Imperial Eclipse Stout - Vietnamese Coffee
FiftyFifty Brewing Co.

 

 

 

 

 

A: Pours pitch black with a short-lived, thin khaki head.

S: Hmm this smells kinda burnt. Not very pleasant. I get a bit of the barrel too.

T: Yep, the burnt coffee comes through in the flavor as well. I didn't expect that. The lactose blends everything together nicely and provides a soft silky mouth feel. Bourbon is present in the middle and on the back end but it's a little hidden. Vanilla's there too. As it warms the burnt flavor isn't as prominent on the front end, but it still lingers after the swallow. Overall it's a sweet brew, almost like a milk stout (perhaps it IS a milk stout because of the addition of lactose?).

M: As said above, it's silky smooth and thick but not overly so. The lactose makes it feel kinda nitro-y.

O: I'm disappointed I spent so much on this bottle. I was hoping for a less burnt-like flavor from the coffee. It's not a bad stout, but not worth the price in my opinion. If you're looking for something sweet with a heavily-roasted bold coffee flavor, this is the beer for you.

 

 

This beer. Wow.

Looks like you would expect from an imperial stout. Dark black, with a rich, brown head. Light lacing when it quells.

Smells like you would expect out of a Vietnamese coffee. Sweet, strong, coffee-forward. Really good balance of smell and flavor and strength.

As the beer warmed, however, I enjoyed it a bit less and found the sweetness overpowering. I still feel this was an excellent (if expensive!) drink, and I'm glad I gave in and bought a bottle.

Always dig the coffee Eclipses, but haven't seen Mayra from whatever coffee place at the party the last couple of years, what a bummer. So hot.

Anyways, poured the normal color of Eclipse, black with close to 1/2" brown head. The aroma rocked those ultra roast coffee notes. The darker, bolder stuff.

Taste was much the same. Big bold notes of coffee first and foremost throughout the entirety of the beer. Still hits with the usual mix of mild bourbon, chocolate malt and American oak after that. The coffee and mild lactose notes enhance an already great mouth feel that hides the alcohol very well in every iteration of Eclipse. Per the usual mouth feel, hits those Goldilocks spot, not too thick, not too thin, just right. So many barrel aged stouts try and be one of the biggest, this one fits right where you could dome a bottle on your own without getting winded or bogged down in sludge territory. I wouldn't say this one was discernably better or worse than the OG coffee version.

Pours nearly black. Aroma is quite strong and a blend of bourbon, roasty coffee and vanilla. Flavor is roasty with heavily coffee, chocolate, bourbon and vanilla notes. A med-heavy mouthfeel. Incredible stout.

2019 Vintage
500ml bottle

Appearance: Very dark brown bordering on black with a moderate sized foamy beige head that gradually faded. The head stayed thick for a while and slowly subsided to a ring.

Smell: Fairly prominent coffee notes, Bourbon notes, mild vanilla and brown sugar aromas. A nice nose on this one.

Taste: Bourbon, coffee notes, dark chocolate, roast malts, moderate vanilla, caramel/brown sugar and some drying tannic oak notes. Fifty Fifty did a bang up job in creating a Vietnamese coffee profile. The finish is slightly sweet, likely the result of the lactose addition. The mild oak notes at the end dry it out and prevent it from being cloying. The beer has a nice taste profile.

Mouth-feel: Medium bodied with a moderate level of carbonation. Not the thickest Imperial Stout but not bad.

Overall: A tasty beer that flat out works for me. I don't like all things sweet but I am a fan of certain sweet foods. This beer mimics a well crafted Vietnamese coffee. If that's something you like I'd give this a try.