Maple Bacon Junkie
Heist Brewery

 

Part of the incredibly generous follow up box from @Dragginballs76 (sort of) during NBS BIF #8.

Pour is a deep dark murky brown that could be mistaken for black from a distance, but up close it's pretty clear that that's just a dark brown the shade of dark roast coffee beans. Nice potholed head of creamy tan that lazily ddissolves leaving just some active bubbles throughout. No lacing.

Nose has a bunch of nice dark elements to fold in: some char, some coffee, some light smoky notes, some faint sweetness. There's a lot to like in here. While it's still pretty cold these are all rich if a bit subdued. I have no doubt that they will emerge more and fill out as it warms. EDIT: sure enough, as it warms, the maple comes through much more and gives the impression of a local breakfast diner type spot... you know the kind where you're either at the 'bar' looking into the kitchen or at a booth still somewhat sticky from the maple syrup from the last diners' pancakes and the coffee pot blends with the sweet syrup and grill to promise a filling future of sugary carbs and salty fat.

Initial impressions are of that format of bacon that carries over to beer (the smoky almost kind of salty almost kind of umami bit) along with black coffee and ashy char. The maple adds a little sweet peak, like a crystallized outer layer. The stout aspect has some roast, but mostly further over into the char and black coffee side of stout-dom, which works great for me. Surprisingly dry finish and while 7.5% isn't a huge ABV, but it's nonexistent here. The oatmeal aspect isn't as pronounced to smoothe things as it could be, but overall this is an excellently put together stout and I'm really glad to have gotten to try it. Thanks Mike!!