Iron Rat Imperial Stout - Cocoa Nibs
Tampa Bay Brewing Co.

Reviewed from notes. Poured from a 22 oz. bottle into a Cigar City Hunahpu’s Day snifter glass.

A: Very dark brown to black, and essentially opaque. A low amount of visible carbonation with a thin creamy tan head that fades more quickly than expected.

S: Chocolate and tobacco in the front. Roasted malts with a nice balance between sweet chocolate and roasted bitter aspects. A much lower coffee aroma but there is some.

T: Dark cacao nibs and roasted malts with a fair amount of bitterness integrated. Earthy, tobacco and leather. Some burnt coffee towards the end, but this is overlaid by baker's chocolate. Maybe just a bit of hop bitterness towards the end as well with dryness from the roast.

M: A hefty body, but maybe a little towards the lighter, fully attenuated side of the Imperial Stout spectrum. The alcohol is well-hidden, and has average carbonation for style.

O: Not the sweet chocolate bomb I was concerned about this being. I really dig this one – nice chocolate flavor without being sickly sweet. I like Iron Rat fine, but this is a significant improvement for me. I wouldn't go crazy for this, but it’s quite enjoyable…like a chocolate imperial dry stout.

Poured from 22 oz bottle into snifter. Nice dusky head that becomes fine lacing across beer and edges. Fine dark brown, black color. Aroma has hints of milk chocolate. Taste is not quite as expected, with the chocolate paling to the more familiar stout taste. Feel is firm across the tongue. Almost fruity on the back of the mouth. A nice specialty beer, but I prefer the standard Iron Rat.