The Ocho
Elk Valley Brewing Co.

12 ounce can into snifter, no can dating. Pours opaque dark brown/black color with a 1 finger dense and creamy khaki head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Thick soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of big milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, cinnamon, chile pepper, roasted nuts, toasted biscuit, and dark/brown bread/crust; with lighter notes of vanilla, toffee, molasses, licorice, raisin, prune, cherry, fig, date, smoke, char, herbal, grass, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/roast/black/bready malts, cinnamon, chile pepper, cocoa, and light-moderate earthy hop/fruity yeast notes; with big strength. Taste of huge milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, cinnamon, chile pepper, roasted nuts, toasted biscuit, and dark/brown bread/crust; with lighter notes of vanilla, toffee, molasses, licorice, raisin, prune, cherry, fig, date, smoke, char, herbal, grass, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness. Light herbal, grassy, roast, char bitterness; and ancho chile/cinnamon spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, cinnamon, chile pepper, roasted nuts, toasted biscuit, dark/brown bread/crust, vanilla, toffee, molasses, licorice, dark fruit, smoke, char, herbal, grass, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Fantastic complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/black/bready malts, cinnamon, chile pepper, cocoa, and light-moderate earthy hop/fruity yeast flavors; with a great roast/hop bitter/sweet, and cinnamon/pepper spiciness balance; with no cloying, acrid, astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering hop/char bitterness, and cinnamon/pepper spiciness after the finish. Medium carbonation and fairly full body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/bready/grainy, and lightly sticky/chalky mouthfeel that is great. Minimal warming for 11.4%, or lingering pepper heat after the finish. Overall this is a fantastic Mexican style imperial stout. All around fantastic complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/black/bready malts, cinnamon, chile pepper, cocoa, and light-moderate earthy hop/fruity yeast flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to drink for the big ABV, with the mellowly bitter/spicy/drying finish. Great soft feel, not overly bitter/charred. Amazing balance between super rich malts, cocoa, and spices; with solid earthy hop presence, and restrained fruity yeast. Lightly sweet with lingering bitter/spicy dryness. A highly enjoyable offering, and outstanding spot on style example. Not overwhelming on any aspect.

Thanks goes out to russpowell for this brew.

12 oz. Can

My first from this brewery. Actually it should be an American Imperial/Double Stout.

Pours a pretty nice dark brown color, with some pretty nice carbonation, with a pretty nice thick/creamy one-finger plus tan head, which also leaves some pretty nice sticky lacing behind. The nose is malty, with a nice dark fruit complex (grapes, figs, raisins, dates, cherries), chocolate/toffee, coffee, vanilla, chili, cinnamon, licorice. The taste is pretty nice, malty, with a pretty nice dark fruit complex (grapes, figs, raisins, dates, cherries), some chocolate/toffee, coffee, vanilla, chili, cinnamon, licorice, nice little sweetness. Full Body, ABV is hidden very nicely. Overall, a pretty tasty brew. Surprised me. Thanks Russ!

Pours an effervescent chestnut hued mahogany with 2+ fingers of fluffy tan head. Sheets of lacing average head retention

S: Smells like cola & cocoa

T: Sweet cocoa, dryness, roasted grain up front. Slight molasses and chicory flavor as this warms along with much dryness, & a touch of cocoa, some chile presence & dark fruit on the fringes. Finishes dry, roasty, with a touch of vanilla & a little chicory & carob

MF: Medium body, fairly firm carbonation

An interesting stout, wish it had more body & chile profile. ABV is well disquised

Look - incredibly dark as expected with a good lasting tan head
Smell - cocoa cinnamon with slight spice
Taste - cinnamon and cocoa with a slight spice bite. Great toastiness
Feel - medium body with a creamy medium light carb
Overall - really great!