Wedge Imperial Stout

Brewed by Wedge Brewing Company
Style: Imperial Stout
Asheville, North Carolina USA

Served on nitro at the brewery. Color is almost completely black with your standard dark brown nitro head. Aroma is roasted malts, molasses and raisin. Taste is very different. Very fruity with notes of cherries, berries, green apple and only slight hints of roastiness. Full bodied.

Draught at the brewery. Pours black with big, tight tan head. The aroma is raspberry, chocolate, a bit of iced coffee, and light vanilla. The flavor is raspberry and coffee with a few chocolate and vanilla notes. The berries give it a little bit of a sour edge. There is a bit of ash to the finish. It is a decent beer, but the fruit is not done as gracefully as it could be and makes a bit of a flavor clash.

On tap at the brewery. Pours very back with a very tall, foamy, evenly formed head. It looks like nitro, everything is so symmetrical. The aroma is very juicy and very fruity with loads of berries with dark chocolate and mild roast in the backgound. The palate is much thinner than expected, given the style and the aroma. It seems slick and watery, though some spritzy bubbles prickle my tongue making me question the use of nitrogen after all. A milky sweetness is noted along with boat loads of berry flavor. Probably raspberry. It is not a seamless blend of stout and fruit as the raspberry flavor dominates everything and makes the lovable imperial stout qualities seem deranged and forgotten. I really like Wedge Brewing as well as robust, dark ales; I would then recommend their Community porter.