110K+OT Batch #9 - Imperial Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Brown Ale
Cigar City Brewing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On tap at Rattle n Hum, NYC. Way bigger then the sign says. This, IMO, is up there with the big boys of the Imperial Sout guys. THe flavor is really, really big.

Forget the cosmetics here, the nose is all semisweet chocolate w/vague coconut. Bliss.

Raisins? Sorry identity is lost but assuming it contributes to the whole?..no lose.

I'm at 700+ reviews & this has caught me totally by surprise.

Asked by Dave, the manager who knows my durthes, after I complimened the array, he asked if I'd tried this.

I owe himone. This is me. Period. 9.8% is an elevated starting point, but if you have the tolerences, take this on.

 

Pours (from my new 64 oz. growler) a very dark brown, opaque, with a dark tan head that doesn't last very long.
Smell is sweet, malty, raisins, cinnamon, whiskey. Decently balanced.
Taste is near rich, sweet, malty, raisins, cinnamon, whiskey, hint of vanilla. Nicely balanced.
Nearly full-bodied, smooth, delicious. Warming.

 

Reviewed from notes. Poured from a 22 oz. bottle into an El Catador Barrel-Aged glass.

A: Dark brown and somewhat translucent, with a thin tan head and low visible carbonation.

S: Sweet malts and toffee, cinnamon and vanilla. Raisins dipped in brown sugar. It's not overly sweet, though not overly big either. But decent enough.

T: Sweet toasted malts and a cinnamon bite up front. Vanilla, brown sugar and molasses follow. Raisins and dark fruit that I find a bit reminiscent of a dark Belgian beer. More bready sweet malts and cinnamon, with some almost rum-like alcohol heat. Sweet candied sugar bread and cinnamon at the swallow, with another punch of dark fruit at the very end.

M: Medium-bodied, maybe a little lighter than it appeared. Average carbonation sensation. The alcohol seems prominent for the listed ABV, but it fits the rest of the beer fine.

O: It's not bad, and certainly something I’m glad to have tried. Even were it regularly available, I’m not sure I’d buy it often (if ever again). But interesting for what it is.

650 mL bottle. Deep brown body. Smells of cinnamon, dark fruits, caramel. Trying not to say that it smells like oatmeal and raisins, but it does. Big and boozy, too, though. Tastes like a cinnamon bomb. A little roasted malt, toffee, and caramel malt. Boozy. Big, but not that sweet. Dry and alcoholic. Smells incredible, but maybe doesn’t follow through in flavor.

Delicious! It does indeed taste like an oatmeal raisin cookie, and while the beer is sweet, it's not too sweet. Super silky in the mouth, this one goes down very easily, and the flavors of grain, cinnamon, vanilla, and raisins linger. Superb!