Love in Shadows
Culmination Brewing

Poured into a snifter with a dark muddled brown look and left a darker brown close to black color with no head or lace. I heard and watched the fizzle.
The aroma had an authentic red raspberry puree up front starting to pull in some cherry skin sweet and tart qualities then some dark chocolate/cocoa powder substance slides in as it warmed.
The flavor leads with the red raspberries and cherries, substantial milk chocolate/cocoa powder dryly comes to blend with the sweetness of those fruits. Not much of an aftertaste but seems to lean into a chocolate wafer with some raspberry jam on it.
The mouthfeel was about medium bodied with a fair sipping quality about it. Good carbonation and some dry smoothness. Nice finish of cocoa powder dryness with raspberry jam and cherry puree.
Overall, I have to admit I'm not entirely convinced to love all pastry stouts but this one may change my mind since everything came out near perfect. Also, nice to see no 'cough syrup' qualities showed up as I would have thought based on the ingredients that a beer like this could have shown that cough syrup quality. I would definitely welcome again.

Sampling a cellar temp 16 oz can poured into my snifter. The beer pours a dark cola brown color with fizzy tan head. The foam is about 1 cm and quickly fades to a thin edge layer and one wispy island in the center of the glass.
the aroma is rich and malty sweetness. I get roasted malt and some sweet brown sugar and milk chocolate. ALso a bit of fruitiness comes through with cherry or raspberry notes. No hop presence and the booze is hidden on the nose as well.
taking my first sip the body is a little thinner than expected and there is fine yet tingly carbonation. The texture is smooth and is a little sticky after each swallow. Pretty good physical traits on this brew.
Flavor is what I expect from the nose. I get rich dark chocolate, some vanilla notes, but not too sweet and a bit of cherry coridal on the finish. There is a little bit of bitterness and warming after each sip to remind of the 10% ABV. But I still dont notice any hop presence in the flavor profile. This is a malty and sort of sweet imperial stout, but it doesnt go too far and become cloying in my opinion.
Im glad I picked this one up and would try something else from the brewery.

 

Poured into a Fremont small snifter. Pours a very dark mahogany brown, appearing opaque black in the glass with a somewhat fizzy, thin brown head that dissipates quickly to scattered bubbles with slight lacing. Aroma of cherry, raspberry and mild dark toasted malt and cocoa. Flavor starts with moderate dark toasted malt, cherry and cocoa, developing some vanilla and raspberry into a red berry / cherry cocoa finish. Medium bodied with light creaminess and sharp carbonation. This one worried me a bit with the active pour and quickly dissipating head combined with an aroma that was very much dominated by bright fruit. Fortunately, and tastefully, the flavor has a good cocoa and malt base although the cherry and berry flavors are quite forward too. In fact, the balance is quite well done and the aftertaste is pleasantly chocolatey and fruit estery. I think this stout skates on the edge, with the fruit flavors a bit robust for a stout, but they definitely pulled it off. It is somewhat reminiscent of Victory's Black Forest Cake Stout, but with a little more berry character to the fruit. Like that one, I would have liked a little more malt and chocolate depth, but the result is flavorful and fun to drink. I looked forward to each sip, particularly because the flavors reveal themselves at different times during the taste. My third Culmination brew and they seem to push the envelope a bit with success; I'm intrigued