Batch One Theory - 7th Anniversary Cake
Southern Grist Brewing Co.

 

Look - Pours a solid black color. Not much of a head.

Smell - Smells predominantly of chocolate cake with a little toasted coconut, bourbon, and even a touch of peanut butter! I really like the smell; this beer a lot of potential!

Taste - Taste is excellent; chocolate cake, toasted coconut, and bourbon, Delicious!

Feel - Nicely sweet, and easy drinking at only 10.1%.

Overall - If you love sweet stouts, which I do, then you should love this one.

In SG style, they make good on all their crazy ingredients and promises, with distinct and consistent notes of toasted nuts, chocolate fudge, coconut, chocolate covered cherries, and charred barrel. And the look and feel are luscious and dialed just right for a pastry stout. But the sweetness is through the roof, making this one tough to drink more than a few sips. I love their inventiveness, but this is barely a beer.

There's a theory out there that less is more. Subtle complexities reign supreme. Easy drinking, effortless refreshment and crispness takes the cake. But Southern Grist doesn't subscribe to any of that. Their theory is that more is more, especially on their birthday.

Jet black and with deep and dark tawny margins, Batch One Theory, 7th Anniversary Cake skips right past any foam building to deliver a sultry, decadent and savory scent of booze soaked pastry, chocolate cake, sherry, port, rum, brownies and candied coffee. And those characteristics only double down with the first lavishly sweet sip as those brownie batter and fudgy flavors wrap around the tongue.

The middle palate shows a patient shift away from the sheer sugary flavors and weaves in more savory flavors of port, madiera, sherry and soy the blends into the toasted oaken flavors of rum, whisky and bourbon with a vanilla, coconut, dark fruit, caramel and holiday spice character. Finishing with a coffee liquor sweet warmth, the soothing nature of chocolate, cream and nuttiness round out the mesmerizing session.

With complete seduction of the tastebuds, the stout is not your average pastry stout. Its extended barrel aging allows for an element of dryness, spice, earthen grit and boozy warmth to balance the sweetness and make this theory dangerously smooth to swallow.