Midnight Still - Coffee & Vanilla
Holy Mountain Brewing Company - Interbay Brewery + Taproom

Pours velvety not-quite-black... more of a dark molasses brown with about half a finger of brown wet head that settles in to its ceremonial film in short time. Mesmerizing points of carbonation work their way lazily to the top.

Nose is a beautiful concoction of rich dark chocolates and black coffee. Faint creamy vanilla treats at the edges of perception, but the coffee is really the star of this first movement. As it sits and warms, the oak and the vanilla become more pronounced.

Flavour is bitter coffee and chocolate again; silky fudge and rich dark roast. Holy (Mountainous) hell...
This time the chocolate is really the frontrunner, while the coffee is more the 1A or even 2. Vanilla is much more subtle, as is the wood, and the bourbon is nothing but a compliment flown on a breezy day.

So smoothe. Carbonation is definitely present, though not overwhelming, but the body between the bubbles is smoothe silky sticky chocolate.

This is, simply put, fantastic. I didn't want to buy into or feed the hype. Contrarian/understater (admittedly in an overly verbose manner) and all that. But, uh, this is incredible. Would love to have been able to try the cherry edition, but alas it was not to be. Once again pretty grateful for the multitude of fabuluos beer being brewed in this beautiful city.

Very dark appearance with slight tan head that dissipates quickly. Aroma is a very pleasant vanilla bourbon and slight coffee. Taste is also a very pleasant vanilla bourbon and coffee.

Poured into a Fremont small snifter. Pours pitch black, appearing opaque black in the glass, with a quarter inch brown head with good retention and lacing. Aroma of dark toasted malt, dried plums, bourbon, oak and faint vanilla. Flavor is dark toasted malt, bourbon, oak, vanilla, dates, light dried plum and a little green pepper. Finishes with smooth vanilla, bourbon and dark malt. Nice medium body with moderate creaminess; silky. My bad for leaving this in my cellar. I forgot the green wax version had coffee and should be drunk immediately for good coffee flavors. While I have no doubt coffee would have added complexity and taste to this, it is fine as it is and has mellowed nicely in two years. The flavor is exactly what one hopes for a few years aging; the flavors have integrated and smoothed out beautifully. This deserved a new/aged comparison, but time has passed by that opportunity. Interestingly as I write this review, I'm starting to pick up some light coffee notes in the flavor, which do add to the depth. Big stouts are my favorite style to have brewed with coffee and this has the perfect body for it. Vanilla flavor is clear, but at a nice level that adds to the smooth balance in the finish. This stout deserves it's legendary status. If it is brewed again in the future (and obtainable without standing in line for hours), I'll certainly try it fresh again.

 

 

L: pours pitch black with no head
S: coffee and cream
T: coffee and sweet cream, not a big barrel presence.
F: medium thicknesses and sticky. Smooth with alcohol presence.