Liquid Confidence
To Øl

Black with a frothy mocha head. Roast coffee, dark malts, dark chocolate, plums and raisin, somewhat hoppy. Creamy and full body, Finishes slightly dry with a touch of bitterness, one of the best stouts by To Øl I’ve tried so far.

 

 

Pours a pitch black body with a big mocha head

The smell is quite roasted with coffee mostly.
The taste follows with a subtle heat from the chilies, quite sweet but not boozy despite the high abv
Syrupy mouthfeel, moderate carbonation
Overall enjoyable but a bit thick

 

On-tap served in a stemmed glass at Mikkeller, Bangkok.

Crude black in color with thick dark frothy tan head as a showcase, the head withstands with good retention before gradually subsiding to a long-lasting bubble sheet atop and leaving sticky lacing wave all around. Very good looking for such high ABV Stout.

Heavily roasted and spice in the aroma, it has a nice mixture between malt and chili. Malt provides its roasted, toasted bread, chocolate, black coffee, cocoa nibs, dark bread, caramel, vanilla, licorice, charred nut, peat, and smokiness while chili lends its peppery and spice. There are also notes of dark fruits in kind of dark raisin and dark cherry as well as some spicy alcohol.

The taste is intense and very tasty pertaining to what a great Stout is all about together with a nice complement of chili spice, dark fruitiness, and booziness. It kicks off with big sweetness from malt together with all the other malt flavors of roasted, toasted bread, biscuit, caramel, vanilla, chocolate, black coffee with some sourness, cocoa powder, licorice, charred nut, smokiness, and peat. In the middle, there are notes of dark cherry and dark raisin as well as chili spice and pepper. The end unfolds with solid bitterness from both roasted and hop profile as well as some residual sweetness and spiciness that is also well lingering in the aftertaste together with some warming touch of alcohol.

The body is full and smooth with low to moderate carbonation but it is crisp enough to carry all the things well. The overall feeling is well-rounded with a very dry finish.

This Impy Stout is not for the faint-hearted with its intensity and alcoholic character. Very good for sipping and wrapping up the night.

 

 

 

 

Selling on the promise of licorice and chili peppers, To Ol's spicy and earthy imperial stout rides a regal reputation and an expectation for challenge, complexity and curiosity.

Liquid Confidence pours with a tar and pitch black (lack of) color and consistency. Its construct of creamy tan meringue slowly retreats into the abyss below. Espresso, fudge, booze and burnt sugar register to the nose while the most supple sip reveals burnt marshmallow, brown sugar, blackstrap molasses and all-things-roast.

Its complexities begin to build as the palate acclimates to the beer's intensity. Sweetness and maltiness showing slow resolve, a fruitiness of plum, raisin, date, fig and prune round into a tobacco-like earhiness- hinting toward anise, fennel and black licorice. Shying from notions of cough syrup, the taste turns into a chocolatey, fudgy center. Spicy late with a brandy-like pepper notion, its capsaicin suggestions are tepid at best. All the while, a savory sherry-like satisfaction engulfs the session and soothes the senses with a masculine warmth of umami and saline.

Full, lavish and viscous, the beer's body approaches a chewy texture just before the booze and pepper heat steps in and lightens the malt just enough to resemble a lumbered drinkability. Where the beer lacks in drinkability it more than makes up with complexity, depth, power and variety. Its a sipping, savory event best reserved for long contemplation with great company or an emersion of a thoughtful book.

 

 

 

 

 

Served in a small flute from the tap.

Appearance: Thing black Motorola with a tan head rising roughly about one quarter of an inch off the Body. Settles quick to almost nada with slightly sticky lacing.

Smell: Smells of grapes and light chocolate, might be lighter with the potency but seriously a robust scent.

Taste: Deep wine and chocolate infused with notes of peppers and/or maybe a lighter hot sauce. It's quite spicy compared to any stout period. I like the difference toøl is making but very few people would appreciate this complex concoction.

Mouth: Medium carbonation and from my perspective average stickiness. Comes and goes, I personally don't see it overpowering many thing you're eating it with.

Overall: I'm on a imperial stout tasting binge and it's really hard to stop with all the fine bars here in Reykavic. This brew was good but I feel like going back to my past beer, definitely the one that tingles the palates and worth grabbing if your craving that one brew to stand out. Salud.