Island Radio
Bluejacket Brewery

 

Very smooth with a tasteful creamy finish. Lots of notes of chocolate and vanilla.

Bluejacket Brewery "Island Radio"
16 fl. oz. can without production codes or freshness dating

Notes via stream of consciousness: This is a sweet stout with coconut, vanilla, cacao nibs, cinnamon, and ancho chiles. It's poured an opaque black body beneath a short head of dark brown foam that fades almost immediately. This is 8% alcohol by volume which may be hurting its head retention, but more likely it's the oils from the coconut that's to blame. The aroma displays some of the chile amidst dark chocolate and light cinnamon. On to the taste! Chocolate is what hit me first, followed by the chile flavor, the cinnamon, and then just a light touch of coconut. I do get more coconut in the finish though.It's nutty, and I just got a tiny little piece of coconut as a bonus. I'm starting to get the heat from the chile now, and as it's warming it's becoming more fudge-like. It's nicely balanced but overall this isn't the sweet and malty flavor bomb I thought it would be. To that note, I have the impression that this beer is old. I can't point to anything specific in saying that but I've been brewing professionally for 30 years and that's the impression that I get. Back to the beer itself, it's medium bodied on the fuller side, and smooth with a moderate carbonation. The heat from the chile builds slowly and leaves you with a delicate tingle halfway through the serving. This was an expensive beer but it's good enough that I'll give it another chance if I can find it as I doubt that this sample is fresh.
Review #9,054