Wrecking Ball Imperial Stout
No-Li Brewhouse

Pours black with three fingers of dense caramel foam. Head retention is good. Aroma is roasty, toasty, earthy, and caramely malts. Mild grassy hops pop through too. It's arranged a little more oldschool, showcasing that earthy and caramel malts alongside some sticky hops. Flavor profile is straight up old school imperial stout, bringing roasty and toasty malts forward along with earthy and mild caramely malts and sticky grassy hops right at the close. Toffee adds a little extra sweetness. Mouth feel is creamy in texture with a medium thickness. It's soft and approachable. Overall, really lovely sipper with some more old school, plain characteristics - not to be confused with boring.

Served in a 15.5oz Spiegelau tulip from a 12oz can. Reviewed from notes.

 

 

A 16 ounce draft pour into a shaker pint at a public house.

Look- Black, opaque, medium brown frothy head, slightly below average head retention and lacing.

Smell- Roasted malt, chocolate, weak strength of scent.

Taste- Roasted malt, chocolate, coffee, between medium and high strength of flavor.

Feel- Medium body, average carbonation, mildly creamy, high bitterness, moderately mouth warming, mildly mouth coating.

Overall- Black and opaque with slightly below average head retention and lacing. The aromatics were very weak, as the beer warmed I got faint notes of roasted malt and chocolate. The flavor profile was a well balanced mix of roasted malt delivering chocolate and coffee flavors with a surprisingly strong intensity considering the weak nose. This beer had a medium body and provided a moderate amount of mouth warming, but had low mouth coating properties. Overall this was an average, but enjoyable beer. I look forward to trying it out of the can to see if that provides stronger aromatics.

 

Pours an effervescent chestnut/mahogany with 2 fingers of tan head. Solid head retention & lacing

S: Roasty, coffee, some woody notes

T: Follows the nose, plenty dry, woody hops, cocoa & vanilla up front. Roasty with dryness, woody hops & a trace of vanilla as this beer warms up. Finishes roasty & dry, with woody hops

MF: Semi-chewy, smooth carbonation, a little warming

Super solid, no-nonsense Imperial Stout; great drinkability for what it is. A balls to the walls AIS

Canned on: 12-9-24
Many thx to muchloveforhops3 for this can and first beer ever from this brewery!

A - Pitch black pour with frothy caramel hued lacing that sticks to the sides of the glass.

S - Dark chocolate malt aroma with some char to it and some toasted chocolate.

T - Dark chocolate, toasted cocoa, some residual floral and citrus,

M - Medium body, slightly thin around the edges, and with gentle carbonation.

O - A solid Imperial Stout!

Remember the name and bottle but don't remember the contents specifically, even though I gave it a good rating.

Review: 2359
Name: Wrecking Ball
Brewery: No-Li Brewhouse
Location: Spokane WA
Style: Imperial Stout
ABV: 9.5%
Canned: Unknown
Date: 10 April 2025
Going back to my cellar, I opted for an Imperial Stout. I bought this beer a few years back; I was in a craze, buying loads of beer for no reason. I am using a tulip glass and serving the beer at 50 degrees. The pour created a frothy, airy, creamy, two-fingered, light tan head with above-average retention. The slow dissipation left no lacing on the glass. The color is inky black, with ruby mahogany hues, charting at SRM 36, and opaque. This beer's appearance is above average. The pour created a lovely beer.
Nosing the glass, I smell molasses, dark roasted malts, toasted brown bread, treacle, leather, raisins, date, toffee, caramel, tobacco, chocolate, coffee, and earthiness. Smelling the glass again, I notice floral, bready, biscuits, figs, floral, light oxidation, smoky, char, and a light herbal note.
Sipping the beer, I taste toasted bread, toffee, anise, dried prunes, raisins, dates, toffee, caramel, light chocolate, tobacco, flower bouquet, molasses, fire, char, light oxidation, resin, dark roasted malts, leather, medium roasted coffee, and earthiness.
The mouthfeel is astringent and smooth, finishing with some bitterness. The body is medium-plus and low carbonation.
I was unsure when I got this beer; it had been in my stash for quite a while. The beer does display some oxidation and light, wet cardboard flavors, but I am not holding that beer against it for the review. I had the beer too long in the cellar, except I had a nine-year-old beer, and it did not display those markers. The stout is average among the rest that I have consumed; it does not stand out, making it amazing.

 

 

 

My first from No-Li. Glad that it was their flagship, cash cow and potential classic all wrapped into one brew. I also think that No-Li is smart; particularly how they focus on about five beers and improve them release after release; minimising their experimentation and maximising their role as Spokane's micro-major. In that role, they don't seem particularly novel among America's agricultural centre cities. But by the taste of this AIS, No-Li is effective. And for that I give them very good Overall Hugs.

Wrecking Ball (despite its name) is inspired by the classics and sticks to that. It opens with a generous tan foam that does not go too far. Aromas are good, but not distinguished. Tastes are in classic form; roasting and toasting the malts seemingly to perfection and creating this splendid bitter-sweet that lasts balanced to my last sip. Full-mouthed. And grateful.

Good but not outstanding. Nice sharp roast grain bitterness, slick and smooth. Black with small beige head. Light aroma and some lingering bitterness.

Pours a dark brown color with a foamy tan head that lasts quite a while. Aroma of coffee and roasted malts. Taste is black coffee, caramel and vanilla. Smooth and creamy.

Toasty, roasty, coffee, toffee. I was worried this would be too sweet or syrupy for me but this is actually really nice. Lingering coffee aftertaste but not too heavy. Almost reminds me more of a porter than a stout. Not bad!

 

 

 

can into glass
Medium amount of light brown head. Completely opaque, nearly black look. Smooth and ample, heavily roasted grain aroma, with just a hint of toffee. A touch of sweetness during mid-taste, smooth but heavy mouthfeel, rounds out the taste. Really good.