Imperial Raspberry & Coconut Stout
The Garden Brewery

 

Pours a pitch-black coloration with a small, wispy head. Smells of caramel malt, chocolate and raspberry, with just a hint of coconut coming through as well. Taste is a good balance of caramel, very slightly roasted malt and strong milk chocolate and slightly tart and acidic raspberry notes, with lighter coconut also coming through. Finishes sweet and slightly tart, with some chocolate and raspberry lingering in the aftertaste. Smooth mouthfeel with a medium body and carbonation.

This is very much dominated by the chocolate and raspberry, without really developing much of a flavor profile that goes beyond its additives, although it does strike a very nice balance of those sweet chocolate and tart raspberry flavors, with the coconut being noticeable as well, but staying a bit more in the background. While I think that this could be a bit more rich and full-bodied for the style, drinking surprisingly easily, actually, that balance of sweet and tart elements really makes this work, never feeling too cloyingly sweet or boozy despite very little roasty or bitter elements coming through here.