Imperial Russian Stout Mexican Cake
Popihn

Pours a pitch-black coloration with a large, creamy, mocha-colored, quickly receding head. Smells of roasted, caramel malt, milk chocolate and cinnamon, with just a hint of coconut and chilies also coming through. Taste is a great balance of slightly roasted, caramel malt, milk chocolate, cinnamon, good chili heat and lighter coconut, as well as hints of licorice and vanilla. Finishes bittersweet, with a light/medium sweetness and some chocolate, cinnamon and chili heat lingering in the aftertaste. Full mouthfeel with a rich body and light/medium carbonation.

This makes for a pretty well-balanced mexicake stout that is dominated by the chocolate and chilies, just like it should be, with the cinnamon also being quite noticeable, but not overdone as is often the case, while the coconut is rather subtle here. Perhaps a bit too subtle actually, but I personally do not mind that at all, while I would have wished for this to be a bit more roasted and bitter though, with the malts feeling quite caramelly and not quite roasted enough for my personal taste here. Overall, while it's a bit too sweet for my personal taste, I do really like the spicy elements here, with the chili heat lingering pleasantly on the tongue and some cinnamon, licorice and vanilla also coming through.