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Paid Time Off
3 Sheeps Brewing
- From:
- 3 Sheeps Brewing
- Wisconsin, United States
- Style:
- American Imperial Stout
- ABV:
- 10%
- Score:
- 91
- Avg:
- 4.12 | pDev: 10.19%
- Reviews:
- 21
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- May 04, 2020
- Added:
- Apr 27, 2015
- Wants:
- 10
- Gots:
- 10
Paid Time Off started as a side project, an experiment. We wanted to see if we could take an imperial stout and add toasted coconut and cocoa nibs without overwhelming the palate with sticky sweetness.
Our inspiration? Candy bars. Coconut, chocolate, and roasted nuts; that perfect balance of sweet and dry. It’s a commonly held brewing belief that you can’t brew with walnuts. Too tough, too oily, notoriously difficult to extract flavor from. But we didn’t let that stop us. We found a producer willing to dry roast their nuts without any oil or salt so that we could extract that roasted goodness from the outside, not worry about the inside, and achieve a wholly unique and pleasantly dry, nutty flavor. It pulls the beer’s overall sweetness back and complements the chocolate and toasted coconut perfectly.
Our inspiration? Candy bars. Coconut, chocolate, and roasted nuts; that perfect balance of sweet and dry. It’s a commonly held brewing belief that you can’t brew with walnuts. Too tough, too oily, notoriously difficult to extract flavor from. But we didn’t let that stop us. We found a producer willing to dry roast their nuts without any oil or salt so that we could extract that roasted goodness from the outside, not worry about the inside, and achieve a wholly unique and pleasantly dry, nutty flavor. It pulls the beer’s overall sweetness back and complements the chocolate and toasted coconut perfectly.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by agreenman19:
Reviewed by agreenman19 from Connecticut
4.37/5 rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.37/5 rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
L - pours a rich chocolatey black. Syrupy with minimal head but ends with a tan mocha-colored foam ring. No light passes through this one
S - immediate aromas of wheatwhine and barleywine malts. Milk chocolate and coconut abound. Reminds me of some strong German doppelbocks, interestingly enough. You know, the thick, sweet, syrupy boozy variety. Dark fruits. Plums. Raisins.
T - creamy toasted coconut and walnut. Was worried the nuts wouldn't make an appearance! Sweet sugary raisins and thick German wheat with an unmistakable Midwest twist. Booze comes out a bit as it warms along with syrupy bittersweet chocolate. Good flavor. Balance isn't the best, but when you throw enough neat flavors at me, I'm okay with it.
F - very low carbonation as expected for such a sweet, high ABV brew. I think this is the third time I've said "syrupy" and while that's sorta what this is, it's really not as much as the multiple utterings seem to imply. Creamy.
O - I see a couple other commenters noting a lack of flavor or potency of present flavors and I think age has something to do with that. The year or so I held on to this one definitely seems to have mellowed out the booze and amplifies the nutty character. Definitely sit on this one. But drink it eventually!
Jun 21, 2016S - immediate aromas of wheatwhine and barleywine malts. Milk chocolate and coconut abound. Reminds me of some strong German doppelbocks, interestingly enough. You know, the thick, sweet, syrupy boozy variety. Dark fruits. Plums. Raisins.
T - creamy toasted coconut and walnut. Was worried the nuts wouldn't make an appearance! Sweet sugary raisins and thick German wheat with an unmistakable Midwest twist. Booze comes out a bit as it warms along with syrupy bittersweet chocolate. Good flavor. Balance isn't the best, but when you throw enough neat flavors at me, I'm okay with it.
F - very low carbonation as expected for such a sweet, high ABV brew. I think this is the third time I've said "syrupy" and while that's sorta what this is, it's really not as much as the multiple utterings seem to imply. Creamy.
O - I see a couple other commenters noting a lack of flavor or potency of present flavors and I think age has something to do with that. The year or so I held on to this one definitely seems to have mellowed out the booze and amplifies the nutty character. Definitely sit on this one. But drink it eventually!
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by Buck89 from Tennessee
4.26/5 rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4.26/5 rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Poured into a Rastal glass. An opaque dark brown color with a modest tan head that had impressive staying power. Aroma was candy-like with a fresh nutty aspect along with milk chocolate and fresh coconut. Taste followed. The coconut was prominent and played well with the cocoa and walnut. All the flavor were there but thankfully this was not an overly sweet pastry stout. This was more old school with restrained sweetness and a relatively dry finish. Outstanding.
Feb 22, 2020Reviewed by stortore from Illinois
4.24/5 rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.24/5 rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Not sure why it’s an imperial Black Wheat Ale at times, an Imperial Stout at others. 12 ounce bottle into a snifter. Had 11/8/18.
Pours near black and opaque, with a half inch foamy head with good retention and some spotty lacing. Aromas of chocolate, coconut, malt, cocoa, some caramel, light smoke, some wheat. A nutty aroma- more as it warms. Flavors of chocolate, coconut- stronger at first, walnuts- more as it warms, wheat, caramel, some vanilla and molasses, a light bitterness on the finish. Smooth, a little creamy, a very good medium to full body, well carbonated.
The chocolate and walnuts are the stars here, and the coconut also shows well. There is some wheat presence that mostly makes it feel like a lighter stout. Very enjoyable, and well worth a purchase.
Feb 13, 2020Pours near black and opaque, with a half inch foamy head with good retention and some spotty lacing. Aromas of chocolate, coconut, malt, cocoa, some caramel, light smoke, some wheat. A nutty aroma- more as it warms. Flavors of chocolate, coconut- stronger at first, walnuts- more as it warms, wheat, caramel, some vanilla and molasses, a light bitterness on the finish. Smooth, a little creamy, a very good medium to full body, well carbonated.
The chocolate and walnuts are the stars here, and the coconut also shows well. There is some wheat presence that mostly makes it feel like a lighter stout. Very enjoyable, and well worth a purchase.
Reviewed by DoctorZombies from Florida
3.53/5 rDev -14.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.53/5 rDev -14.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Pours dark brown/black with ruby edges at 55 degrees; fast fizzy tan head disappeared immediately; no cap, ring or lace; medium legs. Chocolate nose. Chocolate taste; no coconut or nut flavors; a little taste of alcohol. Medium body, moderate minus carbonation; a bit of alcohol bite on the tip of tongue. Overall there is a pleasant chocolate linger; however, the beer is thin for 10% and there is no coconut or walnut that I could find; bottled 10/3/18.
Aug 30, 2019Reviewed by REVZEB from Illinois
4.21/5 rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.21/5 rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Had on tap. Black and still on the pour, tiny head that quickly faded. The smell was strongly coconut and wheat based, with the walnut and cocoa coming in later in the sniff. Has a sneaky citrus twinge in the middle too. This twinge was also present in the taste, but had more cocoa upfront and some supporting caramel. While wheat and coconut still bonded naturally as leaders, the walnut really was the glue of this beer, providing good nutty balance and texture. Feel was a touch light, but otherwise typical for style, with smoothness from nuts and coconut contrasting with sharp wheat. The wife liked this one
Feb 27, 2019Rated by chicagocraft from Illinois
1.49/5 rDev -63.8%
look: 1.25 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2
1.49/5 rDev -63.8%
look: 1.25 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2
Very dissapointing!
Nov 02, 2018Reviewed by GuyFawkes from Illinois
3.13/5 rDev -24%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
3.13/5 rDev -24%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
Bottled 10/3/18; drank 10/30/18 @ the Yarchives.
Black appearance.
A rough pour yielded a small tan head; decent lace.
Cream, fresh earth, mild chocolate & faint cherry notes in the nose.
Creamy, medium mouthfeel.
Faint chocolate syrup flavors up front; faint notes of coconut & fresh earth on the finish.
A session imperial stout? Thin & very mild; not sure what the point was here.
Oct 31, 2018Black appearance.
A rough pour yielded a small tan head; decent lace.
Cream, fresh earth, mild chocolate & faint cherry notes in the nose.
Creamy, medium mouthfeel.
Faint chocolate syrup flavors up front; faint notes of coconut & fresh earth on the finish.
A session imperial stout? Thin & very mild; not sure what the point was here.
Rated by Zenboy99 from Wisconsin
3.48/5 rDev -15.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
3.48/5 rDev -15.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
A little disappointing
Oct 27, 2018Rated by Badger2121 from Illinois
4.52/5 rDev +9.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.52/5 rDev +9.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Smells like putting you put your nose in a half of a coconut. Taste is coconut and chocolate. Tons of chocolate on the backend.
Jul 29, 2018
Paid Time Off from 3 Sheeps Brewing
Beer rating:
91 out of
100 with
94 ratings
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