Russian Imperial Stout
De Steeg Brewing Company

another highly unconventional beer from de steeg. this is a bigger imperial stout aged in merlot barrels on nitro, a strange combination to say the least. the color is great, chalky matte finished black, with an inch of creamy khaki head all soft and indulgent. the nose is a bit funny from the wine, and is heavy on the dry roasty bitter malt, irish almost in general feel. the dominant flavor note to me is peanut. so peculiar, like satay without the spice, the sweet is richness is all there. or like peanut oil, no clue where it comes from, but as you can imagine, thats a strange combination with oak heavy merlot. the malt comes through really gently, nice in a bigger stout, the nitro helps, but the alcohol is well hidden like most beers from these guys. very drinkable for what it is. bitter in the finish, minimally winey, and really interesting. the peanut thing never quits for me, and makes it a one and done, as much as i enjoyed it, i probably wont revisit it.