Gran Gianduiotto
Levante Brewing Company

A Tavour Treat. Pours a dark brown color with a foamy black head that lasts quite a while. Aroma of chocolate, caramel and roasted malts. Taste is black coffee with a somewhat bitter finish.

 

full bodied stout great dark pour with big head alot of malt taste in every sip

2+ fingers of fluffy mocha foam that gets all strange and airy as it recedes. Not as much lace as you'd expect. Nor as much coffee as anticipated on the nose. This smells like a dry Irish stout, not an 11% imperial monsta. Yeah, just light roasted grains and a little bit of leather. Where does that leather note come from anyway? Is there a specific malt that brings that to the party? It does have some "add-junky" undertones, but those tones fail to impress. It's just kind of an underwhelming melange of random shit. A note about the mouthfeel before I get to the taste: it's wonderful. Thick, viscous and chewy. It's exactly what I want from an imperial stout. Except for the lingering bitterness. Ugh; it pains me to write that. Most stouts I've had of late have been way too sweet and I've been begging for a little bitterness for balance, but this just goes a little too far in that direction. I don't know if it's the espresso or the cocoa powder (or both), but it's just too sharp and hangs around on the palette forever. The hazelnut is a nice addition, though. In fact, it tastes pretty nice until the bitterness takes over. Damn; I'm disappointed. I really had high hopes for this. It's time to just go back to the 'ol reliable Founders Breakfast Stout for my coffee stout fix.

 

 

Pours deep brown/espresso. Aroma is strong and alluring -- chocolate, hazelnut with coffee. Taste is well balanced sweetness of the chocolate, hazelnut and vanilla. Quite strong. Along with with noticeable coffee. Mouthfeel is medium to full. Very enjoyable stout.

 

Appearance: A nice bubble show produces two fingers of beige foam atop the espresso colored liquid; excellent retention and splotchy lacing

Smell: The aroma here is pronounced with the smell of Gianduiotto chocolate, Italian dark roast coffee with a hint of hazelnut

Taste: Chocolate and coffee are powerful at the outset, coating the tastebuds with strong flavors; just a hint of hazelnut and a bit more vanilla, in the middle; the finish is filled with fruity espresso with some chocolate sweetness lingering

Mouthfeel: Full bodied with moderate to high carbonation; rich and creamy

Overall: Many dessert beers are good with a small pour until the sweetness overwhelms; in this case, the bitterness of the coffee stands up to the sweeter elements; I could sip on this all night

Thanks, The_Kriek_Freak, for the opportunity

 

 

Nitro can version