Eternal Flame (Third Installment)
Capital Brewery

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This pours a dark brown color with a slight head. The aroma has a good amount of chocolate malt with a hint of hot spice.

 

 

 

 

Was looking forward to trying the latest Eternal Flame installment, but was disappointed. Interesting idea, but the execution... just not there. And I do love me some chili-and-chocolate beer.

Poured dark brown, with little head, which quickly dissipated; little if any lacing.

Nose surprisingly dominated by what I'd have to call cacao and chili pepper refracted through a lens of vinegar. Strange. I'd expected more malt.

Taste follows suit. Chocolate sweetness (with just hints of malt, really) when it first hits the tongue, followed by sourness with a tinge of acid. I'd chalk that up to the chili peppers, but they're most prominent in the finish; not so much the flavor, but the tingle on the tongue. The malt finally, finally comes through at the end of the finish; it's what really lingers on my tongue, along with residuals of the chocolate.

Decent carbonation (more than I'd expected) but thin, very thin, for an imperial. Not unpleasant, but nothing special.

In the end, despite really wanting to like this beer, I wound up not finishing the bottle. My decision to review was pushed by the disappointment relative to previous Eternal Flame editions, and the relatively low number of reviews... I want Capital to succeed, and I want people to drink their beers (hey, I live in Madison, and the more local breweries making great beer and good money, the better).

Appearance - Dark brown with maybe a little red. Appears opaque. Medium tall light brown head with good retention.

Smell - Dark malts, though not as rich as I was expecting. Coffee and raisin.

Taste - Rich dark malt and a good dose of pepper. Dark coffe, chocolate, burnt toast, a little raisin and bright hot pepper. A little alcohol.

Mouthfeel - Smooth and full. Heat from the peppers and the alcohol.

Overall - Different from what I understood the Eternal Flame project to be about, but I like it nonetheless. I like pepper in my beer and I think it pairs unexpectedly well with this imperial stout. Your take will undoubtedly depend greatly on your pepper preferences.

 

 

 

Poured in a Snifter glass at the Capital Tap Haus on State Street in Madison.

This is a stout, so very dark in appearance, and had an excellent, full finger, tannish/mocha head that lasted for a bit and provided decent lacing as the brew went down.

I believe this was billed as Chocolate Habenero Stout. I just wasn't getting much out of the nose. Chocolate notes, but that's about it - but very minimal. Roasty malt scent not apparent. Looking for a little more, but not the end of the world.

Medium to full-bodied beer, and could taste the chocolate in the front-end, a little sweet, but the finish was where the Habenero made its appearance. Not overwhelming by any means. Just enough to let you know this is a pepper-beer. Very complimentary to the beer and paired up nicely with the stout. This reminds me of what Chocolate Chili Brownies would taste like in liquid form. Nicely done.

It's nice to see Capital branching out and experimenting with these new and different flavors and offerings since the new brewmaster took over. I'm expecting to see, and taste, more great things from Capital.