Agam Kuan
Nightmare Brewing Company

A real delight! Packs a wallop but you'd never know it's 15% ABV. Flavorful mix mix of stout and vanilla chi tea. Not overly heavy. One is perfect for a relaxing night on the couch with a book or movie or music.

 

 

Pours surprisingly thin and light for the style. Light chai spice aroma with vanilla. Warning - flavor bomb! Was not expecting this. Waves and waves of delicious chai flavor. Base beer does not offer much. Very sweet but not cloying, taste is chai tea with vanilla. Also a surprising mouthfeel - fairly heavy. Overall I love this beer. Glad I tried it.

2/1/25
16 oz can - no date
4.75 rating

 

 

the pure enormity of this takes it almost to novelty level, and the chai elements are anything but subtle. this is a monster of a beer, a near permanent decision for my palate, and a can i am thankful to be sharing. that said, and intimidating as this whole thing is, packaging included, its pretty impressive. refined for its size, thick as they come but not messy, and its not even as alcoholic as it probably should be for this strength, so some cool work in the brew house on this one. inky black and syrupy thick with very little head or carbonation from the pint can, shared generously by a newish friend. the nose is heavy chai elements from ginger to vanilla, black tea, turmeric, and what is definitely cardamom, maybe a hint of black pepper and coconut, this is spicy without really any chili heat, but maybe a little something there too, neat with all the roasty dark grain and not overly complex as a base beer at this size i dont reckon, or else nuance is obscured by the intensity of the chai part. the flavor follows the nose, turmeric, ginger, clove, and cardamom, warming and cozy with the increasing booze factor as it warms. some mild chocolate sweetness in the center of this, some bitterness from the spices and the tea at the end, not too much vanilla, an element that adds a lot to this. some coffee roast too, so almost a dirty chai vibe, very very boldly flavored beer, but its all rather cohesive. tasty, a small doses thing, but clever and well executed for what it is. gobs of body, long finish, tons of late spices hanging around, no carbonation at all only makes it heavier too. this also tastes slightly less than fresh to me, some evident oxidation here, but its not a big issue yet. nightmare has been weird and fun, ill be on the hunt for others from them...

Very excited for this one; dark brown pour sits opaque in the glass, zero head with a swirl, just some tan streaks. Lots of cinnamon and winter spices, Chai (if you know what you're looking for). Had no idea this one was 16% abv until after the fact, and I'm not going to lie, it was far more apparent on the palate than on the nose. Chocolate and cinnamon dominate the palate as well as a strong earthy ginger sharpness that I'm sure the alcohol is adding to. Tasty and well-executed, but hard for me to finish. Strong offering all around though (no pun intended).

A really tasty and interesting stout for fans of chai spices. I was relieved to find this was neither overly sweet nor a total cinnamon bomb. It was sweet but not aggressively so, and cinnamon was certainly present but it didn’t dominate all the other notes here. Some tingly chili heat is also tasted and felt, particular in the finish. Medium body aids drinkability.

Enjoyable and well executed - they nailed the brief. Even as a fan of chai I probably wouldn’t reach for this again anytime soon though - it’s novel but perhaps too much so. I can’t imagine myself craving a big spicy chai stout that often.

I went to buy bourbon county but they were all out. So I bought this instead. What a label. Decapitated zombie heads flying around on fire. I like it. This can bottled in December 2022. It is now June 2023. 6 months of aging. Pours out liquify brown with a nice tan head that dissipates after about 3 minutes. Wow the smell! Enchanting. Thoroughly enticing, it is like a chai tea. Literally smells like chai with some cinnamon . I guess the label doesn’t lie. This is the first brew I’ve ever had with that scent or taste. Bonus points for uniqueness. Now this taste is singularly delicious. It is full and flavorful, this is not beer is it? This has to be tea! I am getting chai, cinnamon, vanilla, and a little bit of sticky sugary sweetness. Also some other herbs that make this a kind of winter warmer, this could easily be labeled a Christmas beer. Im getting nutmeg and cardamom and anise. As a total fan of chai, I think they really did this one right. The high alcohol content is well hidden behind a dark shroud of Indian delight. Barely noticeable. Mouthfeel is light and thin, very slightly carbonated. Overall this baby rocks, high points for an interesting experiment that came out tasting excellent. Smells great, looks great, tastes fantastic. I will be getting this one again.

16oz can from Tavour. Dark brown pour with fizzy beige head. Aroma is chai spice, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger. Taste is savory, ginger bringing a nice snap, cinnamon minor heat. Chocolate wafts in the background. Sweet with a spicy edge.

16 oz can, dated 12/10/22

Pours extremely dark brown but not quite jet black. Thin off white colored head. Pungent aroma of earthy chai spices, a touch of vanilla. Similar taste, a bit of boozy dark chocolate as well. A little roasty, and slightly bitter finish. Medium to fuller bodied.