brewers experimenting with barrel treatments besides the usual bourbon, and it's especially nice when the beer is so successful.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2013 02:33:10 | More by Etan

bonkers

New Jersey

4.44/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I was lucky enough to recieve this in a stout bif, thanks beernads!! I split it into 2 snifters, viscous, jet black pour, thin tan head. Boozey aroma, notes of vanilla. Well balanced brew, sweet, nice cognac notes, vanilla is in there too. Finishes boozey. The beer is thick, light carbonation, sipper. A great beer that I never thought I would be able to try.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2013 00:07:22 | More by bonkers

stakem

Pennsylvania

4.45/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A huge amount of gratitude is owed to BA sendsilk for hooking me up with a seemingly endless supply of amazing CCB brews. Poured from a 750ml into a matching Cigar City snifter. The brew appears a solid black color with a dark brown finger of froth across the top. The cap fades leaving some spots of lace sticking to the glass and the head holds around the perimeter of the glass. A light swirl revives a seriously dark brown cap back to the surface that fades leaving a thin film across the top. When held to the light and swirled, hardly any light shines through but what does reveals some dark brown hints around the edges.

The aroma is heavily roasted and almost char and tobacco-like. There is an immediately noticeable amount of fruity cognac quality that comes into play accenting the boozy quality of this. The dark roasted aspects of the aromatics brings out thoughts of coffee and bitter baker's chocolate with almost a hint of earthy leather. As I smell this brew more, a bit of vanilla quality and raw oak emerges. This is a deeply complex and enjoyable smelling brew.

The flavor of this brew is very roasted with a bitterness that is reminiscent of 100% cacao. There are some softer almost milk chocolate notes present that then blend into a fruity booze flavor of cognac. Some roasty earth, leather, tobacco and oak are also there mid palate. This is a very atypical sweet stout in that it is very deceiving in the way the flavors meld together and go between bitter roast, semi-sweet and boozy. The sweet side of this brew really isnt upfront at all, it is actually more bitter upfront and blends into a mild sweetness across the back and into the finsh.

This is a medium to fuller bodied brew with a moderate amount of carbonation. This is a beast of a sweet stout. If you go into this experience expecting a sticky sweet stout, you might be let down as it is quite boozy and bitter. This brew is very reminiscent of the trademark stouts that Cigar City is known for. At times I seemingly forget myself and get reminded of Zhukov with its dark roasty leathery and almost ashy qualities. But the booze reminds me of something more like Hunahpu but without the spices. Dare I say CCB has hit one hell of a homerun with this brew.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2012 00:08:49 | More by stakem