Matryoshka (Vanilla and Coconut)
Fort George Brewery + Public House

 

 

Beer # 2700 on BA.

500ml wax-topped bottle shared with the wife.

A: Pours out dark brown and sits black in the glass, topped with a creamy khaki/mocha colored head with tight bubbles that you could scoop out with a spoon; quickly dissipates though.

S: A very, very nice nose of bourbon, roast, vanilla, and wonderful but subtle coconut, lightly toasted. Minor impressions of cold coffee and cacao nibs as well.

T: Smooth and fairly rich, the Mexican vanilla and the coconut blend beautifully with the base beer and the bourbon barrel treatment of this one. Very nice roast component as well.

MF: Medium to full with a dry finish and minimal burn/booze.

O: A very nice bba stout with a well-executed treatment of vanilla and coconut.

Pouring a cellar temp 500 ml bottle into my trusty snifter. The beer pours a dark coffee brown color with no light passing through the glass. A soft creamy head of 2.5 cm foams up and fades slowly throughout the sampling. This leaves very dense clingy lattice and results in a sturdy edge layer that remains throughout the tasting.
Aroma is rich and malty with dark rich fudge notes, hot cocoa powder, some sweet vanilla in the background. I get a little coconut, candied not toasted notes as well. no hop character and the booze is well hidden.
First sip reveals a medium to thick body with creamy texture, with fine and slightly tingly carbonation. Beer does coat my palate with each sip.
Flavor is similar to the nose advertisements. I get rich fudge and brownie notes with some dark cocoa too. Hints of vanilla shine through in the middle, but roasted notes and dark chocolate linger. I dont find the coconut here, and the hops are absent and ABV is hidden with no warming or spicy bite.
This is a sort of sweet, but not candy like big stout. The roast and dark chocolate notes do balance a bit, and I enjoy the feel of this beer a lot. Glad to have tried this tasty imp stout!