Péché Mortel (Imperial Stout Au Cafe)
12 oz bottle. Pours out of the bottle opaque black with a sizable 1 1/2 inch tan head with lots of sticky lacing around the glass. The head refuses to fade, leaving a good covering over the top of the beer. The aroma consists of dark roasted bold coffee notes with bits of acidity around the edges. The big coffee presence lets go and allows for burnt carob like flavors to be noticed. As the beer warms up the coffee aromas seem to be sweeter but the big deep dark burnt roasted maltiness refuses to let the sweetness to be too big a player. The first initial sip brings big bitter roasted maltiness to my tongue and sticks around offering up flavors that remind me of cold dark roasted espresso beans with some burnt sweet crystal malts that bring burnt caramel to mind. Lingering just beneath each sip that has lots of bitter roasted qualities there is an almost cryptic sweetness that is subdued with each sip by that big bitterness offered by the roasted malt characteristics. The longer the beer sits the more of a slight smokey peaty malt character appears. The mouthfeel is pretty big and full but the higher level of carbonation for the style takes a small bite out of the silkiness that this beer could have. Good drinkability. The flavors of this beer play well off one another allowing you to continue to drink and taste them intermingle with each sip. Certainly a great stout worth seeking out.