Creme Brulee (Imperial Milk Stout)
I was pumped to try this, as Creme Brulee is my favorite desert item. A - One finger head, sticks around for a bit. Lacing is present. Opaque. S - Smells exactly like Creme Brulee, with the added influence of roasted grain. Indeed, the aroma blew me out of the water. For what it is, perfect. T - Hmmm....after smelling it, I thought this was going to be a desert in a glass. But after having gone through a 22, I'm getting the distinct impression that taste is being placed on the back burner, in favor of aroma. It's really muddied, with caramel malts present, lactose, roasted grain. Cloying, and to be frank it was almost difficult to finish the 22. Not terrible, don't get me wrong, but I won't be having any more. Again, this coming from someone who enjoys both sweet stouts and creme brulee. To its benefit, I wasn't detecting any significant amount of alcohol, which is a fairly decently feat for a 10% brew. M - Mouthfeel was good. Silky. Carbonation was about right. D - For a 10% ABV brew, the drinkability is quite good, in the sense that the strong alcohol content is not detectable. That said, the taste and muddiness kills the drinkability factor. I was having a hard time finishing a 22. At the end of the day, creme brulee (the desert item) is as much a tactile experience as it is a taste experience. When you sit down and think about it, creme brulee in drinkable form is an unappealing thought...which is kind of what I'm left with when I look at this brew overall.