Into The NY Night: Marcona Almonds, Vanilla
Other Half Brewing - Center Street

Picked this up at Other Half recently, as I have really enjoyed their other offerings of this style as of late. As was to be expected, this was a beast of a beer that had so much going for it in so many aspects, down to the slick label of the lower Manhattan skyline. Although this took a while to finish off, it was well worth the time to savor and enjoy!

Quite a nice pour to this as the liquid was thick, rich, and alluring, with a near-perfect head of almost-solid mocha topping it off. I had to let it sit and settle to admire it as it held it's own for quite a while. A good amount of bourbon stickiness, almonds, vanilla, rich chocolate, and booze filled the muted nose as they were much stronger in the taste. Incredibly smooth and silky, this may have been the slickest Stout I've *ever* had as it went down so easily and effortlessly, all the way to the last drop. The aging was evident here as this was full of wine, sweet, and rich nuance while coming across as naturally smooth to the last sip.

That's not to say that this wasn't strong - it was but with so much ease in the mouthfeel here, the alcohol was a complement to the heft and brandy-like appeal of this beer. Not to be taken lightly, this packed a punch but like Tobasco or a strong cordial, it would have anyone coming back for more in the end. Really impressive as the almonds, vanilla, and cinnamon melded together so effortlessly, as to be recessed and only felt in passing. Wish I had gotten the other two iterations of this!