A Buffalo NY Imperial Stoutl
We shared one last night and what came to mind is a series of recent comments posted on this style of beer. Admittedly if I'm able to pick up and identify the flavors in a beer, then most anyone can. I did in fact get the coffee and chocolate notes right away(pretty hard to miss)
. It is one of those 10% ABV beers that doesn't hit the palate as such.
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Comments below edited and borrowed from Matt Kresconko
Imperial Sponge Candy Stout from Resurgence Brewing Company uses real pieces of Watson's sponge candy. (Matt Kresconko/Special to the News)
Resurgence Brewing is now offering(late 2014) its first bottled beer for sale. Available in 22-ounce bottles and marked at $12, Imperial Sponge Candy Stout is a higher alcohol, more intensely flavored version of the standard Sponge Candy Stout offered on tap at the brewery. Awarded best in Buffalo 2015, It's aged in bourbon barrels at the brewery.
Both versions of Sponge Candy Stout employ the same secret ingredient, Watson’s sponge-candy cuttings. Spare sponge candy chunks, sans chocolate, are added to the beer. The chocolate aroma and flavor is derived from the use of different roasted malts.
The Imperial Sponge Candy Stout pours out nearly black and passes no light. A dark tan head floats atop, and dissipates to an outer ring that lasts throughout the entire sitting.
Milk chocolate and light coffee notes dominate the aroma, along with a faint smokiness and mild, alcohol-induced warmth. The sponge candy aspect of this beer comes through in the beginning of the sip. A distinct sweetness, like burnt sugar, starts on the front end, followed by a wave of dark chocolate, and finally the bitterness of roasted coffee beans lingers in the finish.
The beauty of this beer lies in the use of roasted malts to balance the sweetness that strikes with the first sip. The residual sugars are tamed by the bitter roasted malts, like sipping on coffee alongside a decadent dessert. Its full body and moderate carbonation lend a velvety mouthfeel well suited for a beer of its size.
At 10 percent ABV, it’s nice that Resurgence chose to bottle this offering (IBU's unknown). It’s an excellent bottle to share with a friend at home, or split four ways with your after dinner dessert. Or better yet, substitute this beer in as your dessert.