Tripping Wolf
Aardwolf Brewing Company

Black body; opaque; thin, patchy head, light khaki color. Pleasant dark malt aroma. Very nice rich stout flavor; bitter and milk chocolate with a hint of cinnamon in the background; moderate booziness develops midway through the tasting. Heavy body; slick; dense, smooth residual sugars; light touch of alcohol warmth.

This is a fine stout, not overly complicated yet complex enough. There is nothing extraordinary here, yet its a nice overall take of an imperial stout with moderate usage of adjuncts.

Pouring temperature: 44 °F; canning info: n/a

I received a can from @roguer in an NBS BIF. Poured into a stemless glass. It pours almost black with a frothy, medium khaki head that dissipated quickly. The nose features roasted malt, vanilla, caramel, nuts, and subtle but discernible cinnamon. The taste includes chocolate, cinnamon, and charred walnut. It's flavorful but the various tastes don't quite mesh. The cinnamon dominated. The mouth feel is moderate thick and creamy with mild carbonation and I can feel the heat of the 12.6% ABV. Overall, the idea of Tripping Wolf is good but it just doesn't hold together as well as I'd hoped - especially after I really enjoyed other Aardwolf Beers I received from @roguer.

Aardwolf adjunct (flavored, if you must) stouts tend to fall into one of two categories: fresh, delicious liquids that let the additives shine; and "meh" base stouts where the additives are at least somewhat overpowered by the base brew.

This one falls more into the latter category. It's roasty and nutty, with a strong banana note (likely from the yeast) and a minor metallic twinge. If a stranger handed me this in a bar, and said it's an imperial stout with chocolate, vanilla, and cinnamon, I'd call them a damn liar.

It's not that there's no chocolate or vanilla; it's that it doesn't stand out from the base malt profile in any way. The cinnamon brings some unexpected heat, but not the inimitable flavor one associates with the spice.

I love it when adjuncts are incorporated well into the overall experience, and Aardwolf has some beers where that's definitely the case - and some where the adjuncts are the focus. This is neither; a base beer that doesn't stand out as interesting or delicious by itself, and additives that neither complement nor rise above the base beer. It's not bad; it's tasty, and I'd drink it again. But it's not great, and given Aardwolf's history, I had hoped for more.