Spirit Bear Spiced Chocolate Imperial Stout
Mission Springs Brewing Company

Appearance: Pretty jet black, maybe a slike crimson cola hue at the edges (but I mean maybe). A stalwart finger and half of camel hair tan head that is a little more course than the average stout and settles into a good crown and evenly covered cap. Not much for lacing, it's chunkier weight just drops it back down the sides.

Aromas: Smells almost like pumpkin pie, the allspice is really showing through with a ild roast coffee and chocolate notes that are 50/50 milk/dark - it has a balanced sweetness and bitter with subtleties that include vanilla and roasted walnuts.

Taste: Dark roasted coffee is probably the dominant flavour note, followed by a pretty identifiable licorice-fennel, the bitter not ever really countered by the sweeter malts.

Mouthfeel: The body is actually quite light, still in the medium range, but a thin refreshing qualityt to it. There is a spicy tingle from the allspice. The carbonation is actually pretty lively here and adds an almost grittiness in the sip, like really fine ground coffee somehow made it in, but quickly dissapears leaving nothing on the palate but a slightly dry linger and a bit of warming in the throat. I've had a lot of stouts that have that warming effect, but this one seems gentler and more comforting in it's finish.

Overall: A nice stout for the fire on a cold blustery day, or even as an early morning pick me up, it's coffee aspects equally suitable for both times of day. A little narrow in taste profile, but the mouthfeel for me was nice, as was the aromas of spice and vanilla.

Pairing: Something to open up that allspice and add a little sweetness. Nothing extreme, but maybe a hot cinnamon roll (no icing), or some carmalized plums and lightly candied cashews both gingerly sprinkled with a bit more allspice and a little cinnamon.