Shadowman
River North Brewery

2026-02-22
375ml bottle served in a stemless rastal. 2024 bottle. Got it in a trade with someone, but kept poor notes and don't remember who.

Pours black, syrupy, tarry thick. One of those special beers that pours still, and then desultory carbonation emerges. Smell is vanilla, almost candy corn, molasses and oak. Dark chocolate, maybe some coffee.

Taste is roast coffee with a ton of sweetener. Roast bitterness is strong enough to fend off the sweetness at least a little bit. Maybe to deflect it temporarily before it swings around for a backhanded onslaught. Something in the background is hinting at cherry syrup, which is a warning sign for me, but it's pretty subdued right now.

Mouthfeel is thick, silky, suggestion of a chew to it, but surprisingly modest. Very nice -- not sure if my spidey sense is giving me a false alarm, but I'm glad I didn't wait a lot longer on this beer.

02/26/25 bottle @ home

Thick looking poor, near black yet clear, solid, opaque black in the glass; thin, lasting brown head. Full, rich flavor; chocolate and cocoa; suggestions of coffee and vanilla; charred grain bitterness; sense of whiskey booziness. Heavy body; dense and oily on the palate.

There is little information to be found about this beer. The label just calls it 'an enigmatic imperial stout' but makes no mention of possible barrel aging or additives like coffee or vanilla nor whether it is part of any previous series like their Vicennial series. What is apparent is its dense, rich, and complex makeup. The taste alone makes this one epic imperial stout.

ABV: 16%; pouring temperature: 41 °F; bottling info: 2024
Source: local purchase (Coaltrain Fine Wine, Craft Beer & Spirits)