Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery The Chocolate Manifesto Imperial Stout at 10% ABV (C$14.09 at Dominion Stavanger, 750 ml, no bottle date or best before)
Pours clear (flashlight confirmed) ruby brown with two fingers of dense tan head, excellent retention and lacing. (4/5) Nose is chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate. (8/10) Taste is moderately strong sweet, mild bitter. (8/10) Medium to full body, moderate to low carbonation, slightly oily and bittersweet creamy finish. (4/5)
What an extremely silly beer. Except, where it isn’t. Which is just about everywhere. Subtle? No. Bombastic? Yes. Good? Oh my goodness gracious yes. Think a slightly runny Hershey syrup milkshake, that makes the room get a little wobbly after a bit. (The ABV is seriously well-hidden, which for a double-digit product, is no mean feat. It’s not un-boozy – but it’s nowhere near as boozy as it should be.) Yes, it’s over the top and sweet. Yes, it’s one-dimensional. But, that dimension is chocolate. Mmmm… the Chocolate Dimension… And, it’s a milk stout (in addition to “chocolate” and “imperial” – how many adjectives can you add to a given style, anyway?), so there’s a lactose creaminess that plays well with the chocolate. I know some folks don’t like this. Those folks are wrong. (16/20)
8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
