Evasion - Cocoa Nibs and Mint
Taxman Brewing Co.

Review: 2193
Name: Evasion - Cocoa Nib and Mint
Brewery: Taxman Brewing
Location: Bargerville, IN
Style: Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout
ABV: 14%
Date: 04/01/2020
My adventure into the Evasion series continues; I delve into Taxman Brewing's unique blend of Cocoa Nib and Mint. Served in a tulip glass at 48 degrees, the pour unveils a visually striking, jet black, opaque color charting at SRM 38. The pour created a frothy, airy, one-fingered, dark tan head with poor retention. Despite the head's poor retention, the overall appearance is average.
Nosing the glass, I smell dark chocolate, mint, wood, and bourbon. The aromas are more muted compared to the last Evasion. Swirling the glass and nosing again, I smell caramel, coffee, treacle, char, and earthiness. I have tried to coax more aromas out, and I only noticed that as the beer gets warmer, the alcohol nose burn increases. I am at a loss; I do not smell much else.
The beer tasted like a cheap Girl Scout thin mint rolled around in a bourbon barrel. The chocolate had the waxy, chalky quality of Valentine's Candy they sold four months later. The mint in this beer is strong, but at times too much. The flavors I coaxed out of the stout were bourbon, chocolate, coffee, medicinal, bready, wood, floral, herbal, char, and earthy. I sipped, sipped, and sipped, rolling the beer on my palate, but I did not find much.
The mouthfeel is chewy and bitter, and it finishes hot. The body is heavy and has medium carbonation.
The beer could have been better; it was underwhelming. I let the beer warm up, only to get mediocre results. I have consumed at least six beers with chocolate and mint aged in a barrel, and this is by far a huge letdown. I hoped for a delicious chocolate mint stout soaked in a bourbon barrel with a lovely harmony.