Nut Smasher
Willoughby Brewing

2018 vintage; consumed on 2/25/2022

Pours a deep, ebony-black body capped with a finger of creamy, dark khaki head settling quickly to a thin layer of cap, a large, frothy collar, and a healthy splotching of dense, webby lacing along the walls of the glass.

Aromas of freshly brewed coffee welcome robust, bittersweet bakers chocolate, while a peanut butter undercurrent is limited and fading, yet maintains an air of richness lingering across the bouquet into a roasty char, with subtle burnt vanilla pod undertones accenting the closing impressions.

Taste opens to milk chocolate and darker bittersweet malts as soft peanut butter threads meander into coffee roast over the mid-palate, fading to charred hazelnut and an ashier malt profile aiding a more robust finish.

Mouthfeel shows a medium-light body and a subtle carbonation on the lighter end, dispersing to creamy textures weaving into steady roast on the mid-palate, with a wispy bittering balancing moderate char over the back end and drying with minimal warmth into the finish.

With over three years in the bottle, green pepper is impressively only vaguely perceptible, while the roast is vibrant and bittersweet along the chocolate spectrum as peanut butter ties everything lushly together from the backdrop; quietly brilliant and easily drinkable for a sweeter stout, I have to imagine this in the highest tier of PB beers when at its freshest.

12 oz can poured into a snifter at 53 degrees F, born on date ineligible, but definitely a 2020 vintage:
L - dark brown/black with a hazelnut head that lingered lightly on top
S - peanut butter, malt
T - peanut butter is somewhat dominant, but malt and coffee flavor there as well in middle and finish
F - thick oily mouthfeel with medium carbonation
O - nice beer, peanut butter a bit too prominent for me

 

 

 

Received from @Wesmantooth. Reviewed 3/29/20. Thanks Corey!
Printed on label “2018”. 22 oz capped bottle. Stored at home at 42 degrees and served at 50 degrees (Per label instructions) in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. Final temperature 54 degrees.
Appearance – 3.75.
First pour – Deep amber (SRM 15), clear.
Body – Deep brown (SRM 30), opaque. When held to direct light, still opaque.
Head – Large (Maximum 5.5 cm, aggressive center pour), dark tan, high density with some rocks, good retention, diminishing to a four to seven mm crown fed by effervescence and a thick rocky cap.
Lacing – Excellent! Overlapping bands of tiny bubbles form a sheet coating part of the inside of the glass.
Aroma – 4 – Predominantly peanut butter and chocolate, like a Reese’s Easter egg, with just a hint of coffee. No hops, no yeastiness.
Flavor – 4 – Flavor is a little less peanut buttery than the nose suggests with the coffee becoming more pronounced, adding a slight bitterness as well. No alcohol (11 % ABV as marked on the label) taste or aroma. No diacetyl, no dimethylsulfide. Aftertaste is slightly bitter with a medium hang time.
Palate – 4 – Medium, watery, soft carbonation.
Final impression and summation: 4.25 The whole is greater than the sum of the parts. While I am not a big fan of peanut butter used anywhere other than on an English muffin, this is definitely one of the better peanut butter-based stouts I have tried. In this case, the coffee cuts the cloying smarminess of the peanut butter/chocolate flavor base and generally dilutes it to an “also taste”, not the main event. The bottle label is fairly simple and uncluttered, giving most of the sought info in a clear and concise manner.

12oz undated can poured into a tulip glass shows a black body, with only a clear cola color at the edge. A 1/4" head of tight, brown sugar colored bubbles briefly floats on the thick body before bursting or being enveloped and spotted lacing gradually returns to an edge hugging ring.

Aroma is green coffee bean over peanut and cocoa.

Chocolate and peanut butter flavors are more pronounced as the bitterness becomes more roast cocoa than coffee bean. Bitter aftertaste is subtle but matches a slight booze warmth.
This was the first and only indication of booze.

Mouthfeel is almost creamy, full, and clean.

Overall a nice example of a desert-leaning imperial stout.

@WesMantooth your money is no good here.

 

This is a delicious Imperial Stout (2018 version). The flavor is not as interesting as the bourbon barrel aged version, which was divine, but it is definitely a top notch Imperial Stout.

Look: black with a thick mocca colored head. The head is very fluffy, soft and thick, like cream.

Aroma: roasted malts, coffee, chocolate, peanuts

Taste: It is delicious, roasted malts, peanut, coffee, chocolate.

Body/Overall: full body, creamy

 

Snifter at 101 Bottles

Similar to Rogue Hazelnut, but more finely tuned in.

Poured from a 22oz bomber into a snifter. Thanks Tom for this!

Brown-black body with a two ginger brown head that reduces to a layer of retention.

Toffee peanuts and chocolate on the nose. Cocoa, peanuts, milk cocolate, bittersweet chocolate on the tongue. Medium mouthfeel low carbonation

 

Tasted from bottle 2018 edition. Black with beige head. Aroma of peanuts, coffee and cocoa. Moderately sweet and bitter. Not an overpowering peanut butter flavor. Well balanced with the coffee and chocolate along with a slight bit of caramel. Very nice beer.

 

 

 

Black with brown edges and tan foam. Lasting coverage and spotty lace.
Peanut butter cup aroma, a swirl brings out coffee and dark chocolate.
Bitter coffee and chocolate flavors, mild peanut butter.
A little thin bodied for an imperial stout, moderately bitter.
Overall it’s a great blend of aromas and flavors, though the feel is a little jarring. It grows on me after a while.

Thanks Tom for sharing this one!

 

 

 

Great big peanut butter aroma, with a hint of dark chocolate behind it. Pours an opaque black with a ring of tan foam around the edge of the glass. Slick, full mouthfeel with rich chocolate and peanut butter notes coming through. There's a touch of coffee in the finish, and just the slightest hint of alcohol heat. This is a fantastic beer, and I'm lucky to be able to get it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Didn't think I'd like it with coffee and peanut butter but indis and it tasted great!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dark with foamy head, coffee and peanut butter are perfectly balanced on the nose and flavor. Mouth feel is medium to light. Overall very good, and worth trying.