Stella Obscura
Lazy Magnolia Brewing Company

Pours pitch black with a brown head that eventually disappears. No visible carbonation and no lacing as I drink the beer.

Nice nose of very soft vanilla, dark chocolate and roasty malt.

The flavor is subtle and natural vanilla, chocolate, roasty and a semi-dry on the finish. Medium bodied. Not a thick new money stout.

Overall, an excellent BBA Stout.

 

 

 

 

a new high point for these guys in my experience, definitely the best beer i haven had from them, a barrel aged imperial stout with vanilla beans. its layered and deep, not overtaken by the barrel or the whiskey, and fresh vanilla is everywhere, but its not sweet, or rather its well balanced by the dark roasty ashen bitterness of the dark malts, a really well built and fantastically executed beer, one of the best ive had in some time in this style really, and a delight to share with friends new and old. its shiny coal black in the glass with a rising tan head from the bottle, looks intimidatingly dark, but not overly viscous as some of these can be. the aroma is vanilla first, natural and rich, but thats not all, notes of brown sugar and good espresso come up to, along with a nice earthy bitterness to the roast and a hint of smoke, some raisin in there too, lovely. the flavor is all of that, with some barrel char, wet oak, and whiskey coursing through it at various times, plenty of vanilla but still not overdone to me, its climax coming right at the swallow. some sweetness here, but a nice counterpoint from the grain depth and barrel elements. smooth and luxurious feeling, lingering long, fancy and desserty and perfect for sharing and sipping. i was extremely impressed with this, an awesome base imperial stout with the right amount of barrel and vanilla. really well done!

Very dark, almost black. Solid but not thick looking. Very pungent but pleasant vanilla taste. Could be considered a "Desert beer", but it's not! Alcohol is evident but not at all overpowering. Malt taste is there, but in this case, " more is better"! Hope this is not a one-time brew. Very impressed with the Lazy Mag-this time, as with Gulf Porter!