Best Friends Forever: Strawberry Jam Imperial Stout
Twin Sails Brewing

 

This a collaboration between Twin Sails and Great Notion Brewing out of Oregon....lets see what we have here!

A- When pouring this, it looks like a motor oil (thick!), and is a very dark brown color, and is also somewhat murky. There is a tan coloured head that starts out about two fingers thick and slowly settles into a creamy, almost nitro like, film over top the brew....great retention! The lacing is somewhat lacking, with only what appears to be a thin layer of strawberry pulp clinging to the inside of the glass.....overall a decent looking Stout!

S- As soon as I opened the can I got a sweet whiff of strawberry jam! Once it is poured, there are even more enticing aromas of fresh strawberries, creamy milk chocolate, bread yeast, lactose sugars, and undertones of mocha coffee. I also detect some dry graininess, heavy toasted malt, and an ever so slightly charred finish that is reasonably clean....smells nice overall!

T- Hmmmm.....this is good....very good! It is very rich and heavy on the lactose sweetness, and I find the strawberry jam takes a back seat at first, however, it is still noticeable and as this warms, the sweet jammy flavor starts to shine through to the forefront. Underlying flavors of mocha, strawberry creme truffle , yeast, slight malt char and heavy cream. The finish lingers and is sticky sweet, reminiscent of liquid filled chocolate covered cherry, or even milk chocolate dipped strawberries.....it is nice!

M/O- The body is very much medium full, and the carbonation is quite mellow, which is exactly what I like to experience with this style of beer. While I enjoy this one, the drinkability is average, as it is very flavorful, sweet/caloric, and is likely better suited as a sharing brew. It is most definitely its' own dessert but could accompany a bar of dark chocolate, to help balance the sweetness, or with a black forest cake perhaps. Try this one out if given a chance!