Sweetwater Happy Ending Imperial Stout - SweetWater Brewing Company

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.73/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Both on-tap in Atlanta brewery, and a hand bottle fresh of a second of three recipies about. I liked the bottle experiment the best as it was more chocolate than coffee in their lateral tasting. The tap was coffee, but lso a sour aroma and more dry bitterness there. The head of all was nice and soapy and suggested fresh. The bottle was creamer and would get a 3.9 rank.

Serving type: on-tap

02-10-2008 20:36:19 | More by northyorksammy

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

3.5/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Impervious onyx with no lightening at the edges; not even with bright sunshine behind the pint glass. The compact, whipped creamy, mochachino colored crown is a looker and doesn't buy that shit about high ABV beer failing to generate lace. You want a great looking RIS? Here you go.

The nose leads me to think that Happy Ending is going to be a beautifully roasted, bittersweet, moderately hoppy ale with almost no alcohol presence. Let's hope it's right. Do I smell a hint of caramelized sugar and oak that would suggest whiskey barrel aging?

Hmmm, things aren't so rosy on the palate. What was setting itself up to be a humdinger of a big stout isn't panning out quite like I'd hoped. For one thing (and it's a major thing), there isn't enough malt. For a 6.0% American stout? Sure. For a 9.0% Double American Stout? Not even close. One sip is all it takes to determine that Happy Ending is no RIS.

The roasted malt flavor is as much dark caramel and dark fruit (sour figs and tangy raisins) as it is dark chocolate and coffee. The beer tastes quite a bit like a Baltic porter as a result. I don't usually mind citric hops in my stouts, as long as there's enough roastiness, but the Centennial, Willamette and Cascade seem out of place here. I'm really not thrilled with the way this one comes together. Or, rather, doesn't come together.

As beer, the flavor is above average. As a big stout, it's average. I've decided to go with the former when assigning a score. The mouthfeel takes the brunt of the malt deficit. I've had porters that were more full and more luxurious. Maybe it was more substantial when fresh, but any big stout unable to last 8 months isn't worth much anyway. Too bad it isn't the 'stiffy' that the brewery claims.

Unfortunately, this Sweetwater offering doesn't have a happy beginning, a happy middle or a happy ending. I don't want to slag it too much, but it isn't the beer that I thought it would be and I'm a little bitter as a result. The bottom line is that Happy Ending left me frustrated rather than satisfied.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2007 15:32:34 | More by BuckeyeNation

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2006 edition.

A - Poured a thick, opaque black as night liquid with a very full two inch plus head of tan creamy and sticky foamy lace on top. This hung around for a couple minutes before letting go to ample side glass lace.

S - Super sweet with lots of aromas of lactose and chocolate and a bit of coffee. I almost picked up some licorice in there as well. Definatly a very full aroma and no hint of the abv yet.

T - Wow, super sweet stout is the way this one goes. First thing that hits you is the ton of lactose sugar and a wall of chocolate. Deep german dark chocolate mixed in with some bron sugar and a touch of coffee. Definatly some licorice in here too. This was a mightly big RIS and the flavors were very well pronounced.

M - Super creamy. It had ample carbonation which really hung around well throughout the sesson and helped to give it a really full feel. Lots of creamy notes made this a definite dessert beer.

D - Well this was very full and to be honest it would be hard to drink alot of them simply for that reason however, there was really no hint what so ever of the abv and it had such a full creamy feeling that I could easily see myself having one after dinner almost every night.

Overall this was really a quality RIS. I did not find the feel distracting, rather I thought it really helped pull he whole thing together. A really fantastic overall aroma and yaste made this one far above just average. I hope they bottle it again this year as this was really a favorite of mine.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2007 00:31:27 | More by mikesgroove

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.15/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Reviewed from notes.

Pours near black with a tan head that is a single finger and lasts for a decent time, slowly falling. Nose brings some strong notes of coffee, roasted malt, and chocolate. Some nice hops in there as well. Really interesting. The taste doesn't bring the flavors as strongly as the nose brought different scents forward, but this is a tasty beer. Light hop presence. Hops find their way again into the mouthfeel with a bit of booze and some nice dryness, yet it does not finish terribly so. Drinks quite well and is a really nice offering from them.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2010 11:51:37 | More by Thorpe429

UCLABrewN84

California

3.75/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to J2Brew2 for sending me this one!

Pours a pitch black color with a 1 inch khaki head made up of tiny bubbles. Good rings of lace on the drink down. Smells of bittersweet chocolate, roasted coffee, and herbal hops. Tastes of bittersweet chocolate, roasted coffee, with very minor hop essence. There is a bit of an acidic/tangy flavor on the tongue after each sip. A tiny bit of alcohol burn in the throat. Mouthfeel is very carbonated with a prickly sensation in the throat after each swallow. A little too much carbonation for this beer style. Overall, this is a pretty good stout that suffers a little from the acidic/tangy taste and the over carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2011 04:07:04 | More by UCLABrewN84

brentk56

North Carolina

3.53/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours a coffee brown color with a prodigious head that laces that glass nicely

Smell: Citrus fruit dominates, with burnt black bread elements underneath

Taste: Opens with a molasses and char element that is quickly joined and subsumed by the citrus; after the swallow, some chocolate kicks in to add some balance; surprisingly fruity for the style

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation; not nearly full enough for the style

Drinkability: I really didn't care for the combination of the hops and the charred molasses flavors in this brew; seems like it goes a bit overboard in multiple directions

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2008 03:47:58 | More by brentk56

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

2.33/5  rDev -40.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Appearance: Pours a dark, pitch black body with a medium-sized tan head.

Smell: Well, there's some dark chocolate, cold coffee, and a little bit of soy if you can manage to sniff around the overwhelming aroma of pine.

Taste: The fact that the overpowering pine flavor squashes any chance of savoring the malty flavors is both distressing and exasperating. Is this some kind of prank? The finish is full of a black malt burnt ashiness.

Mouthfeel: Medium-thin body. Medium carbonation. Its actually bordering on watery, what gives?!

Drinkability: Normally, I have no quarrel with the hops, and have often said, "Come on hop, come all!" but it just seems a bit inappropriate in an Imperial Stout. Who knows, maybe that's how the kids like their stouts these days. If that is the case, how about a little "heads-up" next time?

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2007 04:17:02 | More by ChainGangGuy

oberon

North Carolina

3.58/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Sweetwater in my mind is a very underrated brewery maybe because its in the south and doesnt have the largest ditribution area?I dont know.This brew poured into a standard pint glass a jet black with a nice tight formed dark mocha colored head that left broken lace behind as it settled pretty quickly.Awesome aromas very fruity with notes of bitter chocolate,coffee,and some wood underneath,it seems to go downhill from there a little.Really thin for a RIS in my mind no chewey big mouthfeel here it glides down effortlessly wich is good for alot of beers but in my opinion not this style,flavors have alot of RIS qualities but are muted a little.Dark roast coffee and bitter chocolate are there with some dark fruit but its not real firm,one thing I like is a nice leafy hop profile in the finish wich was the high water mark for me.Man it started out great but just didnt have the goods to be stellar,all in all decent.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2008 23:01:49 | More by oberon

drabmuh

Maryland

4.22/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Better than expected! Served in a shaker pint. Beer is black with a thin tan head, some lacing, low carbonation.

Aroma is like molasses. Sweet, mildly alcoholic, lots of syrup.

Beer is thick on the palate, sweet up front, not much alcohol in the mouth, tastes really nice. Really heavy beer, great sweet mildly roasty finish. Really nice overall. If you like really sweet stouts that are super heavy this is a beer for you!

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2011 00:22:46 | More by drabmuh

MasterSki

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to - damn, not sure - Photekut, maybe? This is what happens after too many trades. Anyways, served in my brand new Pisgah pint glass, which definitely was from Photekut! Best before 12/31/09.

A - Dark, dark, slightly translucent brown, with a one finger dark mocha foam that lives some solid lacing after slowly dissipating. It's pretty solid, but nothing spectacular.

S - Surprising amount of citrus, floral, and dank earthy hop notes. There's also some chocolate, Whopper's malt balls, and a hint of umami and soy that I don't totally enjoy. The smell is quite potent, and while busy it actually works surprisingly well.

T - Starts with the sweet citrus hoppiness then quickly morphs into bittersweet chocolate and burnt malt/espresso bitterness at the back end. Again, it's pretty good and I do like the dry-hopping, but it's not mind-blowing.

M - Medium bodied, almost porter viscosity. Very creamy, but with moderate carbonation that has just the right amount of tingle to it. Lots of residual stickiness. It should probably be a little denser.

D - It didn't take me long to down 12oz of this one. The aftertaste has only mild bitterness, moderate carbonation, and the texture lends itself to bigger sips. There's something intangible that just made this brew easy to drink.

Definitely recommended to fans of hoppier stouts.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2009 02:31:47 | More by MasterSki

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.9/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Acquired from unclejedi courtesy of the LittleGuy BIF, so a big "Thank You" goes out to him. Poured from a 12oz bottle into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a deep dark brown color, with a thin light brown head that fades quickly and leaves a thin lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is of chocolate, roasted malts, coffee, some dark fruit and some hops.

T: The taste is malty but not as thick as most in the style nor is it overly sweet, with flavors of dark chocolate, dark fruit, coffee and some smokiness. There's a significant hops presence especially given the style of beer and the fact that I've had stored for well over a year. There's no trace of the alcohol. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

M: Smooth and crisp, medium-to-heavy body, light-to-medium carbonation, slightly sticky finish.

D: Tasty, goes down very easily, not too filling, good kick, nice representation of style, I'm regretting not drinking this beer fresh but it's still a good one to drink for a while if you're in the mood for the style and you want something strong but not over-powering.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2009 04:55:52 | More by TheManiacalOne

russpowell

Oklahoma

3.48/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

update: Had the second bottle & would bump up the smell to a 3.5 & MF to a 3.5 based on the composite of the 2 tastings

BBD of 06/12/07 from Ddarden, thanks man! My label has the trademark trout with a catch relase series tied to it, here goes!

Pours black with 3 fingers of pillowy mocha colored head. Good lacing & head retention

S: Chocolate & herbal hops up front & then nothing

T: Choclate with burnt grain & iron up front. Bakers chcolate & a bit of expresso follow once this warms. Dryness & a little coffee cakeyness follow. Finishes with iron, heavily-toasted grainyness & more coffee follow, this is kind of all over the place

MF: Semi-rich, low carbonation & slightlty oily, everything misses by a little bit

Drinks easy for the abv, a little inconsistent, but a great breakfast/dessert beer! This one may mellow with age. Worth a shot

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2007 04:21:31 | More by russpowell

Gavage

New Jersey

4.05/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: pours a black color with a 1" head that lingers around a while. Moderate lace paints the glass.

Smell:roasted malts, chocolate, and a hint of bitterness comes through to the nose.

Taste: big malty backbone. Dark bitter chocolates, moderate roasted / smokey flavors, a splash of espresso, prunes, and a moderate bitterness. Alcohol is mildly noticable.

Mouthfeel: medium-heavy in body. Light crispness at the start but a smooth and velvety finish.

Overall: a very drinkable imperial stout that is very satisfying. Flavorwise it is not over the top, but it hits the spot.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2011 18:15:42 | More by Gavage

akorsak

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A 12 oz bottle, courtesy of gford217. Best by December 31, 2010. Oops…

A: The stout is dark, a murky blackness that envelops all colors. Runy red glimpses peak out of the base of my glass. A tan head, just over a finger in size, is lacing all around the glass.

S: A rich nose, the best by date is a lie! Dark grains, semisweet chocolate, anise, coffee, graham and booze. The nose seems to have it all. Smoke, spices and even some fleshy fruits pop up.

T: Rich chocolate, sweet and luxurious, is a dimension that the nose didn't really hint at. Graham, nuts, bittersweet chocolate and burnt toast follow quickly. Vinous strength and dark fruits take a turn as well, adding a sweetness that cuts into the full malts. Raisins and apples are sweet. Plenty of dark malts linger, ample booze backing it up. A pretty taste imperial stout.

M: The mouthfeel doesn't disappoint, plenty of malts and, thanks to the yeast, a sweet fruity presence. The age has done the stout considerable good.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2011 01:35:24 | More by akorsak

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours real nice, but the head could stay a little bit longer. There's a nice smoky flavor on this one with some molasses on there as well. This is hearty, but carries the characteristics that help to keep the flavor delivery fluid. I'd say the only detractor is a bit of a boozy thing that burns on the tongue just a wee bit too much. Overall, this is nice though. Nicer than I expected.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2012 21:29:01 | More by RblWthACoz

rhoadsrage

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

(Served in a snifter) Bottle number 423
A- This beer pours a jet black deep tan body with a creamy head of coco that last a good bit.
S- The chocolate roasted malt flavor has a green hop pine aroma to follow. There is a earthy roasted char note in the finish.
T- The smooth roasted chocolate malt flavor has some dark roasted coffee hints with a nice green pine hop finish. The hops linger a bit after each sip and start to take on a minty quality as the beer warms. There is a roasted bitterness that blends with the hops bitterness in the linger adding some nice depth.
M- This beer has a medium-light mouthfeel with no alcohol heat except for a very faint spicy hint when the beer is pretty warm. D- This beer is easy to drink and pretty mellow as it goes down quick. I'm not sure I would call in imperial but it is a nice stout.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2010 13:21:11 | More by rhoadsrage

Wasatch

Utah

4/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks goes out to unclejedi for this brew.

Best by 06/12/07

Poured into a chalice a black color, nice carbonation, nice little fizzy tannish head, some small island/oil slicks remain. The nose is malty, chocolate, toffee, oak, and caramel. The taste is malty, nice touch of oak/roast, toffee/chocolate. The finish is slightly dry and bitter. Full body. Very drinkable, this is an easy drinking RIS for sure, alcohol content is hidden very well. Really enjoying this one tonight, very tasty, recommended.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2007 01:59:42 | More by Wasatch

mdfb79

New York

3.48/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

From 01/14/12 notes. Have had this for a while and finally broke it out. 2010 vintage.

a - Pours a dark brown color with one inch of dark tan head and moderate carbonation evident.

s - Smells of roasted malts, pine hops, bakers chocolate, and light coffee. Hoppier than I was expecting.

t - Tastes of roasted malts, pine hops, light fruity malts, chocolate, vanill, and coffee. Again, hoppier than expecting, but I liked this a little better than the nose.

m - Body is very light and bit watery for a stout, with moderate carbonation.

o - Overall a decent beer, but I was surprised by all the recent great reviews. Maybe newer bottles are just better, or it just doesn't hold up well? Either way it had a very thin mouthfeel and was a bit hoppy and faded. I'd recommend not holding onto this one for as long as I did, and would like to try a fresh bottle.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2012 02:26:08 | More by mdfb79

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle into a tulip glass.

Pours completely black with a finger of dark tan head. Retains nicley around the edges with some creamy wisps around the middle leaving lots of lace and oily brown residue down the sides of the glass. The aroma is chocolate, roasted malts, and a combo of dark fruits and hops that gives of a slightly funky smell.

The taste is a thick chocolate sweetness up front with some moderate roasted tones, a twang of dark fruits, and hop bitterness in the finish that lingers. The sweetness and bitterness do an OK job of balancing each other but the overall flavor profile just doesn't feel that deep to me. The mouthfeel is full bodied with a fairly thick and viscous feel. The 9% ABV is present but doesn't detract much from the taste.

I think a little more balance in the aroma and deepness in the taste could have really pushed this guy into a better category of RIS. That being said, I will say that the drinkability is still pretty good for a beer of this thickness and ABV level.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2008 17:50:15 | More by Kegatron

Viggo

Ontario (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to grub for sharing this one, in the 1 liter foiled swingtop bottle. Bottle # 1283/3000.

Pours black, some dark red in the edges, huge brown head forms, tons of lacing, solid retention, looks like an imperial stout! Smell is nice, very hoppy, some floral and grapefruit, pine and burnt sugar, toffee, chocolate, cream, roast, pretty nice. Taste is chocolate and roast, toffee, floral hops, caramelized sugar, bitter dark chocolate, alcohol, dark fruits in the finish with a lacto sweetness. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with medium carbonation, very smooth. Pretty nice imperial stout, very hoppy and I'd like to try this with some age on it. Thanks Russ!

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2008 20:26:35 | More by Viggo

corby112

Pennsylvania

3.7/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz, best by 02/22/12. Received as an extra in a recent trade with McNuts. Thanks again Keith!

Pours pitch black and completely opaque with a two finger frothy mocha head. Great retention, slowly fading into a lasting cap that leaves streaks of soapy lacing behind.

Sweet roasted malt aroma with a prominent spicy hop character. I'm surprised at how hop forward the nose is with hints of pine and citrus countering the roasted notes. Hints of chocolate, oatmeal and coffee but the hops really stand out.

Medium bodied with a flavor profile that's similar to the aroma. Very hop forward with some dry earthy bitterness and sweet citrus notes. Hints of pine, grapefruit and citrus rind which is odd for an imperial stout, slightly overpowering the roasted notes. Underneath there is a nice roasted malt backbone with hints of oatmeal, dark chocolate, toast and coffee bean but again it is outshined by the prominent hops. Dry finish. The ABV is well masked with practically no heat at all resulting in a pretty quaffable beer.

Overall this beer was interesting but to hoppy for an imperial stout in my opinion. I wish it was balanced a bit more with a more prominent malt presence.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2011 08:31:33 | More by corby112

glid02

Georgia

3.53/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

2008 version out of a 1L bottle tried in Jan. of 2009.

Pours black with dark brown highlights. Head is one-finger of light brown foam that recedes into a wispy layer on top. Not a whole lot of lacing.

Smells of roasted malts and chocolate. There's a massive difference in the fresh version as there's almost no hop aroma, however the smells that I'm getting aren't very clean.

Tastes similar to how it smells. Roasted malts and light chocolate flavors are built of a backbone of sweet malt and molasses. Again, as with the smell it just doesn't taste very clean - all of the flavors seem to run into each other instead of working with each other.

Mouthfeel is good. The carbonation is a bit on the low side, but it's got a good thickness and goes down smoothly.

Drinkability is good - I had some help finishing off the 1L bottle and I needed it as I wouldn't have enjoyed finishing it myself.

Overall it seems like the stopper may have let a bit too much air in over the last year, I'd be interested to see how the 12 oz bottles compare. I will say that I blended half a bottle of this years with the 2008 version and it gave me the best of both worlds - a mildly hoppy nose with a better maltiness and likewise in the flavor.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2009 17:27:23 | More by glid02

DrJay

Massachusetts

3.63/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Received as part of JBIF from mikesgroove. Thanks!
This one was very dark brown with ruby highlights and brownish edges topped by a thin skim of fine, tan bubbles. It had good head retention, left some spotty lace on the glass, and looked quite viscous during the pour. The aroma had lots of toffee with a bit of roast, caramel, chocolate and licorice. Bitterness was solid, but balanced on the low side compared to the malt sweetness. The qualities in the aroma carried over to the flavour, plus there was a bit of citrusy hop. The finish was mostly toffee and chocolate. Medium/full bodied with low carbonation made up of very fine bubbles. Light warmth and a little bit of astringent dryness. Quite drinkable with well hidden alcohol. Roast was a little on the low side though.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2008 23:32:26 | More by DrJay

HopHead84

California

3.88/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle received as an extra in a trade with tprokop7 some time ago. Thanks Todd. Consumed on 9/13/2009 and poured into a snifter. The beer pours black and looks like motor oil with a fizzy one finger light brown head. The head fades quickly and leaves no lacing.

The nose is primarily dark chocolate with notes of black strap molasses. The beer smells bittersweet, without even a trace of coffee in the aroma. As the beer warms some roasted character comes out. A touch of oxidation is evident. This is a nice smelling beer.

The flavor is of rich dark chocolate with a low moderate level of bitterness and notes of molasses. Some booze is evident. Roasted character is more pronounced in the flavor than it was in the aroma. This tastes as good as it smells. The finish exhibits some sweetness and molasses and chocolate linger.

The beer is full bodied with low moderate carbonation and a viscous and syrupy mouthfeel. A very solid Russian Imperial Stout if you're in the mood for one.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2009 02:47:35 | More by HopHead84

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

3.8/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Black olive that is unreasonably stubborn in refusing to give off even the slightest of highlights. Honestly, even holding it right up to the light proves futile, this is one adamantly opaque beer. The head is considerably well represented given the unsuitably high gravity. A good dousing of chocolate milk is bounded to the top where it lay fixed, bubbles and all, determined to stay and intent on defacing all parts of the glass too.

My only complaint (and it was a big one) about the beer when having it before was that it was too hoppy for the style. So, in letting it age a full two months past the 'best if enjoyed by' date, I've tried to correct that by letting the hop profile fade out a little. By the smell of things, I haven't succeeded in the least! This combination of Centennial, Willamette and Cascade is every bit as pungent and green as I remember.

My notes from then describe the beer as "sticky sweet, almost like a non-ready beer" with "semi-boiled hops still in the kettle". The spice, fruit and tang are still ever-present, but they've certainly toned down. I'm happy to report that element has matured and the hops have taken their rightful place behind the tiramisu, mocha-like flavour combination of chocolate and coffee. Granted, it's nowhere near as rich or dessert-like as most RIS.

Unfortunately, in the process of taming the hops I've also sacrificed much of the mouthfeel. My first impressions of "bitter tea-like hops" and "sticky sweet malts that stick to your lips" aren't quite observed now. There's still a great deal of crunchy toffee and sugar cookie, but it doesn't have the appeal of bitter cocoa or bittersweet chocolate as others in this style.

That said, it drinks exceptionally easy. The alcohol plays no spoiler in the downing of this hop fondue. Still, unlike other styles, RIS' aren't held to the same criteria of drinkability - they are expected to be rich, decadent, and heavy. This is quaffable, quenching, and drinks something like a hoppy Ovaltine. It has a creamy, lactose type texture and the hops are better suited to a hot Georgia summer rather than a cold Russian winter.

I'm not at all happy my bottle is coming to its ending; part of that is because I'm not anticipating the 'explosive finish' the brewers promise me on the label. This beer would be a welcome stay in my cellar if I had regular access to it. Since I don't, I have no problem putting any number of better RIS in its place on the shelf. For anyone debating whether to search one out, you can expect a happy ending - but don't anticipate wanting a sequel.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2009 04:02:05 | More by biegaman