Sugar Shack
10 Barrel Brewing Co.

super tasty new one at the boise brewery, a sturdy base stout done with maple syrup, vanilla beans, and a kiss of cinnamon. not a wildly unique combination of flavors these days, seems like a lot of breweries are doing things like this, but what is different in my experience is that its done without coffee, always feels like thats part of the mix with these added flavors, so its neat to let the dark grain speak for itself there, and i think it allows a truer expression of the maple without the coffee influencing it, and i am a fan of that, much as i also like these with the java in them. the body isnt heavy, and even though this drinks sweet, its not over the top, not lactose spiked to me, and the vanilla extends in a mellow enough way that it just sort of slowly fades, never really hits a sugar climax in the conclusion. the maple is awesome, real as can be in nose and taste and in the front the whole time. the vanilla accents it nicely, is also pretty boldly dosed, but seems high end, organic, and richly flavorful here, great with the roasted barley. finally the cinnamon just brings a little wintery coziness to the finish, this doesnt really taste super spiced or anything, which is fine with me. its a neat wrinkle, and all of it seems in service of the maple, good choice. the base stout might not be the most compelling thing without all this jazz, but it works great in this context, pretty well hidden alcohol here too. excellent stuff overall, a joy to sip on in deep winter weather!