Chocolate Chip Cookie Stout from Gnarly Barley Brewing Co. is being evaluated in the Spice/Herb/Vegetable category (BJCP 2015 Style Guidelines 30A) as an Imperial Stout with special ingredients of chocolate chip cookies, cacao nibs and vanilla.

A beer like this comes with expectations of being over the top in many ways, but this beer is surprisingly tame. The aroma is fairly subtle overall and presents the beer as a malt-forward imperial stout with an emphasized chocolate character. There is no sensory evidence of vanilla or actual chocolate chip cookies, but the power of suggestion helps them to emerge as the beer warms.

The beer is jet black with a dark Carhartt-brown head that struggles to build and sustain itself. The beer is surprisingly bitter with enough hop presence to remind you that you're drinking an imperial stout and not a liquefied cookie. The flavor is chocolate-heavy with both malt and cacao nibs contributing while the vanilla presence is well-integrated by providing balance and is very much in a supporting role. The body of this beer is big, and there is pleasant warming alcohol with each sip.

Those who are looking for a sugar coma-inducing pastry stout may be disappointed by this beer, but fans of thick imperial stouts will rejoice as this beer offers deep chocolate flavor without going too far with special ingredients. More vanilla presence would be welcome, but overall, this is a tasteful and well-crafted beer.