Sunday, November 27, 2011

Mike's Beer of the Week

Beer Information
Brewery: The Alchemist
Beer Name: Luscious
Beer Style: Russian Imperial Stout
Abv.: 11.1%
Serving Glassware: Snifter, Pint
Serving Temp.: 50-55 deg. F.
Packaging: 22oz bottles
Price: $20
Availability: One-time Release
Pairings: Dessert (Brownies, Vanilla Ice Cream)
Mike's Ratings (1-5)
Overall Grade/Rate: A/4.33
Appearance: 4
Aroma: 4.5
Taste: 4.5
Mouthfeel: 4
Drinkability: 4
BeerAdvocate Avg. Rate: A/4.41

Mike's Description
Appearance - Pitch black beer that looks similar to motor oil. Brown 1/2" head that lasts throughout most of the session. A good amount of lace is splayed around the Alchemist pint glass.

Aroma - Strong coffee bean aroma from the copious amounts of roasted malts. Chocolate is a major player here as well along with some wisps of caramel.

Taste - The aroma doesn't lie...this RIS has anything that one could ask for. Plenty of coffee, bittersweet dark chocolate, and a faint maltiness to fill in the gaps. The hops aren't directly detectable, but their presence is felt from their contribution to balancing this beer perfectly.

Mouthfeel - The coffee and chocolate notes last after each sip...and that is all that's needed.

Overall - This is a top-notch representation of this style and I wish I could attain/afford more of it, but unfortunately only 700 bottles were saved from the Alchemist flood that destroyed the pub and brewery.

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