Peanut Butter Imperial Stout
Struggle Street Brewing Company

In order to understand my rating, you must know that my pour was literally the final bits of the keg tapping out. The bartender told me "It's almost out, you sure you want it?" and since I was feeling adventurous and not really had that experience before, said "go right ahead." She proceeded to clear out the end of the tap, pouring off some foam every so often to ensure that I had a full glass. This process took several minutes while we cracked jokes about the thick peanut buttery, sludgy goodness one could visibly see in the now opaque glass from across the bar.

When the glass finally reached me (she having wiped the sides of it as it was a messy process), I was absofuckinlutely flabbergasted when I took my first sip. WOW. This peanut butter, snickerdoodle, doughy, masterpiece was simply one of the best beers I've ever tasted. I brought this up immediately to the bartender, who said it was a rare occasion to catch the very end or beginning of a tap like that. It seemed that whatever Struggle Street had added into the beer and used to flavor this wonderful, dreamlike, wonderland of a beer had collected like a sweet, nectary, gooey mass of goodness, only to be carefully concentrated into my single pour.

This brown sludge had the most intricate lacing, and you could literally see the remnants of caramelized sugars/peanut butter, stuck to the sides of the glass after every sip instead of just foam. This contributed to a perfect, full-bodied mouth feel. The taste lingered in my mouth heavily and stayed there _well_ after I finished the beer. I felt like I was cheating the company somehow because I was still enjoying the taste of the beer 15-20+ minutes after finishing.

It got me thinking, having tried some of the "big names" in the world of stouts, ones with critical or even worldwide acclaim, how could this hometown beer in a little city like Beaumont have outperformed nearly all of them? I can't say for sure, but after that lovely experience I've chalked it up to the fact that just about every city likely has their own "best beer", probably due to the sheer fact of how fresh it is and how few hands it has been through. I was lucky to have dropped by for the end of this keg, and I would highly recommend to keep your eyes peeled and ears out for those new or nearly empty keg pours.

I would also highly recommend trying this beer if you can get your hands on it. Struggle Street became my favorite brewery in the Golden Triangle after this trip.