Colorado Guanabara, Imperial Stout brewed with Black Rapadura Cane Sugar. Craft brewed in Brazil, 10% alc./vol., Cerveja Colorado, Brazil's Craftiest Brewery.
Deep, dark blackness, beautiful roasted tan head, starts big, slims down, but stays.
Aroma: richness and roast, toast, caramel doused in molasses, espresso tinges, and a touch of tobacco. All those things you want in an imperial stout.
Taste: A full-bodied affair, with a long, malty, rich finish. Hangs long on the palate, coats the tongue, slathers the back of the throat. Again, just what you want from a beer like this. Alcohol hangs out in the back at first, then comes rushing to the front. Hey, it's me, time to get groovy. And the flavor remains, again, exactly what you want from this style. Not more, not less, exactly.
I'll admit this: I am drinking this too cold, and did not set it out to warm. So, I feel that I'll enjoy it more warmer, and I'm going to set the glass and bottle aside, to move on to another beer, then return to it when it's at a higher temp. I owe it to the makers of this fine beer.
I wonder if there's gobbledygook? There is, on the back of the label, so let's read it: "Named for the breathtaking bay in front of SUGARLOAF mountain in Rio de Janeiro, Guanabara is Brazil's first Imperial Stout. Brewed with quality malt and hops, it also uses a special dark version of the native rapadura sugar, made by boiling down sugar cane juice. The result is an explosion of flavors, layered and complex, with a lightened body for added drinkability. "
So, apparently they feel the can sugar is there to lighten the body for added drinkability. What you don't want in an imperial stout is a light body, though you do appreciate easy drinkability. This is not a thick one, it is not hard to pass down the gullet, but neither would I call it's body light. It's plenty full. Certainly not a chore to choke down like a Three Floyds Dark Lord, nor would I call it especially chewy, but it's got what it takes, and that's what I like about it.
