Cloud Black
Alvarado Street Brewery

Can poured into a Bell's Brewery snifter

A: Pours nearly black with a frothy cocoa brown head that settles to a firm layer and laces quite nicely.

S: Roasted malt, smooth coffee, a little earthy char, dark chocolate, slightly nutty, a touch of dried fruit, and toffee sweetness.

T: Roasty, toasty, smooth coffee, dark chocolate, a touch of earthy char, underlying dried fruit, dates and raisin, slightly nutty, and some toffee sweetness.

M: Full body, mild carbonation, creamy smooth.

O: I had a taste of this one at the brewery shortly after it was released, but not enough to do a full review. Now I've finally got a moment to crack into a can and really dig into it.
From what I remember, I'd say the coffee has mellowed a touch, but overall it's aged well. It's got a little more fruitiness than I tend to prefer, but overall it's a solid imperial coffee stout.

Delicious roasted malt and coffee, not particularly boozy. Canned January 4th.

my first from these guys that isnt some kind of ipa i think, thats what they are known for, but this is cool too, good coffee in a simple imperial stout, less can be more and it is here, drinkable for what it is because its dry and bitter, not too thick, and overall very well made, even if there is a touch of bitterness double jeopardy going on from the roasted barley and the coffee, and some trace acidity from it coming in too. black as night with a decent frothy tan head on it from the tap, not overly viscous which is nice, and the nose is coffee forward, almost as much as it is beer it is coffee, good dark coffee, ethiopian, nicely selected, the good stuff, notes of dry cocoa and raisin from it, maybe added as cold extracted coffee? its pretty pungent but stays cool to me, not that warmer brewed vibe. tons of dark roast, a vanilla hint, light smoke, and even some hops here. the flavor follows the aroma, and this is nice and dry, without yeast character, but clean and fast finishing in a way the bigger stouts rarely are, no real sign of any alcohol either, both which really accentuate the nice coffee in this. bitter the whole time, some nuances to the grain base, like there could be some oats in it, some midnight wheat, its frothed up and not heavy, the dryness is real. good carbonation is uplifting in a bold beer like this, i like what it brings. some fruitiness to the coffee as it warms, but this stays bitter the whole way too. dark chocolate, unlit cigar, and charcoal notes. flavorful and good, coffee very much driving this, faint astringency at the end, likely from the coffee, not a problem. neat to try another side of this brewery, really thoughtful beer, well executed, pretty good showcase of the coffee, but perhaps some of the intricacies of its natural processing are lost to the more intense roast, it still works, and its awesome.