Concrete Island
Manual Brewing Co.

Pours a pitch-black coloration with a huge, creamy, mocha-colored head. Smells of roasted, caramel malt and milk chocolate, with lighter licorice and hints of red berries and a slightly vinous accent. Taste is an interesting balance of roasted, caramel malt, distinctive milk chocolate and lighter notes of toffee, dark fruit, licorice and tobacco, as well as just a hint of tart red berries, lending a slightly vinous quality to this. Finishes bittersweet, with a light/medium bitterness and some chocolate, caramel and dark fruit/red berries lingering in the aftertaste. Full, creamy mouthfeel with a medium/rich body and light/medium carbonation.

An Imperial Stout with a rather interesting flavor profile that makes me wonder if there's a touch of oxidation to this or it's just the Kveik yeast at work here, but I do suspect the latter, as this drinks rather pleasantly, with a good balance of roasted malt, licorice, tobacco, sweeter caramel malt, milk chocolate and dark fruit: fig, raisin and just a hint of slightly tart red berries: redcurrant, lending just a light touch of a vinous note to this. All in all quite a nice balance of roasted, bitter, sweet and very slightly tart notes, making for a rather interesting and pleasant drinking experience, with quite a nicemouthfeel as well.