10.5% ABV. Ten Fidy. Get it? 10.5%. It took me a while to catch on to that.
HOLY JESUS. Why in the FUCK did I wait so long to try this stout? This is fucking amazing stout. If you’re a stout purist this is for you. If you have a serious taste for beer this is for you. But if you have a sensitive/”beginner” beer palate you may want to build up your taste before trying this one.
With the exception of their “Dale’s Pale Ale,” I’m a huge fan of Oskar Blues and would like to see them add more to their catalogue. They are the canned craft beer kings in my opinion, although it is already proven a properly canned beer is no worse (and in many cases better) than bottled beer. Take note, all of you who insist that a bottled beer is the only way to serve a packaged beer: CANNED BEER RULES. I sincerely hope the beer production community puts their faith into moving to cans. The only thing holding them back is the incredulity of their target market (side note: 21st Amendment is another producer of fine canned brews). Besides the fact that the flavor, texture, and shelf life are preserved in a properly lined can, you can crush cans and dispose of them more easily. Also, who wants to crush a glass bottle against his/her head? But I digress…
This stout is THICK, rich, heavy in malt, chocolate, coffee, and nut flavors; and even has a sweet milky taste to it. It wouldn’t surprise me if it were mistaken for a milk-stout, although this is very strong and heavy unlike all the milk-stouts I have tasted. They are lighter and more refreshing, like an afternoon ice cream delight. This is an evening drink (or morning, afternoon and any other time if you’re a functional alcoholic like me).
It smells relatively sweet (typical for a Russian Imperial) and has a soft, thick, milk chocolate brown head. The alcohol content is damn near unnoticeable; toward the end of the drink I started to get the flavor of it but it wasn’t very strong (and I like the flavor of alcohol so it bothered me not). It leaves a slight bitter aftertaste that doesn’t linger for very long.
After drinking one I salivated with desire for another. I looked around and had none, so I did what any other reasonable beer drinker would do to vent his frustrations: I kicked my cat.
This is a perfect stout. PERIOD.
Style: 10/10 Overall: 10/10
