Westbrook 7th Anniversary Chocolate & Sea Salt Imperial Stout

I was not going to write about Westbrook 7th Anniversary Chocolate & Sea Salt Imperial Stout because I thought it would be long gone before I got a chance to write about. I base that solely on my past experiences with buying previous beers in the series. The first time I got my hands on a bottle was the 4th Anniversary Chocolate Coconut Almond Imperial Stout. While I did not like the 4th Anniversary Stout, getting it felt like I won a prize. I walked into a bottle shop and asked for it, answered several silly questions and then was the handed a bottle from behind the counter to purchase. I think I even called my wife on the way home to brag about my unique and successful shopping experience.

For the 5th Anniversary Chocolate Raspberry Imperial Stout, I dropped everything and grabbed a bottle as soon as I knew it was on sale. I enjoyed this one more than the previous year but I still was not totally in love with it.

I found a bottle of the 6th Anniversary Chocolate Hazelnut Imperial Stout by luck. I thought it was long gone from my area, but when I walked into a bottle shop there were 3 bottles just sitting on the counter. I took one home and drank it a few days later and I absolutely fell in love with it. It was everything I hoped it would be and more. It was a rich, beautiful dessert beer and when my bottle was empty I felt a tremendous void knowing I would probably never sip that beer again. I really hope to see Westbrook brew a chocolate hazelnut imperial stout again one day.

For the 7th Anniversary Chocolate & Sea Salt Imperial Stout, I had a renewed sense of urgency in finding a bottle. The 6th Anniversary was so great that I had nothing but high expectations for the 7th Anniversary beer. That urgency was not needed as the Rochester, NY area seems to be flooded with bottles. I walked into several bottle shops, as well as grocery stores and there it was sitting on the shelves. So with a ton of excitement I opened the bottle, grabbed my notepad and poured a glass.

The aroma of fudge popped out of my glass. It was complimented by roasted malt, a touch of saline, caramel and smoke. The first sip and every sip after that was a treat. Rich creamy fudge dominated the flavor and it was delightful. The roasted malt provided a nice touch of bitterness to balance the sweetness. There was a hint of fruit, along with some caramel and a spicy hop finish which added another amazing layer to this beer. The sea salt is present, and is noticeable right off the bat but I wanted a touch more of it. I love salted dark chocolate so just a touch more would have put this beer in elite territory for me. However, that is a small complaint, because overall this is a fantastic beer.

Westbrook's 7th Anniversary Chocolate & Sea Salt immediately takes its place as one of my favorites in the series. If you are looking for a fantastic sipper to pair with a cold winter night, look no further.

Overall rating: 4.25/5

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. Drop everything, BUY IT NOW!

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Thanks for reading. Sláinte!