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Situational Ethics - Maple Scotch Barrel-Aged S'mores Imperial Stout by Monday Night Brewing was reviewed as a Specialty Wood-Aged Beer, BJCP style 33B per the 2015 guidelines.
This beer is over the top. It smells like a bakery with a wood-fired oven in the back, exuding aromas of chocolate, coffee, mild vanilla along with marshmallow, maple, cinnamon, traces of dark dried fruit and alcohol backed by rich, roasty malt. It pours almost like syrup kicking up a ¼” dark tan cap floating over a deep, dark brown abyss. A swirl of the glass produces light legs. All the s’more flavors coat the tongue and blend into the aftertaste. Chocolate, roasted grain, vanilla, marshmallow, and coffee leave a light stickiness on the lips while the alcohol combines with a hint of smokiness to suggest scotch. The beer is chewy with rich, complex flavors piling up in the mouth, blending and reemerging to leave a long lingering tail. Some background bitter notes soften the edge of the sweetness. The alcohol is clean and smooth – not hot or harsh and sneaks up on you with a gentle warming. The brewer gets points for thinking this up and for actually pulling it off.