Cigar City’ Power Of Friendship’ Brandy BA Imperial Stout

Rating:

74876762_1199344233583053_5167070734849146880_n“7venth Sun Brewery and Cigar City Brewing are friends. In fact, we talk on the phone all the time about how powerful our friendship is. What do friends do together? They brew Brandy Barrel-aged Imperial Stouts together, that’s what friends do. Here’s to friendship! Brewed in collaboration with 7venth Sun Brewery.”

Glassware: Tulip.

Appearance: Thick black sump oil with hardly any head formation on top…just a gathering of loose bubble around the rim. Some wet streaky legs are all that’s seen as we go.

Aroma: Wow the brandy barrels play a significant role in this… letting off those classic nutty accents while still capturing the rich caramel and jammy dark fruits. As it settles the decadence is multiplied by the intense molasses and raw cacao then doubled down with pure dark chocolate, Vegemite, soy sauce, espresso coffee, licorice and leather. This is a biggun.

Flavour: Good God it comes on like a bull out of the gates. It literally smothers the palate with super rich molasses, leather, dark chocolate, Vegemite, licorice, burnt wood, espresso coffee, iodine and good ol brandy barrels. There’s also a flicker of vanilla in there and thank Christ coz it adds just just a bit of creaminess.

Mouthfeel: Oily, viscous and dense AF! Next to no CO2 with a hefty 12.3% ABV – which doesn’t mind letting us know.

Overall: This is one angry and in-your-face impy stout. It grabs a hold of the taste buds and slaps them around until they’re cowering in the corner. And we dig it! It’s so outlandish and aggressive that it’s hard not to respect it. What it needs though is a few years in the cellar…just to cool down a bit.