Icing On The Cake
Grimm Artisanal Ales
- From:
- Grimm Artisanal Ales
- New York, United States
- Style:
- Sweet / Milk Stout
Ranked #194 - ABV:
- 10%
- Score:
- 91
Ranked #9,743 - Avg:
- 4.08 | pDev: 6.37%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 29
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Jun 03, 2025
- Added:
- Dec 17, 2017
- Wants:
- 2
- Gots:
- 12
SCORE
91
Outstanding
91
Outstanding
Icing On The Cake is a luscious dessert stout that tastes like a liquid slice of flourless chocolate cake. Like the best stouts, it improves as it warms from cellar temperature up to room temperature. Even dessert stouts must be in balance, and for us that means the last sip should taste better than the first.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by rex_4539 from Greece
4.59/5 rDev +12.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.59/5 rDev +12.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
L: Jet black color, no head, no lacing to speak of, no visible carbonation.
S: Chocolate, dark fruits. Heaven.
T: Chocolate, oak,. Goood!
F: Full bodied, full flavored, smooth.
O: Excellent barrel aged imperial stout.
Nov 17, 2019S: Chocolate, dark fruits. Heaven.
T: Chocolate, oak,. Goood!
F: Full bodied, full flavored, smooth.
O: Excellent barrel aged imperial stout.
Reviewed by ovaltine from Indiana
4.6/5 rDev +12.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.6/5 rDev +12.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
First warning - this is really sweet.
I like sweet, especially in imperial milk stouts that are brewed as a dessert stout.
So away we go, with a pour that is black as onyx, minimal leakage on the tippity top of the edges, and a condensed tan head.
The nose is the best cup of hot chocolate that you’ve ever had with vanilla added - and then more dark chocolate dumped on top. This has now entered “colossal milk stout” territory.
The taste is all about the chocolate, of course, but it’s the vanilla that moves this into “world class” territory, IMHO, lending a creamy mouthfeel and texture to this beer that is not usually found in the imperial stout style. A decadent delight, IMHO.
Oct 07, 2019I like sweet, especially in imperial milk stouts that are brewed as a dessert stout.
So away we go, with a pour that is black as onyx, minimal leakage on the tippity top of the edges, and a condensed tan head.
The nose is the best cup of hot chocolate that you’ve ever had with vanilla added - and then more dark chocolate dumped on top. This has now entered “colossal milk stout” territory.
The taste is all about the chocolate, of course, but it’s the vanilla that moves this into “world class” territory, IMHO, lending a creamy mouthfeel and texture to this beer that is not usually found in the imperial stout style. A decadent delight, IMHO.
Reviewed by NotAlcoholicJustAHobby from Vermont
4.28/5 rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.28/5 rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
bottled Dec 2017
L-The beer pours a silky black with a modest 2 finger tan head. The head recedes to a thin film leaving moderate lacing behind.
S- The nose has a bit of roast up front which gradually gives way to fairly strong milk chocolate presence.
T-The flavor here is more balanced than the nose. The chocolate aspects are closer to dark chocolate. The bitter sweet balance here is very well done leaning ever so slightly bitter. This keeps it drinkable for a dessert stout. The vanilla leaves a little lingering sweetness in the aftertaste.
F-Mouthfeel overall is medium to medium full. Carbonation is fairly light, but has enough to keep the beer from getting heavy or cloying.
O-This is probably the most balanced and drinkable dessert stout I've had. I'll have no problem draining the bomber. Highly recommended.
Mar 10, 2019L-The beer pours a silky black with a modest 2 finger tan head. The head recedes to a thin film leaving moderate lacing behind.
S- The nose has a bit of roast up front which gradually gives way to fairly strong milk chocolate presence.
T-The flavor here is more balanced than the nose. The chocolate aspects are closer to dark chocolate. The bitter sweet balance here is very well done leaning ever so slightly bitter. This keeps it drinkable for a dessert stout. The vanilla leaves a little lingering sweetness in the aftertaste.
F-Mouthfeel overall is medium to medium full. Carbonation is fairly light, but has enough to keep the beer from getting heavy or cloying.
O-This is probably the most balanced and drinkable dessert stout I've had. I'll have no problem draining the bomber. Highly recommended.
Reviewed by NiceTaps from New Jersey
4/5 rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Bomber in to a snifter glass.
Near jet black color, opaque, with a dark tan cap. Not much to the head but it held up and left some spot and wisp lacing.
Chocolate and dark roasted malt, slightly sweet.
More chocolate and malt, slightly charred and sugared.
Full body, equally sweet and bitter. True to form, better as it warms.
The icing and the chocolate cake, two for one.
Mar 04, 2019Near jet black color, opaque, with a dark tan cap. Not much to the head but it held up and left some spot and wisp lacing.
Chocolate and dark roasted malt, slightly sweet.
More chocolate and malt, slightly charred and sugared.
Full body, equally sweet and bitter. True to form, better as it warms.
The icing and the chocolate cake, two for one.
Reviewed by TonyLema1 from South Carolina
3.98/5 rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.98/5 rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
L: jet black, big tan head with nice lacing
S: Chocolate and roasted malt
T: sweet, chocolate, some roast in there
F: not as full bodied as I expected
O: nice sipper, but a little sweet
Jan 14, 2019S: Chocolate and roasted malt
T: sweet, chocolate, some roast in there
F: not as full bodied as I expected
O: nice sipper, but a little sweet
Rated by LukeGude from Iowa
3.92/5 rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.92/5 rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
On tap at Clinton St Social Club on New Year's Eve. 10 oz pour. I believe the 10% ABV, but enough dessertyness to be enjoyable.
Jan 08, 2019
Reviewed by bluejacket74 from Ohio
4.08/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
4.08/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
22 ounce bottle, bottled June 2018. Served in a snifter, the beer pours dark brown/black with about an inch tan head that stayed around a while. There's also a good amount of lacing. I like the aroma, the brew smells like cacao, vanilla, roasted malt and milk chocolate. For the most part I think the taste is pretty much like the aroma, but with the addition of some cream, dark chocolate and burnt/charred malt. It's sweet tasting but there's more roasty bitterness than I expected. Mouthfeel/body is medium/full, it's creamy and a bit coating with a moderate amount of carbonation. I thought this was good, certainly worth a try if you're into imperial stouts!
Dec 19, 2018
Reviewed by Dope from Massachusetts
3.98/5 rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
3.98/5 rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
12/17 bottling date, a year old
A: Pours pitch-black with a very tall, very effervescent chocolate milk-colored head. Head fades fairly quickly, leaving almost soap-bubble like head retention, interesting. Very little sticks to the glass.
S: Interesting aroma. Very burnt and roasty smelling but there is a nice dark chocolate and sweet vanilla that pokes through anyway.
T: More of the same. Exceptionally roasty, nearly burnt and bitter but not quite. The dark chocolate and vanilla helps balance it back to a more manageable flavor. Lactose probably helps a lot, as you get a nice creamy sweetness to it all. But man, that bitter roast just keeps powering through, especially in the finish and aftertaste. Definitely not a dessert beer, it's barely sweet at all overall.
M: Heavy and bitter with a nice creaminess to it.
O: Nice milk stout but something about the balance just doesn't work quite right for me. The roastiness is way off the chart, even with all the sweet elements.
Dec 10, 2018A: Pours pitch-black with a very tall, very effervescent chocolate milk-colored head. Head fades fairly quickly, leaving almost soap-bubble like head retention, interesting. Very little sticks to the glass.
S: Interesting aroma. Very burnt and roasty smelling but there is a nice dark chocolate and sweet vanilla that pokes through anyway.
T: More of the same. Exceptionally roasty, nearly burnt and bitter but not quite. The dark chocolate and vanilla helps balance it back to a more manageable flavor. Lactose probably helps a lot, as you get a nice creamy sweetness to it all. But man, that bitter roast just keeps powering through, especially in the finish and aftertaste. Definitely not a dessert beer, it's barely sweet at all overall.
M: Heavy and bitter with a nice creaminess to it.
O: Nice milk stout but something about the balance just doesn't work quite right for me. The roastiness is way off the chart, even with all the sweet elements.
Reviewed by Phyl21ca from Canada (QC)
4.25/5 rDev +4.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.25/5 rDev +4.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Bottle: Poured a pitch-black color ale with a large dark brown foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of sweet black chocolate notes with some vanilla notes also perceptible. Taste is a very sweet mix of chocolate and vanilla and somewhat not that far to cake icing. Body is full with nice creamy texture and good carbonation with no real apparent alcohol notes. Super enjoyable dessert stout even though it does become overly sweet at some point.
Nov 30, 2018
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