Groundhog Imperial Stout (2013)
Carolina Brewing Company

 

 

I've been holding on to this for over a year...

Black/very dark brown, opaque beer with a light brown coffee foam looking head. Decent in size at first and then fades to a thin ring and layer over the beer. Aroma brings some berry tartness under a pile of chocolatey malt. Smooth and creamy. Taste is comprised of sweet chocolate syrup, raspberries, plum, and some lactose sweetness. A tiny bit of tobacco...and maybe some blackstrap molasses. Remarkably smooth with just a small surge of dry bitterness through the finish. Nice full body but easy to consume. A good one from CBC!

 

Pours black with some caramel highlights at the edges. Wispy, patchy cream covers the surface and leaves some specks of lacing here and there. Deep, unsweetened chocolate, grain, dark fruity esters, soy sauce, and a little of that cooked veggies smell that I almost always get from Carolina (dammit CBC!), but thankfully it's not too distracting. Huge malty flavor...classic, no frills RIS. Rich, chocolaty roast, solid bitterness, coffee bean, caramel, and prunes. Just a trace of alcohol lingering behind. Full, chewy, and velvety smooth. This is a hidden gem right here. I'll sit on the rest of my 6-pack for a while, but it's a damn fine beer right now.