Black Is Beautiful
Single Hill Brewing

 

Pours a very dark mahogany brown, appearing opaque black in the glass with a half finger dark khaki head with great retention and nice lacing. Aroma of dark toasted malt, cocoa, a hint of vanilla and caramel. Flavor is dark toasted malt with moderate char, slightly astringent oak, milk chocolate and light vanilla. Toasty malt and oak finish, somewhat dry. Medium bodied with light to moderate creaminess. A fine, roasty imperial stout with distinct oak notes although they are slightly woody; the cocoa and vanilla add a touch of character. This one is drier and more charry than others, but I'm realizing now that although there was a base recipe for these, several I've tried have been barreled (like this one), so they were in production before project started. Well, good on Single Hill to repurpose a nice barreled stout for this collaborative effort. Although this is one of the more distinctive ones, it is up to the high standard I expect from these. What a great series. I just got Pelican's today and can't wait to try it. Stouts are at the top of my favorite styles and this project has got me scouring the bottle shops for new breweries participating. Good job Single Hill.