Grimm Double Negative Imperial Stout

Grimm Artisan Ales' Double Negative Imperial Stout is a beer I have been waiting for quite some time to finally try. Last November, I was lucky enough to pick up a bottle of the Bourbon Barrel Aged Double Negative and was absolutely blown away. Then in February, right after the worst snow storm we had last Winter, I was fortunate enough to find a bottle of the Maple Bourbon Barrel Aged Double Negative. With reports of off flavors developing in the bottles, I had lowered expectations for what it was going to taste like. Again, I was blown away. My bottle was absolutely fantastic! It was so good, I was sad I did not have another to enjoy the following night. Basically, the two variants I tried were absolutely wonderful. The original however still eluded me, until now. I was finally one of the fortunate ones to find a bottle during Double Negative's most recent release. I couldn't not(see what I did there) wait to crack it open to see how it compared to the stellar variants I tried previously.

Grimm Double Negative pours a beautifully rich black with a dark brown head. The aroma is full of dark chocolate, roasted malt, coffee and a wonderfully light fruity sweetness. Immediately, I could tell that this was going to be a much different than the barrel aged versions. On top of that, I could not believe that this was that much better than both the barrel aged variants I mentioned earlier. For an imperial stout, this was as close to perfect as it gets. Bold notes of slightly sweet dark chocolate, caramel, molasses, dates, licorice and a blueberry finish absolutely blew me away.

What stood out the most to me was the blueberry. It completely made the beer for me. The balance of the semi-sweet dark chocolate paired with the subtle fruitiness from the blueberry was a perfect mash-up. I have had blueberry stouts before that are complete failures. They taste medicinal, artificial and have left me with little desire to buy that style again. This is not a blueberry stout, it just manages to bring that flavor out in a way that blends perfectly with the other flavor notes. Grimm Double Negative Imperial Stout is one of those rare beers that I can't seem to find anything negative to say about. I feel I could complain about its limited availability but perhaps that is what makes it even more special? Realistically, the only thing I am disappointed about is not having another bottle.

Overall I would rate Grimm Double Negative Imperial Stout a 5/5. If you are lucky enough to find a bottle, buy it, drink it & prepare to be blown away.

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!