Forever Awake
Cerebral Brewing

 

 

 

Poured into a teku glass via imperial pint bottle
Color is jet black..minimal lacing, not very oily, light body
Smell is coffee..very strong
Tatse is coffee up front with some bitter roastiness on the backend..some sweetness there as well, which compliments the coffee very nicely
Very little carbination
This is a very nice coffee stout..its not top flight like Sump or Double shot as its it's nowhere near as thick and creamy, but if the body was a bit thicker and a tad more carbination, it could hang with the big boys

 

 

 

 

these guys do the dark stuff really well. this is one of their best beers i have had, on tap at the brewery. its a real radiant jet black in color, not overly thick, and sporting over an inch of creamy tan head with outstanding retention. the coffee is bold right way in the aroma, fresh with a concentrated cold brew complexion, low acidity, high roast, dark cocoa, and the tiniest bit of that blueberry note i sometimes get in good espresso from certain places. dont know anything about middle state coffee, but it smells like i need to! seamless integration here with the dark malts, some roasty bitterness, but an overall general mellowness is here that is completely unique in this style for me. coffee is strong and i feel the jolt. not as rich as others, but with a ton of body, not overly complex in the finish either, which i kind of like too, a clearer and cleaner picture of the coffee is attainable this way. subtle toasted marshmallow and vanilla in the end, enough bitterness to balance, and a lot of body, its heavy in the gut but its not sugary or palate coating in the mouth, more winter than spring to me. overall an excellent coffee stout, quite distinct from other local offerings in the style, and another fine dark beer from cerebral, who finally seems to be getting the love and attention they have deserved for awhile now!