Thunder Chiquen
Against The Grain Brewery

16oz can from Shrubber85. Black pour, still, a few brown bubbles. Roasty aroma, not boozy. Taste adds some sweet notes, bitter roastiness, woody, and dry. Still not a ton of warmth for a 14.5% beer.

 

 

Rolling through the winter months of a pandemic with thunderous applause, there's finally a beer to match this unusual season. Against the Grain introduces an imperial oak-aged stout that's something to crow about.

Jet black and layering in the snifter with a stern and frothy mocha appearance, As a very robust scent of char, roast, nuttiness, cream and cocoa roll off of the foam, an overall scent of roasted marshmallow comes to mind. Malty sweet throughout, the early grain profile is of brown sugar, toffee, honey and sweet cream.

As the flavors pull together on the middle palate as the sweetness relaxes slightly and the roasted grains bring about the strong espresso, bittersweet chocolate, candied walnut, burnt toast and soilish roast that only strong stouts provide. As the element of oak rises, its subtle flavors of vanilla, caramel and pecan precedes a woodsy bitterness that easily disguises as coffee bitterness in the beer's final taste.

With mild brandy-like fruitiness coming through in the finish, Thunder Chicquen finishes malty-sweet and with a smoothly roasted edge. Full, creamy and even marshmallowy in texture, the chewy stout shows a simmering warmth that in no way seems of fourteen-plus percent. A long afterglow of dark fruit, woodsy tannin spice and campfire linger deep into the next sip.