Probably the coolest shipment of beer ever!
I wondered what the hell was going on when I had to bend at the knees to pick up the box. Open ‘er up and what do I see? A wood box, real wood, real cool… the Widmer Brothers logo literally burned into it. You could almost still smell the faint hint of smoke.
Pulling open the box, I am greeted with two bottles, one glass, and one tag (pictures below and with lid). The tag, you see, is for taking initial tasting notes and cellaring it for at least a year from now. I will be doing just that.
On to the tasting. As you can see from the picture, it pours super dark with a nice tan head. Just as a nice imperial stout should look… slightly viscous but not too much. The first notable characteristic of this beer, though is the nose. If poured cold, you still really get a sense of the chocolate malt and midnight wheat. As the beer warms up, though, the raspberry starts to kick in. The nose is absolutely amazing. I could smell it all day.
The body is nice and chocolaty with raspberry in the front and middle. The wheat and barley give it a really creamy mouthfeel, though, so it isn’t sharp but soothing. As the beer warms up, it becomes more pronounced and better… the finish, which is a little short in the cold end gets more complex with the heat. We really recommend drinking this around 50° F. You might want to taste it cold, which isn’t bad, but enjoy it on the warmer side.
All in all, a really nice imperial stout. The fruit is subtle but noticeable, adding a great character. Drink it warmer and you will be a very happy beer drinker. 🙂
BTW… back to the wooden box. It asks to be sent back but before sending to put my mark on it… see pic below. I did a little boy scout project to burn my mark into the wood… a little elementary but unique. The next one will be better… 🙂
Get some if you can!
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