4.2
AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20
I
poured a 22oz bottle into a tulip glass. There was no date on the
bottle, however, I bought it directly from the brewer so I’m assuming
it’s fairly fresh. It cost $5 ($0.23 per ounce). Appearance: Opaque black body. Forms a small, dark tan, foamy head which doesn’t completely evaporate and leaves some lacing on the glass.
Smell: Strong vanilla aroma, similar to cake batter. A general sweet stout scent with hints of dairy.
Taste: Though "Got Your Back" is an imperial coffee oatmeal stout, I actually get more of a vanilla flavor from it than anything else. It’s reminiscent of Southern Tier’s Crème Brûlée stout, but without any cloying characteristics. This is a delicious dessert beer for sure and well balanced so no individual flavors overwhelm the palette.
Much like a milk stout up front with a sweet dairy flavor, though this is probably due to the oatmeal its brewed with. A hefty bitterness breaks through in the middle of the swig, which is a touch dry, almost salty (like peanut butter), which then gives way to a smooth rush of vanilla sweetness. The ingredients list is unusual, but interesting: seven types of malts, two hops, decaf Sumatra French coffee, and a Belgian yeast strain are responsible for this palette and they work together extremely well. I’m a fan for sure.
Drinkability: You’d never know "Got Your Back" was 9% ABV if you were to drink it blind. Absolutely no alcohol presence in the nose or in the taste anywhere, making this a highly drinkable beer. Even though it’s brewed with Belgian yeast it doesn’t have a spastic, fizzy mouthfeel. While on the thicker side, it’s not a viscous stout and its quite comfortable in the mouth with only a mildly dry aftertaste. It goes down easily making it an ideal sipper, though I could see it pairing well with the right meal.
Grade: 9/10
