Stouty Stouterson
Valhöll Brewing

 

 

This is a big, hefty, teeth-staining Imperial Stout that's built very much along the lines of Parabola, even down to that "grainy" texture that's so compelling on the tongue. The core flavors are hallmark stuff: cafe au lait, licorice, molasses, coffee bean, dried figs, woodsmoke, graphite, and prominent roasted grains. The hops character is more pronounced than in Parabola, with a fine, resiny edge on the finish that leans more to spruce tips than to pine sap. Valholl is not currently bottling anything, so you'll find this as a tap selection in various better bars in Western Washington. As an interesting side note, this ale finished second in a 2013 beer fans' poll in Seattle, in which 10,000 people responded to a "playoff" type Battle Of The Beers. Here in this state that produces a big percentage of the world's hops, the winner was Iron Horse "Irish Death" and Stouty - two classic malt-forward ales. I highly recommend this if you visit Seattle. It's one of the few Stouts of this scale made in Washington today.