Double Scoop Stout Baklava
8 Wired Brewing Co.

i always get excited to cut into beers from these guys, always something fun and different from them. this one appears to be part of a series of different flavored stouts, baklava, clever! done with hazelnut and almond, lactose and i think orange too, really different take on baklava, which i know more as honey and pistachio or walnut, is that wrong? neat to see something like this not even into the imperial strength range and not barrel aged, i appreciate that approach in a world where all dessert type stouts seem to start more or less the same. this is a little chunky from the can, brown more than black and sedimented to the point of it looking dull and a little messy, less refined than i am used to from them, but still with a fizzy tan head and pretty active overall. the nose is citrus forward, like essential oil of orange, and there is a ton of sweet and bitter chocolate character too, less from the nuts but with hazelnut in the lead, and there could definitely be honey in this too, its sweet and lightly floral, especially with the citrus, some roast and coffee character too, but this almost seems more sturdy brown ale than stout in terms of grain complexion, the sweet outshines the roast to me. the flavor is good, brown sugar richness all through it, not as much from the nuts as expected, honey sweetness too, and lots of the fragrant orange on the back end. cocoa, brown butter, and amaretto on the swallow. unique but not amazing, not in love with the base stout, the refinement, or the proportions on this, and im not sure ive had the kind of baklava they are targeting, so maybe its my own ignorance, but i wanted a little more from this. i do like the uniqueness, the lower alcohol starting point, and the promise of what others in the series might have in store, but i think this leaves a bit to be desired, some oxidation here too working against the decadence factor.

pours dark with thick head better than their regular double stout - big nutty honey taste