Grumpy Troll Brandy Barrel Aged Spetsnaz Stout

Brewed by Grumpy Troll Brewery, Restaurant and Pizzeria
Style: Imperial Stout
Mount Horeb, Wisconsin USA

On tap at the Grumpy Troll brewpub. Honestly, there’s not much good to say about this style for me other than it looks good in the glass and the palate is, well, palatable. Hard liquor aged stouts end up smelling and tasting too much like the hard liquor and that’s the case here and this time it’s too much brandy. Smooth and malty, with a mild chocolate and alcohol finish.

On tap at Grumpy Troll. Pours a rich dark brown color with tannish thick head. Aroma is light brandy, coffee, and chocolate notes. Taste is mild compared to the aroma with subtle notes of the aforementioned flavors. As it warms up the flavors are obviously more apparent, however, the aroma still bests it. Alcohol is very mild and well concealed. Creamy mouthfeel. Good.

Served in a snifter on tap. Pours black with a medium mocha head. Aroma is bourbon, vanilla, with slight hints of cocoa. Tase is abou the same. Seems pretty one-sided to me.

Pitch black body with a creamy dark tan head. The beer has a nice lacing. The aroma is heavy chocolate chip sauce and other strong chocolate malts with a subtle barrel. The flavor is alcoholic apples meets rich chocolate malts and a creamy roasted black patent. The palate is rich and roasty with a dry aceticness that leaves the mouth watering for more. Not overly boozy.

Draft at the brewpub. Poured an opaque black color. No light came through even when held up to the sun. Tan crema on top. The nose was boozy with a hint of vanilla. Brandy? I guess, but they could have told me it was aged in a whiskey barrel and I would have believed it. Wish I could try the bourbon barrel aged version at the same time to compare. Sweet and full bodied with a dominant boozy whiskey flavor. I also tasted roasted malt and vanilla. Pretty good stuff.