The Muddy Imperial Stout by Goose Island

I have to admit pretty much anytime I visit the grocery store I feel I have to check the beer aisle. Most of the time I walk out of the aisle with nothing. Nevertheless I feel I have to check because of that exciting moment every beer enthusiast loves, finding something new and exciting. I did just that on a recent visit when I came across The Muddy Imperial Stout by The Goose Island Beer Company. Now if the Bourbon County Series has taught us one thing, The Goose Island Beer Company knows how to make an incredible stout. I didn't think for an instant this was going to be in the same ball park as Bourbon County but I thought there was a chance it was the equivalent of tailgating outside of said ball park. Please pardon the bad sports metaphor but I was very excited about that. Add in the fact that this imperial stout according to the bottle featured “amplified sweetness with licorice notes” I probably could not have gotten it in the cart fast enough. The only question I was left with was, is this beer going to be as exciting as I think it's going to be?

The Muddy poured a thick black color with a dark tan head that went away almost immediately. The aroma was slightly sweet, full of roasted malt with chocolate and a hint of coffee. The aroma was also slightly boozy but with an ABV of 9% that is not completely unexpected. And while The Muddy is a fun name for a stout, unfortunately it accurately described the flavor. The roasted malt was easily detectable initially in the flavor but shortly after that the outrageous candy sweetness dominated my palate. It was so overpowering that any of the subtle flavors that I was doing my best to detect were pretty much “muddied” by this sweetness. The worst part to me was the fact that the licorice was practically nonexistent. As I made my way through the glass I kept hoping the next sip was going to be the one where I tasted the licorice, sadly this never happened.

When I was finished with The Muddy all I was left with was an empty glass and a whole lot of disappointment for this completely missed opportunity by Goose Island to create something new and creative. And it is also a reminder that unfortunately not every new beer we spot is as good as we hope it would be. But it is beers like The Muddy that make us appreciate when we find that good beer that much more.

Overall I give The Muddy Imperial Stout a 1.5/5. While it is not completely undrinkable it reminded me more of an extremely sweet cheap liqueur then it did an imperial stout.

Rating Scale:
1 - Repugnant and undrinkable
2 - Acceptable but forgettable
3 - Good, worth a purchase
4 - Excellent, a step above the norm
5 - Truly exceptional　

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Thanks for reading. Sláinte!