Surly Vietnamese Coffee Darkness Russian Imperial Stout.
12 % ABV, Surly Brewing Company, Minneapolis & Brooklyn Center, MN.
And here we have the final of the three Darkness variants that were released late last year. Possibly the best? We'll see...
Strictly Stygian appearance, utter opacity, slim brown head, nestles into nothing in no-time.
In the nose: Deep malty expressions, cocoa, espresso, molasses, and more. Dark fruit, vanilla, cream, starting to pick up on the whole Vietnamese Coffee thing, slowly but surely.
In the mouth: Pow! Intense entrance. Powerful malt flavors, the essence of Darkness are in full display from the start. More coffee, more cocoa, and a side of cream.
Ultimately, not quite enough cream to deliver what I was hoping for in stout of this style. Came close, but didn't get there. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it.
Inspired by the flavors of Vietnamese coffee–traditionally made by mixing concentrated coffee with sweetened condensed milk–we infused our Darkness base with a blend of organic robusta and arabica coffees from UP Coffee Roasters, vanilla beans, and coconut. After quality time aging in rum barrels, the rich coffee notes and enticing aromatics mimic the silky, bittersweet beverage with a distinctly dark twist.
No comments:
Post a Comment