Yeti Imperial Stout
On tap at the Lost Dog Lounge in Ithaca, NY, inexplicably served in a plastic pint glass (whose shockingly effective insulation made it really, really hard to warm up). Very thin dark tan head (par for the course on a Russian Imperial Stout with this much alcohol), but it definitely stuck around, even as I held my beer for twenty minutes or so to warm it up. Very nice lacing on the glass (well, plastic), and a dark, inky, opaque near-black. Nice toffee and caramel aroma with some darker coffee and chocolate hiding back there. A little bit of herbal hops back there, too, and some nonspecific fruitiness. A big, pleasing smell overall. Huge malty, toffee flavor, secondary on the chocolate and coffee flavors. The finish is beautiful; the alcohol and hops take it from an incredibly sweet brew to a nice, crisp dryness that lingers with some herbal flavors. Definitely a big, thick brew that coats the mouth and the tongue; very satisfying. Big, tasty, and gets a lot right as far as I'm concerned. I would, however, definitely consider this a food beer. The first time I had it (from a bottle, not on tap), it was with barbecued spare ribs, and it was just about the best beer/food combination ever. On its own, it's a little harder to down, especially because it's not as much of a dessert beer as something like Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout.