Second Breakfast
Imagine Nation Brewing Co.

 

 

 

Poured into a Fremont small snifter. Pours a very dark mahogany brown, appearing nearly opaque in the glass with a thin dark khaki head that dissipates to patches with light lacing. Aroma of dark toasted malt, coffee, cocoa, vanilla and light maple syrup. Flavor follows with dark toasted malt, vanilla, maple syrup, coffee and light cocoa. Maple syrup and vanilla finish. Medium bodied with light to moderate creaminess. A nice balance of all the listed adjunct flavors in this stout with a coffee and pancake profile that does evoke breakfast quite nicely. Flavor balance is great, and perhaps a bit too well melded; nothing really stands out. The base malt is mellow but supports the breakfast flavors well. Coffee and maple syrup are clear notes, but restrained as is best for these potentially dominating flavors. A little low key for its ABV, but pleasant and and well integrated, as a second breakfast should be.

Sampling a cellar temp 16 oz can poured into my snifter. The beer pours a black coffee hue with a dense creamy tan head of 1.5 cm foaming up. This foam fades to one oval island floating on the surface of my beer soon after the pour.
the aroma is some coffee grounds and a bit of roasted malt mixing with dark chocolate and a little bit of sweet maple syrup in the background. The coffee dominates the nose and is the unsweetened variety.
No hop character here and the ABV is hidden too.
First sip reveals a medium body with very smooth and soft texture. The carbonation is fine and gently runs across my palate on each swallow. Easy drinker on the physical traits of this brew.
Flavor gives some dark chocolate and brown sugar which mixes with coffee notes, sort of bitey coffee, and again hints of the maple syrup in the background. A little bit of roasted malt lingers after each sip. Again, hops are absent and the ABV is well hidden.
This is an easy drinking imperial stout that I enjoy. I think it would be a little better with a thicker body and some deeper flavor notes. Nothing bad for sure, just wish there was more here than there is.