Cookie Season Mint Chocolate Chip Cookie Stout is an Imperial Stout with chocolate, mint and lactose, judged as BJCP Category 30A. Spice/Herb/Vegetable Beer.

 

While pouring this beer, hard chunks of matter dropped from the bottle and splashed into the glass. They were brittle and seemed to break apart and slowly disintegrate in the beer, but never fully disappeared. They floated at the top, snap-crackling-and-popping like Rice Krispies(R), and required removal with a spoon. Read that again: Removal of unidentifiable, hard chunks floating in the beer with a spoon (lest they clink against the teeth when taking a sip). The chunks were not wax from the sealed cap. Old, ossified, poorly treated yeast, perhaps? Probably, but I'll never know. In any case, it was an unappetizing first impression for Cookie Season.

 

As for other aspects of this beer's appearance, it was very dark brown in color with no head.

 

This beer's aroma was minty and chocolaty with a note of ethanol that became stronger as it warmed. Its flavor was dominated by the ethanol, but with some deliberate searching I found a faint minty flavor. It was notably sweet, but lacked richness. After a spell, the sweetness faded and the character became singularly boozy. The aftertaste became unpleasant, somewhat like a minty antiseptic rinse. This beer had a medium-full mouthfeel with low carbonation. 

 

Overall, Cookie Season's resemblance of a mint chocolate chip cookie stopped at its aroma. Also, it lacked the complexity required of an Imperial Stout. This particular bottle was unfit for sale and consumption; hopefully it is not representative of the entire product.