Sweet Heart Waffle Mountain
Pipeworks Brewing Co.

 

Much to my sadness, the flood of new Pipeworks stuff has slowed to a trickle here in MN. Pick it up, boys! 22 oz. bottle split with my wife.

Not quite opaque, a little red peeks through the darkness. Smells spicy. And malty. I know because these things are on the label. And I have a nose.

Sweet Heart Waffle Mountain: as a waffle & syrup aficionado (making my own waffles & real maple syrup since I was twelve), I’ve never had one spiced to the gills. Until now. Lots of cinnamon backed by large pinches of allspice, cardamom, mint. The handfuls of spice are cut by a vanilla & a sweetness that mimics maple syrup but doesn’t taste like it (kind of like the abomination that is Aunt Jemima). Finishes creamy, & for a bigger stout, this is dangerously smooth & sippable.

Waffles? No. Charlie Waffles? No, though that was amusing. The spicing gives this a unique edge; very good beer.

 

 

 

If this was a blind taste test there is no way I would have guessed waffles was the inspiration. Would have said a slightly sweet stout, not imperial. Roasted malt forward stout with some very light sweet maple, decent cinnamon, light cocoa and vanilla. So the result is a thin, roasted imperial stout with some lingering buttery sweetness. Love pipeworks, but they missed the mark on this one.

Appearance - The beer was murky black in color with an off white head.

Smell - There was very light sweet maple and some coffee notes in the nose. I was expecting more from the nose it what had the potential to be a sweet beer.

Taste - At the front, coffee was the dominant presence. Light maple notes and light malts were also present. In the big picture, the beer seemed like a straight coffee stout with a little added sweetness. The profile runs more dry than sweet in back.

Mouthfeel - With more sweetness, I expected more viscosity. I received neither.

Overall - I expected sweet maple goodness. This did not deliver