The Undertaking
Big Lake Brewing

11/9/24 - (Can - Home) (Chicago, IL) Can Notes: Obtained via gift from Craig @Whyteboar on Beer Advocate on July 19, 2024 in Sheboygan. 16 oz can, no noted date, refrigerated upon returning home until pulling this morning. 13.0% ABV Imperial Stout. We combined three grain mashes and double boiled this beer to create a rich stout worthy of the undertaking it took to create it. Big Lake Brewing Holland, Michigan.

Appearance: Poured about 2/3 the can into a thin large BCBS snifter. Very dark chestnut brown to black base, dark tan small bubble head lingers for a minute or two before leaving a razor thin layer of slightly lighter tan tiny carbonation bubbles over most of the base, and a creamy ring around the rim. Looks great! 4.5

Aroma: After letting this warm 15 minutes after opening, getting a medium plus strength blend of a sweet malt base with milk chocolate and vanilla, though no additions noted on the can. Smells sweet overall. Nice. 3.75

Taste: Consistent with the aroma, a Neapolitan blend noted. Sweet, but not overly, and I'm enjoying the blend. Creamy milk chocolate, chocolate fudge. This is a nice dessert or breakfast selection, and like the flavors which are amazing considering now additional flavors were added beyond the malt blend. 4.25

Mouthfeel: Strength hits me a few ounces in, feels even stronger than the high ABV. I typically shy away from sweet beers, but the flavors blend well and I'm really enjoying this. Rich full thick pour, feels medium to full body, a bit of a chalky feel, carbonation faint and gentle. Decadent chocolate fudge and Neapolitan finish. 4.75

Overall: This is an amazing selection. The malt brought about an amazing flavor profile assuming nothing further was added. This is a very thoughtful selection, I definitely hope to run into this selection and other from this brewery. Thank you so much Craig for sharing this with me! 4.5

 

Pours an effervescent mahogany tinged Chestnut with one finger of fast falling mocha colored head. Viscous, some head retention & lacing

S: Dark fruits, roastyness, smokiness once warmed up, some boozyness late

T: Follows the nose, Baker's Chocolate, leafy & woody hops, & molasses up front, a touch of smokiness as well. Dark chocolate, vanilla, dryness, with leafy hops as this beer warms up, a touch of Banana Taffy & caramel as well. Finishes dry, sweet, with woody hops, figs & dark cherry

MF: Chewy, slight carbonation, warming as Hell

Fantastic no-nonsense Imperial Stout, a sipper for sure

From a 16oz can, no date on the can.

This beer looks like motor oil when I pour it into the glass. Pitch black in color, with no chance in hell of any light shining through at all. The head that forms is quite thick at 3 fingers. The head is brown in color, and very long lasting, even more so when you consider that this is a 13% beer. There's some great lacing on the glass as the head dissipates.
The aroma is dominated by notes of chocolate, caramel and toffee. The nose isn't too strong, but it is pleasing.
Taste - The chocolate notes are very strong in the flavor. The chocolate flavor is slightly sweet, but not overly so. There's notes of coffee along with the caramel and toffee. I am getting a nice hint of bitterness on the backside that cuts the sweetness a bit, though, the sweetness is not too strong.
There really isn't a burn from this beer, even though it is 13%. Nice thick, rich, and full feeling. Smooth, and almost creamy at times.
Damn delicious. The nose is a bit light, but it really makes up in the flavor department.

 

Modest head production but good retention. Beautiful super dark brew.

Rich and expressive nose, with notes of brown sugar, molasses, chocolate, toast, toffee, dates, and caramel.

Similar on the palate. This is so rich and chocolatey that if you told me they had rested the beer on cacao nibs, I wouldn't be surprised. Absolutely hits the spot for a huge American Imperial Stout.

Received from @BigIronH in the NBS BIF #16. No evident canning date. Poured into a snifter at 61°. It pours a very dark walnut color approaching black. The finger of foamy, medium-mocha colored head dissipated slowly leaving a thin film of lacing. The nose offers roasted malt and earthy char balanced by molasses. The taste follows but with the added complexity of burnt coffee, bitter baker's chocolate, and caramel. This Stout also has one of the strongest molasses presence I've experienced. It presents a great balance of bitter and sweet. The finish is quite bitter with lots of earthy, nutty char. Its mouth feel is full and rich with low/moderate carbonation, and you can feel the warmth of the 13% ABV. It's a slow sipper for sure. Overall, what I like most about The Undertaking is the deft use of molasses.

 

16oz can. Poured out an opaque, jet-black color with a small, light brown head of foam. It left sticky sheets of lace on the glass. It smelled of roasted malt, molasses, toffee and toasted caramel. Sweet chocolate taste with molasses, toffee and rich caramel.