Griffith J. Griffith
Highland Park Brewery

Bought at San Deigo Wine and Beer. ~10$ for a 12 oz can (little rich for my blood, but it came highly recommended). Bottle date 12/10/24, consumed 1/25/25. Left at RT for ~30 mins before opening, poured into a spiegelau stout glass. Trystero coffee

A&S: Brown-black brew. Tan head, not much retention, but comes back when consumed. The aroma is headlined by bourbon, but also contains vanilla, funk (surprisingly), cherries, and fruity coffee.

T&M: The taste has bold Vietnamese coffee, plums, molasses, caramel, and vanilla. Alcohol is very well hidden. Slight bitterness in the finish. This beer is scary drinkable. Silky smooth mouthfeel, full-bodied. It hangs on the palate for a little while but is not too chewy.

Overall: I really enjoy when breweries put a beer like this into a 12 oz can. Unless I am splitting it with someone the 750 mL bottles are just too much for an AVB this high. The price is a little steep, but I have to say, it was worth it. Its a complex brew with an excellent blend of concepts. Even with the high price tag I would highly recommend and buy again.

Thanks, Chris. 2024 can.

Jet black with a thin, brown head. The nose is rich, fruity coffee, dried blueberry with a thick stout base with licorice and anise, dark caramel, toffee, burnt honey, a more Scandinavian base than a classic, bitter RIS. The palate opens fruity and with dark sweetness present. Rich coffee, mildly bitter , quite fruity with honey, floral notes, and some anise notes to go with the sweeter stout base. Floral, fruity, mild spice, moderate dark caramel, honey, toffee. Full body, long finish with lingering sweetness. Soft carbonation. Very good, though a little sweeter than my ideal.

Received in a trade with @resistance88
Batch #9 - with Trystero coffee.
Canned Jan/23 (couldn’t read the middle number)
Poured black, dark black with a brown active head that tried and failed to cover the whole surface.
The aroma was lost on my Covid damaged nose. Much sadness.
The taste came in stages: it started almost port barrel aged with that tannic taste accenting the stout.
The next stage was plums and red wine and dark chocolate, a really good flavor.
The final stage settled into coffee and dark chocolate with just a little plum.
The feel was every bit of an imperial stout, smooth and viscous and mouth coating, a good sipping beer.
OA, really enjoyed this, wish it were locally available.

 

 

 

Almost fudge like.

 

 

 

 

Got this one from valingleipa a while back. Cheers!

From a 375ml bottle into a snifter
Batch 4: Coconut & Chilies

APPEARANCE: Clear dark brown pour yields a two finger, medium looking, fizzy, noisy tan head with lousier retention. Clear black body with little carbonation evident. Head quickly recedes to a faint wisp and ring. Lighter color and lousier head on this one.

SMELL: Roasted coffee, sweet cream, vanilla and milk chocolate notes, with some chilies and cookie dough. Hints of coconut in there as well.

TASTE: Lots of deeply roasted coffee, some vanilla cream, coconut and chilies up front. Very roasted and burnt up front. Lots of coffee bitterness at the swallow with a bold and lingering finish with roasted coffee beans, some chili heat, vanilla cream, sweet coconut and some milk chocolate. Lots of roast and some decent chilies and bitterness. Touch of alcohol as well.

PALATE: Medium body with medium levels of carbonation. A little fizzy and over carbonated perhaps, goes down okay and finishes somewhat mouth-coating. A bit of heat and some chilies linger.

OVERALL: This is really nice stuff. Really, really roasted and the chili notes work well with the hard core roasted coffee. Love me some imperial coffee stout so this is right up my alley. If you’re a fan of the style, you’ll enjoy this stuff as well. Thanks again, vanlingleipa. Highly recommended.

Sample at Mikkeller Beer Celebration Copenhagen 2018, Yellow Session. Aroma has lots of fresh roasted coffee and roasted malt. Taste has bitter coffee beans, cold brew and roasted malt. Really bitter and roast forward stout.

 

 

 

500ml bottle. Unknown date, 12.5% ABV. Served in a snifter glass. Pours a dark black body, one finger white head, short retention, bits of lacing. Smell is milk chocolate, cocoa, roasted coffee bean, espresso and a slight bit of green pepper. Flavour is sweet milk chocolate, roasted coffee bean, bitter espresso, cocoa powder, a bit of fudge, not so much green pepper or any vegetal notes, but more of an earthy and roasty finish. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, good carbonation, a bit silky even, nice milk chocolate and slight burnt espresso finish. A really nice coffee stout with a good balance and nice silkiness to it.