Frankenstout's Monster
Block Three Brewing Co.

500 mL bottle picked up at the brewery in January; no bottling date. Served slightly chilled.

Pours black as night; nearly impenetrable to light, save for some crimson red highlights 'round the edges when held to a lamp. Situated atop is a full inch of creamy, light tan-coloured foam, which proceeds to fade off over the course of the next five minutes (give or take); in its wake remains a lumpy, uneven cap and frothy collar, along with a messy curtain of sticky beige lace. Rich notes of molasses and toffee on the nose, chaperoned by plenty of roasted malt goodness - I'm getting cocoa and milk chocolate, with hints of mocha, oatmeal and earthy, herbal hops. There's also some faint booziness and figgy fruit mixed in amongst the roastiness.

Pretty darn tasty, with roasted malts serving as the main driver. Molasses and oatmeal sweetness combine together with flavours of dark chocolate, mocha coffee and cocoa powder; minor accents of plum and fig. Finishes with a bitter, roasty astringency reminiscent of charred grains and roasted nuts, along with earthy hops and herbal licorice flavour. Roasty, burnt flavours linger into the aftertaste, along with that aforementioned herbal, earthy bitterness; barely a whisper from the 8.3% abv, though the brew does have a chest-warming quality that builds as you approach the midpoint of the bottle. Medium-full in body, with moderate carbonation levels that inflict a crisp bite on the palate. Smooth texture, with fair drinkability that is limited more so by its decidedly bitter qualities, rather than the alcohol content.

Final Grade: 4.03, an A-. Frankenstout's Monster is a solid strong stout; one that the majority of BAs can probably consider a safe selection, at least IMO. Roasty and bitter, rich-flavoured and surprisingly quaffable, this brew offers everything I'd expect from an "imperial oatmeal stout" - except, perhaps, the exquisitely silky-smooth mouthfeel shared by all top tier oatmeal stouts. But in the grand scheme of things, that's a forgivable flaw, and it won't be enough to stop me from purchasing this again in the future, if presented with the opportunity.