Raspberry Imperial Stout
presentation: 12oz. bottle with a red label with blue and yellow graphics. big raspberry imperial stout across the label. a crown is screened in the background to suggest imperial. a banner displays the weyerbacher website: www.weyerbacher.com. "stout brewed with raspberry puree" on label. no abv or feshness date displayed. appearance: black with dark brown highlights and a dark tan tight head in a stein mug. head dropped to a thin capper after a few minutes. decent lacing down the glass. smell: dominant raspberry aroma. some chocolate and coffee as well. taste: tastes like it smells. chocolate covered raspberries with an underlying coffee flavor that becomes more evident in the finish and aftertaste. i find the taste to be very vinous. finishes lightly dry with some roasty malt and chocolate. tries to balance out the raspberry, but not quite. very little hop character, but i did notice some grassy hop flavor in a burp. alcohol flavor is noticible, but not overwhelming. mouthfeel: medium body with a light creaminess. mouth coating and therefore the swallow becomes increasingly smooth, but a little harsh at first. hardly any carbonation. drinkability: fairly drinkable for an imperial stout. dryness keeps you sipping. chocolate and raspberries make for an easy to drink imperial, where the alcohol doesn't hinder at all. however, the wine flavors did slow me down. overall: a very good fruit stout. delicious only begins to describe. chocolate cake would pair brilliantly with this. however, the wine undertones may deter some as it does with me. if you like this, however, i highly suggest this beer.