Black is Beautiful
Brewery: St Elmo Brewing Co
Style: Fruit Beer (Imperial Stout 29A)
Package: 16oz Can
Purchased: Beer to go!
Packaged Date: N/A
Consumed Date: Sep 23, 2020
Details From the Brewer
ABV: 10.1%
Imperial stout with cherries
Review
Aroma – 6/12
Coffee-like roast hits the nose immediately. Some caramel and dark fruit malt character joins in. There’s a low-medium peppery and smokey phenol present as well. An almost woody hop character comes out as well. As it warms, the stone fruit is more apparent, but still in the background. Light alcohol notes.
Appearance – 3/3
Pours a deep black, opaque liquid. A huge khaki head stands up four fingers on the pour. Composed of large rocky bubbles, it lasts with excellent retention. Some lacing as well.
Flavor – 10/20
Coffee and a light ashy roast at a medium level. There’s a moderate bitterness with low sweetness. Low notes of sweet cherry and some apple esters are present towards the end of the taste. An ashy and smokey after-taste lingers.
Mouthfeel – 3/5
Moderate-high carbonation. Medium-light bodied, thinning a bit towards the finish. The finish is fast, drying the mouth quickly.
Overall Impression – 5/10
The character of the stout is still present, but has definitely faded. The roast malt character is still present, but something has caused some over attenuation, continuing to consume the remaining sugars, and thinning the body. The cherry character is present, but lingers in the background.
Rating – 27/50
I stored this can at about 50F since purchase. The other’s from the 4-pack didn’t seem to have an infection issue when I drank them around 2 months ago. While unfortunate, it is something you can encounter when working with fresh ingredients.
